reason of inconstancy he doth not alwayes abyde still in one and the selfe same purpose partly because he performeth not those thinges which he promiseth and partly because he oftentymes bringeth forth a lye and that ether of infirmity whilest he is not able to attayne vnto the truth or els of an euill purpose to vse deceite This sentence is read in the 116. Psalme In my hast A place of Dauid out of the 116. Psalme I sayd euery man it a lyar And certayne interpreters of the Hebrues affirme that Dauid had then a respect vnto Samuell For when he was on euery side enclosed in by the host of Saule was in a maner past all hope to escape such cogitacions were offred vnto him through the infirmity of the fleshe as though the Prophet had made a lye touching those thinges which he had promised him concerning the kingdome Or els he mought speake these thinges against himselfe for that when according to mans reason he had cast awaye all hope of escaping and thought himselfe to be in a maner forsaken of God as soone as he came agayne into the right way he brake into this sentence Euery man is a lyer because he also had deceaued himselfe touching the goodnes of God And by the antithesis or contrary position it is playne that a liar here signifieth an vnconstant person For before he sayde Let God be true Wherefore we maye conclude The word of God and the sacramentes depend not of our fayth that the dignity of the scripture or of the sacramentes dependeth not of our fayth or misbeliefe For whether we beleue God or mistrust him they are to be estéemed according to their dignitie because they depend of the institution of God who is most true neither is hys truth chaunged through our defaultes as Dauid writeth That thou mightest be iustified in thy wordes and ouercome when thou arte iudged Thus the 70. interpâ—eters haue turned it whom Paule now followeth when as in the Hebrewe it is thus written Lemaan titsdek be dhob recha tizkeh beschoatecha And that which the 70. haue turned That thou mightest be iustified may accordyng to the Hebrewe be Therfore shalt thou be iustified And where as it is written agaynst thee onely haue I sinned Rabbi Dauid Chimchi expoundeth it thus I haue priuilie and in secret transgressed and therefore agaynst thée onely But thou art iustified and in iudgement ouercommest which hast by Nathan the Prophet shewed the thou knowest these thinges But thys exposition fitteth not very well with the wordes of Paule Wherfore we omitte it Others interprete it Although Dauid sinned agaynst Vrias and agaynst Bersabe and agaynst the hoste of Israell yet these were not sinnes but in respecte that they were prohibited by God in the lawe For there hence dependeth the iuste consideration of sinne But it is better to say that Dauid was so much gréeued because he sawe that God by reason of hys sinne was blasphemed and had in derision which bare fauour vnto such a kyng who to satisfie hys owne filthye luste permitted hys enemyes to haue the vpperhand These things I say so much vexed hym that in that feruencie of minde he had a regarde vnto these thynges onely And therfore by the figure Hyperbole he sayth Against thee onely haue I sinned As we when we are oppressed with many troubles at one tyme are accustomed to say of the chiefest and greatest trouble which afflicteth vs most Thys one thyng greueth me very much But afterward he comforteth hym selfe hauing conceaued a firme hope and sayth That thou mightest be iustified in thy wordes as if he shoulde say Vndoubtedly I haue greuouslye sinned but such is thy goodnes that hereby I sée it to bee more poured out so that alwaies when thou contendest in iudgement thou wilt in the cause haue the vpperhand Neyther is it to be thought that Dauid when he sinned had thys consideration in hys minde to illustrate the goodnes of God For there he sought onely to satisfie hys owne desire and luste Wherefore thys particle That hath Good haps are not to be ascribed vnto sinnes but vnto the mercy of God a respecte not vnto Dauid but vnto God by whose benefite it commeth to passe that of that which is euill shoulde come some good vnto them which loue hym Forasmuch as vnto them all thynges turne to good Wherfore the good things which followe after sinnes coÌ„mitted are to be ascribed not vnto our sinnes but to the mercy of God Neyther let vs maruaile that God is iudged as Paul saith For oftentymes it happeneth that men when they thinke them selues to be euill God is iudged of men handled of hym they reason concerning hys iudgementes and although not in wordes yet in thoughtes they striue agaynst hym But then if they shoulde call to memorye how many how greuous sinnes they haue committed they should alwayes pâ—rceaue that God is in hys cause iustified and ouercommeth Thys worde wordes which in Hebrewe is bedhobrecha may signifie iudiciall actions and in that sense haue I interpreted it Although other take that worde for the wordes of the promises and especially touchyng Christ For Dauid when he considered that he had greuouslye fallen desired God to make him cleane and that he woulde not by reason of the wicked acte which he had committed cease to accomplishe the promise which was that of hys séede shoulde Christ be borne Which interpretation Ambrose hath But besides the expositions now alleaged of these wordes there are two other expositions also Of which the one is thys For that Dauid was a kyng and was the chiefest in authoritie amongest the people of God he had no iudges ouer hym whose tribunall seate or iudgement or sentence he shoulde néede to be afrayde of But he saw that onely the wrath of God dyd hange ouer hys head Therefore he sayd Vnto thee onely am I giltie although men can not punishe me The other exposition is Vrias Bersabe and part of the hoste haue bene ill delte withall through my meanes but they vndoubtedly as they were men had sinnes for which they deserued those thynges which they suffred yea and thynges farre more greuous then them But thou O God hast nothing in thée for which I ought so to offend thée whom thou hast adorned with so many great benefites and exalted to so high a dignitie There were some also which thought that thys addition That thou myghtest be iustified in thy sayinges is to be referred vnto that which went before Haue mercy vppon me O God Washe me and clense me that being receaued into grace I may obtayne those thynges which thou hast promised me and so thou mayest be iustified and ouercome euen by the iudgement of men Here we sée that thys worde Of the woord iustifieng It is the part of perfect men when they are afflicted to acknowledge God to be good iustifying signifieth not to obtayne any newe righteousnes which thyng we can not
reade in the scriptures was restored strength to beget children Nether is it any meruaile that By fayth we renounce the best part of our selues by y◠worke of faith is aduāced y◠glory of God forasmuch as in it for Gods sake we deny the best part of our selues which is our mynde and reason wherby we ether assent or not assent vnto thinges set forth vnto vs. Wherefore it is manifest that there can nothing more excellent be offred of vs vnto God For this is a wonderfull testification of the power and goodnes of God for his sake to seme to quench in our selues the sense of nature But I wonder at those which so diligently commend workes and so highly extoll chastity sole life and other workes and yet are so colde in setting forth the commendation of fayth when as by it commeth the victory whereby we ouercome both our selues and also the whole world For so Iohn sayth this is the victory which ouercommeth the world euen our fayth Which thing We are not iustified by fayth as it is a worke Faith meriteth not vnto vs iustification Fayth as it is a worke excelleth all other workes Proues that fayth cannot be without good workes The vertues of the vnderstanding are not repugnant to vices I speake not as though I ment that we are iustified by fayth as it is a worke For it is defiled by sundry blottes of our infirmity And Augustine sayth that this sentence is by no meanes to be admitted that fayth meriteth vnto vs iustification For fayth is not sayth he of our selues but as Paul to the Ephesians expressedly testefieth it is the gift of God Howbeit as it is a worke it many wayes excelleth all other workes Nether can it be expressed how far wide the scholemen erre when they imagine that fayth can consist without good workes For by their sentence fayth should not attayne vnto the dignity of prudence which both as the Philosophers write and also they themselues confesse can not be had without the rest of the vertues What maner of thing then shall Theologicall fayth be if it attayne not vnto the perfection of prudence Farther forasmuch as vertue suffreth not vice to be ioyned together with it and they themselues contende that fayth is a vertue how wil they haue true fayth to be in sinners and such as are strangers frō God But they will say that they put fayth to be a vertue of the vnderstanding vnto which kind of vertues vices are not repugnant For that we sée sometimes that the most wickedst men that are haue in them excellent sciences But nether will this any thing helpe them their owne fayned imagination is a let thereunto For they imagine that those thinges which are set forth vnto our vnderstanding are obscure and nothing euident and that we geue not assent vnto them but because the wil cōmaundeth the vnderstanding to geue his assent in that thinge to geue place to the truth of God Wherefore I will demaunde of these men whether the worke of y◠wil wherby it cōmaundeth y◠vnderstāding to geue place to assēt vnto the words of God be good or euell Vndoubtedly whether they wil or no they must The vnderstandinge cannot be commaunded to beleue without charity Fayth depēdeth not of the commaundemē◠of the wyl◠be cōpelled to say it is good But without charity it is not possible that the will should bring the vnderstāding to embrace y◠things that are to be beleued Wherefore these fonde deuises of theirs are repugnaunt the one to the other But we teach no such thing that fayth should depend of the commaundement of the wil For how should it be moued to commaund things that are to be beleued to be receaued as good and worthy of credit except it had first receued it by vnderstanding In dede we confesse that those things which we beleue are obscure and not very euident vnto humane reason But they are made plaine vnto the vnderstanding by the light of the diuine reuelation and illumination of the holy The deuine reuelation maketh those thinges playne which otherwise were obscure ghost Wherfore they are by the iudgment of reason apprehended and admitted with a singular certainty which thinges being so knowen and receaued as it must nedes follow the wil delighteth it selfe in them so earnestly embraseth them that it commaundeth vnto the other faculties of the mind workes agreable vnto that truth whiche the mind hath beleued And by this meanes of faith springeth charity and after it followeth hope For the things which we beleue and ernestly loue with a valiant and patient minde we wayt for which thing pertayneth chiefely vnto hope Nether let any man thinke that this is ether against reason or extinguisheth the nature of mā for that in beleuing we sem◠to renounce humane sence as though this were in vs a madnes as Agrippa the king sayd vnto Paul when he preached the fayth of Christ Much lerning hath driuen thee to madnes The matter is not so but rather by faith is brought to passe Fayth neyther extinguisheth the nature of man nor reason The foundacions of our resurrection that our reasō maketh it selfe subiect vnto the doctrine of God and vnto the reuelation thereof rather then to inferior reasonings and perswasions which being inferiors vnto the holy scriptures man is by them rather exalted then deiected And if a man should say that men in beleuing are madde we will adde farther it is aboue all things done with reason The Apostle maketh mencion that God rayseth to life the dead and that the body of Abraham was dead and also the wombe of Sara By which wordes Chrisostome sayth are layde the foundacions of our resurrectiō which we beleue shal come For if god could do these things then can not he wante ether meanes or power whereby to restore againe to life the deade And vndoubtedlye I am perswaded that this fayth was no small helpe vnto Abraham to moue him to sacrifice his sonne as God had required at his handes For although hee had receaued the promise that he should haue posterity by Isaake yet he saw that although he were slaine yet there was What faith confirmed Abraham to obey God still remayning place for that promise For he beleued y◠God was able to rayse him vp although he were slayne and make him to liue agayne And how commendable the fayth of the patriarch was Paul declareth when he sayth that he had not a regard to his dead body or to the dead wombe of Sara but gaue the glory to God being most assuredly perswaded this that God was able to performe and bring to passe whatsoeuer he had promised Ambrose by an Antithesis or contrary position declareth the excellency of this fayth for he compareth it with the incredulity of Zachary vnto whome when the angel shewed the birth of Iohn Baptist yet he remained still in vnbeliefe and therfore he was reproued of the
of wickednes if we want Christ then must we nedes abhorre God and flye from hym as from an auenger and punisher of sinne And this is that hatred of the world which Christ hath shee l Where heÌ„ce commeth the hatred of the world againste the godly What peace here signifieth to be bent agaynst him and agaynst his when he sayd If the worlde hate me it will also hate you And of the Iewes he testefieth That they hated his father But now after that we be thus iustified we haue peace towardes God for that we are perswaded that he leaueth vs and herein consisteth our whole felicitye So Dauid did not without iust cause say that they are blessed whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered And by the name of peace is here properly signified tranquility of conscience There are some which in stede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we haue rede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let vs haue peace As though Paul after that he had forth the doctrine of faith should now entreate of sincerenes of life and should stirre vp the Romanes to mutuall loue and beneuolence one towards an other And Origen semeth to leaue to this sentence But Chrisostome most manifestly leaneth thereunto for he bringeth two maner of expositions The one is that seing we are iustified by fayth there remayneth that contentions be put away and that men liue in peace one towardes an other And they say that therefore Paul spake this because there were some which contended that the law should be holden as necessary vnto saluation but Paul declareth that there is no such nede seing we are iustified by fayth The second exposition is that we should excercise charity and sinne not But this sentence can not stand sauing vpright the scope of this place and wordes of the Apostle For we sée that here by a briefe rehearsall is entreated of the conclusion which is inferred of those thinges which were before spoken Farther the peace which the Apostle speaketh of is not that peace which men haue one towardes an other For he playnly sayth towards God and those thinges which follow we sée are spoken by the indicatiue moode For he sayth By whome we haue accesse vnto this grace wherein we stande But Chrisostome hath herein also erred when he demandeth whether we can be without sinne wheÌ„ as we now haue iustification he maketh answere vnto himselfe that this is an easy matter Because sayth he it was a harder thing that we which were subiecte to so greeuous sinnes shoulde be deliuered from them then that when we are iustified wee shoulde beware of them For sayth he it is a muche greater matter to obtayne those thinges whiche wee haue not then to defende those thinges whyche he haue alreadye obtayned But wee haue before declared that that so long as we lyue here can not be hoped for namely vtterly to want sinne And if any man will contend that this may be done by the power of God we will not be agaynst him For God could adorne a man with so great grace that he should liue vtterly without sin But we speake according to the senteÌ„ce of the scriptures as the thing is indede and as experience teacheth vs alwayes to happen If we say Whether any man can here liue without sinne sayth Iohn we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Ierome agaynst the Pelagians derideth that power which nether is nor hath bene nor euer shall be put in execution Ambrose maketh on our side and manifestly interpreteth this place of the peace of the conscience which we haue towardes God Yea he herein compareth fayth and the law together and saith that fayth excelleth Fayth excelleth the law the law for that it maketh peace which the law could not do Although whether we write it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or whether by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is whether we reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is haue or may haue our expositioÌ„ hath place stil For the Apostle ether sayth that we now alredy haue that peace or els exhorteth vs to haue it and not any more as we were wont before to flye from God But the common receaued reading by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a great deale better He addeth That by Christ we haue accesse vnto grace wherein we stand If by Christ we haue accesse vnto God and vnto his grace then may we inferre of the contrary that without Christ we flye from God To what ende then shall we call vpon Saintes what other reconciliator haue we nede of if by Christ is geuen vnto vs accesse vnto God Because say they our complayntes are not brought vnto Emperors and kinges vnles we be brought in vnto them by Dukes Earles or Lordes But as we haue before declared out of Amhrose this is done because our Princes or men nether do they sée what is done abroade in the streates and in other mens houses Therefore towardes them we haue nede of many mediators Agaynst iâ—uocation of sayntes But God séeth all thinges there is nothing hidden from Christ Wherefore whatsoeuer is attributed vnto any other is taken away from his dignity and grace Others contend that we haue accesse vnto grace by sorrowes contritions teares satisfactions workes of truth But as touching fayth which Paul so oftentymes inculcateth they speake not a word And if a maÌ„ chance to vrge theÌ„ they answere yâ— in all things they vnderstand fayth And so in a thing most wayghty and which is the chiefe poynt of the whole matter they deale fraudulently and dalyenglye But we say with Paul that by Christ and fayth we haue accesse vnto the grace of reconciliation And as for repentance and workes of charity we say that they come as companions which alwayes follow true fayth Thou wilt demaund peraduenture what maner of peace grace that is which we haue when as God vseth gréeuously to punishe those sinnes which he hath alredy remitted and forgeuen vnto his For so we reade that he did to Dauid We answere that those tribulations which God inflicteth vpon the elect after that he hath forgeuen them The afflictâ—ons of the godly haue not the nature of punishments their sinnes if we will speake properly haue not the nature of punishments For they are rather fatherly corrections wherby the saints are the better admonished not to fall agayne into the like sinnes and the church is tought how sore God hateth sinne Wherefore in these punishmentes is not disturbed the peace of the elect nether do they sometymes fly from such scourges And this I speake of the spirite and not of the fleshe This thing only Dauid desireth that the Lord would not correct him in his furye or in his wrath He refused not to be fatherly cha 〈…〉 sed But The
holy scriptures that Baptisme succeded in the place of Circumcision Wherfore they cannot say that the baptisme of infantes is against the worde of God bicause vnles they will graunt that our infantes are in worser estate then were the infantes of the Hebrewes they must of necessity confesse that our infantes also ought to be initiated vnto God and vnto Christ They also are not to be harkened vnto which say that circumcision was only a sealyng of promises touching temporall things For Paul doth manifestly teach that it ought to be compared with baptisme And in the 17. chap. of the booke of Genesis Circumcision is instituted to confirme this promise I wyll be thy God and the God of thy seede And vndoubtedly God kepeth those whose God he is and y◠not only as touching y◠mind or as touching y◠body only but as touching y◠who le ful nature And of so great force waight is this promise y◠by it Christ proued the resurrection of the dead For forasmuch as God affirmeth himselfe to be the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob he therby firmly concludeth that they liue and that their bodies shall be restored vnto them in the resurrection And it is wonderfull how they dare affirme that the baptisme of infantes is a new institution in the church For Cyprian a most auntient writer maketh menciō of it sayth that it is Baptisme of children is no new thing in the church not of necessitie that we should tary till the eight day for the baptising of thē For the truth of the Gospel hath deliuered vs frō the obseruing of the number of daies Wherfore they may well be baptised what day soeuer the Church shall be assembled together Origene also writing vpon this epistle and vpon Leuiticus sufficiētly declareth that infants were in his tyme accustomed to be baptised And sithen these men were not long after the Apostles tyme neither make they mencion of it as a thyng inuented by them or in their tyme it sufficiently appeareth that that maner came from the Apostles They say that Higinus bishop of Rome was y◠first author therof which vndoubtedly can not be proued by his decrées We read in Higinus made a decre for Godfathers and godmothers but not for the baptisme of infants dede that he made a law for Susceptores whom they call Godfathers and Godmothers which without doubt was a profitable order For his meanyng was y◠whē infantes should by baptisme be receiued into the church they should be commēded vnto the faith of some men of whom to be instructed And for the performaunce of this the Godfathers and Godmothers do bynde their faith although now a dayes they regard nothyng lesse But it is a very weake argumēt therby to gather that Higinus was the first author that infantes should be baptised bicause he instituted Susceptores Yea rather sithen he made a decrée as touching that thyng it is probable that the baptisme of infantes was before that tyme in vse They cite more ouer Tertullian in his little booke of baptisme which is very elegantly writtē But The opiniō of Tertullian as touching this thing is not to be receaued forasmuch as that man in his latter age fell from the true fayth vnto the heresy of Montanus hys authority in this thyng can not be of so greate force for he also condemned second mariages disalowed the baptisme of infants against the receyued vse of the Church And if we should follow his opinion neither young men that lead a sole lyfe nor wydowes that are yong women ought to be baptised For he affirmed that this sacrament ought not to be administred b 〈…〉 thē only very late and that are of a very rype age But it may be sufficiently declared by the selfe same Tertullian that euen in his time the maner was that children should be It was the manner in his time that infants should be baptised baptised For he would neuer haue reproued it vnles it had then bene in vse and practise But now I will returne to the Apostle Knowing this that our olde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne should be abolished that henceforth vve should not be seruauntes vnto sinne This is the entent of the Apostle to teach that they which are of Christ ought to dye vnto sinne And he setteth forth the communion which we haue with the death and resurrection of Christ which communion he proueth by baptisme For by baptisme we are proued to be grafted into Christ to this ende that the olde man should be crucefied in vs and that we should no more be addicted vnto sinne Chrisostome vpon this place sayth that regeneration is two maner of wayes one which cōsisteth of the forgeuenes of sinnes an other which we obtaine after iustification in leading our life holily and innocently the first he confesseth to come vnto vs by the gift of God but in the other he sayth is required our diligence Hetherto this his sentence is true For vnto the first regeneration are not required any of our workes but for the performance of the other it behoueth them that are iustified to worke together with grace and with the holy ghost But I can not tell how he a little afterward forgetting himselfe sayth that we vnto that first regeneration do bring fayth of our selues Which is most repugnant vnto the truth For Paul to the Ephesians teacheth that fayth is the gifte of God and is not of How Chrisostome vnderstandeth fayth to be the gift of God our selues In expounding which place he thus vnderstandeth it That fayth is the gifte of God because we shoulde not beleue vnles God called vs and shoulde set forth vnto vs those thinges which ought to be beleued Wherefore his meaning is that it lieth in our power to assent vnto the calling and promises of God which are offred vnto vs. But that is most many manifestly repugnant against very many testimonies of the scriptures For in the Actes of the Apostles we reade of the To attayne to faith it is not sufficiēt that God doth sette forth vnto vs thinges we shoulde beleue woman that solde silkes how that God opened her harte to vnderstand those thinges which Paul preached And Ezechiell teacheth that God chaungeth the hartes of the godly and of stony hartes maketh them fleshy hartes Christ also saith that no man can come vnto him vnles he be drawen of the father And Dauid desireth of God to incline the hartes of his to keepe his testimonies We reade also in many places that God boweth and hardeneth hartes Lastly Paul in this selfe same epistle sayth that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God which hath compassion But as touching this question we will speaks more at large afterward Now let vs see what Paul in this place vnderstandeth The Olde man by the Olde man which he sayth ought to be crucified with Christ and
what also he meaneth by the Body of sinne which he affirmeth ought to be abolished When he speaketh of the Olde man he alludeth vnto Adam and vnderstandeth the corrupt nature which we all haue contracted of him Neither signifieth Not onely the body and grosser partes of the minde pertaine vnto the old man he thereby as some thinke the body only and grosser partes of the minde but comprehendeth therewithall vnderstanding reason and will For of all these partes consisteth man and this maliciousnes and oldenes so cleaueth vnto vs as the Greke Scholies note yâ— the Apostle calleth it by the name of man And men yâ— are without Christ are so much addicted vnto their lustes pleasures and errors that without theÌ„ they count not themselues to be men Farther by this Antithesis or coÌ„parison vnto the new man we may vnderstand what the olde man is In the epistle to the Ephesians we are commaunded to put on the newe man which is creatâ—d according vnto God in all righteousnes and holynes of truth And coÌ„trarâ—wise To put of the old maÌ„ which is corrupted according to the lusts of error Wherefore Ambrose expounding this place saith That the Apostle therefore calleth the deedes past the olde man Because euen as the newe man is so called by reason of fayth and a pure life so is he called the old man bycause of his infidelity and euill dedes The body of sinne also signifieth nothing els then the deprauation and corruptioÌ„ What the body of sinne is of our whole nature For the Apostle would not that by this word we should vnderstand the composition of our body And naturall lust although it be but one thinge yet bycause vnto it are associated and annexed all maner of sinnes which as occasioÌ„s are offred doo burst forth therfore it is expressed by the name of the bodye And Paul vnto the Colossians after thys selfe same maner calleth sondry sinnes our members Mortifie sayth he your members which are vpon the earth namely fornication vncleanes euill lust auarice and other whiche there followe Our members are the instrumeÌ„ts of sinnes if God prohibite them not And vndoubtedly vnles the spirit of Christ doo prohibite our members they are altogether organes and instrumeÌ„ts of sinnes Chrisostome vpon this place faith That the Apostle calleth not this our body only so but also all our maliciousnes for so calleth he all our maliceousnes the old man The Greke Scholies vnderstand by the body of sinne our condemned nature Although if we would referre that sentence vnto this our outward body it may seme that Paul so spake for that all wicked lust and all corruption of nature is drawen from nature by the body Thys is Humane corruption is drawen by the body The corruption of nature hath sundry names also to be marked that the Apostle setteth our corrupt nature as contrary vnto the spirite but yet by sondry names sometimes by the name of flesh sometimes by the name of the body of sinne sometimes by the name of the old man and sometimes of the outward man and sometimes by the name of naturall man all which things signifie whatsoeuer is in man besides Christ and regeneratioÌ„ and also whatsoeuer withdraweth vs from the law of God CoÌ„trariwise by the name of the spirite he vnderstandeth all those thinges which are done in vs by the inspiration instinction and motion of the holy ghost wherfore Ambrose by the body of sinne vnderstandeth also the soule that is the whole man As contrariwise the soule also in the holy scriptures signifieth sometimes the body and The soule The fleshe the whole man This word flesh also sometimes comprehendeth all the partes of a man that is not yet regenerate For Christ when he reasoned with Nicodemus of regeneratioÌ„ whatsoeuer saith he is born of the flesh is flesh by which words he sheweth that the flesh ought to be regenerated into the spirite And forasmuch as regeneration pertayneth not only vnto the body nor only vnto the grosser Reason and will are coÌ„prehended in the name of fleshe partes of the minde but chiefely vnto vnderstanding reason and will it sufficiently appeareareth that these thinges also are vnderstand by the name of flesh And Ambrose sayth that the flesh is sometimes called the soule which followeth the vices of the body Christ also answered vnto Peter when he had made yâ— notable confession Flesh and blood hath not reueled these thinges vnto thee Whereby fleshe and blood he vnderstandeth whatsoeuer humane reason can by nature come to the knowledge of Wherefore to retayne still the body of sinne and the old maÌ„ is nothing els then to liue according to that estate wherein we are borne And Naturall knowledges grafted in vs are of themselues good but in vs they may be sins The affections of them that are not regenerate are sinnes though they be honest if a man demaund whither these naturall knowledges grafted in vs touching God and outward dedes are to be counted good or no I answer yâ— of theÌ„selues they are good but as they are in vs not yet regenerate but vitiate corrupt vndoubtedly they are sinnes bycause they fayle and stray from the coÌ„stitution of theyr nature For they ought to be of such force that they should impell and driue all our strengths and faculties to obey him But they are so weake that they can not moue vs to an vprighte life and to the true worshipping of God which selfe thing we iudge also of the naturall affections towards our parents frendes countrey and other such like For although these thinges of their owne nature are good and honest yet in vs that are not yet grafted into Christ they are sinnes For we referre them not according as we ought vnto the glory of only true God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ nether doo we them of faith without which whatsoeuer is done is sin And Paul sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is knowing this and a litle afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordeâ—â—each that those thinges which are here sayd ought to be most assured and certayne vnto vs and perfectly knowen of vs so that euery godly man should fele this in hymselfe This kinde of speach hath an Antithesis vnto that which was sayd at the beginninge Know ye not that as many as are baptised â—nto Christ Iesus are baptised into his death as though he should haue said Of this thingye ought not to be ignoraÌ„t And if ye once perfectly know this principle theÌ„ those thinges which thereof follow caÌ„ not but be knoweÌ„ of you Let it not seme straÌ„g that Paul doth Why Paul vseth so many tropes figures by so many so suÌ„dry figure hiperboles I say metaphors exaggerat aggrauateth is matter namely That we are dead vnto sin are buried with Christ and the old man is crucified that the body of sinne should be abolished and suche other like For we neuer sufficiently
not payde And as touching that place we first desire that our sinnes should be forgeuen vs. And because that by benefites receaued men are encouraged to hope that they shall receaue other and greater benefites therefore is this the meaning of that sentence O father which hast of thy goodnes geuen vs grace to forgeue iniuries vnto our trespassers forgeue vnto vs also our sinnes by these wordes also is not signified a cause but a similitude although that similitude be not perfect and absolute For there is none that is wise that will haue his sinnes so forgeuen him of God as he hath forgeuen his neighbour the iniuries that he hath done vnto him For euerye one by reason of the fleshe and that infirmity whiche it carieth about forgeueth much les vnto his brother then he ought For there alwayes sticketh in his minde some offence which although it burst not forth yet his owne conscience is a sufficient witnes vnto himselfe that his minde is not very perfect towardes him by whome he hath ben hurte But the former exposition teacheth that the similitude is to be referred not vnto remission but vnto the liberality of God that euen as he hath geuen the one so also he will vouchsafe to geue the other But whereas it is sayd Forgeue and it shal be forgeuen that is a commaundement and therfore pertaineth vnto the lawe But thou wilt obiect that that sentence is written in the Gospell and not in the lawe That is no thing at all for the lawe and the Gospell are not seperated The law the Gospell are not seperated by volumes or bookes In what maner we ought to forgeue iniuries a sonder by volumes or bookes For bothe in the olde Testamente are contayned the promises of the Gospell and also in the Gospell the lawe is not only comprehended but also most perfectly by Christ expounded Wherfore by those words we are coÌ„maunded to forgeue iniuries done vnto vs. And forasmuch as we are bound to do yâ— according to the prescript of the law that law dependdeth of this great precept Thou shalt loue the lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strengthes according to yâ— forme therfore we ought to forgeue our enemies which thing because no man hath at any time performed neither can performe it followeth that we ought to flye vnto Christ by whome we may be iustified by faith and afterward being iustified may after a sort accomplishe that which is commaunded Which although we do not perfectly performe yet it pleaseth God and he fréely geueth vnto vs the promise annexed vnto it not Redeme thy sinnes with almes is expounded because of our workes or for our merites but only for Christes sake They go about also to blind our eyes with the wordes of Daniell wherein he exhorted the king to redeme his sinnes by almes But in that place by sinnes we may vnderstand the paynes and punishementes due vnto sinne For the scripture vseth oftentimes such phrases of speach Which thing we neuer denyed Yea rather we willingly graunt that to workes which procéede from faith God is wont to geue many thinges specially as touching the mitigation of plagues and punishements They obiect also this sentence out of the first chapiter of Iohn God gaue them power He hath geuen them power to be made the sonnes of God how it is to be vnderstand to be made the sonnes of God Wherefore they say that those which haue already receaued Christ that is haue beleued in him are not yet iustified and regenerate and made the children of God but only haue receaued power to be made the children of God namely as they thinke by good workes And in this argument Pigghius the great champion and Achilles of the Papistes putteth great affiance but yet in vayne For he thinketh that of necessity he to whome power to haue any thing is geuen hath not as yet the same thing As though we should here deale philosophically that power excludeth acte which yet euen amongest the Philosophers also is not vniuersallye true For when they defyne the soule they say that it is an acte of a body naturall hauing members or instrumentes and also hauing life in power By which definition appeareth that our body hath life in power when as yet it hath life in acte and in very déede But that worde power here signifieth that the body hath not of it selfe life but of an other namely of the soule Which thing we in this matter at this present may also affirme namely that those which haue receaued the Lord and haue beleued in him are regenerate and made the children of God and yet not of themselues but from some other waye namely of the spirite and grace of God For so signifieth this word power Although the Euangelist in that place spake not peripatetically but simply and most plainely For a little before he sayd His receaued him not By this word his he ment the Iewes which peculiarly professed the knowledge of the true God But when they had refused the truth offred vnto them God would not be without a people but appointed theÌ„ to be his peculiar people which should beleue and receaue Christ Wherefore he gaue vnto them power that is This power is adoption grace a right and a prerogatiue that when they had receaued the Lorde by faith they should be made and be indéede the sonnes of God And therefore Cirillus expounding that place saith that this power signifieth adoption and grace Farther Pigghius although he thinke himselfe very sharpe of witte yet séeth not that when he thus reasoneth he speaketh thinges repugnant For how is it possible that any man should haue life in himselfe and yet not lyue Assuredly if they in beleuing haue receaued Christ it must néedes be that straight way they haue righteousnes For as Paul writeth in the first epistle vnto the Cor. He is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes holynes and redemptioÌ„ But what nede we so long a discourse The Euangelist himself declareth vnto vs who those be which haue receiued such a power namely which are not borne of bloud nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the wil of maÌ„ but of God And if they be borne of God then followeth it of necessity that they are iustified and regenerate They obiect also vnto vs a seruile feare which goeth before charity as though by it we should be prepared vnto iustification and the more easely to receaue charity Vnto whom we aunswere that such a feare without charity is sinne they replye agayne and say that Christ commaunded that feare But God commaundeth not sinne And he commaunded such a feare say they when he sayd I will shew vnto you whome ye ought to feare feare him whiche when he hath killed the body can also cast the soule into hell fire And that this feare prepareth vnto iustification they thinke may hereby be proued for yâ—
woman vnto whome the Lord thus answered thy faith hath made thee safe signifiyng that he for her fayth sake had forgeuen her her sinnes And that the faith of this woman was very feruent she declared by the effectes in that she loued much in that she kissed his féete in that she washed them with her teares and wiped them with her haire In the Gospel of Iohn the .iij. chapter Christ sayd vnto Nicodemus So God loned the world that he gaue his only begotteÌ„ sonne that he which beleueth in him should not pearish but haue eternall life And in the selfe same Chapter Ihon Baptist thus speaketh of Christ He that beleueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleueth not hath not life but the wrath of God abideth ouer him Out of which place we gather not only that we presently entreat of but also this that they are strangers Here is prâ—ued that they which are straungers from Christ can do no good thyng that may please God from Christ and those which beleue not can doe nothing that may please God and therfore they can not merite of congruitie as they call it and as our aduersaries affirme the grace of God And in the .vj. chapter Christ saith This is the will of him which sent me that he which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him hath eternall life And I sayth he will raise him vp in the last day And when as he had before said No man commeth vnto me vnles my father draw him Also He that hath heard of my father and hath learned commeth vnto me afterward he addeth And he which beleueth in me hath eternal life In the .xj. chapter when Christ should raise vp Lazarus he said vnto Martha He which beleueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and he which liueth and beleueth in me shall not die for euer And in the .xvij. chapter this is eternall life that they acknowledge thee the only true God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ But this is to be noted that here he speaketh not of a cold knowledge but of a mighty and strong faith Wherefore if it be eternal life then shal it also be iustificatioÌ„ For as we haue before taught wheÌ„ we expounded this sentence of Abacuk the Prophet The iust maÌ„ shall lyue by fayth Iustification and life are so ioyned together that the one is oftentimes taken for the other And in very déede Iustification is nothing els then eternall life now already begonne in vs. And in the. 20. chapiter Those things saith he are written that ye should beleue that Christ is Iesus and that in beleuing ye should haue eternall life In the Actes of the Apostles the 15. chapiter it is thus written by faith purifying their hearts In which place Peter speaketh of the Gentiles that they should not be compelled vnto the works of the lawe of Moses for Christ had without them geuen vnto them the holy Ghost and had by faith made cleane their hearts from sinnes Paule also in his Oration to king Agrippa said that he was called of Christ to be sent vnto the Gentiles which should by his ministery be illuminated and by faith receiue remission of sinnes and lot amongst the saintes And these testimonies hitherto we haue gathered out of the Newe testament But if I should out of the old testament reherse all that which maketh to this purpose I should then be ouer tedious And if there be any of so obstinate a heart that those things which we haue alredy spoken can not vrge them to confesse the truthe neither should it any thing profite suche men if we should bring many testimonies Wherfore a few shall suffice and besides those testimonies which Paule hathe cited out of the. 15. Chapiter of Genesis Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse out of Abacucke The iuste man shall liue by his faith out of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeueÌ„ out of Esay Euery one that beleueth in him shall not be confounded and a fewe others suche like besides these testimonies I say I will cite the. 53. chapter of Esay wherein Christ is by most expresse wordes painted forth For there he is sayd to haue taken vpon him our sorowes and to haue borne our infirmities to haue geuen his soule a sacrifice for sinne and many such other things which are so plaine that they can be applied vnto none other but only vnto Christ Iesus our sauioure And it is sayde moreouer and by the knowledge of hym shall my righteous seruaunt iustifye many and he shall beare their iniquities These words teache that Christ iustifieth many namely the elect by the science and knowledge of him which knowledge vndoubtedly is nothing else but a true faith And that he in suche sort iustifieth them that he taketh vpon himselfe and beareth their iniquities And Ieremy in the. 15. chapter wryteth O God haue not thine eyes a regarde vnto faith vndoubtedly they haue As if he should haue said Although thou séest al things and there is nothing pertaining vnto man hidden from thée yet hast thou chiefly a regarde vnto faith as vnto the roote and foundation of all good actions And as touching the oracles of the scriptures this shall suffice Now will I answere vnto such obiections which are commonly brought agaynst this second proposition And we will heginne first with Pigghius because our aduersaries count him for their Achilles or chief champion and thinke that he only by his subtil sharp wit hath persed euen into the inward misteries of the truth And this man vseth this cauillation we are not iustified by that from which this iustification may be seperated For it is not possible that the causes should be pulled away or seperated from their effects But faith is seperated from iustification for many that beleue do notwithstanding liue most filthely so farre is it of Whether iustification may be seperated from faith that they should be iustified But because he thinketh that this may be denied he bringeth a reason to proue that it is not against the nature and definition of faith but that iustification may be seperated from it And he maketh an obiection out of the 13. chapiter of the epistle to the Corrinthyans If I haue all fayth so that I can remoue mountaynes and haue not charity I am nothing By these words he concludeth that faith may be seperated from charity and therefore from all good works He citeth this also out of Mathew many shall come in that day and shall say Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and haue cast out deuils and haue wrought signes But vnto them shall answere bee made I know you not These signes sayth Pigghius can not be done without fayth wherefore seing that they are shut forth from the kingdome of heauen which yet do these things it is cleare that they were not iustified Wherefore in them faith was seperated from righteousnes But this he
tonges And yet notwithstanding Paul speaketh truth that if they had tonges and I should speake with them yet that shold nothing profite me without charitie And this exposition Basilius confirmeth in an Epistle aâ— Neocaesarienses For hâ— saith that the Apostle minded in this place to commend charitie and he saith that he vseth those reasons not that al those things which he here maketh mention of can be seperated from charitie Wherfore of the former interpretation we haue Chrysostome for an author and the latter interpretation Basilius confirmeth Let Pighius goe now and of this saying of the Apostle conclude if he can that which he so much contendeth for But as touching those words of Mathew Lord haue we not in thy name prophesied and in thy name cast out Deuils c. which things Pighius denieth can be done without faith and yet they which haue done them are not iustified when as they are excluded from the kingdome of heauen we may answere with the selfe same solution which we haue now brought namely yâ— they whoÌ„ Mathew maketh meÌ„tion of had the faith of signes or a deade faith but not a true and iustifying faith moreouer I sée not how true this is that miracles can not be done without faith For God sometimes worketh miracles not for his faiths sake by whoÌ„ they are Miracles are not always done for fayth sake done but either to illustrate his glory or to beare testimony vnto true Doctrine Vndoubtedly Moses and Aaron when they strake water out of the rocke of strife wauered in faith And yet God to the ende he would stand to his promesse with a great miracle gaue water vnto the people and reproued Moses and Aaron of infidelitie And Naaman the Syrian doubted of recouering his health in the waters of Iordane yea also he would haue gone his way for that he sayd that the riuers of his countrey were muche better then Iordane And yet notwithstanding God left not his miracle vndone And when the dead body was cast into the sepulchrâ— of Elizeus by a great miracle it came to passe that at yâ— touching of the dead bones of the Prophet life was restored vnto it But there was no faith there neither in the dead corps nor in the bones of the Prophet nor in them which brought the dead man thither And yet not alwayes when faith is absent is graunted vnto theÌ„ that aske to doe miracles For in the Actes we read that when the sonnes of the high priest Skeua the exorcist would haue cast out Deuils in the name of Christe whome Paule preached the Deuill answeared Iesus I know and Paule I knowe but who are ye And straight way ran vpon them Here we sée that God woulde not geue a miracle when it was asked as it is most likely of wicked and vnbeleuyng men Howbeit contrariwise we haue in Marke the 9. chap. that a certayne man did cast out Deuils in the name of Christ who yet followed not Christ and when Iohn would haue reproued him Christ alowed him not By this Pighius myght haue séene that to the working of miracles is not alwayes required â—aith And yet if I should graunt him that faith is of necessitie required thereunto were sufficient either the faith of signes or also a dead faith Wherfore Pighius in his second confirmation proueth nothing for it hath nothing in it that is sincere Now let vs examine his thirde proue Iohn saith many of the princes beleued in him But they confessed him not for feare they should haue bene cast out of the sinagâ—ge Wherfore they were not iustified by faith This reason is but a watrish reason not so stroÌ„g as he thinketh it to be For we deny yâ— they had the true faith truly For yâ— asseÌ„t of theirs was nothing but an humane asseÌ„t For wheÌ„ they saw yâ— by Christ wer wrought woÌ„derful works that his doctrine was confirmed by most euident signs they began by a certayne humane perswasion to geue credit vnto hym The There is a certaine saith which is humane and is not in 〈…〉 led of God deuil also for yâ— he certainly knoweth of many things done by God asseÌ„teth vnto yâ— truth and beleueth it And yet it is not to be thought that he is by a true fayth induced to beleue And that these rulers had not the true and liuely fayth hereby it is manifest for that Christ sayde vnto them How can ye beleue when as ye seke for glory at mans hand By which words we vnderstand that that they which more esteme humane glory then piety can not beleue truly in God And those Princes were to be numbred amongst them for they so much did set by their estimations and the iudgement of men that rather then they would be cast out of the Sinagoge and be noted of any infamy with the people they would forsake the confession of the name of Christ Wherefore when as the Lord saith that such could not beleue and Iohn affirmeth that they did beleue it is manifest that they spake of a Two places conciliated which seme at the first sight to be repugnaunt diuers and sundry fayth vnles we will say that two contradictories may both at one and the selfe same tyme be true Wherefore Iohn spake of an humane fayth but Christ of the sincere and true fayth Which true fayth ought to be ioyned with confession as Paul declareth saying with the hart we beleue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation He which séeth the connexion bebetwene righteousnes and saluation must nedes also sée the coniunction which ought to be betwene fayth and profession Wherefore we say that their faith was a dead fayth But a dead fayth is not fayth no more then a dead man is a man Although A dead faith is not faith D. Smith one Smith in a certayne litle booke of his Iustification which he wrote agaynst me contendeth that a dead fayth is fayth which he proueth chiefly by this argument for that the body of a dead man although it be dead is notwithstanding a body And this good wise man wonderfully delighted in this his similitude In which yet he hath vttered a sophistical argument not vnméete for his diligeÌ„ce and wit For let vs a litle examyne this notable similitude I would haue him to answer me whether a carkase be the body of a dead man or simply the body of a maÌ„ I thinke he will not answer that it is the body of a man for the body of a man a dead carkase differ much the one from the other and that in very déede more theÌ„ two formes of one and the selfe same general word for that they are contayned vnder diuerse generall wordes being next together I graunt that the carkase of a dead man is a body in the generall word of substaunce as are stones stockes and Whether a karkase be the body of a man such other like But that
terrible But suffer not thy selfe gentle reader to be deceiued with a vaine shew Examine it wel and try it diligently and thou shalt finde that it is a weak and ridiculous argument We graunt that a man that is by sinnes and wicked factes alienated from God may assent vnto the articles of the faith and beleue that there is a God But this good man should haue taught farther that the same is done by the motion and impulsion Faith abideth with such sinnes as are most greuouâ—s and do wast the conscience on of true faith There may in déede be left to a wicked man a certaine humaine persuasion either by education or by opinion bicause he thinketh it to be most likely But lest any man should thinke yâ— this that I say is of mine owne inuenting namely that a man which greuously sinneth is destitute of the true and iustifying faith let him rather consider what Paul saith For he vnto Timothe saith He which hath not a care ouer his owne and especiall ouer his houshold hath renounced faith and is worse then an infidell Doubtlesse he which hath renounced faith hath not faith And vnto Titus he saith They coÌ„fesse that they know God but in dedes they deny him To confesse and to deny are things contrary wherefore it must néedes be that forasmuch as bothe are spoken of one and the selfe same men they are to be taken in a diuers sense Wherfore they may haue faith that is a certaine humaine opinion such as it is but yet not that firme and mighty assent inspired by the holy Ghost wherof we now intreat Iohn saith in his first Epistle and seconde chapter he which saith that he knoweth God and kepeth not his commaundements is a lier and the truthe is not in him Wherfore the true faith wherby we beleue truely in God is not without good workes Neither ought it to séeme vnto any man absurd that one and the self same thing may be known diuers wayes For the deuil also as well as we both knoweth and confesseth many things touching Christe The deuill is not endued with true faith A similitude whome yet neither Pighius doubtlesse as I suppose will graunt to be endewed with the true faith whereby we are persuaded to beleue those thinges which we confesse of Christ It is possible also that one skilful in the Mathematical sciences may assent vnto some one conclusion confirmed proued by demoÌ„stration which demonstration if he chaunce afterward as oftentimes it happeneth by reason of age or of some disease to forget he wil not yet for al the cease to affirme yâ— propositioÌ„ which he before knew but this doth he by opinioÌ„ or some probable argumeÌ„t not as before he did by demonstration Therfore the knowledge of one the self same thing doth not of necessity infer yâ— self same grouÌ„d of knowledge And those things suppose to be spoken only by supposition vpoÌ„ that sentence which holdeth yâ— after a man hath committed any great haynous wicked fact true fayth is lost which yet in the elect is afterward by the benefite of God again recouered otherwise it may be sayd that in men iustified and appointed of God vnto saluation fayth can not thorough the committing of any haynous crime be vtterly extinguished but is as it were in dead sléepe and lieth hidden neither bursteth it forth into act vnles it be agayne stirred by the holy ghost for in such men that haue so fallen the séede of God still abideth although for that tyme it bringeth not forth fruit But Pigghius goeth on and sayth Fayth is the foundation therefore it is farre from the perfection of the building wherfore it iustifieth not For vnto iustificatimany other preparations are required If by this perfection of the building he vnderstand Faith is very far from the last perfection the blessed resurrection and chief felicity wherein we shall sée God face to face we graunt that fayth is very farre from it For we must by many tribulations aduersities and gréeuous labours come vnto the kingdome of heauen But after the self same maner we may say yâ— iustification also is only the foundation of that eternal saluation and that it also is farre from that blessednes which we looke for For the first degrée vnto saluation is to be receaued of God into fauor and to be regenerated through Christ And afterward follow other degrées by which we come vnto that chief goodnes which we looke for But where this man found that fayth is only the foundation he can not teach out of the holy scriptures except paraduenture he wil bring that out of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues Faith is the substance of thinges that are hoped for But by those words is nothing els meÌ„t but that those thinges which we hope for are by fayth vpholden and confirmed in our minds which would otherwise wauer neither should they by any meanes stand fast But this maketh nothing at all to this purpose And if in case he will cite this also That he which will come vnto God ought to beleue we haue already before answered therunto peraduenture we wil afterward in due place speake somewhat more as touching that But goe to séeing he by so many meanes goeth about to ouerthrowe our sentence let vs heare what he himselfe at the length affirmeth and vnto what thing he attributeth the power of iustifying There are sayth he many preparations Pighius sentence and dispositions required in vs to be iustified First saith he we beleue the words of God afterward we are afeard of his wrath after yâ— we hope for mercy then we detest sinnes To be briefe he reckeneth vp all those things which we before declared vnder the name of the Synode of Trent but in the last place he sayth succedeth a sincere pure loue of God which altogether beareth dominion in our heartes and vnto this he saith is ascribed iustification I can not inough meruaile at the deuise of this man For he affirmeth that a man is in a manner perfecte before he can be iustified For he which beleueth feareth hopeth repenteth and sincerely loueth God what wanteth he to perfection But this man holdeth that a man without Christ a straunger from God and not yet iustified is able to accoÌ„plish those things which vndoubtedly in no wise agréeth with yâ— holy scriptures For they teach that a man before he is iustified is occupied in euil works wandreth in the hatred of God as it is manifest in the Epistle to the Colossians the first chapiter and to the Ephesians the seconde chapiter But how can they by whome are wrought so excellent workes as this man maketh mention of be the children of wrath how can they be sinners how caÌ„ they as it is written vnto the Romaines be the enemies of God But omitting those things let vs sée what are the groundes of this opinion First he citeth that out of Iohn he which loueth not
put But Pighius sayth farther that God requireth these woorkes that he may◠fréelye impute vnto vs iustification Whosoeuer is but euen slenderlye exercised in the holye Scriptures shall easelye sée that thys man is euen directlye repugnaunt vnto Paul For he in the Epistle to the Romaines sayth Vnto hym whych worketh not a reward is imputed accordyng to grace But Pighius sayth vnto him which worketh God imputeth righteousnes fréely But to impute fréely and not to impute fréely euery childe may sée that they are contradictories But mark gentle Reader this reason of two members These workes which he speaketh of either profite vnto iustification or else profite not If they profite not why calleth he them preparations For amongst causes are reckened also causes preparatory But if he will say that they profite are in very déede causes preparatories with what mouthe can he affirme that he plucketh away nothing from the honoure of Christ but appoynteth him to be the whole and absolute cause of our iustificatiō But peraduenture this two membred argument a man will turne vpon vs touching those works which follow iustification For he wil say either they are profitable to obtaine saluation or they are not profitable If they be not profitable Wherunto good works profite after iustificatiō why are they required and why are their promises setforth vnto thē But if they be why doe we not allowe merite to be in them I answer that suche workes are profitable vnto men regenerate for that they liuing vprightly and orderly are renewed and made more perfect But that is nothing else but a certaine inchoation and as it were a participation of eternall life Farther it hath séemed good vnto God by suche meanes or rather by suche spaces to bring men vnto eternal felicitie But we can not cal these workes merites For Paul expressedly teacheth that the stipend of sinne is death but eternall life is grace But that which is giuen fréely vtterly excludeth merite And in the meane time we ought to remember that That which is geuē frely excludeth merite there is a great difference as we haue oftentimes taught betwene their works which are as yet straungers from Christ and from God and their workes which are now by grace grafted into Christ and made his members Afterward also he goeth about to confute that which we say that a man is iustified by that faith which hath a respecte vnto the promises of Christ and of the remission of sinnes as though we holde that faith is the proper correlatiue of such promises For he saith that faith hath equally a respect vnto all the thinges which are set forth in the holy scriptures Yea saith he he doth vnto God a thing no les acceptable which beleueth that he created the world or beleueth the thre persons of the diuinitie or the resurrection to come then he which beleueth that Christe was giuen to be our mediator and that by him is to be obtained the remission of sinnes For that faith is of no lesse worthinesse then the other And if we be iustified by faith he contendeth that that faith no lesse pertaineth to the other articles then to the remission of sinnes by Christ And this he thinketh may be proued by that which Paul wryteth in the. 4. chapiter vnto the Romaines And not for him only were these things written but also for vs vnto whome it shal be imputed so that we beleue in him which hath raised vp Christ from the dead Beholde saith he that faith is imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnesse whereby we beleue that God raised vp Christ from the dead and not that faith whereby we beleue that sinnes are forgiuen vs by Christ First here we confesse that our faith assēteth vnto all the things which are contained in the holy scriptures But forasmuche as amongste them there is but onely one principall and excellent truthe vnto which all the other truthes are directed namely that Christ the sonne of God suffred for vs that by him we might receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes what meruail is it if our faith haue a respect vnto this one thing chiefly For this our assumpt Paul proueth For he saith that Christ is the end of the law Wherfore séeing he is the end of al the scriptures he is also the summe and principall obiecte of our faith although otherwise Christ is the principal obiect of our faith by our faith we also embrase all other thinges which are contained in the holy scriptures And whereas he addeth that the faith which is of the other articles is no lesse acceptable vnto God then this faith which concerneth Christ and the remission of sinnes we may first say that that is not true if a man rightly way the dignitie of the action of faith For the dignitie of faith as also the dignitie of other suche like kindes of powers is measured by the obiects For as those obiects differ one from an other in excellency and dignitie so the assētings of faith ought according The dignity of faith is mesured by the obiect to the same to be counted inferior or of more excellency Séeing therefore God would in suche sort haue his sonne to die and that men should be by him reconciled that for this he hath instituted all the other things to be beleued which are set forth in the holy scriptures we can not put any doubt but that this pleased him much more then the other For that the other are directed vnto this as vnto their end And this is a common rule amongst the Logicians Euery thyng is such a thyng by reason of an other wherfore that other thyng shall much more be such Wherfore this actiō of faith wherby we assēt vnto this most noble truth ought to excell al other actiōs of faith whatsoeuer they be And so it is not by a thing like acceptable vnto God whither a man beleue this or that If we should vse this answere I know Pighius were neuer able to confute it but we say moreouer that he in vain contendeth about the greater or lesse dignitie of faith as touching this or that article For we are not iustified by the dignitie of faith For it is in euery mā weak◠and féeble But we therefore say that we are iustified by faith bicause by it as by We are not iustified by the dignity of fayth an instrument vnto this ende giuen vnto vs and by God appointed we apply Christ vnto vs and take holde of the forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherefore the worthinesse or vnworthinesse therof is to no purpose considered But that which he bringeth out of the. 4. Chapiter of the Romaines he bringeth cut of and maimed For if a man read the ful and perfect sentence he shal easely sée that plaine mention is there made of the death of Christ and of the remission of sinnes which by it we haue obtained For Paul saith that vnto vs it shall be imputed as it was vnto Abraham if
in this life but the crosse persecutions and all aduersities moreouer they were commaunded to leade a straite lyfe to put away pleasures to dispise the world and to mortefy wicked affections All which thinges do rather withdraw men from any religion then allure them vnto it For God is my vvitnes After that he hath shewed how he gaue thankes unto God for them he addeth the perpetuall memory that he maketh of them in his dayly prayers And all these thinges tend to this ende that they should perceaue that Paule loued them For these thinges neither are found nor can be found without beneuolence and a singular charity Neither affirmeth he these thinges simply but ioyneth vnto them an othe For his chiefe care was that they should geue credite vnto him whom I serue in my sprite By spirite he vnderstandeth a mynde inspired What the spirite signifieth with the holy ghost And Ambrose when he interpreteth this place sayth that the spirit is the minde wherewith we ought chiefly to worship God For he is a spirite and therefore it is meete that he be serued inspirite The false Apostles accused Paule as a forsaker of the law an Apostata from Moses Wherfore the crime of impiety was layd to his charge which should excedingly haue alienated the mindes of the Romanes from him if they coulde haue bene so perswaded Therefore he purgeth himselfe that althoughe he worshipped not Why Paul so often putgeth himselfe A place to Timothe expounded God with the ceremonyes of Moses and rites of the law yet neuertheles he serued him in spirite Which thing he testified also vnto Timothe when he wrote that he had from his progenitors worshipped God with a pure conscience By which words we must not thinke that he excuseth his sinne and persecution agaynst the Sainctes but only sheweth this that it was not agaynst his conscience as some which by reason of weakenes suffer not those things to take place which by a sound iudgement of the conscience they know to be vpright Paule fell of ignoraunce which without doubt was sinne but not of that kinde that it should be sayd that he did agaynst that which he thought in his mynde But that which he sayth here that he serueh God in spirite Christ expressed when he spake vnto the woman of Samaria sayinge of the true worshippers that they should worship in spirite and in truth And that was spoken to this ende to The true worshippers worship in spirite and in truth expres that one day it should come to passe that the describing of any certayne place wherein God should be worshipped should be taken awaye and the ceremonies of the Iewes should be abolished so that to worship in spirite may be referred vnto the place and ceremonies of the lawe and that which is added and in truth declareth the thinge it selfe excluding shadowes whiche were setforth in the olde Testament These did in deede helpe the fathers in theyr tyme because they had the worde of God ioyned with them which might be cōprehended in them by fayth Wherefore God blessed them so that if fayth were present they were in their tyme very profitable but when Christ came they ought to geue place But as touching rites inuented by men we can not in like maner say that they much profited bycause they had not the worde of God Therfore they are worthely to be extingueshed and put away excepte some of them as touching outward pollicy may be iudged profitable We serue in spirite when no part of our flesh is any more circumcised but the mynde and vices beastes are not slayne but we crucify our owne fleshe with the lustes there of Which selfe same worshipping in spirite Paul in an other place expressed when he sayde I desyre you throughe the mercye of God that ye geue your bodyes a lyuely sacryfyce holy and acceptable vnto God and that your woorshyppynge be reasonable He vseth this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence they saye is deriued this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth that worshipping which is dew vnto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin◠only whereby we vtterly addicte our selues vnto him neither can it as Augustine testefieth in his 5. booke De ciuitate Dei the first chapter be expressed by one word of the Lattins For pietas that is piety or godlines is not only towardes God but also towards our parents and country Also Religio that is religion is not drawen onelye to holye thinges but also belongeth to that duety which we owe vnto kinsefolkes and humane affinityes But in the meane Augustines distinction betwene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while he iudgeth that by the Greke wordes diuers thinges are in thys thyng distincted so that this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the worshipping which is geuen vnto God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worship whiche is geuen vnto Princes and magistrates As touchinge the thing we easely graunt that there is a difference For we worship God after one sorte and we honour Princes after an other manner Chrisostome in hys 33. homelye vpon Iohn sayth that it longeth vnto the Chrysostome The body of Christ created A similitude The reason why the worship of Christ depēdeth of his deuinity creature to worshippe and vnto the creator to be worshipped And he obiecteth vnto him selfe why doo we woorship Christe a man when as he hath in verye deede a body created He answereth No man when he would reuerence a king sayth vnto hym Put of thy purple garments and laye away the crowne and other ornamēts for I wil worship thee naked he dareth not speake these words but honoreth hym beinge both clothed which purple adorned wyth a crown So we when we worship Christ do not put away his humanity from hys deuyne nature but worship it together with it But the reason whereon adoracion dependeth is hys deuinity But as touching the Greeke wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as touching the Greeke words signity one and the selfe same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to to serue for a reward Augustine one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as Suidas testifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But afterward it was vsed to signifye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is godly to worship And he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a hired bondage And this signification is manifestly had in xeniphon in his 3. booke of the education of Cirus where the husband speaketh thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Vndoubtedly O Cirus I will spende euen my life rather then she should be brought to bondage Then the wife answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and we reade in the holy scriptures that in Leuiticus it is sayd you shall not do any seruile worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in
it with fayth Wherefore in this word Reuealed let vs marke two maner of comparisons one is as touching the godly Twokinds of reuelacioÌ„ of the Gosple which receaue these thinges of god that they myght by that meanes acknowledge feele and by suxe experience vnderstand those thynges as touching all the three partes of righteousnes of which before we spake distinctly For they are not so moued of God as though they felt not nor knew by experience such thinges as are done But they which are only lookers one and not doers of the matter neyther see the fyrst part of righteousnes nor yet the second for that they are but naturall men and the god of this world hath blynded their myndes that they shoulde not be able to attayne to these spirituall thynges But the third portion of righteousnes which bursteth forth into act and is set in outwarde woorkes will them or nill them is seene of them and they are euen agaynste theyr will compelled to beare witnesse vnto it as we reade that Pline the yonger wrote vnto Traiane of the innocent life of the Christians Pliny wrote vnto Trayane in the christians behalfe For holy men shewed examples inough whereby the vngodly if they had bene wyse mought haue considered that they were altogether renewed in mynd and that this kinde of menne is more acceptable vnto god then other men are But in these thynges humane wisedome is wonderfully blynded whiche can geue no iudgement of spirituall thinges and yet these partes of righteousnes are of their owne nature so ioyned together that the one depeÌ„deth of the other In thys sense Paule writeth afterward of the righteousnes of God If our vnrighteousnesse commendeth the ryghteousnesse of God where we manifestlye see that the righteousnes of God signifyeth his goodnes and clemency But now let vs consider thys addition From fayth to fayth There be so many expositions vpon these words that if I should rehearse them all time would not serue me I will touch only a few of them and wyll iudge whyche of them seemeth to me more probable and nyer vnto the truth Some vnderstand from the fayth of the elders to the faith of their posterity Others froÌ„ a weaker faith to a stroÌ„ger fayth Others from the fayth of one article to the fayth of an other And to make an end of rehearsing opinions I wil come to that which in my iudgement is best to be allowed A double significatiâ— of fayth It appeareth that Paule taketh fayth two maner of wayes One waye for that assent which we geue vnto God when he promiseth vs any thing an other way for the constancy of wordes and promises And after that maner the fayth of God is commended as we reade afterward in the 3. chapter What if some of them haue not beleued Shall their incredulytie make frustrate the fayth of God By which woordes he signifyeth that God faythfully performed that which he had promised According to this distinction we may say that this reuelation or exhibition of the righteousnes of God towardes vs is brought to passe by faith namely our fayth whereby we geue credite vnto God making promise to vs and that our fayth is both strenghthened and also confyrmed by the fayth of god namely because we see that he hath coÌ„stantly performed the things which he had promised And this interpretacion Ambrose toucheth in this commentaryes and in my iudgement it semeth very agreeable It followeth As it is written The iust shall lyue by fayth Paule laboreth to proue that we Chrisostom sayth that we are iustefied by faith onely are iustified by fayth and Chrisostome when he interpreteth this place testefyeth that by it only we obtayne remission of sinnes For he sayth we way not hope for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from any other where If thou aske why scripture is in thys place cited of the Apostle the same Chrisostome aunswereth for that vnto humane reason it seemeth a thing vnlikely to be true that he whiche was euen now an adulterer a murtherer and a committer of sacriledge should straight way be counted iust so that he beleue and receaue the Gospell of Christ These An history of Constaâ—tine seeme to be thinges passing coÌ„mon capacity neither can they easely be beleued For we reade in the Tripartite historie the first booke 6. chapter that Constantyne the great which was the fyrst emperour that publikely receaued the Gospell slew many that were of his affinity and kinred and was the author and procurer that his owne sonne whiche was called Chrispus was murthered Of which wicked actes when he began to repent to hym he asked aduise of Sopater the philosopher who in teching succeded Plotynus whether there might be any expiacion or satisfaction made for these greate haynous crimes Vnto whom the Philosopher aunswered that there could be none Afterward he asked counsell of Christian Bishops and they aunswered that all those sinnes might be expiated so that he would beleue in Christ and with a syncere fayth receaue his Gospel Hereby it came to passe that that Emperour embraced our religion The author of this history reiecteth this narration as a thyng fayned and by diuerse argumentes proueth that it was inuented of malicious men which fauoured not Christian religion But what soeuer it were this thynge onely haue I a respect vnto that they tooke thys occasion to fayne this lye for that both Philosophers and also ciuile men iudged it absurde that a man being vnpure and laden with sinnes should streight way be counted pure iust before God so soone as he receaueth the fayth of Christ Paul therfore lest he should seme to be the author of this wonderfull doctrine from which humayne reason so much abhorreth citeth a place out of the holy Scriptures and by it plainly proueth that it is eueÌ„ so The testimony which he bringeth is taken out Chrisostome Ambrose sayling in memory of Abacuk the prophet the 2. chapter althoughe Chrisostomes interpretation as it is in the Greke citeth the name of Sophonias But that is not to be merueyled at because paraduenture his memory failed him For the fathers as they were men might sometymes erre For Ambrose also when he entreated of this place a little before put To the Iew first and to the Greeke sayth that the Iewes were so first named of Iudas Machabeus which did set at liberty his nacion when they were by the Grecians brought into bondage Which saying how vntrue it is the second booke of kinges testefyeth in the 25. chapter and also Ieremy in hys 40. chapter and Hester in the 3. chapter and Esdras Nehemias Daniell Zachary and other such like places wherein the surnames of the Iewes is most manifestly rede long tyme before Iudas Machabeus was ruler ouer them Neyther do I therefore speake this that I would malepartly contemne the authority of the We must not attribute to much vnto the fathers fathers But that we should
vnderstand that forasmuch as they do often fall we should not atttribute so much credite vnto their writinges but that we may examine them by the rule of the scriptures But as touching this place of Abacuk we must vnderstand that this prophet in the first chapter of his boke with ouer much boldnes prouoked God to reason of thinges which are done in this world so that in a maner he reproued him as though he had little prouidence ouer them For he complayneth that iust men are miserably oppressed of the vngodly and that wicked men haue wonderfull and happy successes in all thinges But after many complayntes at the length in the 2. chapter he commeth to hymselfe and sayth I will stand vpon my watch that is I will pronounce nothing rashely concerning thys matter But will wayte to see what God speaketh in me Thys do the Sainctes sometymes to put forth in theyr writyng humayne tentacions and affections and diligently to expresse those thynges wherewith we are sometymes tossed For they were menne and The Prophets do sometymes expresse the cogitations wherewith they are tossed were oftentymes subiect vnto these troublesome cogitations At the length the Lord aunswereth hym and in soÌ„me thus he sayth That men ought not streightway to geue senteÌ„ce of hys iudgemeÌ„ts but to wait farther By which words humane rashnes is reproued whyche wil streight way geue sentence as sone as it seeth that God hath done any thyng when yet notwithstandyng we are admonished not to iudge of Comedies vntyl we haue sene the last Acte If we could wayt longer we should see that the iudgemeÌ„ts of God haue good successe that al those thyngs which he doth are most wysely ordred In the meane tyme whylest the ende is in comming we must patiently wayte And it behoueth that in waiting we vphold our selues by faith by which fayth the iust shal lyue and the vngodly forasmuch as he is destitute of it wanteth all righteousnes and vprighmes The wordes of the Prophet as they are in the Hebrew are these Lohinah cegpeluh iesohah nibbaschoh boh vetsaddim beemunatho ijmiah The latine translation hath it thus He that beleeueth not hys soule shall not be vprighte in hymselfe The seuenty thus turne it If he wythdrawe hymselfe my soule shall not delyghte in hym But as touchyng the propriety of the Hebrewe Thys woord Apelah is deryued of Aophel which signifyeth defense Whereof is afterward deryued a derbe which signifyeth to defend himself Hereof is gathered a double exposition The first is that by defence we vnderstand those which defend theyr mynde and harden theyr hart not to beleue These haue neyther vpryghtnes nor righteousnes Or agayne it signifyeth those whiche beynge puffed vp with pryde thinke themselues to haue abundante strength and power and as though they neded not the helpe and ayde of God beleue not Wherfore theyr soule also waÌ„teth vprightenes righteousnes This exposition of the proud and hygh mynd is gathered out of Rabbi Dauid Chimhi And this defeÌ„ce in either of these two interpretations is taken metaphorically But if we take that worde properly Rabbi Moses teacheth that they whiche are not of an vpright mynde and doo want fayth flye vnto defences and there they defend them selues and thinks that they are very safe But he which is iust and endewed with a sincere fayth and of a modeste and lowly mynde the same man shall lyue by fayth neither will he depend either vpon armor or vpon mans power or vpon fenced castles And it had ben sufficient for the Prophet to haue rehearsed this first part of the oracle For when he had affirmed that a man wantyng fayth hath not righteousnes and vprightnes it foloweth of contraryes that a faythfull man by fayth obteyneth both righteousnes and lyfe But bycause we should not labour or stagger in gatheryng of it the Prophet hym selfe concludeth But the iust man shall lyue by fayth Neither is this to be left vnspoken of that Paul in this place hath omitted the pronowne possessiue For in the Hebrue it is written He shall lyue by hys fayth And the Seuenty haue By my fayth And Symmachus manifestly agreeth with the Hebrue veritie for he writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by hys owne fayth But the variety of these translations commeth of a certayne similitude which these two letters Vau and Iod haue one with the other For they differ but in length and shortnes Some reade Emunatho and other some Emunathi But eyther reading agreeth with the truth For fayth may as well be Fayth is ours and also Gods The Apostle vseth oftentymes this testimony of Abacuck Paule abuseth not this testimony called our fayth as the fayth of God It hath indeede his ofspring of God but it sticketh in our myndes otherwise we could not vse it to receaue the Gospell I thought it good the larglier thus to entreate of the testemony of thys Prophete for that the Apostle vseth it oftentymes namely to the Hebrues the 10. chapter and to the Galathyans and also in this place Wherfore it is very necessary and profitable to vnderstand these wordes a right But in this place we haue to aunswere vnto a cauillation wherewyth the vngodly vse to accuse the Apostle as though he peruersly abused the testemonyes of the olde scripture And they accuse him especially in thys place for that Paule dareth drawe this Prophet which promiseth the returne from the captiuity of Babylon to thys purpose as though his sentence should pertayne vnto iustification and absolution from sinnes Vnto them we aunswere that in all the promises of the olde VnderstaÌ„â—e also by promises yea of temporall things to be of Christ lawe were namely for the most part expressed temporall good thinges which yet were the wrappers and foundacions and heade of this promise chiefely whereof we now intreat of the deliuery I say through Christ To the vnwrapping of which promise out of these olde promises this reason is of no smale force to search out how God would graunt vnto the fathers those temporall good thinges which at that tyme he promised whether being wel pleased and mercifull or being yet angry and displeased with them Vndoubtedly we can not say that he would geue these thinges being angry and displeased For they would not in such maner haue accepted them For those things which are geuen to that purpose do at the length dryue to damnation and destruction But if he promised that he would geue these thinges because he was pacefyed and reconciled towardes them then let vs search out by what thynges he was pacefyed towards them Which thyng without doubt could not be brought to Christ is the heade foundatioÌ„ of the promises of God in the olde Testament The finall cause of Gods benefites towards the people of God was Christe passe but by Iesus Christ only who is the only mediator of mankind wherefore whatsoeuer thing was promised though it were neuer so much abiect and of
a most seuere vengeaunce Agaynst all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of men He sayth not against men because God hateth not them but taketh vengeaunce on their wicked actes And those comprehendeth he vnder the name of impietie and vnrighteousnes for wicked actes are partlye committed agaynst God and partly agaynst men VVhich vvithholde the truth in vnrighteousnes They attayned vnto so much truth that therby they vnderstode how they ought to behaue them selues towardes God and towardes their neighbours And yet withhelde they the truth in vnrighteousnes Which selfe same thyng dyd the Hebrewes committe concerning the truth which God had reueled vnto them by the law Seing therfore both these Hebrues and those Gentiles were so greuously punished what ought men which professe themselues to be Christians to hope for which wyth holde to themselues so great a lyght of the Gospell without fruite Vndoubtedly they shall at the length become most wicked and euen experiēce teacheth that those whych boast of Christ and do liue filthely do at the length in naughtynes and filthinesse passe all men though they be neuer so wicked The truth is after Who they be that withholde the truth captiue With what bondes the truth is bound The truth suffreth nothing in it selfe Aristotle in hys Ethikes a sorte with hold captine in them whych vnderstand it and yet expresse it not in workes life And it is ouercome restrayned with the chaynes of euell lustes which breathing vp out of the inferior parts of our mind do obfuscate the vnderstanding and as it were in a darke prison close in the truth knowen God kindleth the truthe in our myndes but by our lustes it is wonderfully darkened There is no cause why we should thinke as Chrisostome admonisheth vs the the truth of hys owne nature can suffer any thyng For it of hys owne nature is vnchangeable But what soeuer euill happeneth the same is hurtefull to our mynd and soule Paul toucheth in two wordes those thynges whiche Arist 〈…〉 in hys Ethikes when hee disputeth of the incontinent person prosecuteth 〈…〉 many woordes For he demaundeth by what meanes the incontinente person declineth to vices sithen that he hath in hys mynde a right opinion And hée aunswereth that that thing happeneth by reason he is to much puffed vp wit 〈…〉 me singular profite which presētly is offred vnto this senses by the wayght wherof the better part also is oppressed so that it geueth place to the lusts neither excecuteth it hys office with efficacie to consider and peyse the truth whiche before it knew Whiche thyng also the Poete affirmeth of Medea Video meliora probóque Ouide of Medea deteriora sequor whiche is in Englishe I sée what thynges are best and I allow them but I folow the worst All this doth Paul teache vs when hee sayth That the vngodly wythholde the truth in vnrighteousnesse That truth laboureth as muche as is possible to burst forth into acte but it is letted of concupiscence or luste And this is that whiche is written in the first of the Ethikes That the more The noblest part of the soule exhorteth to the best things The power of the conscience excellent part of the mynde alwayes exhorteth and prouoketh to thynges which are of the best sorte For so hath God and nature framed vs that the thyng which we know we desire to expresse in Acte which thyng when we do not we are reproued euen by our own iudgement And hereof come those wonderfull forces of the conscience whiche in sinnes of great wayght can neuer be perfectly quieted To with holde the truth in vnrighteousnes is properly to refuse the callyng of God which continually by hys truth calleth vs vnto hym self Wherfore it shall be very profitable for vs if whē soeuer we haue attained to any thing that is true either by our owne study or els by the obseruation of thinges we streighte way weigh with our selues where vnto God calleth vs through that truth which he layth before our myndes By vnrighteousnes the Apostle vnderstandeth generally what soeuer we sinne either agaynst God or agaynste men Wherefore Paul speaketh of that truth which is naturally grafted in vs and also of it which we attayne vnto by our own study For either of thē instructeth vs of most excellent thynges touchyng God so that the vnrighteousnes whiche we commit is not able to blot it out of our hartes Whiche thing yet the Accademians attempted An error of the Accademians to teache when as they contended that nothing can certainely be knowne of vs. And so they can not abyde that we should embrace any thyng as beyng sure that it is true but they will haue vs to count all thinges as vncertayne doubtfull An error of the Epicures And in lyke maner do the Epicures goe about to blot out of mens myndes those thinges which by naturall anticipation are imprinted into our myndes concerning God And yet notwithstanding neither of these were able to brynge to passe that which they endeuoured themselues to doo For will they or nill they Whither truth be stronger when it is receaued by fayth then being naturally grafted in vs. these truthes continue still in the myndes of men But which is muche to be lamented they are withholden in vnrighteousnes Peraduenture thou wilte aske how it commeth that the truth which we haue by faythe is of more strengthe to burst forth into acte then is the truth which is naturally attayned vnto Vndoutedly this commeth not therof for that one truthe beyng taken by it selfe and set aparte is stronger then an other For eyther truth hath one and the selfe same The diuersity is not in the truth but in the meane whereby it is taken hold of nature but the difference commeth of the meane and instrument whereby it is receiued The strengthes of nature are corrupt weake and vitiate throughe sin And therfore the truth which they take hold of is of no gret force But faith hath ioyned with it the inspiration of God and the power of the holy ghost And therfore it doth with great force take holde of the truth Wherfore the diuersitie is not in the truth it selfe but in the meane and instrument whereby weembrace it This is the cause why there we are changed but here we remayne the selfe same men which we were before Of which thyng we haue a manifest testimony in the Gospell Christ did set forth vnto the yong man what he should do to obteyne saluation which when he had heard yet was he not moued to geue place but went away with heauines He trusted vnto naturall strengthes and therfore he demaunded of the Lord what he mightes to attayne vnto eternall Example of diuers apprehensions of the truth lyfe But contrariwise Mathew as soone as euer he heard his vocation did with so great fayth take hold of it that forsakyng money and hys office he streyghte way followed Christ And Zachens who otherwyse was
most couetous of gaine when he had heard of the Lord that he woulde turne into hym dyd not onely wyth a cherefull mynd receiue hym into hys house but also straight way offred himselfe to distribute vnto the poore the halfe of his goodes and to render foure folde vnto those whom before he had defrauded Wherfore the whole difference A great many mothynges are reueled vnto vs by the scriptures than we knowe by nature coÌ„nsisteth in the power wherby the truth is taken holde of which thyng yet we ought not so to take as though we affirme that many moe thynges are not reueled vnto vs by the scriptures as well the new as the olde then we knowe by nature Onely we make a certayne comparison betwene one and the selfe same truth when it is naturally knowen and when it is receiued by fayth For that which is knowen of God is manifest among them In the Greke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if a man should say That which may be knowen of God Which is therefore spoken for the there are many deuine misteryes vnto which we can not by nature attayne as is this that God would fréely instifye vs and through Christ crucifyed pardon our sinnes and restore these selfe same bodies of ours vnto eternal felicity These other such like the nature of things We cannot by nature vnderstande the misteries of God teacheth vs not Therefore Paul sayth that which may be knowen of God was made manifest vnto them In this place he declareth what maner of truth it was which they withheld in vnrighteousnes It was the knowldege of things pertayning vnto God which they attayned vnto by the light of nature And Paule reduceth all that which they knew vnto two chiefe poyntes namely vnto There are two principall things which may naturally be knowne of God The maiesty of God wherein it consisteth A similitude the euerlasting power of God and vnto hys diuinity For by the composition of this world they know God to be most mighty Farther it could not be hidden from them but that they knewe by the beautifulnes forme and distinction of naturall thinges so great a power is gouerned by a prouidence and singuler wisedome And the commodity vtility of things created taught theÌ„ the maiesty of God which in this thing principally consisteth to do good vnto al men These are the thinges which God bestowed vpon the Ethnikes but they abused the giftes of God Wherefore right wel agreeth with them the similitude which Chrisostome vseth For thus he sayth If a king should geue vnto vnto one of his seruauntes a summe of money with it to adorne his famely and to encrease his honour in such maner that his dignity and maiestye might be the more famous and the noughty leude seruaunt should go and bestow it all vpon baudes and harlottes doth not sayth he this seruaunt seeme worthyly and iustly to haue deserued punishment In such sorte did the Ethnike wise men behaue theÌ„selues they receaued of God a most excellent knowledge of thinges wherewith when as they ought to haue worshipped and adorned him they transferred it to the worshipping of images made of stockes and stones Wherefore not vnworthely waxed the wrath of God whotte agaynst them And when it is written It was made man if este vnto them He sayth not vnto them all for the scripture putteth a difference betweene the wise men and Philosophers and betweene the Barbarous and vnlearned common people For thinges were not to all men a like knowen which yet happened through the default of these philosophers For they ought to haue preached and beaten into the eares of the The Philosophers preached not to the common people these thynges whych they knew of God Aristotle to AlexaÌ„der The Philosophers with their reasonings contaminated those things which by the benefite of nature they knewe purely common people these thinges which they knew But so did they not as did the Prophetes and the Apostles but being puffed vp in their mindes they kept these thinges to themselues yea rather they after a sort hid them that all men should not come to the knowledge of them As there is abroade a certayne Epistle of Aristotle to Alexander the king wherein he sayth that hys bookes of natural philosophy were so set forth of hym as though they had not bene set forth at all For those thinges which they wrote they seemed of purpose to darken that other meÌ„ should not vnderstand theÌ„ Farther through their disputacioÌ„s they blotted those pure and good thinges which they knew When they vnderstood that there was but one God and iudged that he only ought to be worshipped afterward of themselues they thus gathered forasmuch as the common people are not apt to worship the highe and principall diuinity diffused abroade in all thinges for they can not in such sort attayne to the vnderstanding of it it shal be good that it were deuided and annexed vnto Images celestiall signes and other creatures And the selfe same men when they knew that the nature of God is a thing seperate from all corporall matter that is that he is a spirite and therefore ought to be worshipped in spirite and mynd they I say thinking that the people were in comparison of them so rude that they coulde not attayne to this brought in outward rites and ceremonyes which of their owne head they had inuented which when men had done they should thinke that they had fully done their duety as touching the honour of God And so by their deepe disputacions and reasonings they defyled that pure thinge whiche they attained vnto by the creatures neyther beleued they the truth which they knew which yet they ought to haue done Otherwise they would haue submitted The Philosophers suffred not themselues to be goueâ—ned by the prouidence of God them selues vnto that chiefe power which they knew and haue suffred theÌ„selues to be gouerned by the prouideÌ„ce of God would haue put their trust in it in all aduersityes which yet they did not yea rather they filthyly fell into desperation Cicero crieth out in his latter tyme in his Epistle to Octauius Oh vnto me who neuer was wise And he bringeth in Cotta in his booke of the nature of the Gods who although he were a highe prieste yet desired he that it might be proued vnto hym for truth that there were any Gods at all And forasmuch as they beleued not those thinges which they naturally knew of God they were not only vngodly towardes hym but also iniurious towardes theyr The filthye lyfe of Philosophers neighbours And oftentymes the excellenter philosophers they were the more filthylife they liued As the Poete reproued theÌ„ Qui Curios simulaÌ„t Bachinalia viuunt that is which fayne themselues sad and sober as though they were Cury A similitude but lyue most ryotously because the wrath of God waxed hote agaynst theÌ„ For euen as a scholemaister if he
that they coulde iudge of them But there is no man which can geue iudgemente of those thinges whereof he The Ethnikes excelled in sharpnes of iugemente is vtterly ignoraunt But how muche the wise menne of the Ethnikes exelled in sharpenes of iudgemente the goodly lawes and excellente bookes whiche they haue setfoorth do declare and also the determinations whiche were decreed at theyr places of iudgemente when matters were decided Chrisostome supposeth that these thynges are therefore written vnto the Romanes because at that time they were the chiefe Lordes ouer all and the iudgementes in a manner of all prouinces were drawen thither But vndoubtedlye those thynges whereof the Apostle here writeth pertayne vnto all menne For there is none whyche hath hys righte wyttes whiche eyther wyth himselfe or els with other menne discusseth not of those thinges whyche he eyther publikely or priuately seeth done and either prayseth or disprayseth the same as they eyther disagree from naturall iustice or agree therewith But forasmuche as they can geue iudgemente of other menne they oughte in especiall to geue iudgemente of themselues for y◠vnto them it is most plaine not onely what they do but also with what mind they do it which they cannot so easely see in other menne But they spare themselues and do the selfe same thinges whiche they geue iudgement of Paule therfore to strike into them a terror sayth Eueryman may better iudge of himselfe thē of other men But we know that the iudgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things And thinkest thou o man which iudgest them which do such thinges and doost the selfe same that thou shalt escape the iudgemente of God They dissembled theyr owne sinnes eyther because they thought that God little regarded the thinges which are done of men against whiche errour the Apostle sayth that it is moste certaine that God wil iudge these thinges Reasons why God will iudge men and that accordynge to truth Otherwyse as sayth Ambrose he shoulde be counted an euell woorkeman as one whyche shoulde neglecte hys woorke And forasmuche as those thinges whiche he hath made are most good and the same as the continuance and order of thinges declareth hath he not cast of frō his care how dare they thinke that man which is the most excellent of al creatures should continue without the prouidence and presence of God Others peraduenture were therefore perswaded to sinne against their owne iudgemēt and to thinke that they should not be punished for it because they saw and perceaued that God deferreth punishmentes Which erronious opinion he afterward confuteth when he sayth Doost thou despise the riches of his goodnes patience and long suffringe But because such seeme there to be reproued whiche iudge others that not a misse when as yet they thēselues liue in the self same wicked actes let vs see whether theyr opinion be vpright which thinke that suche Iudges cannot nor oughte not to geue sentence against others whiche are accused vnto thē they thēselues being guilty of the selfe same fault But this were to ouerthrow all publike wealths and vtterly to take away iudgements Neyther doth Paule here any thing serue for the maintenaunce of this opinion But onelye Whither a iudge being guilty of any crime may iudge an other accused of the selfe same crime A place of Iohn touching the adulteresse sheweth that they most grieuously sinne which with a greate securitie punish others and ouerpasse themselues They ought vndoubtedly first to correct and amend themselues But yet Paule biddeth them not to forsake the office cōmitted vnto them They vse also for this purpose to cite the sayinge of Christe vnto them which accused the adulterous woman He which amongst you is with out sinne let him cast the first stone at her But this sentence of Christ is not against iust punishmentes and lawfull iudgementes Neyther commaunded he them that they should not go forward in accusing the woman whome they had taken in adultery He himselfe was no magistrate but the most high preacher of God Therfore that which was his office to do he executed in perswading those hipocrites to repentaunce And he woulde haue them first hereunto to haue a regarde by a liuely fayth and repentaunce to deliuer themselues from the sinnes whereof they were guilty Neyther forbad he but that they shoulde execute that which the law of Moyses commaunded He saw that these wicked men in these punishments wer infected with two manner of faults For first the punishment and payne which theyr neighbour was put vnto was pleasaunt vnto them for by accusinge him before the Magistrates and iudges they priuely wreckt vpon him their hatred and enmities An other fault was their hipocrisy for that when as they themselues otherwise abstained not from the selfe same wicked actes yet by accusynge of offenders they made a show as though they had bene zelous of the law These thynges Christ wente aboute to correcte He condemned not the woman for that he was not a polleticall magistrate He accused her not to the Magistrates because he tooke her not in adultery Wherefore farasmuch as he was not a sufficiēt witnes he was not bound by the law to prosecute such an accusation But that which pertayned to hys function he left not vndone for he admonished her that she should afterward absteyn from sinne Likewise when we see any wicked acte done by our neyghbour God requireth What is to be done when we see the fauts of our neighbour not that we shoulde not iudge of it accordinge to the nature thereof For woe be vnto vs as sayth the Prophete if wee shall call euill good That whiche is euill oughte to be iudged accordinge as it is Neyther oughte we ether to suspende our iudgemente or to turne away our eyes frō those things How thys is to be vnderstand iudge not whiche are in very deede euill If that we shall feele our selues also to be infected with the selfe same fault let vs discend into our selues and with a due chastisement reproue our selues And therebye shall it come to passe that we our selues being by repentance corrected may both more vprightly and also wyth more fruyte admonishe our brother when he offendeth Neyther againste this is that sentence in the. 7. of Mathew Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged Because in that place is not entreated of the taking away of brotherly admonicion but onely the curiosity of the vngodly is there reproued whiche aboundinge themselues in all manner of synnes do most diligently search out the sinnes of other men not to the entent to amend them but to delighte themselues in the multitude of sinners and because they thinke that hauing company theyr case is the better The godly are not infected with this curiositie as they which haue continually their eyes fixed vpon theyr owne sinnes and dayly falles so that they haue no leysure vnles they offer themselues
vnto them to consider the faults of other men Moreouer they reioyce not neyther delighte themselues in the condemnation of theyr neighbours especiallye that condemnation whiche is done rashely For they know that theyr brother forasmuch as he is of God eyther stādeth to his Lord or falleth But we intreate now of priuate menne and not of Magistrates or Pastors whose parte is by office to be inquisitiue touching the life and manners of those which be committed to theyr charge Wherefore all men as well subiectes as magistrates ought to iudge sinnes which are layde before them by admonishing and punishinge euery manne accordinge to hys office leaste vices shoulde spreade to farre abroade But thys thinge aboue others is diligentlye to be taken heede of as Paule nowe teacheth that wee winke not at those thynges whyche we our selues wickedlye committe For as he sayth In that we iudge an other we condemne our selues The selfe same sentence whereby we punishe other men striketh also our selues And seing we can not escape our owne iudgement how shal we escape the iudgement of God which is according to truth For then shall not that thinge happen whiche we see now doth that in one and the selfe same kinde of crime one is condemned and an other escapeth Euen as our deedes are so shall they be iudged Now men spare themselues and are seuere agaynst others But so shall it not be in the iudgement of God It resteth therefore that we execute the selfe same seuerity vpon our selues which we vse in iudging of other men Which thing how little the aduersaries of religion do performe hereby it is manifest in that they Papistes in what things they condemne vs and flatter thēselues euery where crye out agaynst the mariages of priestes because they seeme vnto them vnpure but in the meane tyme while they ouerpasse themselues being ouerwhelmed with all kynde of filthy lustes They make exclamation that vowes are not performed and they consider not what they haue promised vnto God in Baptisme They complayne that fastes which men haue commaunded are not kept and they neuer make an ende of their bankettinges and delicious feastinges They make lamentacion that the sacramentes are vnworthely neglected of our men when as they themselues with their lyes of transubstāciation haue hitherto sold them mangled them and filthyly deformed them The summe of Paules doctrine is that we iudging others shoulde discend into ourselues for that it is most certayne that the iudgement of God shal be according to truth Therefore we must to our power endeuour our selues to make our life and maners acceptable before so great a iudge But this sentence to sinne and to consent vnto sinners which before he obiected to the vngodly semeth to be repugnant vnto that which he afterward The selfe same mē are both seuete agaynst others ▪ and towardes their owne they are most fauorable speaketh namely that they punished others but spared themselues For how do they consent vnto others which do euill if by their iudgemente they condemne them but the apostle speaketh not generally And the selfe same disease of selfe loue stirreth them vp both to spare themselues and also to supporte and mayntayne them which are by any aliance knit vnto thē whē as they are infected with the same vices that they themselues are but strangers and such as they beare no affectiō vnto by their iudgemēt they most seuerely cōdemne if at any tyme they commit any fault Which thing is most playne in the history of Dauid For when Nathan the prophet had accused before him the cruell act of An example of Dauid the riche man the kinge burst forth strayght way into these wordes he is the sonne of death which hath committed this acte Vnto whome the prophet declared that he himselfe was the man which had committed this so haynous an act He was seuere against an other mā and had yet neuertheles so lōg time wincked at himselfe hauing committed the like fault Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnes patience and lenity not knowing that the goodnes of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thyne hardnes and hart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath agaynst the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will render vnto euery man according to his workes Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnes patience and lenity In amplifiing How the scripture vseth thys word riches and setting forth the wonderfull and excellent proprieties of God the scripture very oftentymes vseth this word riches notwithstanding that the goodnes of God is not limited or bound in with any endes but much excedeth copia cornu as Latine men vse to speake that is all kinde of plentifulnes Neither is goodnes in this place all one with vprightnes iustice and temperance but is a redines and an endeuour to helpe our neighbour For thys Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of profite and commoditye This bountifulnes of God Christ partly touched when he sayd that God our Father maketh his sunne to arise vpon the good and the euill and the rayne to rayne vpō the iust and the vniust Paule also partly here expresseth it when he sayth that God with long suffering beareth with the wickednes of men For in this place Paule ouerthroweth an other foundacion whereunto the vngodly lening perswaded themselues The ground of the vngodly whereby they promise vnto themselues to escape vnpunished that they should escape vnpunished for that God differreth to inflict hys punishementes This commeth not hereof sayth he because God neglecteth these thinges or that he will haue them to go vnpunished but with lenity and pacience he suffreth for a tyme otherwise whē he seeth hys tyme he will seuerely auenge them And this word long suffering is of great efficacy to moue our myndes as though it were paynfull vnto God to suffer our iniquityes For we are not sayd to beare and tolerate but only such thinges which of their own nature are both odious and troublesome Which kindes of speach we haue first in Esay the Prophete when he sayd vnto the vngodly king Achab Is it a small matter vnto you of the house of Dauid that ye are greuous vnto men but ye must be greuous also vnto God And the same Prophet bringeth in God speaking of the sacrifices and obseruations of the vngodly that he could no longer suffer thē but that it was a payne for hym to suffer them For they being voyde of fayth and piety gaue themselues whole vnto ceremonies And Dauid in his Psalme writeth that God complayneth that by the space of 40. yeares the generation of Israell was greuous vnto him in the wildernes because they alwayes erred in their hart And the patience of God which should haue wrought in them repentaunce through their owne default profited them not a whit Which he now vpbraydeth saying Knowest thou not that these thinges leade thee to
conclusions Paule preached those thinges which we now read and had oftentimes incultated that grace is ther aboundant where sinne hath abounded and taught that the law therfore entred in that sinne shoulde be increased Of these thinges the vngodly sayd it followeth that men should sinne freely because to the attaynemente of grace and the promises of God we haue neede of synnes All menne All men are greeued when they heare that they are euill spoken of and especially ministers doubtles are sory when they heare theyr name or fame to be euell spoken of For they vnderstande that the prayse of a good name and of a good fame is an excellente good gifte of God But aboue other the pastors and ministers of the word of God are most greeuously troubled with this kind of discommodity Because they rightwell perceaue that theyr infamye and especially as touchinge doctrine redoundeth not onely against the truth of God but also bringeth no small hurt vnto the people committed vnto theyr charge Therfore the Apostles did euermore put away suche slaunders from themselues And that the fathers also did the like theyr writinges do testefye But Paule in thys place doth not playnely absolue that which he obiected vnto himselfe but afterward in the 6. chapter the matter shal be more at large discussed Onely at this presente he depelleth from his doctrine false slaunders And those things the vngodly are therfore wont to obiect because when they are accused they are alwayes ready to lay vpon God the cause and blame of theyr sinnes not in deede manifestly but by circumstances Some whē they are accused say that they are driuen by the starres to commit those things which they do But who made the stars God Why then God is accused So came it to passe in our fyrste parente when God reproued hym The woman sayde he whiche thou gauest me she hath deceaued me The wicked de lay vnto God the cause of theyr sins And by these woordes he wrested the cause of his sinne vnto God After the selfe same manner do these men deale whome Paule now speaketh of We sinne say they but the doctrine of the Apostle hath declared vnto vs that our sinnes are no let vnto the glory of God but rather pertayne vnto the settinge foorth of his truth fayth and constancy of promises And what other thinge els is this then to accuse the word of God As touching the first obiection Paule sayth Is God vnrighteous vvhich bringeth in anger As though he shoulde haue sayd that which ye fayne vnto your selues that synnes are vniustlye punished if by their occasion the goodnes of God be set foorth is absurde For then God should iudge vniustlye But no good vpryght reason can once imagine that he which is iudge of all men should be vniust Therfore he addeth I speake as a man That is these thinges I spake not that I thinke so in very déede but I speake those thinges which men both oftentymes thinke and do also not very seldome obiect vnto vs. But as touching the wordes it shal be good to note that whereas it is sayde If our vnrighteousnes commende the righteousnes of God by the righteousnes of God is vnderstanded his goodnes and mercy For that word which is in the Hebrue Tsedek our men haue turned iustice or righteousnes when as in very deede it signifieth mercy He also vseth thys word the truth of God which signifieth nothing els then his fayth or fidelity For before he sayde Shall our vnbeliefe make the fayth of God without effect Fayth in that place and truth in this place is nothing els then a constancy in promises and couenantes And when we reade I speake as a man we are taught what maner of thinges those are which we thinke vpon so long as we are not regenerate but are strangers from God Origen in this place followeth an other reading For he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this particle he ioyneth with those things which went before so that thereof this sentence he gathereth Is God vniust which bringeth in anger agaynst man God forbid But the common reading is both playne and also serueth well to the purpose The maner which the Apostle vseth in aunswering when he sayth God forbid teacheth vs how redy God forbid what it signifieth with the Apostle we ought to be to repell from our thoughtes and cogitations whatsoeuer absurd thing reasō inferreth out of the scriptures against God We ought straight way to answere These thinges are after the maner of men and therefore are they not to be harkened vnto It oftentymes happeneth that our sense thinketh that God is cruell and forgetfull of his an accepter of persons and such lyke But then must we call to memory that the doinges of God are not to be measured The doings of God are not to be measured by the law of man according to the law of man for he is aboue all lawes neyther ought to be iudged of any other This thinges haue the flatterers attributed vnto the bishop of Rome bearing him in hand that he hath the fulnes of power whereby he can dispence both with the lawes of man and also with the lawes of God so that he himselfe can be iudged of no man Which fulnes of power one Baldus a lawyer not the worst of his time writeth to be the fulnes of time as which inuerteth and turneth vpside downe all rightes and lawes These thinges are agréeable vnto God only Wherefore it is blasphemy to attribute them vnto any man Only touching thinges of God it is wickednes to search out the causes and reasons but whatsoeuer Philosophers or any other kinde of men do set forth vnto vs it must be exactly examined by the word of God And as we are blamed and as some affirme that we say why do we not euill thinges that good may ensue whose damnation is iust Now withstandeth he the other obiection wherein the aduersaryes sayde that we shoulde sinne that thereof myght follow some excellent good thing namely the iustification of God and commendation of his mercy Whereunto with one words he answereth this when he sayth that the damnation of these men is iust For by that meanes he confesseth that that so greuous an error is farre strange frō his doctrine when as he cōdemneth it together with thē although some expound it in the passiue signification as though the condemnation whereby they are condemned were for that they had so euill an opinion of the Gospell Their obiections are answered when they are brought to these absurdities which coulde Sinnes are not the true cause that God should be made iuste Against good ententes not be concluded of these thinges which are spoken of Paule but of the false surmising of these men whereby they thought that sinnes were the true cause that God should be made iust For the Apostle also sayth together with them that euil things are not to be committed that good should come
neither make those thinges doubtfull which are hoped for In which wordes he sheweth that two principall thinges are to be auoyded The one is that we be not with to much curiositie Two principal things to be taken hede of stirred vp to seeke out the proofe of thinges which we ought to beleue which proofe so long as we lyue here cannot be had the other is that though they be obscure we shoulde not yet doubte of the truth of them And the same writer entreating of the confessiō of fayth thus writeth It is manifest a falling away Basilius sayth that they erre from the faith which adde any thing to the scriptures from the fayth and a poynt of pride either to refuse anye of those thinges which are written or to bring in anye thing that is not written forasmuche as our Lorde Iesus Christ sayd My sheepe heare my voyce and before that he sayde but a straunger they will not follow but wyll flee from him because they haue not knowen his voyce The Apostle also hath by an humaine example straightly forbidden either to adde or to diminishe any thing in the holy scriptures when he sayth And yet no man disanulleth the Testament of a man when it is confirmed neither addeth any thing thereunto In which place a man may perceiue how warely this man affirmeth that as touching fayth nothing ought either to be added or diminished in the holy scriptures Which maketh chiefely against those which obtrude inuencions and traditions of men as necessary to be beleued Farther the same writer plainlye setteth forth the certaintie of fayth when he declareth the propertie thereof in Moralibus the. 80. Summe and 22. chapiter Where he writeth What is the propertie of fayth He aunswereth An vnseperable certaintie of the truth of the wordes of God which is not attayned to by any kinde of reasoning nor any naturall necessitye neyther being framed to pietie can euer be shaken And he addeth That it is the duty of one that beleueth to be in such a certaintie affected according to the power of the woord Basilius sayth that whatsoeuer is with out fayth and the holy scriptures is sinne spoken and not to presume either to dissanull or to adde any thing For if whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne as sayth the Apostle and fayth commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God then whatsoeuer is not of fayth being not contayned in the scripture inspired by the spirite of God the same is sinne This Father confirmeth together with vs the certaintie of fayth and sheweth wherehence it dependeth when he calleth it inseuerable for that when we beleue we doo not examine by our own reasons what is possible or what is not possible to be done And he semeth to allude to those wordes which Paul speaketh of the fayth of Abraham that he doubted not through incredulitie where he vsed this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherfore certaintie is contrarie to doubting which commeth of the examination of humane reason Moreouer that which in an other sentence he had spoken he agayne playnly repeateth namely that those things which are out of the scriptures are not to be beleued And this place of Paul Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is Note how Basilius vnderstandeth whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Fayth differeth from opinion and suspicion sinne he vseth in his natiue and proper sense as we also vse it which thing our aduersaries can not abide Faith differeth from opiniō for opinion although it make vs leane vnto one part yet it doth that both wyth reason and also not without feare of the truth of the other partie And suspicion doth engender yet a weaker assent then opinion doth for that it both wanteth reason and also leaueth men doubtfull of the truth of the other part It is true in deede that science engendreth a firme assent but that is brought to passe by adding of demonstrations Seing now we sée playnly both what fayth is and also howe it differeth from opinion science and suspicion let vs sée howe manye wayes fayth is taken For there is one kinde of fayth which is mightie perfect and of efficacie whereby we are iustified there is an other which is voyde without fruite during but for a time vayne which bringeth not iustification Which thing is manifest by the parable of the Gospell where the séede the woorde of God I say is written to fall sometymes vpon good ground and sometimes vpon stony ground vpon thornes and by the high way side where it is lost and Fayth which iustefieth is not in all men equal bringeth forth no fruite Agayne that fayth which is good and profitable is not in all men a lyke for according to the greater or lesser infirmitie of the fleshe it hath degrées Wherfore Paul saith Euen as God hath deuided vnto euery man the measure of fayth And in the selfe same parable the seede falling on the good ground bringeth not forth fruite alyke in all partes For in some place it bringeth forth thirty fold in other some place lx folde and in other some an hundreth folde In sūme the entent of Paule in this place is to make the righteousnes of God whereof he entreateth in this place proper vnto fayth to the ende he myght vtterly take it away as well from our merites as from our workes But I meruayle that forasmuch as this is his scope how the Greke Scholies affirme that we are not so iustified that vnto the obtaynment of righteousnes The Greke Scholies and Chrysostome are noted we bring nothing our selues Fayth say they is brought of vs for that to beleue it behooueth vs to haue a valiant mynde And this selfe thinge signifieth Chrisostome These thinges must be vnderstanded warely neyther can they be admitted in that sense as though fayth proceded from vs when as vnto the Ephesians it is playnly declared that it is the gift of God neyther if it were of our selues could all boasting be excluded For we should bring much if out of our selues should come the power to beleue And this place playnely teacheth that it is not so to be vnderstanded for the Apostle addeth Being iustified freely But it should not be fréely if fayth as it is our worke should bring righteousnes I graunt indede that our vnderstanding and will do assent vnto the promises of God But that it doth or maye do the same it muste of necessity come of God Vnto all and vpon all that beleue There are three thinges now put in this proposition which the Apostle entendeth playnly to declare The first is this That the righteousnes of God is made manifest the second that it is without the law the third that it is by fayth As touching the first he sayth that thys righteousnes of God is declared vnto all and vpon all Which is not so to be Righteousnes is not in all men but only in the elect and in the beleuers ▪ vnderstanded
forasmuch as so great a price is payd for our saluation we By the vse of the sacramēts we are put in minde of the benefit receaued The wayght of sinne is to be waighed by the price of our redemption ought not to suffer so great a benefite lightly to slippe out of our memory For the auoyding whereof we are holpen not only by doctrine and the scriptures but also by sacramentes For euen as among the elders the often sacrifices shadowed Christ to come so now the often vse of the misteries bringeth to memory his death and bloud shed for vs. And by this price of redemption may we perceaue the greeuousnes of sinne forasmuch as the waight thereof was so great that it kindled agaynst vs the iust wrath of God and such a wrath as was not rashely conceaued which wrath being an appetite or desire of vengeance by a most iust consideration required a most excellent sacrifice vpon which might be transferred all our sinnes And forasmuch as the same wrath is by no other thing asswaged but by the bloud and death of Christ they are to be coūted most greeuous blasphemers which dare attribute the same either to our workes or to outward rites VVhome God hath set forth a propitiator In that Christ is sayd to be set forth vnto vs by God thereby is shewed that the doctrine of the Gospell is God two maner of wayes setteth forth Christ vnto vs to be beleued The merite of the death of Christ dependeth of the predestination of God no new thing nor inuented by men But in what sort Christ is set forth vnto vs is declared by two principall pointes First because God by reuelation setteth forth vnto vs thinges to be beleued vnto the knowledge whereof by the light of nature we could neuer attayne Secondly in that he causeth vs to haue a pleasure in thinges shewed vnto vs and to geue our assent vnto them and moueth and stirreth vp our mynd inspiring vs with fayth This may also be referred vnto the good pleasure and blessed predestination of God wherehence dependeth the merite of the death of Christ Otherwise God mought by any other thing haue redemed vs and deliuered vs from sinnes Wherefore we must count that by his determination and purpose only haue we receaued that he would vouchsafe to accept the death of Iesus Christ his sonne and by it reconcile vnto him the sayntes Of this purpose and good pleasure is mencion made vnto the Ephes in the first chapiter Where it is thus writtē According to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe euen vnto the dispensation of the fulnes of tymes that he might set vp all thinges perfectly by Christ both the thinges which are in heauen and the thinges which are in earth in whome euen we also are by lot called being predestinate according to his purpose which worketh al things according to the counsell of his wil that we which before hoped in Christ should be to the prayse of his glory in whom also we hope forasmuch as we haue hard the word of truth euē the Gospell of your saluation c. And in an other place oftentymes and in this selfe same epistle is mencion made of the purpose of God Although this reason of the will and A probable reason of the counsel of God counsell of God is not to be contēned yet as I thinke this reason may be assigned that by him it was mete the world should be restored to his olde estate by whome all thinges were created This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here put may signifye these three thinges a propitiator propitiation and propitiatory I rather allow the latter signification because Paule semeth to allude vnto the How Christ is our propitiatory oracle of the olde Testament and couering of the arke which is there called the propitiatory or mercy seate For vpon the arke of the couenaunt there was layd a board or table for the oracle of the arke at whose endes stoode two Cherubins but the midle place was empty out of which were answeres geuen vnto them that asked and God was made fauorable vnto the people and was sayd to dwel there It is playne and manifest and not to be doubted but that all these things may aptly be referred vnto Christ as in whom dwelleth the whole fulnes of the godhed corporally as Paule sayth vnto the Collossians and therehence are most certayne oracles geuen of the will of God as touching our saluation And that by hym God is pacefied and reconciled vnto vs there is no doubt we may also interprete it a propiciator as though that word were put in the maskuline gender that euen as we call Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sauior so we may call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a pacefier Neyther paraduenture is this farre from the true and proper sence if we vnderstand Christ to be our pacification For Iohn in his epistle the 2. chapiter calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our pacification where he thus writeth My little children these thynges I write vnto you that ye sinne not But and if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes and not for our sinnes only but also for the sinnes of the whole world But as I haue sayd the first exposition pleaseth me best and that for this cause chiefely because a little afterward is sayd By his bloud For the maner of the high priest of the Hebrues was once euery yeare to sprinkle the propitiatory or mercy seat with bloud when he entred into the place which was called Sancta sanctorū that is the holy of holyes Nether is it without a cause that the Apostle here straightway addeth By faith forasmuch as our aduersaries also do graunt y◠by Christ commeth rightousnes vnto vs but they will not once declare by what meanes we apply the same vnto vs How Christ is sayd of the Papistes to be our redemer and make it ours which thing Paule now plainly expresseth They seme alwaies to tende this way that Christ therfore hath redemed vs because he is to be counted the chiefe and hed of our merites as though as their common phrase of speache is Christ deserued for vs onely the first grace and afterward leaueth vs wholye to our selues But this is to muche niggardly and maliciously to vse the benefite of God Wherefore seing now we vnderstand hym we wil continually oppose vnto the iustice of God the death of Christ as a full satisfaction of our sinnes To declare his righteousnes Hitherto we haue spoken of the efficient cause of iustification which is God and his mercy But those whiche are iustified pertaine to the materiall cause are men of all sortes being guilty of sinnes and destitute The order of iustification of the grace of God The instrumentes also haue bene declared The one
Christ for no other cause so long tyme differred his comming in the flesh but to kepe downe mans proude Pecoks tayle For if he had come straight way at the beginning vnto vs men would easely haue sayd that Why the sonne of god diffeâ—red his comming so long they had not then so great neede of hym that without him they could not be saued wherefore he would that mankinde should so long tyme be oppressed with the seruitude of sinnes and burthen of the lawe vntill they should vnderstand that they had vtterly nede of a redemer But why God so much laboreth to destroy our glory the holy scriptures aboundantly inough declare namely that Why God will haue our glory to be repressed his glory might the more brightly sinne forth Wherefore it is manifest that whatsoeuer glory we claime vnto our selues all that do we robbe from the glory of God Neyther nedeth it any greate exposition what Paule meaneth by the lawe of workes For by that word he vnderstandeth as well the lawe of nature as the lawe of Moses and also mans lawe For that all these lawes do engender glory if a man can vaunt that he can fulfill them VVe conclude therefore that man is iustefied by faith without the vvoorkes of the lavve Those thinges which he before sayd he confirmeth with a briefe conclusion which by a reason thereunto annexed he will afterward proue And where as he sayth Arbitramur that is we think in Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth not to thinke or to suppose but in this place it is to conclude to inferre and certaynly to demonstrate namily of those thinges which before were spoken In which signification it is taken in the 6. chapter when the Apostle sayth So thynke ye also that ye are dead vnto sinne but are alyue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Where this word thinke ye is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is thereby signified is to haue for certayne And as touching this thyng Ambrose is of our mind and he vnderstandeth these words man is iustified without works of the Gentiles But Chrisostome contrary wyse thinketh that by this word man is ment nature to make the seÌ„tence of the Apostle more ample and large whose iudgement I mislike not for it agreeth as well with the Iewes as with the Gentiles not to attayne vnto sound righteousnes by workes but by fayth Further seing the Apostle so expressedly sayth that man is iustified without the workes of the lawe hâ—reof is inferred that which we before also tought namely that it is fayth only which iustifieth which thing not only Origine vpon this place but also Chrisostome acknowledgeth who fayth that fayth only Faith only iustifieth as OrigeÌ„ and ChrisostoÌ„e vpon thys place confesse is required to obtayne this righteousnes But I heare our aduersaries say that wheÌ„ we reade in the fathers That fayth only iustifieth that word only is to be vnderstanded principally for that it hath in iustification the chiefest partes And they bringe a place or two where this word only so signifieth But vndoubtedly if a maÌ„ weigh Pauls words well they wil not agree with this interpretatioÌ„ For he putteth righteousnes without the works of the law which is not true if works do so follow fayth that with it they bring forth iustification in the elect of God An obiectioÌ„ of the aduersaries Simple men sometimes herein gaue place vnto the papists but when they vnderstood theyr guile they returned againe into the rightway Dangers may be anoyded by an vprighte interpretation The aduersaries cry out that if we teach meÌ„ after this sorte we then open a window vnto sluggishnes and flouthfulnes Vnto which their coloured preteÌ„ces some of our men haue sometimes simply and without guile consented who when they saw that true faith whiche iustifieth hath alwayes ioyned with it good works absteyned in their sermons from that worde Onely But afterward when they vnderstoode the fraude of the aduersaries whiche obtruded this deuise to the ende they might at the length teach the people according to their owne fayned inuentions that men are not onely by faith but also by workes iustified they returned vnto their olde forme of speaking that the people should not be any more deceiued And seyng Paule most warely alwayes eschued flaunders and offences of the hearers so much as he might by the truth of the scriptures and we sée that he most manifestly teacheth those things wherof most plainely followeth That fayth onely iustifieth we ought not to be afeard of such daungers which may easily be auoyded if we aptly adde an vpright interpretation of that which we speake They agayne obiect vnto vs that workes of the law in this place signifie ceremonies Vnto whoÌ„ we aunswer as we haue before already said that the question in dede began about ceremonies but Paule dissolueth it vniuersally and answereth in suche sorte that he concludeth of all kinde of workes Wherfore the reason which he bringeth in in the first place That God is the God not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles hath a respecte vnto ceremonies For the Ethnikes had not receiued the ceremonies of It is proued that here is entreated also of morall workes the Iewes But afterward when he addeth that by faith the lawe is not abolished but rather established he declareth that his exposition is chiefly to be vnderstanded touchyng morall workes which faith abolisheth not but rather confirmeth Which thing we cannot affirme of ceremonies whiche we sée are by Christ and his fayth taken away Farther in that he before sayd that all men haue sinned and were destitute of the glory of God and by that meanes euery mouth is stopped and the whole world made guilty vnto God it sufficiently declareth of what law he speaketh And so doth that also where he sayth that the law sheweth sinne and that also which he citeth out of Dauid No liuing creature shall be iustified in thy sight and many other thynges which afterward in their places we shall sée do sufficiently shew that the wordes of the Apostle comprehend also morall preceptes Wherfore workes are excluded Woorkes ar excluded from the cause of iustification but not froÌ„ the effect therof but they are excluded as from the cause of iustification but not as from the effect And Christe to declare this to be true in Luke sayde When ye haue done all these thinges say ye we are vnprofitable seruantes vnto whom neither is this in deede due to haue thankes geuen vnto vs. But if by workes we should attayne vnto iustification then should we not be vnprofitable in doyng well and vnto vs should be farre greater things due then geuing of thankes God is he the God of the Iewes onely and not of the Gentles also Yes euen of the Gentles also He proueth now his proposition namely that men are iustified without the workes of the law For if righteousnes should depende of them
go before the thing hoped for And they so declare their opinion touching this matter that they teach yâ— merites go before hope either in very dede or doubtles in thought For men newly conuerted commonly whilest they conceiue hope of saluation appoint in minde in thought good workes by which they thinke to merite the last reward But what present hope can these good works imagined in yâ— mind which are not yet wrought produce For of a cause which yet is not caâ— not be produced an effect which alredy is We should rather contrariwise affirme namelye that this holye will springeth of faith and of hope then that faith or hope should procede from it as from the cause But it is a sport to sée how these meÌ„ turn themselues when on the one side they say that hope is an assured expectation and yet on the other side they will haue this to be a most firme doctrine that no man can be assured of his saluation vnlesse it be singulerly reueled vnto hym of GOD. Here they perceiue themselues fast tied and they confesse that it is an harde matter to vnderstande what manner of certaintie the certaintie of hope is Here the poore soules swete and go to worke and faine and imagine many thinges First The certainty of hope commeth of the certainty of fayth they teache that all certaintie of hope commeth of the certaintie of fayth and this in dede is not amisse For therfore we certainly hope bicause by saith we embrace the most certain promise of God But they go on farther and say that by faith we generally and absolutely beleue that all the electe and predestinate shall be saued but hope maketh vs to haue confidence that we are of the number of the electe as though hope had a perticuler knowledge vnder faith so that that which was generally apprehended by faith is by hope applied vnto euery one of vs a parte Wherfore they affirme that this certaintie of hope is by supposition if we be of the number of the elect and if we continue vnto the ende And this kinde of certaintye they will haue to consist of very likely coniectures And at the length they conclude that the certaintie of hope is lesser then the certaintie of faith But we contrariwise make the certaintie of either of them alike For looke how much faith we haue so The certainty of hope and of fayth is alike much hope also haue we For faith retaineth not with it self any part of certainty which it deliuereth not ouer vnto hope That is a fayned fond deuise which they bring touching applicatioÌ„ yâ— by hope we shuld priuately aply vnto our selues those things which we haue by faith generally and absolutely beleued For we do not only beleue that God is good or the father or author of mans felicitie but also euery godly man by faith assureth himselfe that God both is will be vnto him good is will be vnto him a father is and will be vnto him the author of felicitie Hereof Faith applieth those thinges which it beleueth vnto him in whom it is commeth that certaintie of hope And therfore is it that Paul writeth that it can not confound And seing faith hath a respect vnto God as to one that speaketh the truth and hope vnto him as to one that is faithfull and most redy to performe his promises and God himselfe is no lesse faithfull in performing then true in promising we may manifestly conclude that hope hath as much certaintie as hath faith Neither can that any thing helpe him which they cauill at the length namely yâ— Certaintye as touching the obiect subiect hope hath certaintie as touching the obiect but not as touching the subiect For when say they it hath a respect vnto the clemency goodnes grace and power of God there is no let in those thinges but that euery one might be saued And therfore on that behalfe they put a perfect certaintie But if a man consider the subiect the mynd I say and will of him that hopeth for as much as this minde and wyll is flexible and wauereth and may be chaunged it can neuer be certaine or sure of saluation But these men seme to me to deale euen as they do which in a siege defending their citie diligently shut and defend all other gates but yet in the meane tyme leaue one open thorough which the enemies enter in and waste and spoyle all which done they perceiue that they lost all their labour So these men take exceding great paines that there should séeme to be no vncertaintie as touching the goodnes power and clemency of God or merite of Christ Howbeit in the meane tyme they appoint our will to be so subiect vnto chaunging that it neither can nor ought promise vnto it selfe perseueraunce no not out of the worde of God And so they vtterly take away all certaintie so that this saying of Paul Hope confoundeth not can haue no place neither doth the certainty which they go about to establish any thinge profite For if we looke vpon the holy scriptures we shall not only vnderstand that God is generally good and mighty but also that he is euer vnto vâ— good and mercifull and therefore he will confirme our will that it shall neuer fâ—ll away from hym For as we haue a little before mencioned He will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that which we are able to beare but together with the temptation will make away out And in the first chapter of the first to the Corrinthians He shall confirme you vnto the ende blameles agaynst the day of our Lord Iesus Christ For God is fayhfull by whome ye are called There are besides a great many other testimonies The testimonies of God promise vnto vs perseuerance What the certainty of hope is Hope calleth those thinges which are to comâ— as alredy done in the holy scriptures which promise vnto vs both perseuerance and confirmation of our will by Christ wherefore we say that this certaynty of hope is a firme cleauing vnto the promyses offred vnto vs and receaued by fayth for that we knowe that we shall not geue ouer but continue euen vnto the last ende And of so greate force is this hope that as Augustine witnesseth vnto Dardanus and in many other places it calleth thynges that are to come already done as the same Augustine very well declareth by many places of Saynte Paule and especially vnto the Romanes vnto the Ephesians and vnto the Collossians For vnto the Ephesians we are sayde to be already rysen from the deade and to be already set at the right hande of God together with Christ in the heauenly places Vnto the Colossians If ye haue risen together with Christ c. And in an other place He hath saued vs by the lauacre of regeneration And vnto the Romanes By hope we are made safe This certainty springeth chiefely of a worthy estimation which by fayth we conceaue
learning sake I attribute very much But in considering it I finde two greate doubtes As touching the first Augustine in his booke de Sermone domini in monte saith How this is to be vnderstand that we should do vnto others that which we would should be done vnto vs. That that sentence of Christ that we should do vnto others that which we would should be done vnto our selues is to be vnderstand of an vpright and iust will For when we desire to haue any thing done vnto vs which is vpright and iust it is mete that we performe the same thing vnto an other man But if we our selues should desire any thing that is filthy or vniust then is it not mete that we should doo the same thing vnto our neighboure For suppose there were an vnchast and wicked maÌ„ which through filthy counsell would be content his wife should play the harlote shall he therfore with out sinne defile an other mans wife And if a man being in desperation in aduersities would desire that one should kill him shall it for that cause be Lawefull for hym to kill hys neighboure Wherefore It is not iust that a man should desire to haue an other man â–ª punished for himself for as much as I do not thinke yâ— the will of yâ— man is iust which to be deliuered from the punishment of death would desire to haue an other to suffer in hys place neither also can I thinke that a man is bound to desire vnto hym selfe dammantion to the end an other man should be deliuered bycause he desireth to haue such thinges vnto him selfe For as I haue sayde he desireth yâ— against reason and iustice Wherefore if damnation be sometimes wished for the brethren sake it is for some other cause to be wished for The second doubt is concerning Christ For although he for our sakes suffered death yet was he not in very dede seperated from God but that his humanity was holpen when vpon Christ was not for our sakes seperated from God the Crosse he suffered all extreme payns He was also made a curse as touching the punishement of the law which punishment he suffred for our saluation sake and he was counted as a blasphemer and an vngodly person and being as it were conuinced of these crimes he was condemned but yet was he not by eternall damnation seperated from God Erasmus sayth Optarim by the potentiall mode which signifieth I would haue wished namely if it were possible But this exposition disolueth not the doubt For herein is the doubt whether it be lawfull for the saluation of our neighbour to wishe or to desire to be made accursed from Christ And it might seme that although it were possible yet a good man ought neuer to haue any such thought to enter into his harte to desire this thing especially seing there can nothing be found better then God There are others whiche thynke that Paul when he wished these thyngs had his cogitatioÌ„ fixed only vpon the destruction perdition of the Iewes and â—or yâ— cause he was so much greued that straight way by a certayne force of charity he would redeme them euen with his owne condemnation Which force forasmuch as it came from the holy ghost and from charity could not but please God These are not say they the wordes of a man conterpesing himselfe betwéene God and the saluation of his neighbour as one which as it were after a déepe deliberation would preferre the Holy men are liberall of theyr owne thinges saluation of his neighbours before Christ but as holy men are liberall of their owne thinges so he considering the damnation of the Iewes for as much as he was desirous by some meanes whatsoeuer it were to put it away was willing to offer for them if it were possible euen his owne damnation that as it were by an exchange made they might be deliuered Neither offred he himselfe in such maner as though he would be a sacrifice for them or that he thought himselfe worthy so great honour that if he himselfe were condemned they should be delyuered but because he had no greater thing to offer But this opinion is hereby weakened because it is not very likely that Paul wrote not those thinges which he wrote with great deliberation and aduisement Wherefore he was not by violence or rashely impelled to speake these thinges but by great and wayghty deliberation that by what meanes so euer it were he might redeme the saluation of his brethren Neither know I whether such a will which afterward nedes to be corrected by the iust rule of the loue of God whome we ought to loue aboue all thinges may be ascribed vnto the holy ghost or no. And forasmuch as Paul speaketh as it appeareth of a matter of vehement charity it séemeth not probable that only a certayne first motion stirred him whereof we may doubt whether it procede from the holyghost and whether it a gree with the perfect loue of God if it be not amended Now resteth to rehearse the opinion of Chrisostome which for as much is my iudgement is of all other most playne easy and true ought to be taken as agreeable vnto the wordes of the Apostle First saith he the cause of this desire in Paul is to be sought for which if we be ignorant of then may we easely erre As when he circumcised Timothe when he polled his hed when he tooke vpon him the vow vnles a man know to what end he did these thinnges he might easely suspect that he was become an open Iewe. But if a maÌ„ wil more narrowly consider the thing he shall easely discharge him of all maner of Iewishnes Neither is this consideration to be had in Paul only but also in Abraham in Phinees and in Elias which men vnles thou diligently examine their causes thou maist What cause braue Paul to this desire count for homicides Wherfore let vs demaund of Paul Who moued thée O Paul vnto this thing to be made accursed from Christ He will answere vndoubtedly No man perswaded me so to do but Christ himselfe I would wishe in déede that my brethren according to the fleshe should be saued Howbeit I haue not fixed the end of my desire in them For this haue I wished not only for their sakes but chiefely for Christes sake that in this thing his grace and truth might most of all shine abroade And it ought not to séeme absurde vnto any man if I haue preferred It is not absurd for a man to preferre the dignity of Christ before his owne saluation the dignity and honour of Christ before mine owne saluation But this séemeth much to be against this sentence for that Paul made no mencion of this principall end and of this his chiefe entent But neither did he yâ— without a cause For he entended warely to set forth his matter which if he should haue openly spoken should not so well haue serued his turne
the foreknowledge of merites For acception of persons is when contrary to iustice distributiue we haue a A similitude respect vnto the conditions which make not a man worthy either of y◠gifte which is distributed or of the office which is committed to his charge as if a bishoppricke should be geuen vnto a man bycause he is beawtifull and of a tall stature or for that he is a stout warrior neglecting in the meane time other men more worthy and méete But of this fault God cannot iustly be accused For he findeth in vs no persons or qualities or conditions For we come all equally of the corrupte Masse of Adam Wherefore whatsoeuer afterward commeth either as touching giftes or worthines the same we haue not of our selues but of the goodnes of God But to returne to Ambrose who thinketh that some are elected for that God knoweth that they shall beleue and others are reiected for that he knoweth that they wil be enemies vnto the truth It appeareth also that Augustine beinge yet rude nor as a then a Bishop followed this sentence of his father Howbeit afterward when he had better examined the matter he reuoked it And Ambrose minde is that the loue and hatred of God springeth of faith or infidelitye foreséene Therefore he addeth Wherefore God foreknowing that they should be endued wyth an euyll wyll counted thē not in the nomber of the good although Christ said vnto the. 72. disciples whiche afterward fell awaye from hym as it is written in the 6. chapter of Iohn Reioyse and be glad for your names are written in heauen For they are sayde to be written accordinge to a certayne present iustice and not accordinge to foreknowledge And God forasmuche as he is a iust iudge iudgeth according to present iustice and not according to foreknowledge Wherefore that which the Lorde sayth to Moses in Exodus the 23. chapter If any man sinne against me I wyll blot him out of my booke is so to be vnderstanded that according to the righteousnes of the iudge he seemeth then to be blotted out when he sinneth but according to the foreknowledge of God he was neuer writen in the boke of life For Iohn sayth they wente out from vs for that they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they had doubtles abiden with vs. Afterward Ambrose defineth the foreknowledge Definitiō of the foreknowledge of God after Ambrose of God and sayth that it is that whereby God hath certainelye appoynted what manner of will euery mans will shal be wherein he shall abide and whereby he shall ether be condemned or crowned wherefore there is no acceptation of persons in the foreknowledge of God And he saith that it is possible that they which shall be good to the end become sometimes euill as it came to passe in Dauid contrariwyse that they which shall at the last become euill and shal be condemned yet notwithstandinge sometimes seeme good as Saul Iudas Salomon and Ioas as long as Ioiada the priest liued We sée that Ambrose in this his sentence was brought to that pointe that to auoyde the acceptacion of persons he referred the election of God to the foreknowledge of workes least God should séeme vniust But we haue already declared that the equitye and The iustice and equitye of God is not here put in any danger iustice of God is nothing put in daunger if we rightly vnderstande wherein consisteth the fault of the acception of persons But amongst the new writers Phocius whose sentence is rehearsed amongst the Gréeke Scholies by purpose vnderstādeth as other do foreknowledge of woorkes and thereof he affirmeth springeth election when as by it is put a difference betwene men But election cannot be vnles there be put some difference in those things which ought to be elected But we Election cā not be but when there is differēce of thinges The difference of things to be lected is not taken of the nature of the thinges themselues but of the purpose of God say that this difference is not to be considered by the thinges themselues which are elected but by the sondrye purpose of God towardes them For whatsoeuer good thing is founde in men the same commeth from the méere mercye and goodnes of God Neither can God foreknow that any thing shal come to passe but that which he willeth to be For forasmuche as all thinges that are haue by his will that that they be whatsoeuer he foreknoweth shal be it is of necessitye y◠he willeth the same to be Wherfore God found no difference in men but he himselfe putteth differēce in thē The same Phocius addeth Although there were no other reason of the election of God but his will yet ought we therewithal to be contēt But there is an other namely his foreknowledge of workes But we haue alredy declared what deceiued this mā namely for that he thinketh y◠the difference which must of necessity be in election is alwayes taken of the thinges that are to be elected when oftentimes they come of the méere will of him that electeth But nowe will I come to Augustine who in his questions to Simplicianus in his first booke and 2. question at large entreateth of this matter He demaundeth in that place why the mercye of God which was present with Iacob was wanting in Esau And he maketh answere that it cannot be sayd because that the one should beleue the other should not beleue for that fayth it self is the gift of God which thing others also sayth he do confesse but therfore they say the one beleued for that he woulde receaue that when it was offred and y◠other beleued not for that he would not receaue it But this aunswere is not sufficient For then mought euery man ascribe his faith Our faith is not an effect of our will to his owne will and thus say Therfore haue I beleued for that I woulde And by that meanes he should haue wherof he might glory and the grace of God and our fayth should be of workes Farther vnto the Phillippiās Paul writeth that it is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe according to his good will Wherefore no man can haue a will to beleue vnles God geue vnto him that will Moreouer A good wil is the gift of God it should then not be of God that hath mercye but of man that willeth runneth And it is meruaile sayth Augustine if these men were demaunded whether a good will be the gift of God if they durst deny it but peraduenture they wil say God in vayne hath mercy if man will not Which is imprudently spoken For euery man hath a will vpon whome God hath mercy But if thou demaunde what maketh in vs this good wil we answer the calling of God But that séemeth to be The calling of God of two sortes against this which we reade in the Gospel That many are called but fewe
chastised but rather he lameÌ„ted and bewayled their captiuity In the. 4. chapter also of Ieremy is in a manner the selfe same meaning In deceauing saith he O Lord thou hast deceaued thy people They sayd peace peace â–ª and behold the sword In these wordes Ieremy complaineth that the Iewes were deceaued by false prophets for that he saw theyr calamity at hand yet doth not the prophet pray that that calamity might come vnto the people but rather with greate grief threatneth it vnto them The selfe same thing againe sheweth Ezechiell and that more plainely in his 14. chapter If a man saith he meaning a wicked man How God deceiueth shall aske counsell of a Prophet and he in his answere shall deceaue him I saith the Lord haue deceaued that Prophet and will destroy him But how God maketh to erre deceaueth and seduceth it is declared in the bookes of the kinges â–ª For thus the Lord sayd vnto the spirites which stoode before him who shall deceaue Achab An euill spirite answered I will deceaue him Then said God How I will be saith he a lieng spirite in the mouth of all the prophets of Achab. Then aunswered God Go thy wayes and thou shalt preuaile This history declareth that God stirreth vp the deuil to lie and that he will haue him to be of efficacy and to preuaile The selfe same thing also teacheth Paul to the Thessalonians Forasmuch as they haue not saith he receaued â—he loue of the truth God will send vpon them the spirite of error to beleue lies By this it is manifest that the Prophets prayed not vnto God to punish the people as Pigghius dreameth But whereas he saith that Paul in his second chapter to the Romanes declareth that God by his lenitie and clemencie hardeneth men he is excéedingly deceaued For when Paul saith Dost thou contemn the riches of his goodnes A place of the 2. chap. to the Romanes long suffring and lenitie not knowing that the goodnes of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou according to thine hardenes vnrepentaunte hart heapest vp vnto thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath c To vnderstande the sence of these wordes thou oughtest to consider what he before spake He inueighed against those which wheÌ„ they sée and iudge what is vprighte yet do contrary to their owne knowledge and iudgement Therfore the Apostle saith We know that the iudgement of God is according to the truth against those which do such thinges Dost thou thinke O man which iudgest those which do such thinges and dost the selfe same thinges thy selfe that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God Wherefore vnto such men Paul threatneth most The differring of the punishment 〈◊〉 to repentance and hardeneth not gréeuous punishmentes which many contemned for that they felte them not but saw them differred vntill the end Wherefore Paul demaundeth whether by reason of that differring they contemne the goodnes of God which he saith is geuen vnto them to lead them to repentance By these woordes we are admonished not to neglect the space which is geuen vnto vs before we be condemned Wherefore Paul admonisheth them of theyr duety And Augustine against Iulianus in his 5. This inuitation is not of efficacie but in the elect only booke and 3. chapter saith that by this bountefulnes of God wherby punishmentes are so differred men are inuited to repentance but this inuitacion is not of efficacy but in the elect onely For that men should be brought to repentance is more required then onely differring of punishmentes For it behoueth that God inwardly moue the hartes Wherefore Paul to Timothe where he admonisheth the bishop perpetually to teach the aduersaries addeth If peraduenture God geue vnto theÌ„ repentance This is nothing which Pighius It is the gift of God to vse his goodnes well imagineth that this goodnes of God being set forth men may vse it of themselues For it commeth of God for a man to vse it wel Wherfore it is manifest that that differring is in a maner an inuitation to repentance not an induration whichin duration had his being in men before that differring and is not poured in of God but is after a sorte brought forth to light Wherfore this maketh nothing at all against vs that Paul addeth yâ— men according to theyr hardenes heape vp vnto them selues wrath For we deny not but that yâ— hardnes is called ours For that we haue the groundes therof in our selues although it do not vtter it selfe and burst foorth into acte vnles we be stirred vp by the motion of God For that in God we liue are moued and haue our being Wherfore Paul in that place entreated not of hardning as it commeth from the motion of God but as it is of vs. And when he calleth it ours he nothing disagreeth from vs. They vse to bring certaine places of the scriptures which seme to be against this sentence that we say that God hardeneth meÌ„ A place of Iames. TemptatioÌ„ by afflictioÌ„s is of God For Iames in his first chap. saith Let no maÌ„ when he is tempted say that he is tempted of God For God as he is not tempted with euils so also tempteth he no man But euery one when he is tempted is entyced and drawen of his owne lust First here we ought to vnderstand that Iames entreateth not of euery kinde of temptacion for we can not deny but that that which is done by affliction is of God For we know that he Why God tempted the fathers tempted Abraham and the fathers in the desert not that he mought knowe what they were but that they mought vnderstand and haue experience of themselues But Iames speaketh of that temptation whose groundes are in our selues namely prauity of nature and vnbrideled lustes which although they can not be put in practise vnles through God being the chief and principall mouer and impeller as we haue before declared in the similitude of the carter and so they depend of either Mime chaâ—â—â—e wâ—â— vnto sinâ—e yet exc 〈…〉 them sâ—â—ord â— for part both of God and of vs yet cannot men therfore excuse their wickednesse and lay the cause thereof vpon God For the nature of the wicked is of his owne accord prone ynough thereunto And this is it which Iames reproueth For he will not that men when they sinne should thinke vpon the perpetuall mouing of God but rather of the maliciousnes and prauitie which is grafted in them by the entisement whereof they take pleasure in theyr wicked factes And forasmuch as God by sinnes punisheth sinnes doubtles he would not punish them vnles he detested theÌ„ 〈◊〉 would 〈◊〉 punishe sinnes vnlesse he detâ—sted them Neither are those sinnes wherby he punisheth other sinnes otherwise wroughâ— of God then so far forth as they are punishments and do pertayne to iustice But in what sence Iames ment yâ— God tempteth not he very wel declared in these wordes For sayth he
doth not without good consideration setfoorth vnto vs the resurrection of Christ for that doubtles in the resurrection is accomplished our saluatioÌ„ For that which is now begonne in vs we shall haue absolute and perfect when we shall be pertakers of that life which Christ in his resurrection hath gotten not onely for himselfe but also for vs. Farther if Christ had not risen again from the dead he should not now be with the father obteining by his intercession grace spirite life for vs. And as Augustine teacheth the faith whereby we beleue that Christ arose againe from the dead is proper vnto christians for that he died the Iewes also and the Ethnikes The fayth of the resurrection of Christ is proper vnto christiaÌ„s The article of the resurrection is a knitting together of al the rest of the articles and all infidels beleue but that he arose againe onelye the members of Christ are persuaded thereof Lastly the resurrection of the lord is after a sorte a knitting together and a bond whereby the articles going before and the articles following concerning the faith of our saluation are very well knit together For if Christ rose againe it followeth that he died for our sinnes and that his sacrifice was acceptable vnto God neither could these thinges haue bene done vnles he had for the redemption of mankinde taken vpon hym flesh and had in very dede become man Moreouer if he rose againe he hath eternall life he is ascended vp vnto the father neither is he in vaine with him in heauen yea there he is as he hath promised at hand to helpe vs and prepareth a place for vs. For with the hart man beleueth to righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made to saluation With a certayne exclamation and that doubtles very profitable he concludeth the entreaty of the place which hee alledged out of Moses wherein he attributeth righteousnes vnto fayth onely and ioyneth coÌ„fession thereunto because a man should not thinke that hee speaketh of a weake dead fayth but of such a fayth as bryngeth forth confession And although there are a great many good woorkes which followe fayth yet Paule mencioneth that which is the chiefest and may easeliest be gathered out of the woordes of Moses before alledged for he as we haue heard vnto the hart ioyned the mouth And Christ sayth Of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh How be it this is to be noted and that noâ— negligently that Paule in this place attributeth iustification vnto fayth but some saluation he attributeth vnto confession And by saluation he here vnderstaÌ„deth not the chiefest saluation that is our reconciliation wyth God or absolution from sinnes as he before dyd when he sayd If thou beleue that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saued And afterward Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued But by saluation he vnderstandeth a farther perfection which is geuen vnto them whych are now iustified for dayly the powers of their mynde and the instrumentes or members of theyr body are made perfect by doyng good woorkes And wythout doubt when wee confesse the Lord by this laudable and holy worke we get much profit So ment Paule vnto the Philippians when he sayd Woorke your saluation with feare and with trembling And if thou contend that in this place by saluatioÌ„ is vnderstanded iustification that we wyl not sticke to graunt so it be vnderstanded onely as touchyng the effect and a posteriori as they vse to speake that is by that which followeth namely yâ— a maÌ„ may hereby iudge that such a one is iustified â–ª This place also maketh very much against certaine Libertines whych renew againe the errour Against Libertines of the Carpocraâ—ians and say that we must not confesse the â—eâ—â—ye of fayth before the iudgement seates of persecuters From whych errour the Nicodemites of our time are not very farre of whych say that it is mought to thinke we in the hart although outwardly true pietye be dissembled and although men gâ— to the rites and ceremonies of the Papistes We must in deede sake héede that we doo not rashly cast our selues into daungers but when God â—ath brought vs into them and that wee are examined touching the truth wee must remember that they which are ashamed of Christ before men he at the length wyll he ashamed Faith consisteth not without good works of them before the father Let our aduersaries go noâ— and obiect vnto vs that fayth can consist without good workes The Apostle when he entreateth of iustification describeth alwayes such a faith which of necessity hath confession and good woorkes ioyned with it For the scripture â—ayth Whosoeuer beleueth in him shall not be ashamed Now is it manifest why the Iewes could not complaine of theyr reâ—ection namely for that they were vnbeleuers And it is euident that righteousnes if we speake of the true righteousnes whych is before God can not be had but by fayth onely Whereof we may inferre that wheresoeuer fayth is there also is iustification and contrary The complaint of the Iewes stopped wyse where it wanteth iustification can in no wyse haue place Wherefore the Iewes haue nothing whereof to complaine For euen as the chiefest cause of our saluation namely the election or predestination of God is not contracted vnto the Iewes but is also poured abroade amongest the Gentiles as it hath bene declared in the. 9. chapter so faith which is the next cause of saluation is not shut vp amongest the Iewes onely yea rather but fewe of them beleued therefore the Iewes ought not to haue bene displeased for the conuersion of the Gentiles Hereunto the Apostle now endeuoreth him self to proue the the sentence which he had before spoken indifinitly namely with the hart man beleueth vnto righteousnes is to be vnderstanded vniuersally Lest the Iewes paraduenture should say It is true in deede that thou sayest but yet in our stocke onely and in the seede of Abraham It is not so sayeth Paule when as the Prophet Esay in hys 28. chapiter speaketh it by this word of vniuersality whosoeuer for hee sayeth who soeuer beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed To bee made ashamed in this place is nothing els but to be frustrated of the successe which was loked for For What is to be made ashamed when men are deceaued they are ashamed of vayne confidence This testimony of Esay the Prophet is in the. 28 thapiter which Paule also before vsed towards the end of the 9. chapiter But forasmuch as we haue there declared how it is written in the Hebrew and haue by the exposition of the Hebrew verity and of the translation of the 70. interpreters which Paule followed shewed the natiue and proper sense thereof wee will now ommitte to speake any more touching it For there is one Lord ouer all This sentence firmely proueth that as toothing saluation there is not to be put
regarde to his body being past getting of children nor to the wombe of Sara being past childbearing and that he staggered not by reason of distrust but was by faith confirmed most certainely persuaded that God was able to performe what so euer he had promised This example teacheth vs that we ought not to haue a regarde vnto those things which either may or seeme to hinder our iustification but our faith ought vtterly to be fixed in the words and promises of God but contrariwise these men will call vs backe to our owne indispositions as they cal them and will haue vs therefore alwayes to be in doubt of our iustification In dede we ought not to dissemble whatsoeuer imperfection or fault is in vs and that for this cause that it may be daily amended and corrected Yet ought we not therefore to be in doubt and wauering touching our iustification and the grace of God Now haue we to proue the second proposition namely that a man is iustified by faith Which thing we entend first to proue by testimonies of the holy A confirmation that we are iustified by faith scriptures Paule in the first chapter of this Epistle thus defineth the Gosple that it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth In these wordes is touched the efficient cause of our iustification namely the power of God and the ende which is our saluation and also the instrument wherby it is receiued namely faith for he addeth vnto euery one that beleueth And this he confirmeth by a testimony of Abacucke the Prophet In which sentence he so much delighted that he vsed it both to the Galathians and also to the Hebrues in the self same sense He addeth moreouer that the wrathe of God was reueled from heauen by reason of the knowledge of the Philosophers which withheld the truthe of God in vnrighteousnesse and which when they knew God glorified him not as God but fell to the worshipping of Idols But contrariwise in the gospell is reuealed the righteousnesse of God namely that righteousnesse whereby men are iustified from faith to faith which phrase of speache we haue in his due place sufficiently expounded in the third chapter Now is the righteousnesse of God saith he made manifest without the law the righteousnesse I say of God by the faith of Iesus Christ in all and vpon all them which beleue in him And a little afterward wherefore being iustified frely by his grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth a propitiator by faith in his bloud Here also is not onlye shewed the grace by which God fréely iustifieth vs but also Christ his deathe is set forthe that it may manifestly appeare that he is the reconciliator and the mediator Wherunto also is added faith wherby we receiue the fruit of his redemption to the shewing forth also of his righteousnesse in this time that he might be iust and iustifying him which is of the faith of Iesus Christ. If men coulde by theyr workes get vnto themselues righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God shoulde not then be so declared But seeing we sée that it is communicated vnto vs by faith without any preparation of workes it must needes seeme vnto vs very great And amongst other things which God requireth of men this is the chiefest that they should not any thing glory of themselues But if iustification should consist of workes men might boast of their owne endeuor and industry But seeing we are freely iustified by faith there is no place left for boasting Wherfore Paule saith Thy boasting is excluded by what law by the law of works No but by the law of faith Wherfore he concludeth after this manner We iudge that man is iustified by faith without works And that we should not think that that proposition is particular he declareth that it is vniuersall â–ª God saith he is he the God of the Iewes only is he not the God of the gentiles also Yea of the Gentiles also For it is one God which iustifieth vncircumcision through faith and circumcision by faith Wherefore euen as there is but one God ouer all men so iustifieth he all men by one and the selfe same way And in the fourth chapter he saith but vnto him which worketh not but beleueth in him which iustifieth the wicked faith is imputed vnto him vnto righteousnesse By this sentence are bothe workes excluded and also faith is set forth by which is imputed righteousnesse vnto men And straight way he addeth of Abraham that he is the father of all them that beleue by vncircumcision that it might also be imputed vnto them and that he is the father of circumcision not only vnto them which are of circumcision but also vnto them which walke in the steps of faith which was in the vncircumcision of Abraham our father Afterward by the nature of the promesse he sheweth that iustification is by faith For he saith by the lawe was not the promesse made vnto Abraham and vnto his seede to be the heire of the worlde but by the righteousnesse of faith for if those which are of the law should be heires then shold faith be abolished and the promesse made voide In these words are two excellent things to be noted The first is that the promesse is free â–ª neither is it ioyned with the condition of workes and therfore seing faith is as a correlatiue referred vnto the promesse it must needes follow that it is such as the promesse is and therefore it hath a respecte vnto the promesse by it selfe and not to the conditions of our vntowardnesse or indisposition as the good holy Fathers of Trent â—eache The second is that if the inheritance and righteousnesse should depend of that condition of works then had there bene no néede of the promesie For meÌ„ might haue sayd why is that fréely promised vnto vs which we can claime vnto our selues by our owne endeuor and labor Or why is it so necessary that we shold beleue when as by our owne workes we can attaine vnto righteousnesse Afterward Paule addeth the finall cause why iustification commeth by fayth By grace sayth he that the promesse might be firme for if by our owne works and preparations we should be iustified the promesse should alwayes be vnstedfast neither could we appoint any certaintie of it Afterwarde he putteth the example of Abraham who as it is before said contrary to hope beleued in hope neither had he a regarde vnto those things which as touching his owne part mought haue bene a let vnto the promesse of God namely his own body being nâ—w as it were dead and an hundreth yeare olde and the age of Sara his wife These things sufficiently declare what maner of faith that was by which vnto Abraham was imputed righteousnesse so that thereby we also may vnderstande the power and nature of faithe which iustifieth Paule also addeth that by suche a faith is muche aduaunced the
place and as here the gift of healinges and of miracles followeth fayth so doth there the remouing of mountaines wherfore those thinges which Paul hath spoken of a perticular fayth ought not to be wrested to the vniuersal and iustifieng fayth For that is to make a false argument A secunduÌ„ quid ad simpliciter As if a man should say this fayth may be seperated from iustification which is called fayth secundum quid ergo the true fayth and the iustifieng faith which is called fayth simpliciter that is to say absolutely may be seperated from iustification If a man should so compare two seuerall kindes that he will ascribe one and the selfe same propriety vnto either of them he shall soone be deceaued But Pigghius saw that by this easy and playne exposition all his reasoning may be ouerthrowen and therfore went he about by violence to take it from vs forgetting in the meane time that the author and patrone therof is Chrisostome And to infring it he vseth this argument Vniuersall propositioÌ„s are to be drawen vnto thâ— matter wherof is at that tyme entrâ—ated Paul manifestly sayth All fayth Wherfore we may not vnderstand it of any singular faith For the Apostle maketh an vniuersall propositioÌ„ But this man ought to remember that vniuersall propositions are to be contracted or draweÌ„ vnto that matter wherof is at that time entreated And although this might be declared by many examples yet at this present only one shall suffice vs. Paul in that selfe same epistle vnto the Corrinthians the first chapiter sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God for them for that they were enriched in all kind of speach and in all knowledge And yet it is not very likely that they were by the spirite of Christ endewed with naturall philosophy with Metaphisicall and Mathemathematicall knowledge with knowledge of the law and with other liberall sciences but only with all knowledge which perttayned vnto piety and vnto the Gospell Neyther is it likely that they by the power of the holy ghost were adorned with all kind of Rhetorical Logicall Poeticall and historicall speaches but onely with those which pertayned vnto the edification of the church with sounde doctrine and godly admonitions Wherfore propositions although they be vniuersall yet are not alwayes to be vnderstanded simply but ought sometimes to be drawen vnto the matter wherof is at that time entreated Wherfore that which Paul sayth If I haue all faith we vnderstand of all that faith which serueth vnto the working of miracles And that this contraction is of necessitie the wordes which followe do declare For Paul straight way addeth So that I can remoue mountaynes Chrisostome also saith that he in that vniuersalitie saw that this perticuler sentence is of necessity to be vnderstand For he saith that it may be doubted how Christ saith that to remoue mouÌ„taines a little faith is sufficient which in his smalnes of quantitie resembleth a grain of mustard sede wheÌ„ as Paul saith If I haue all faith so that I caÌ„ remoue mountains as though to bring that to passe is required a woÌ„derful great faith He thus dissolueth the question and saith that Christ spake of the truth nature of the thing for the gift of faith though it be neuer so small is sufficient to worke miracles be they neuer so great but Paul had a respect vnto the common opinion and iudgement of men for they when they looke vpon the greatnes and hugenes of a mountaine thinke that it cannot be remoued without a certaine incredible efficacy and greatnes of faith Neither helpeth it much Pighius cause that Erasmus makyng Erasmus opinion aunswer vnto the Sorbonicall doctors reiecteth this our interpretation For first his reason is very weake and secondly false for he saith that the purpose of the Apostle was to prayse charity by comparison But what prayse should that be saith he if it should be compared with faith which is one of the frée giftes of the holy ghost and may light as wel vpon the wicked as vpon the godly For he should but coldly prayse a man which should say that he is better theÌ„ a dogge or a beare First this is false that Paul compareth not charity with frée gifts of God For he maketh mencion of prophesâ—eng of knowledge and of the gifte of tounges and preferreth Charity before them Secondly it is weake that he sayth that if our interpretation be receaued the Apostle shoulde compare Charity onely with frée gifts For we confesse that toward the end he coÌ„pareth it with the true fayth For Paule saith there are thre things faith hope and charitie but the chiefest is charitie And he bringeth a reason why for it abideth and the other shall cease Farther it is a full comparison if as we haue sayd we begin at the frée gifts and so afterwarde come in order to the vertues Theological yea rather by that that Paule towarde the ende of the chapiter compareth charitie with true faith it is most likely that he did not so before But if we should fully graunt this vnto Pighius that that faith wherof Paul speaketh is yâ— vniuersal faith wherby men are iustified yet neither so vndoubtedly should he obtain his purpose For yâ— Apostle going about by al maner Figurâ— fictionis â–ª of meanes to set forthe charitie thought to amplifie yâ— same by a fiction or faining which is a figure of Rhetorike knowen euen vnto children And yet doth not Paul therfore bring a false proposition for he vseth a conditional proposition which we may not resolue into a categoricall proposition yet notwithstanding is the truth in the meane time kept As if I should say vnto a man if thou haddest the life or vse of the reasonable soule without the life or vse of the sensible soule thou shouldest not be affected with pertâ—rbations of minde no man coulde reproue this kinde of speache to be false And yet it is not possible that in a man the reasonable life should be seperated from the animall life Such kinde of speaches also are fouÌ„d in the holy scriptures As for example If I shall ascend vp into heauen thou art there if I shall desceÌ„d down into hell thou art present And if I take the fethers of the morning and dwell in the vttermost endes of the sea thither shall thy right hand leade me These sentences are true and yet is it not possible that a man should take vnto him the fethers of the morning After the same manner we say if a man should seperate faith from charitie he should make it vnprofitable although in very déede it can not be seperated from charitie And that Paule in that place vsed suche an Hyperbole or fiction that manifestly declareth which he a little before spake Though I should speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and haue not charitie I am made as a sounding brasse or a tingling cimball But we knowe that Angels haue neyther bodyes nor
it is in very déede the body of a man I vtterly deny For death taketh away from the body of a man the proper forme which he had before but it leaueth the generall word so that it can only be called a body So true and iustifying fayth when it is lost ceasseth to be the true and proper fayth it may indéede as touching the generall word be called a certayne cold assent sprong of humane perswasion and not such as commeth of the holy ghost and which hath the selfe same strength and efficacy that it had before Wherefore if on either side be kept the selfe same proportion of the similitude this wonderfull strong buttresse shal make nothing against vs. For as we confesse that a dead body is a body so also do we graunt that a dead fayth is fayth so that by fayth we vnderstand the generall word of fayth and not that liuely and true fayth whereby we are iustified It is paralogismus aequiuocationis that is a false argument comming of diuers significations of a word He addeth moreouer that fayth can not iustify because of his owne nature it True fayth is not a dead fayth is a thing dead and receaueth life of an other thing namely of charity and of good workes These obiections are vayne and triflyng For none that is in hys right wit will graunt that true fayth is a dead thing For the iust man is sayde to liue by his faith And if out of fayth we draw life how can it then vnto any man seme dead But that it taketh life of an other thing we deny not for it hath it partly Frō whēce faith hath life of those things which it beleueth namely of Christ and of the promises of God and partly of the holy ghost by whose breathing it is inspired In this sort we will graunt that it hath life of an other thing but not in that sort that this man wyll namely that it hath it either of charity or of good workes For what man that is well in his wits will euer say that either the stocke of a trée or the branches or A similitude the fruites or the flowers geue life vnto the rootes And fayth is before either hope or charity Therefore of them it receaueth not life for in very déede fayth can not be the matter of these vertues And euen as that faculty or power which they call vegetatiue geueth life vnto the body and receaueth not life of the faculty or powere sensitiue or rational which foloweth so faith geueth life vnto the soule but How fayth is encreased by good workes taketh not that life either of charity or of good works Howbeit I graunt that that life of fayth is made so much the greater ampler as it hath mo better works and more feruenter charity bursting forth out of it and not that it is increased of many and often repeticion of actions as it is sayd of vertues which they cal moral but because God of his grace and mercy multiplieth the talent for that it was not idle and because God by his power bringeth to passe that fayth when it worketh through loue is stronger then it selfe when it is remisse in working But omitting these things let vs returne agayne to Pighius He as much as lieth in hym contendeth that a man can not be iustified by that fayth whiche is in Christ and in the remission of sinnes For that fayth sayth he whereby Abraham was iustified was not applyed vnto these thinges For God promised vnto hym onely a plentifull séede and possession of a countrey And straight way it is added that Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes In this argument Pighius triumpheth and is violent agaynst the truth and vtterly derideth our sentence But this is nothing ells then to deride Paul himselfe For he by most expresse wordes affirmeth that we are iustified by fayth in Christ and by the remission of sinnes Neyther is there any thing ells in Pighius then a mere madnes and a wicked desire to contēd But let Paul come forth and answere for him selfe what he thought is to be vnderstand by the séede promised vnto Abraham Vndoubtedly in his epistle vnto the Galathiās the third chapiter he calleth that séede Christ Vnto Abraham sayth he were made the promises and vnto his seede He sayth not and vnto the seedes as speaking of many but as is were of one and in thy seede whiche is Christ. And this testament I say was confirmed by God towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beleue Paul that in that seede which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and declared neither let him euer from hence forth with such malepertnes and desire of victory take vppon him to say that y◠fayth wherby Abraham was iustified was not fayth in Christe But as touching the remission of sinnes forasmuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall poynt therof herein consisteth that we should be receaued of God into fauour and that our sins should be forgeuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestly to oppunge y◠doctrine of the apostle touching y◠iustification of Abraham For he sayth y◠before Abraham was circumcised had a testimony of the scripture that his fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes he beleued God as it is manifest by the 12. chapiter of Genesis Wherfore sayth he according to this your sentēce he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that history which is had in the 15. chapter It is wonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were takē away from vs al possibility to answer what I besech you letted but that Abraham At what tyme Abraham was iustified mought be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrey and from his kindred For euen in the selfe place at the beginning of the 12. chapiter are had the selfe same promises which are had in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great naciō and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I wil also blesse those that blesse thee wil curse those that curse thee and in the shall all thee families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedly in these words is conteyned the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therfore there shal be no absurdity if we say that Abrahā by beleuing of those wordes also was iustified But bycause the scripture in that chapiter did not playnly set forth this therfore Paul with great wisdome hath cited those wordes which are had in the 15. chapter where it is expressedly written that fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes which sentence was most necessary to confirme the sentence of the Apostle namely that a man is iustified by Why God
man called into doubt But yet by that litle which he hath may sufficiently be vnderstand what his iudgement was as the saying is that Protogenes knew Apelles by the draught of one line only Ireneus sayth that the old Fathers euē those also which were before the law were iustified by fayth For first when he had spoken of Abraham he ascēdeth from him vnto Loth them vnto Noe and vnto Enoch and afterward he addeth a reason why in these mens time the law was not written Bycause sayth he they were alredy iust vnto whome the law was not geuen For the iust haue the law written in theyr hartes But paraduenture thou wilt scarcely admitte this testimony bycause Ireneus in that place when he speaketh there of Enoch sayth that he was sent a legate vnto the Angells which may seme to be Apocriphall But I thinke that the same is cited not so much out of any booke which is counted apocriphall as out of some old tradition For many things were as it were by hand deliuered vnto the elders which indede are not to be riected so that they be not repugnant with the holy scriptures Otherwise if for that cause we reiect this testimony why do we not also reiect the epistle of Iudas For he also citeth a sentence of Enoch that God shall come with thousands vnto iudgement But wheras Ireneus sayth that Enoch was a Legate vnto the Angells I suppose that it may thus bee vnderstande to say that those Angells were men which were princes and great kinges or such as were borne of the famely of Seth. For so in Genesis the sonnes of God are sayd to haue sene the daughters of men that they were fayre Paraduenture Enoch was sent vnto them by God to reproue them And thus much out of Ireneus Tertullian in his booke of Baptisme sayth that a perfet fayth hath security of saluation Wherfore it is not we alone that haue brought in a perticular fayth touching the remission of sinnes Neyther ought it any thing to moue vs that in that booke he defendeth most manifest errors touching Baptisme and exhorteth men to differ Baptisme till they come to ripe age and not to make hast vnto it before they marry For although we allow not these things yet in y◠meane time whilest he entreateth hereof he hath many thinges which ought not to be contēned which were at that time receaued and confessed in the Church So Ciprian when he entreateth of rebaptising of heretikes when they returned vnto the Church hath in the meane time many true and weighty testimonies which we can not reiect although in the very state of the question we vtterly disagrée from him And what father I pray you is there amongest them all which in some one place defendeth not some sentence which is not to be allowed and yet ought not all theyr workes therfore to be contemned For there is no Pomegranet so fayre which hath not in it some rotten carnells Nowe let vs come vnto Origen He in his first booke vppon Iob if yet that be Origens worke thus writeth All thinges which men do whether it be in virginity or in abstinency or in chastity of the bodye or in burning of hys fleshe or in distribution of his goodes all these thinges I say they doo Gratis that is in vaine if they doo them not of fayth In this place whereas he sayth Gratis all men vnderstande in vaine Whiche thing doubtles Pigghius and his companions will not admitte For they will haue these thinges to be certaine preparations vnto iustification But that Origen is by expresse wordes against them those wordes which follow do more plainly declare For thus he writeth That all holines and righteousnes which a man doth without faith he doth it in vaine and to his owne destruction And he citeth this sentence of Paul whatsoeuer is not done of faith is sinne I am sure that neither Pigghius can deny but that Origen in this place maketh on our side that he in that sence vnderstoode these woordes of Paul whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne whiche wordes yet he crieth out that we are accustomed to abuse Althoughe not onely Origen but also Augustine Basilius and other fathers as we haue before taught expound those wordes after the selfe same manner Wherfore he doth vniustly and impudētly accuse vs but if he will say that we must not so much regard what interpretacion the fathers bring but must sée whether the place in the texte may so be taken therin we commend him For we gladly admit appealing from the Fathers vnto the word of God But he ought to haue remembred that it is not the point of a good man to reproue that in others which he doth himselfe Wherefore he should suffer vs also on the other side when the matter so requireth to appeale from the Fathers vnto the scriptures But as touching the very matter we haue els where declared that that sentence of Paul as it written in his Epistle is so to be expounded that of it may be inferred that the woorkes of men not regenerate are sinnes Origen afterward addeth Of whome shall he receaue a rewarde Of him thinke you whome he sought not for whome he hath not acknowledged in whom he hath not beleued He shall not sayth he receaue of him a rewarde but iudgement wrath and condemnation If these thinges be rendred vnto such woorkes who will denye but that they are sinnes Afterward he bringeth a similitude Euen as saith he he which buildeth without a foundation loseth his labour and hath onely trauaile and sorrow euen so it is with him which will build vp good workes without faith And euen as vnto him whiche beleueth all thinges are possible to finde refreshing at his handes in whome he hath beleued so vnto him that beleueth not nothing is possible Euen as the earth without the Sun bringeth not foorth fruites so except the truth of God do through faith shine forth in the hartes the fruite of good workes springeth not forth For so sayth he all that whole yeare wherin Noe was saued from the floud for that the Sunne shined not forth the earth could bring forth no fruite Thus much hath Origen in that place which we haue now cited by whiche we conclude that faith sormeth and maketh perfect al good workes which follow and not that it as these men I can not tell who haue fained taketh and boroweth his forme of them The same Origen vpon the. 4. chap. vnto the Romanes thus reasoneth If he which beleueth that Iesus is Christ be born of God he which is born of God sinneth not thē is it certain that he which beleueth in Christ Iesus sinneth not This kinde of argumēt is called Sorites is allowed of y◠Logicians For y◠Stoikes were wont oftētimes to vse it The assumptes of this argumēt cannot be denied For they are takē out of the holy scriptures But he addeth afterward And if in case he sinne
of a sharpe witte at the last this he fayneth That God is not knowen by fayth onely but also by loue But who euer would so say but this man onely Vndoubtedly by loue we know not but by loue we loue But that which is spoken in the booke of wisedome whiche yet with me is not of so great authority Christ himselfe hath most manifestly testified in the Gospel saying This is eternall life that they know thee the onely true God Although of this saying also of our sauior Winchester hath fained a new deuise I know not what namely that to know God is not properly eternall life although it somewhat helpe forwarde thereunto But forasmuch as neither the Fathers nor Paul nor Christ himselfe can satisfy these men there is no hope that we shall any thing preuayle with our reasons They adde moreouer That the fathers say that onely faith iustifieth that is is the principallest thing whereby we are iustified I confesse indéede that only sometime signifieth principall But this sense can not agrée with Pauls purpose This word Only some tymes signifieth principall For if charity be compared with faith charity is excellenter and better as Paul sayth Wherefore if both of them iustify as these men will haue it then shoulde charity haue the chiefest part and not faith And this also is a great let vnto these men which I haue oftentimes spoken of that Paul so ascribeth iustification vnto faith that he sayth without workes But Augustine say they vnto Simplicianus writeth That by fayth we beginne to be iustified Vnto this we may answere two maner of wayes first that that beginning is such that in very déede it hath the very full and whole iustification So that Augustines meaning is that we are iustified so soone as we haue faith Or if this please them not we will say as the truth is indéede that Augustine ment of the righteousnes which cleaueth in vs. They cite also Ambrose vpoÌ„ the 5. chapiter vnto yâ— Galathians In Christ c. For saith he we haue nede of fayth onely in charity to iustification Behold say they vnto iustification we haue no lesse nede of charity then of fayth But they are far deceaued For by those words Ambrose ment nothing els but to make a distinction betwene true faith and a vaine opinion Therfore he sayth that we haue néede of faith only namely which is ioyned with charity But Ierome vppon the 5. chapiter vnto the Galathians sayth That it is charity onely which maketh cleane the hart What other thing els shall we here aunswere but yâ— this his saying if it be vrged roughly simply is false For it is faith also which purifieth the hartes as it is written in the Actes of the Apostles And Paul to Timothe sayth Charity out of a pure hart good conscience c. By which words it is playne tâ—at the hart must of necessity first be pure before charity can come Wherefore we will interprete that sentence by the effect and as touching our knowledge For then is it most certayne that we are regenerate and haue a cleane hart when we be endued with charity After this maner also â—aue we before expounded this Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hath loued much And by the selfe same meanes also may that saying of Augustine in his booke de natura Gratia the 38. chapiter be aunswered vnto It is the charity of God saith he by which onely he is iust whosoeuer is iust But this séemeth vnto me best to vnderstand such sayinges of the fathers of that righteousnes which cleueth vnto vs. For that consisteth not onely of fayth but also of all vertues and good workes But because amongst all vertues charity is the principallest therefore the fathers sometimes Why our righteousnes is attributed sometymes vnto charity attribute righteousnes vnto it onely And that which our aduersaries haue most vniustly vsurped to expound this word Only for principall or chiefe may in this place most iustly serue vs. For here we entreat not of that iustificatioÌ„ which is had by imputation but of that which we attayne vnto after regeneration Wherefore in this our proposition we exclude not from a man that is iustified hope charitie and other good woorkes but this only we say that they haue not the power or cause or merite of iustifieng And when we say that a man is iustified by fayth only we say nothing ells vndoubtedly but that a man is iustified only by the mercy of God and by the merite of Christ only which we can not apprehend We must not leaue oâ— from vsyng this worde Only by any other instrument then by fayth only Neither must we geue place vnto our aduersaries not to vse this worde Only though they cry out neuer so much that of it springeth great offence and mens mindes are by this persuasion somwhat weakned in the excercise of vertues For by sound doctrine we may easely remedy these discommodities For we alwayes inculcate that it is not true iustification or true fayth which wanteth the fruites of good life But we se the subtle and craftie deuise of these men For if we should say that a man is simply iustified by fayth leauing out this word Only Sreight way they would adde of theyr own that a maÌ„ indede is iustified by faith but yet is he no les iustified by hope and charity and other good woorkes For this selfe same cause the Catholikes in times past would not permit vnto the Arrians this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like substance bicause they would A like example streight way haue sayd That the sonne indede by appellation or name is GOD like vnto the father in a maner equall vnto him but yet not of one and the selfe same nature and substance Wherefore they did with tooth and naile defend and kepe still this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of one and the selfe same substance as a word most apt to expresse the truth of that controuersie which they might also by good right doo and chiefely for that they saw that that word was of necessity concluded out of the holy scriptures out of which also is most euidently concluded thys our word Only and is thought of vs a word most mete to confute the errors of those which would haue iustification to come of workes Moreouer Gardiner bishop of winchester counted this our proposition to be absurd and agaynst it amongst other arguments vsed this and it is to me more then wonderfull how much it is estemed of certayne Papists his parasites The righteousnes sayth he that is geuen vs of God wherby we are iustefied pertayneth to all the faculties of the mind or rather to the wholâ— man Ergo we are not iustified by fayth only For that pertayneth only vnto the higher part of the soule Here gentle reader lest thou shouldest be deceaued lieth hidden a double fallace or disceate For first graunt
publique ministers of yâ— Church which he not without iust cause calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is frée giftes For all these thinges although it seme they may be gotten by humane art and industry yet by our endeuor we shall neuer bring any thing to passe yâ— way vnles we be holpen by the grace of God whereby those thinges which we doo are made profitable and of efficacy For they which are occupied in these offices without the helpe of God may indede winne prayse of men and commendation of the people but they are not able to aduance the saluation of the soules and the commodities of the Church And as touching this matter oftentimes they haue God fauorable prosperous vnto theÌ„ which yet obey him not with a sincere will But this is excedingly to be lamented that this gouernance of the Church is so miserably decayed that at this day not so much as the names of these functions are any where extaÌ„t They haue put in stede of them Taper cariers Accoluthes and Subdeacons which haue light and trifling effects appoynted to them pertayning to theyr supersticious alters Let loue be without dissimulation hating that wbich is euill and cleauing to that which is good Being affectioned with a brotherly loue to loue one an other In geuing honor go one before an other Not slouthfull to do seruice feruent in spirite seruing the time Reioysing in hope patient in tribulation continuing in prayer communicating to the necessities of the Sayntes geuing your selues to hospitality Let loue be without dissimulation Men are of theyr owne nature very prone to hipocrisie Therefore Paul expressedly prohibiteth it For God as Iohn sayth will not that we should loue in woordes in toung but in dede and in truth And Paul to Timothe writeth Loue ought to come from a pure hart and a good conscience and a fayth vnfayned Origen sayth He which loueth God and those thinges which God willeth that man hath loue without dissimulation But he which loueth not either God and those thinges which God willeth he I say loueth not but only dissembleth and pretendeth loue As if a man see his neighbor fallen into some greuous crime doo not admonishe him or reproue him his loue is conterfeate For he willeth not those thinges towardes his neighbor which God willeth The fauor of his neighbor is more deare to him then the will of God Hating that which is euill and cleuing to that which is good Good and euil in this place may signifie profite and disprofite And so the sence here is he loueth Good signifieth two thinges his neighbour without hipocrisie which hateth all thinges whatsoeuer he seeth shal be discommodious and hurtefull vnto him but those thinges which may by any maner of meanes be profitable or commodious vnto him he both vehemently desireth and as much as he can helpeth forward It may be also that Good and Euill signifie honest and dishonest And so they which loue truly abhorre from wicked and filthy woorkes and as much as they can apply themselues to holy and honest woorkes Which is therefore sayd for that some are so foolish that they thinke they loue theyr neighbours when they consent to them in theyr wicked lusts and great extorcions But this is not that loue which the Apostle describeth when he sayth that we ought to abhorre from wickednes and to embrase as much as lieth in vs that which is honest iust Chrisostome noteth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hating The affâ—ct of hatred is not in vaine planted in vs. The Stoikes vniustly reiected affectes is spoken with a vehemency For this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paul signifieth vehemency of speach as in the 8. to the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not any common but a great and vehement carefulnes and anguish And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth more then to waite for For it signifieth diligently to wait for And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is redemption not euery kinde of redemption but an absolute redemption Moreouer we sée that the affect of hatred is not in vayne planted in our myndes but to the end we should exercise it vpon vices Wherefore the Stoikes vniustly reiected affects For affects are the matter of vertues And as in an harpe when to the wood pegges of bone and stringes are applied number proportion and measure is brought forth a most swéete harmonye so when to these affectes is added the spirite and grace of God of them spring forth notable and excellent vertues But we are in the fault which abuse those giftes of God and hate those thinges which both are honest and please God and contrariwise the thinges which are filthy and displease him we embrace And so peruerse oftentymes is our iudgement that we call good euill euill good Although the nature of the thinges themselues be not chaunged by our iudgement For thinges that are filthy Thinges are not chaÌ„ged by our iudgement are alwayes filthye although we iudge otherwise of them Wherefore he wisely answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That which is filthy is filthy whether thou so iudgest it or no. And this is to be noted that as the Apostle commaundeth vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word as we haue declared signifieth an hatred with vehemency so willeth he vs not simply and absolutely to cleaue vnto God but addeth the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be ioyned together not sclenderly but as it were with a strong and indissoluble bond Being affectioned to loue one an other with a brotherly loue In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Storge signifieth in which woords is declared what maner of affect loue is namely a brotherly affect And it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woord signifieth an affect not comming of election such as are frendshippes which men enter into one with an other but grafted in by nature and therefore so ioyned to our minds that it can neuer in a maner vtterly be shaken of And forasmuch as of these naturall affections there are sondry sortes or kindes for either they are betwene the pareÌ„ts and the children or betwene the husband and the wife or betwene brethern the Apostle mencioneth that kind which most agréed with his exhortacion which he had begonne namely to geue vs to vnderstand yâ— our loue towardes others ought to be a brotherly loue which is therefore more vehement then are common freÌ„dshippes for yâ— these frendshipâ—â—â—e dissolued euen among honest men when they perceiue yâ— theyr frendes haue fallen away froÌ„ iustice are become wicked corrupt But as touching our parents brethern children it is vndoubtedly a griefe vnto vs if we se theÌ„ behaue them selues otherwise theÌ„ we would they should yet is not therfore yâ— affection of our mind towardes theÌ„ extinguished Moreouer in these affections of loue we seke not yâ— in our louing one should recompense an
the Centaures and of the Lapethites But put â—e on the Lord Iesus Christ When he had taught that the olde man together with his works of darknes is to be put of he thought it good afterwarde to setforth vnto vs a new garment namely Christ him selfe This form of speaking What is our wedding garment Christ was geuâ—â— as a garment to our first parentes he vsed to the Galathians As many of you sayth he as are baptised haue put on Christ This is that wedding garment which euery christian ought to put on And if we will follow allegoryes this garment God commended to our first parents when he clothed them with the skinnes which were plucked of from deade beastes Christ geueth not to vs that garment but in as muche as he hath made himselfe a sacrifice for mankinde And take not thought for the flesh to fulfill the Iustes of it By the fleshe he here vnderstandeth not naturall health For that is not to be neglected that we may be able the more constantly to serue God Paul wryteth to Timothe Vse a little wine because of the stomake and often infirmities Here he prohibiteth only the pleasures and delites of the flesh For when we let loose the bridle to them the flesh is made vnruely Wherefore seing that we ought continually to wrastle agaynst the prone affects therof let vs take héede that with ouer much delicatenes we norish them not The fourtenth Chapiter HIm that is weake in the fayth receiue not for controuersies of disputations One beleueth that he may eate of all things an other which is weake eateth herbes Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not let not him which eateth not iudge him that eateth for god hath receiued him That we may the easelyer vnderstande those things which shall afterwarde be spoken let vs briefly declare the state of the Churche at the beginning The Here is declared the state of the churche in the first times Church in those first times consisted of Iewes Gentiles conuerted vnto Christ And the Gentiles liued more fréely as they which were not bounde to the lawes of Moses and as for theyr owne ceremonies of the Grekish religion they plainly saw to be vaine and dampnable But the Iewes which knew that their lawe was geuen of God himself could not straight way be persuaded that it was to be abrogated Therefore they stayed neither would they easely be plucked away from it And therfore they abstained from meates prohibited in the law and obserued the festiuall dayes of the Iewes All which things declared that they were yet weake in faith And this their infirmitie of faith the stronger and learneder sorte bothe sharpely reproued and also derided On the contrary side the Iewes reproued the Whereof sprang the discorde betwene the Gentiles the Iewes in yâ— church Gentiles as they which liued to fréely and condemned them as violaters of the lawes of God for that they did without putting any difference eate of al kindes of meates as it were with a certaine vnsatiable gredinesse of the belly And this discorde did not a little vexe the Churches at that time Therefore Paul earnestly as much as lyeth in him laboureth to put it away and admonisheth the stronger sort not to reiecte the weaker either as heretikes or as infidels but rather to instruct them and with all charitie to cherish them vntill they were confirmed in sound doctrine And on the other side he commaundeth the weake ones not rashly to condemne them that were better learned and stronger then themselues Him that is weake in the faith receiue That is adioyne him vnto you and through your humanitie and doctrine ease him of the burthen and payne of ignoraunce If thou demaunde whether that weaknes of faith were a let that they could not be iustified in Christ I thinke we may answere that it was no let For Weaknes of faythe is not a let to iustificatioÌ„ we are not iustified by the strength and excellencie of our fayth but by the obiecte thereof as we haue oftentimes taught for although some fayth be weake yet is it faith But these men thou wilt say beleued not all the things which are to be beleued for they beleued not that the ceremonyes of the law of Moses were abrogated But that faith which beleueth not all the articles of the fayth is not a true faith I graunt this in dede if that it happen throughe the default of him that beleueth as if a maÌ„ do contemne the truthes which he hath heard out of the holy scriptures and will not admit them but will be his owne iudge and arbitrer howe muche ought to be beleued of the holy scriptures and ascribeth more vnto himselfe then There is not always required an expresse faith touching all things to the testimony of the word of God this is not a true fayth For the holy Ghoste vseth not to breath into any maÌ„ suche a minde But if a man beleue not any thing which is not yet sufficiently knowen and tried out when yet notwithstanding in minde he is ready to receiue the truthe if it be once made plaine I sée no cause why suche a fayth shold not both be and be called a true faith iustifie the beleuer especially if he assent to Christ and to the principall poynts of religion Not for controuersies of disputations He prohibiteth odious contentions which rather alienate then edefie the mindes of the weake The mindes of men ought not in vaine to be wearyed but rather to be taught Paul in the last chapter of the first Epistle to Timothe sayth that certaine were sicke about vnprofitable questions and contentions of wordes And in the latter Epistle he admonysheth Timothe to eschue questions which he calleth foolish and without learning Which thing if the schoole diuines had obserued and taken héede of we shoulde not then haue had in theyr bokes so many intricate and darke I will not say vngodly and sacrilegious questions How be it all questions vniuersally are not to be condemned as vnprofitable â–ª Wherfore I can not commend certain men which are wise indéede and wary in other matters but in this one thing doubtles are not very circumspect which thinke that yâ— question touching the Eucharist which is at this day euery where debated in the churche is not conuenient and is vnprofitable The question touching the Eucharist is not vnprofitable For they consider not how much it auaileth to our saluation constantly to holde â–ª that Christ both had and at this day hath the true and perfect nature of man and to expell that detestable idolatry brought in by thys that men beleue that in the bread and wine or as they speake vnder the accidences of bread and wâ—ne is really and corporally the body of Christ When we labour for this that the horrible abuses touching Christian religion might be taken away we dispute not about the shadow of an asse or about
not by discord broken Wherefore I thinke we ought with most feruent prayers to pray vnto God to geue at the length vnto his Church this most pleasant agréement For so long as there are so many which disâ—ent from the truth how can God with one minde with one mouth be glorified VVherefore receaue ye one an other as Christ also receaued vs to the gâ—ory of God Paul in these his prayers which we haue now heard touched yâ— end of maÌ„s life namely that we should all agreing in one the selfe same mind glorifie God and the Lord Iesus Christ Now he finisheth vp the matter and the thing which he hath entreated of he closeth vp with a most profitable conclusion For here he not only repeteth the end which he had set forth but also thereunto addeth an example of Christ Christ sayth he receaued vs when we were weake infirme and lost Wherefore it is our partes also to embrace and cherish one an other vnles we will be vnlike to so excellent a maister And as he when he erected and holpe vs sought nothing ells but the glory of his father so we in helping our brethern The vehemency of Paules conclusion ought to set before vs to regard nothing ells but the glory of God and of Christ And so vehement is this conclusion of Paul that there is left no place to make deniall For if thy weake and infirme brother did neuer hurt thée but is otherwise of honest conuersation vndoubtedly thou dealest vncourteously if thou beare not with his infirmity But if he be odious vnto the and haue paraduenture committed any thing for which he may seme to be vnworthy of thine helpe yet oughtest thou to haue a consideratioÌ„ to that example which Christ hath set forth vnto thée and oughtest alwayes to set before thyne eyes the glory of God which shall by thy louingnes be illustrated Neyther wanteth it a certayne religious art and conning that Paule in a maner with the selfe same woordes endeth this matter with which he began it For at the beginning he sayd Him that is weake in faith receaue ye And here he sayth Receaue ye one an other Now I say that Iesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises of the Fathers And let the Gentiles prayse God for his mercy As it is writen For this cause will I confesse thee amongest the Gentils and will sing vnto thy name And agayne he sayth Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people And agayne Prayse God all ye Gentiles and laud him all people together And agayne Esay saith There shal be a roote of Iesse and he shall rise to raigne ouer the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust Nowe I say that Iesus Christ was a minister of Circumcision for the truthe of God to confirme the promises of the fathers Paul by a most soft transition as I thinke now goeth to take vp an other discorde which at that time was risen not only at Rome but also in other Churches For those Churches for that they consisted partly of the Iewes and partly of the Gentiles were long time at great dissension An other dissensioÌ„ of the church of Rome by reason of the differences of kinred and of nations For the Iewes through the pride that they conceiued bicause of the lawe that was geuen vnto them and through the hautines and opinion of their holy stock and bloud deriued of the fathers insolently contemned the Gentiles But the Gentiles not able to beare that boasting and arrogancy despised the Iewes as men through their own default reiected of God and in a maner excluded for that they saw that they were now after a sort substituted into theyr place Wherefore Paule to take away these contentions opportunely vseth this reason wherewith he had knit vp his former talke namely that Christ had receiued them to the glory of God which benefite for as much as Christ had bestowed as wel vpon the Iewes as vpon the Gentils it was not méete that they following theyr owne iudgemeÌ„t shold so much esteme the differences of kinred and of merites which God in receiuing of them wayed not that therfore they should be disseuered one from an other Wherefore Paule hereunto wholy bendeth himself plainly to declare that bothe the Iewes and the Gentiles are through Christ receiued of God into fauor And he first maketh meÌ„tion of the Iewes for that vnto those before all other men was preached the Gospell of Christ And that they should not attribute this to theyr owne vertues Paul rendreth a reason why Christ would by himself be vnto that people a minister of Christ was not the minister of the Iewes for their worthines sake saluation This sayth he was done for the promises sake which were made vnto the fathers least they should lye voyde and frustrate if Christ should haue done otherwise For that had bene a great empairing to the truth of God which ought to be most constaÌ„t For Christ bestowed not this benefit vpoÌ„ the Iewes for yâ— they were more worthy then other nacions but yâ— the truth of God should not seme to haue deceiued them Neither could they refer to the commendation of their owne dignity the promises that were made to theyr elders For those promises ceassed now to be due vnto them for that they had degenerated from the faythe of theyr elders and had thorow their perpetuall violating of the lawes stirred vp yâ— wrath of God against them vnles God had had a consideration to his truthe rather then to theyr worthines These things hath Chrisostom very wel noted in these words What maner of thing the ministery of Christ was And Christ ministred vnto Circumcision that is vnto the nation of the Iewes when preaching the Gospel he called them back to saluation and to life This ministery consisted not in masses belles alters prayers for the deade holy water stoles silke vestments choyse of meats bowes candles ashes and other rites ceremonyes and ornaments of the Popes maiestie Neither did he in title only cary about the dignity of the ministery as many at this day doe but he daily sed the shéepe committed vnto him and with all industrye and diligence preached vnto them the worde of saluation When others slept he watched in prayers in which it can not be doubted but that he by all maner of meanes desired of God that the ministery which he executed might be moste frutefull to many And as touching his priuate life he alwayes behaued himself holily and innoceÌ„tly and adorned his ministery with a most excellent example of his whole life For what so euer is coÌ„maunded in the law the same he wholy so performed and accomplished that it being after that manner fully accomplished can not be any more a burthen to vs which are now through faith adioyned vnto Christ For the olde ceremonies haue The law thorough Christ is not vnto vs a burthen now