A COMMENTARIE VPON THE FIRST Chapter of the Epistle of Saint PAVL written to the EPHESIANS WHEREIN BESIDES the Text fruitfully explained some principall Controuersies about Predestination are handled and diuers Arguments of Arminius are examined By Mr PAVL BAYNE sometime Preacher of Gods Word at Saint ANDREVVES in CAMBRIDGE PHIL. 2.13.14 Worke out your owne saluation with feare and trembling For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure LONDON Printed by THOMAS SNODHAM for ROBERT MILBOVRNE and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Beare 1618. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir HENRY YELVERTON Knight His Maiesties Atturney Generall all happinesse of this life and the next MOst respected Sir I need not certifie you bow singular is commendation of greatnesse it is to haue goodnesse linked with it whether it be that goodnes which is conuersant in doing kinde offices to the liuing or to the dead Nay surely that good which is stretched forth to the liuing in some regards is the inferiour of the two as which may eyther in heart or deed be recompenced but that which is performed toward the deceased can not at all by him that is not be known much lesse can it be any way requited Onely it remaines as an high commendation to the liuing that they still exercise acts of Loue and goodnesse toward such as are departed this present life This I speake Right worshipfull Sir to prouoke you at this time to vouchsafe the gracious aspect of your countenance and your worthy Patronage to this ensuing Commentary of a godly learned man now at rest in the Lord. He was once of the same Colledge where your Worship began to lay the foundation of your owne studies and was not vnknown to your selfe In which regards I haue made the bolder with you in becomming an humble and earnest suiter that you would be pleased of your goodnes to suffer this Orphane-Treatise to repose it selfe vnder your wings whereof if it shall please you Worthy Sir as your many and great affaires will permit to reade some passage or place I doubt not but you shall meet with matters which at once may both profit and delight you The Author whilest hee liued had an indisposition and antipathy to the Presse but since his death diuers learned men haue pressed mee not to conceale some writings of his which came to my hands yea they haue challenged mee as indebted to the Church and common good touching the publication of this part especially Accept therefore I pray you Right Worshipfull Sir my tendred duty of Dedicating this worke to your name which if it shall please you to doe I shall rest exceedingly bounden to pray for the continuance and increase of all prosperity to you from the God who is neuer wanting to honour those who honour him Your Worships ready bounden to all good seruices E. C. To the Reader NOtwithstanding the worlds complaint of the surfeit of Bookes hasty wits being ouer-forward to vent their vnripe and mishapen conceits yet in all ages there hath been and will be necessary vses of holy Treatises applyable to the varietie of occasions of the time because men of weaker conceits cannot so easily of themselues discerne how one truth is inferred from another and proued by another especially when truth is controuerted by men of more subtile and stronger wits Whereupon as Gods truth hath in all ages beene opposed in some branches of it so the diuine prouidence that watcheth ouer the Church raised vp some to sence the Truth and make vp the breach Men gifted proportionably to the time and as well furnisht to fight Gods battels as Sathans champions haue beene to stand for him neither haue any points of Scripture beene more exactly discussed then those that haue beene most sharpely oppugned opposition whetting both mens wits and industry and in seuerall ages men haue beene seuerally exercised The ancientest of the fathers had to deale with them without the Pagans and especially with proud Heretickes that made their owne conceits the measure of holy truth beleeuing no more then they could comprehend in the articts of the Trinity and natures of Christ whence they bent their forces that way and for other matter wrote more securely Not long after the enemies of grace and flatterers of nature stirred vp Saint Augustine to challenge the doctrine of Gods predestination and grace out of their hands which he did with great successe as fitted with grace learning and wit for such a conflict and no Scriptures are more faithfully handled by him then those that were wrested by his opposites and such as made for the strengthning of his owne cause In other writings hee tooke more liberty His Schollers prosper Fulgentius and others interessed themselues in the same quarrell In processe of time men desirous of quiet and tyred with controuersies began to lay aside the study of Scriptures and hearken after an easier way of ending strife by the determination of one man the Bishop of Rome whom virtually they made the whole Church so the people were shut vp vnder ignorance and implicite faith which pleased them well as easing them of labour of search as vpon the same irkesomenesse of trouble in the Easterne parts they yeelded to the confusion and abomination of Mahometisme And least Schollers should haue nothing to doe they were set to tye and vntie Schoole-knots and spinne questions out of their owne braine in which brabbles they were so taken vp that they sleightly looked to other matters as for questions of weight they were schooled to resolue all into the decisiue sentence of the sea Apostolicke the authoritie of which they bent their wits to aduance yet then Wisedome found children to iustifie her for Scriptures that made for authority of Princes and against vsurpation of Popes were well cleared by Occam Marsilius Patauinus and others as those of predestination and grace by Ariminensis Bradwardine and their followers against Pelagianisme then much preuailing At length the Apostasie of Popery spread so far that God in pitty to his poore Church raised vp men of inuincible courage vnwearied paines and great skill in Tongues and Arts to free Religion so deepely inthralled from whence it is that we haue so many iudicious Tractates and Commentaries in this latter age And yet will there be necessary vse of further search into the Scriptures as new heresies arise or old are reuiued and further strengthned The conuiction of which is then best when their crookednesse is brought to the streight rule of Scriptures to be discouered Besides new expositions of Scriptures will be vsefull in respect of new temptations corruptions in life and cases of conscience in which the minde will not receiue any satisfying resolution but from explication and application of Scriptures Moreouer it is not vnprofitable that there should be diuers Treatises of the same portion of Scriptures because the same truth may be better conueyed to the conceits of
to him Vse The Vse is to stirre vs vp that as wee desire to praise God so wee would labour to get that spirit which may make vs know the things bestowed on vs. The Papists are the cut-throats of thankefulnesse while they will not let vs know the graces giuen vs We know our earthly things yea which is the pitty we know them too well know them so that we are proud of them Let vs labour to know our best blessings and our hearts will not be vnthankefull In particular Doct. 5 First obserue that our heauenly father he blesseth all his children Looke into the Common-wealth Church Family the fathers in them all doe blesse those that are vnder them Princes their people Teachers those that depend on them Parents and Masters children and seruants for the greater hath power to blesse the lesser Thus is it with our heauenly Father Authoritatiuè father of all fatherhoods in heauen and earth he giueth his blessing to those that are his Againe as we see earthly Parents blesse their children both in word and worke wishing them blessed and giuing them many benefits for Parents treasure vp for their children Thus our heauenly father doth both in word pronounce vs blessed who are his by faith Blessed are you that beleeue on me that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse that are pure in heart and hee doth also bestow on them many benefits which doe make them blessed For to blesse signifieth both as well to giue a gift as pronounce blessed Vse 1 This then must teach vs first to seeke blessing of our heauenly fathers hand Seeke it as Iacob did wrastle for it with prayers and teares Gen. 32.26 Come to God and confesse that we are accursed children of his wrath but intreating that for Christs sake who was made a curse for vs that for this his Sonnes sake he would blesse vs. The blessing on Mount Sinai was gotten by doing but seeing the Law is impossible to our sinfull weaknesse wee must seeke the blessing onely in beleeuing Would wee not count that Childe a miscreant which would not come to the Parents and aske their blessing It is a token we are bastards and not children if we come not to God in secret and intreat him to blesse vs through his Christ What may they thinke of themselues who haue neuer heartily and humbly sought this way That reprobate Esau shall condemne them for he sought his earthly Parents blessing importunately and with teares when now it was too late which these neuer did toward their heauenly Vse 2 We who are his children must reioyce in this that we haue such a father whose blessing we know to be on vs It is with vs as it is with little children who haue many blessings but thinke little on that matter which yet an vnderstanding childe more growne vp hath in great account We must amend this and not still be babes in vnderstanding our blessing is the fountaine of all happinesse Come ye blessed of my father inherite c. ergo is not lightly to be esteemed A third Vse may be for Imitation Vse 3 Obserue thirdly Who hath blessed vs my selfe with you who are faithfull Saints Obserue what kinde of children haue their fathers blessing the faithfull ones who are sanctified these are blessed of God for Saint Pauls saying who hath blessed vs doth not speake rhetorically like great men who speake in the plurall number for the singular We will you this or that was done to vs but he hath reference to these Ephesians whom he described in the first Verse of whom ioyned with himselfe he affirmeth that they were blessed The truth is first we are really and actually blessed blessednesse being receiued into themselues but such as are beleeuers and now sanctified though others are predestinated to blessednesse yet this doth onely make them blessed so farre as that their blessednesse is intended in time future it doth not for the present worke any alteration in them tending this way Praedestinate and reprobate before faith come are in themselues all one Know you not that drunkards railers shall not enter into Gods kingdome such were you but now you are washed these ergo who now were blessed ergo predestinated before their callings were the same with them who shall not enter into Gods kingdome Secondly I say as none are actually blessed so none can be knowne and affirmed to be blessed in Gods purpose which are not beleeuers and Saints The reason is because that which is in Gods minde cannot be knowne further then the word or worke of God doth reueale it Now Gods word doth tell vs onely thus farre that such as are and shall be called to faith and sanctified they are predestinate Now then further then we can see faith we cannot descerne any to be predestinate But the faith of such who are already beleeuers is onely such as we may perceiue for there is no word reuealing whom God will giue faith to hereafter I say so reuealing it that their persons thereby are made euident to vs ergo wee can see none to be predestinate to saluation vnlesse wee can by fruits behold him to be in present a beleeuer Again our faith and grace is the worke beginning our saluation till therefore faith is wrought there is no worke of God apparant which doth let vs see hee hath a purpose to saue This then is a truth that the beleeuing and holy person is onely such of whom we may say that he is blessed of God yet this caution is to be taken that as we cannot say any is blessed so we cannot say any man in particular wanting faith and grace shall not be blessed or that he is not predestinated If a man vp a fore day should reason thus here is no sunne vp ergo none will rise to day his sequell were friuolous so here c. Vse 1 The Vse of this Doctrine is first to comfort the Lords who beleeue so on Christ that their hearts are purified and their desire is to walke precisely Ephes 5.15 the world accounteth them as they did before of Saint Paul Christians and Christ himselfe as if they were off-scourings 1 Cor. 4. base cursed people Ioh. 7. Cursed and plagued of God rather then blessed Isa 53.4 But this is our comfort God thinketh and pronounceth otherwise of vs. Vse 2 We see the vaine iudgement of worldlings they giuing sentence according to sense thinke often wicked ones happy Mat. 3.14 To ride on a fine Palfrey to haue a cap and knee giuen them to fat their hearts with laughter and all earthly contentments these things our Epicure-like Christians count felicity But if thou hast not faith and grace clensing thy heart and life though thy excellency doth touch the clouds and thou doest seeme to make thy neast in the starres yet shalt thou perish like the dung the higher thou hast beene lifted vp so much the more deadly down-fall shalt thou take into those hellish torments that
be partakers in his spirit Hearing is euery where made the beginning of our comming to God He that heareth and learneth from the father Ioh. 6. If ye haue heard and learned Christ as the truth is in Christ Ephes 4.21 The word hath beene fruitfull in you from what time you heard c. Col. 1. This was the sense by which first death entred Eue hearing the Serpent was seduced and this is the sense by which wee are restored Looke as the ground cannot be quickned with fruits till it receiue seede and the dewes from heauen no more can our soyle be quickned with the spirit and fruits of the spirit till by hearing it hath taken in this seede immortall drunke in this heauenly shower of Gods word Now it is not euery hearing which is accompanied with the spirit but hearing with the heart so as the heart is affected to doe that it heareth There is a hearing with the eare bodily thus many may heare who doe not vnderstand Ergo heare doe not heare If out-landish men were here such as did onely know their owne forraigne language we might talke lowd enough in English not fearing their hearing of vs. There is a hearing ioyned with vnderstanding when yet the heart is not affected to doe after it and this hearing is no hearing also If one heare vs asking him to doe this or that if he haue no minde to performe it we say hee cannot heare on that side It must Ergo be such hearing as Lydea heard with whose heart God opened to attend to Pauls preaching Vse 1 The Vse of this is to let vs see that where there is much hearing yet the word is not there heard as it should be Who commeth to haue his heart burn within him to be filled with the spirit by hearing by being taught being admonished It is pittifull We may obserue some like Iudas who was when now he had heard Christ and taken the sop he was filled but with Sathan they are viler after hearing then before the most like children when Schooling-time is ended Nay it is to be feared that some with hearing are growne past hearing as those who dwell neere the continuall roaring of mighty waters they waxe deafe through continuall hearing such vehement noyse so that they cannot heare any thing at all so many the sound of Gods word hath so long beatē their eares that they cannot discerne any thing in it what euer is spoken Vse 2 Secondly this must teach vs to attend on hearing Wouldst thou keepe the spirit from being quenched despise not prophecie hearing the Scriptures opened to thy vse Euen as the Conduit-pipes carry the water hither and thither so doth the word conueigh the graces of the spirit into our hearts It is a peale to bed when men can be without hearing not feeling neede of it as some times they haue done Doct. 2 Secondly obserue what word heard bringeth vs the quickning spirit the word of the Gospell A mans drooping heart vpon the comming of some good newes to him it feeleth as it were new spirits returne to it so our dead hearts when God hath made this glad tydings of saluation and pardon of sinne be brought them there doth returne to them a quickning spirit of peace and ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Receiued you the Spirit by hearing the Law or by the Doctrine of faith preached Gal. 3.3 And for this cause the ministery of the Gospell is called the ministery of the Spirit not of the Letter because this doctrine doth onely bring vs to receiue the quickning spirit which doth worke in vs a life eternall The Law may bring vs to feele our selues dead Rom. 7. but it cannot quicken any Though when the Gospell hath now quickned vs it may instruct vs reforme vs yea delight vs in the inner man Rom. 7. many things may helpe vs when now wee liue which could not be meanes of restoring vs from death to life But it may be obiected the Gospell is said a sauer of death as well as the Law is said a a killing letter I answere The Gospell is said so not that directly the nature of it is to kill but by accident of mens corruption who reiect and will not obey it it turneth to their further condemnation As the Kings pardon cannot kill any by it selfe yet despised by a malefactor it may double his guilt and bring him to more hasty and fearefull execution So the gracious pardon of God offered in the Gospell killeth not any by it selfe saueth many who receiue it yet despised it may by occasion worke heauier death and destruction But the Law doth of it owne nature hold a man now in state of sinne vnder death and condemnation and cannot of it selfe bring any to life who now hath offended The words I speake to you saith Christ they are spirit they are life Euen as the body of the sunne diffuseth as an instrument the beames of this materiall light so it is the Gospell that instrument of God by which hee sendeth out the light of his gracious spirit into our hearts Vse 1 The Vse of it is to stirre vs vp earnestly to desire this sincere milke of the Gospell Euen as there goeth out naturall spirits with the milke the babe draweth from the mother so the Lord doth accompany this word of his which the Church ministreth as milke with that supernaturall spirit which giueth quicknance to life euerlasting Euen as we doe daily renew our feeding to repaire the decay of naturall spirits in vs so must we neuer be weary of renewing and encreasing that supernaturall life and spirit which we haue receiued from Christ If thou hast the spirit heare that thou maist keepe it if thou wouldest haue it and wantest it attend on hearing remembring how the Eunuch receiued the spirit Acts 8. and how while Cornelius and his friends heard Peter opening the good word of saluation the holy Ghost did fall on them to the wonder of the beleeuing Iewes who accompanied Peter Doct. And here before wee passe to the generall Doctrine note from this that the Gospell is called the word of truth that all Gods promises made in Christ are true and faithfull They are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. They are true and worthy all entertainement 1 Tim. 15. The whole word is true For like as the witnesse is like is the testimony or deposition which commeth from him Now God is faithfull and cannot lye but this is attributed to the Doctrine of the Gospel as agreeing to it with a certaine excellency before other parcels of the word For the Gospell is sometime called by generall names as a doctrine of godlinesse a Law a Testimony Sometime it is described by the author the Gospell of God sometime from the obiect the Gospell of Christ of the kingdome sometime from the property as an eternall Gospell a good word a true word as here sometime from effects as in the next words a Gospell of saluation Now it
is testified to be a word of truth after an eminent manner for three causes First it is occupied about Christ who is the truth and substance of all the shadowes legall which now are vanished Secondly the truth of this word is further confirmed to vs then the truth of any other by word by oath by the testimony of the great Apostle Christ Iesus by a iewry of solemne witnesses chosen for this purpose by a multitude of miracles Thirdly this property is the rather annexed to this Doctrine of the Gospell that thus our vnbeliefe might be holpen for our minde is corrupted with errour prone to any vnbeleefe but hard to beleeue these points so high aboue the naturall reach and apprehension of it Now as a Physitian doth say of his medicine that it is excellent not that it needeth commendations but that he may induce his Patient the better to take it So God and his Embassadours doe testifie of these things that they are true that wee might thus be brought to yeelde them beleefe But it may be obiected that word which biddeth many reprobates beleeue the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and life euerlasting that is not a word of truth but the Gospell doth so The reason of the former proposition is because that which biddeth me beleeue a lie cannot be true but to bid a reprobate beleeue his sins are forgiuen is to bid him beleeue a lye The summe put together commeth to this That word which biddeth a man perswade himselfe of that which is vntrue that is a lying word To beleeue that my sinnes are now pardoned me and that I am saued this is not the first act of faith but followeth them when now a man doth see himselfe to be iustified in Christ First I say this may be denied vnlesse I bid him perswade himselfe so with a minde of deceiuing him Abraham by Gods command was bound to perswade himselfe that Isaac was to dye vnder his owne hand yet was not that a lying word by which God spake to him because the intent of it was butto proue him Some say he was bound to thinke so vnlesse God should countermand and reuerse his former command Ans Abraham did absolutely beleeue it and Ergo did not comfort himselfe by thinking God might call backe his former precept but by considering that God could raise him from the dead Much more may God bid the reprobate belieue this or that while hee doth it but to euince their contumacy and doth see well how farre they are from belieuing any such matter Secondly I answere that the second part of the first reason is not true God doth bid them belieue on Christ to forgiuenes of fin he doth not bid any reprobate directly belieue that his sin is forgiuen Vse O then let vs take heed that we do not giue God the lye in al these things which he promiseth to vs Euery man will blesse himselfe from this iniquity from charging God with falshood in word yet no man is afraid to doe that with his deede which he trembleth to pronounce with his lips as wee may deny God not by word onely but by worke so wee may make him a lyer not onely by charging falshood on him by word of mouth but by our deed going away and not heeding all the grace he offereth vs in Christ He that beleeueth not maketh God a lyar 1 Ioh. 5.10 Should one promise me an hundred pound doing this or that though I should not tell him hee did but gull mee with words yet should I goe my way neuer heeding what had beene promised neuer endeauouring performance of the condition on which I might claime the benefit offered by doing this I should shew plainly that I did not take for truth that I heard spoken so it is betweene God promising to vs on belieuing and repenting and our turning our backes on him without endeauouring after these things Vse 2 This must strengthen our faith toward the promises of God O they are purer then siluer seauen times fined Should an honest man in telling vs any thing when he came to this or that which hee saw vs not easie to belieue should he intersert but this protestation that what he would tell vs he knew it most true we would the easlier receiue it and giue credit to it how much more when God doth condescend so farre to our infirmity as not onely to tell vs these things but to testifie to vs that they are truth it selfe Secondly it might be noted here that the Gospell is such a doctrine as worketh saluation Gods power to saluation it may well be called a good spell or word for it bringeth vs the tidings of all our good First it bringeth immortality and life to light Secondly it offereth vs the grace of forgiuenesse and life euerlasting Thirdly It is Gods instrument whereby hee worketh faith receiuing these things Fourthly it is the word of Grace which must build vs vp and bring vs to that blessed inheritance Acts 20.32 But I hasten to the things remaining in this verse Doct. 3 The 3d. general doctrine is that it is not enough to heare but we must belieue before we can be partaker of the good spirit of Christ Gal. 3 14. By faith we receiue the spirit of promise The Gentiles hauing heard and belieued God did giue them his spirit Acts 15.7.8 Hee that belieueth riuers of water shall flow from him which is spoken of that spirit which they receiue who belieue on Christ Iohn 7.28 This fore-promised spirit is first in the fulnes of it receiued by Christ our head Acts 2.33 and from Christ it commeth to vs for from his fulnesse wee receiue Grace for Grace Now looke as a member cannot receiue those spirits from the head which cause sense and motion in the body but they must be vnited with the head so it is heere wee cannot haue this spirit from Christ our head but wee must by this sinew or nerue of faith be vnited to him But how can we receiue the spirit by faith when we cannot belieue before we haue the spirit Some thinke that wee haue first actuall grace that is that the spirit as an ayde without vs doth make vs actually belieue that so the spirit afterward by habit of faith and all other sanctifying graces may come to dwell in vs. Now they would answere that though wee cannot belieue without the outward aide of the spirit yet we might belieue without the spirit by any supernaturall habit dwelling in vs but this is the error of the schoole for wee are said to haue a spirit of faith before we can bring forth the act of faith 2 Cor. 4. hauing the sefe-same spirit of Faith wee speake Againe no externe helpe can make vs bring foorth good fruit till it make vs first good trees and a blinde man may be â—ifted vp to see without a faculty of seeing as well as an vnbeleeuing man lifted vp to an act of Faith without a faculty