things of greate wayght are added signes commonly vsed As when princes are consecrated whē matrimonies are contracted when bargainings gifts or other such like couenaunts of great waight are made For we desire to haue them to the vttermost witnessed and to be knowne not only by reason but also by the sences But there can be no other efficient cause of the sacramentes geuen but either God or our Lord Iesus Christ who also is verily God and of them ought we to haue an euident testimony out of the holy scriptures Which thing is most plainly declared by the definition which we haue now set forth For thus we defined them namelye that sacramentes are signes not indede naturall but appointed that by the will of God And this his will can not be made known vnto vs but onely out of the holy scriptures And therfore it is no hard matter to know how many they are in number in the new Testament We sée y◠How many the sacramentes of the new testament are New found out sacramentes excluded Christ instituted Baptisme and the Eucharist but the other sacramentes which the schole deuines set forth can not by the worde of GOD be proued to be sacraments We speake not this as though we deny that matrimony is to be had in reuerence or that the ordinations of ministers is to be retained still or that penance is to be doue although we reiect auriculer confession and other the abuses thereof deny it to be a sacrament otherwise euen we also do highly esteme these things but not as sacraments Neither dislike we with that confirmation whereby children when they come to age should be compelled to confesse their faith in y◠church and by outwarde profession to approue that whiche was done in Baptisme when they vnderstoode nothing but yet in such sort that of such an action we frame not a sacramēt But as touching extreme vnctiō it is manifest y◠it nothing pertayneth vnto vs especially seing it had no lōger any force then whilest the gifts of healings were extant in the Church And forasmuch as those giftes are now long since taken away it were absurde to kepe still the vayne signe thereof Neither also dyd Why besides baptisme and the Eucharist the rest are not properly sacramentes Basilius putteth vnction amongst traditions neither saith he that it is had out of the scriptures Christ commaund that this vnction should perpetually be vsed in the church But those other things which we before spake of although they may still be wyth profite retained yet are they not properly sacramentes eyther bicause they haue not outward signes or els bicause they wantmanifest words of promises which should by a visible signe be sealed or els bicause there is no commaundemēt of God extant wherby we are bound to obserue these thinges Basilius in his booke de spiritu sancto where he reckneth vp the traditions of the church maketh mencion of the signe of the crosse wherwith we ought to defend our selues and that adorations vppon the Sonday and from the resurrection vnto the feast of Penticost ought to be done standing vpright Amongst others also he reckeneth holy vnction Hereby we sée y◠this father held not that this vnction is had out of the holy scriptures which thyng our aduersaries rashly do Farther by his wordes we gather of how great waighte it is when as it is put amongst the number of those thinges which haue now long since growen out of vre Now let vs sée what be the effectes of the sacraments The Effectes of the sacramentes maister of the sentences in the 4. booke in the first dist putteth thre effectes of the sacramentes For he would that as men for pleasure sake haue made themselues subiect vnto thinges sensible and inferiour vnto themselues so now they should for piety sake do the same that of a certaine modesty or as they speake humilitie they should suffer themselues to be made subiect vnto these visible signes of the sacraments By the sacraments we are not made subiect vnto creatures In the sacramentes we are instructed touching thinges diuine But herein he far erreth For by the sacraments we are not made subiect vnto creatures neither ought we to worship them Onely the mind is there erected vnto God that man may be restored vnto his olde dignitie For he is set to be aboue all things which are sene and not to be subiect vnto them The second effect he putteth to be erudition that by the outwarde signes we should be instructed of things heauenly Which thing we also vndoubtedly affirme Lastly he sayth that therfore thei were iustituted that we should not be idle but be profitably exercised in true ceremonies rasting away supersticions But this vnles it be declared is not very plaine For we are sufficiently occupied in beleuing praying readyng of the word of God and doing good to our neighbours But outward ceremonies although they be instituted of God yet without faith they nothing profit Wherfore the exercising of them doth not of it selfe please God Howbeit if faith be presēt supersticions can take no place for that it hath alwayes a regard vnto the worde of God Wherfore after this maner they may be called exercises of faith and of pietie and be counted acceptable vnto GOD. But we will after a better sorte set forth these effectes of the sacraments First we say that they instruct vs which thing is alredye said Secondly that they kindle in vs fayth a desire of the promises of God Thirdly that they knit vs together in a streighter bond of charity for that we are By the sacramentes the holy ghost kindleth in vs fayth Other effectes What thinges are repugnante vnto the sacramentes Vnto the sacraments are sometimes attributed those thinges which long vnto the thinge signified Who be sacramentaries They are not bare signes A sacramēt is not of his owne nature a sacrifice all initiated with one and the selfe same mysteries And to these may two other effects also be added For by the sacraments we are both seperated from other sects also are admonished to lead an holy life But touching grace whither it be conferred by the sacraments or no we shall afterward sée These things being thus ordered there are two thinges which are contrary and repugnaunt vnto the nature of the sacraments The first is if we attribute to much vnto them For by y◠meanes is easely brought in idolatry when as that which belongeth vnto God onely is ascribed vnto a creature And if at any time the sacraments are sayd either to saue or to remit sinnes or any such like thing the same ought to be vnderstand of the thing signified and not of the signes For these thinges onely procéede of the promise and liberality of God whiche is sealed vnto vs by visible signes And oftentimes it happeneth that both the scriptures and the fathers seme to attribute vnto the signes those things which only belong
are saued and that not of our selues for saith he it is the gift of God And euen as the Philosophers supposed that the strengths and faculties of men are not sufficient to do all things absolutely and perfectly therfore A similitude held y◠we haue nede of habites or qualities y◠in sodaine cases we mought be redy to do well so that we should nede no long deliberation and that that whiche we do we mought do it both easely and pleasantly so also ought we for the receiuyng of those thinges which are of GOD to haue our minde and vnderstandyng strengthened by some power from without vs and geuen vnto vs seyng that thorough the default of our first parent we are most vnapt to vnderstande the hidden thinges of God And forasmuch as those things wherunto our faith hath a respect are altogether deuine it followeth of necessity that to vnderstand them we be holpen also by deuine inspiratiō But we must now declare what is the chiefest thing wherunto our faith is directed and that to speake briefly is the promise of God wherunto by beleuing we assēt An◠this promise is chiefly y◠wherin he promiseth that he wil thorough Christ be fauourable and mercifull vnto vs And although in the holy scriptures are red and offred vnto vs very many promises of GOD yet What is the first obiect of faith this one is the chiefest for whose sake the rest are performed vnto vs vnto whiche also are all other promises to be referred This promise as we haue before sayde is that wherein God promiseth that he wil be mercifull vnto vs for Christs sake And although there be very many things which we ought to beleue as threatnings histories exhortations prayses of God and such other like yet ought The common obiect of fayth all these thinges to be referred to perswade vs of this promise onely Hereby is manifest what is the chiefest obiect of fayth for the common obiect of fayth or as they call it the equall obiect is the word of God set forth in the holy scriptures Beyond this obiect fayth extendeth not it selfe For as Paul sayth fayth commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God This thing our aduersaries cā The papistes obiect vnwritten verities which they say are to be beleued The perpetuall virginity of Marye by no meanes abide for they contend that there are certayne things I know not what to be beleued which are not conteyned in the holy scriptures But we say the fayth is an assent whiche is geuen vnto the holy scripture vnto those things which are necessarily and euidētly cōcluded of it Amongst other things they are wont to obiect vnto vs the perpetuall virginity of the mother of Christ whiche they say is to be beleued although it be not had in the holy scriptures They obiect moreouer that the authority of the holy scripture depēdeth of y◠church and can not be proued by the scriptures themselues As touchinge the firste it is sufficient for vs that we are taught by the holy scriptures that Christ was conceaued and borne of a virgin And aboue that to affirme that the blessed virgin was ioyned with man as touching fellowship of the flesh it were rash presumptuous For seing that is nether had in the holy scriptures nor yet is verye likely why in Gods name ought we ether to beleue it or to affirme it And contrariwise that she abode perpetually a virgin forasmuch as the holy scriptures doo not by expresse wordes auouch the same it is not to be receaued amongst those things which are of necessity to be beleued as are those things which are expressedly contained in the holy scriptures Ierom of this matter wrote against Heluidius For he was woorthely to be condemned for that he rashly affirmed that she was not perpetually a virgine And Augustine very well admonisheth Augustines counsell touching this matter The scripture hath not hys authority of the church vs that when we come to such places where the sence of the scripture can not certainly be gathered we shoulde not hedlong runne vnto ether parte As touching the other obiection we haue oftentimes declared that it is not true which they take as graunted that the scripture hath his authority of the Church For the stedfastnes therof depēdeth of God and not of men and the word was both firme and certayne before the Church beganne For the Church was called by the word And the spirite of God wrought in the hartes of them that beleued the word and of them that red it to acknowledge it to be no humane words but altogether deuine wherfore frō the holy ghost came the authority vnto the word of God and not from the Church But they say y◠Augustine writeth agaynst the epistle called epistola Fundamēti I would not beleue the Gosple except the authority I would not beleue the Gospell except the authority of the church moued me therunto of the Church had moued me therunto But Augustine by those words would signify nothing els but that we must attribute much vnto the ministery of the church which setteth forth preacheth and inculcateth the Gosple to all the faythfull for which of vs hath come vnto Christ or beleued the Gosple but that he hath bene stirred vp by the preaching of the Gospel which is done in the Church and yet therby can not be gathered that the authority of the Gosple dependeth of the Church in the mindes of the hearers For if it lay in it to cause the scripture to be receaued then vndoubtedly had it long a go perswaded the Epicures and Turkes to beleue the same But the matter is farre otherwise For whatsoeuer authority the Church hath or the ministers therof the same dependeth wholy of the word of God For if a man should demaund of them how they proue the authority of the Church or how they are certayne that erreth not in vnderstāding of the holy striptures and discerning them from other writinges they wil answere bicause it is gouerned by the holy ghost But I besech you how know ye that Bycause Christ they will say hath promised that he will be with it euer vnto the end of the world And bicause he hath also sayd weresoeuer shall be two or thre gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And agayne I will send the holy ghost the comforter which shall lede you into all truth These are the thinges say they which perswade vs of the authority of the Church But I Contrariwise the church hath his authority from the scripture Fayth is firme would fayne know from whence ye receaued these thinges if not out of the holy scriptures Wherfore we may contrariwise conclude that the Church hath his authority of the scripture Farther by this place of Paule is declared an other difference of fayth namely that it is a firme assent For he setteth forth of Abraham that he nothing
church can not releâ—se the afflictions of the godly these punishementes which God inflicteth vpon vs whilest we liue here are not in the power of the Church that it can at pleasure and as it listeth it selfe alter or lenifye or mitigate them as our aduersaryes haue fayned of the paynes of purgatory Which their fayned deuise they can not confirme by any reason taken out of the holy scriptures We must diligently also weigh the wordes of the Apostle For as when he fayth That we stand in grace by fayth he declareth that the property of fayth is to erect and to confirme our mindes Which property vndoubtedly it hath not but by that it cleaueth vnto the woord of God For so by it are broken the rages and tempests that rushe agaynst vs so are we established not to wauer with euery wynde of doctrine nor to change our opinion for euery chance of fortune The philosophers when they woulde amply set foorth the constancye of a iust man compared it with a fower square stone which howsoeuer it falleth falleth right But A comparison of fayth with philosophy fayth much more truely accoÌ„plisheth this theÌ„ doth philosophy Chrisostome addeth That the good thinges of this world whatsoeuer they be are nether firme nor constant For they are oftentymes assayled with many dangers and not seldome ouercome And although whilest we liue here we lose them not yet when we dye will we or nill we we must nedes forsake them But these spirituall things whereof we now intreate are both firme and shall after death be made more ample But the same Chrisostome vpon this place is of vs warely to be red For he sayth that Paul in making mencion of those thinges which we receaue of Christ rehearseth many thinges But when he commeth to those thinges which we haue of our selues he setteth forth only one thing namely fayth â–ª which sayth he we our selues bring of our owne But we must surely sticke fast to thys ground that fayth also is the gift of God and is deriued from him into vs. Out of this place also may be gathered a most firme argument that we are iustified by fayth only Which shall be made playne by the effect after this maner That by An argument wherby is proued that we are iustified by faith one lye which we are iustified ought to make vs quiet before God This thing can not workes bring to passe but fayth only Ergo we are iustified by fayth and not by workes The maior is very playne that we are not iustified vnles we haue such a quiet mynde that we abhorre not nor flye from the fight of God And that our workes are not able to performe this theyr vncleanes and vnpurenes declareth Wherefore Dauid hath not without cause written Enter not into iudgement with thy seruauntes Lord. We reioyce in the hope and glory of God Here is declared the nature of this peace and tranquilitie of the minde namely that it maketh vs most assured and sure of perpetuall felicity for we reioyce not but for that which we now possesse And that we euen now also possesse eternall lyfe Christ manifestly declareth We posses eternall life euen now also when he saith He that beleueth in me hath eternall lyfe But bicause it is not yet ful neither as yet appeareth therfore Paul addeth In the hope of the glory of God This glorye whiche we hope for is a coniunction with God that he maye wholye dwell and worke in vs which thing when we shall haue attayned we shall be adorned with the last and highest point of felicitye neither shall there be left any place vnto misery But when he sayth In the hope of the glory of God He séemeth to speake that by preuention For that as touching those which beleue the common opinion of men is excedingly deceiued For the Ethenikes commonly deride Christians for that they count themselues to be happye when yet in the meane tyme they want not wicked affections and are vexed with tribulations and aduersities They thinke yâ— we should weigh our felicity by those things which we haue Our felicity is not to be weighed by those thinges which are in vs. of our owne But we are of a farre other opinion for we so far forth counte our selues happy as we are so counted of God and that he imputeth vnto vs righteousnes not that we are not in the meane tyme renewed both in minde and in bodye although we are yet vnperfect And euen this selfe same righteousnes whiche we haue now obteyned and the renouation which is in vs we in no case thynke to be of that force that by it we can attayne vnto the rewardes of eternall lyfe Thys peace and felicitie and reioycing of which the Apostle now intreateth is yâ— which confirmed the Martirs when in Christes quarell they did shed both their lyfe and What is this peace which is had by faith bloud This is that hundreth folde which is rendered also in this lyfe is of more value then all the riches and pleasures of this world Wherefore when the Ethnikes deriding vs do boast of their riches and pleasures and power we ought not to be moued For we easely perceaue that they with al these their goods are miserable and wretched but on the other side we féele our selues happy when we haue possession of this one good thyng although we want all those thinges whiche they so highly estéeme And here is to be marked the order that the Apostle vseth in rehersing the effectes of iustification First he setteth forth peace wherby is declared The methode or order of the effectes of iustification that the battaile that sin had stirred vp against vs is now at an end For sin beyng by the death of Christ blotted out and the righteousnes of christ beingimputed vnto vs of God through faith of enemies we are made frendes whereby is made opeÌ„ vnto vs an entrance vnto his manifold grace and to the obteinement of innumerable benefites For so long as yâ— warre endured we were a great way of froÌ„ God and strangers from the promises but now that the peace is made by the mediator we are brought nearer there is geuen vs frée accesse vnto God which accesse yâ— Apostle worthely putteth in the second place as which could not haue come vnto vs vnles we had first obteyned peace Farther thirdly followeth reioycing in the hope of the glory of God For who will not now hope that he shal be adorned with the glory of God Whome will not so assured an expectation of so great a thyng of the glory I say of God make ioyfull and glad And of how great force and power this reioycing in the hope of the glory of God is that which followeth declareth And not that onely but also we reioyce in afflictions Of so greate force is this reioycing that those thinges which men especially wicked men count for a dishonor and from which they abhorre
the diuine nature brethern of Christ and childreÌ„ of light and that we also sinne not for he which is borne of God sinneth not and that we loue our neighbors and our enemies that we may resemble our heauenly father who maketh hys sonne to shyne vpon the good the euil sendeth raine vpon the iust the vniust And finally that we be peacemakers for they shall be called the sonnes of God But our adoption is not such that we should thinke that we are borne of the substance of God For We are not the sonnes of God as begotten of hys substaunce that is proper to Iesus Christ only For the word of God is by nature borne of the father which thing yet the Arrians denied For forasmuch as they made the sonne of God a creature they must nedes say that he was not the sonne of God by nature but by adoption Greate vndoubtedlye is our dignitye For we are so highlye exalted that we be not onely called and are the sonnes of Christ called his Apostles bretherne God but also haue Christe to our brother Wherefore Christe when hee was risen agayne sayde vnto the women Goe and tell my brethren And althoughe the elders were not quite voyde of this dignitye yet had they it not so publiquely declared But this was no let at all that many amongest theÌ„ were weake For we also in the Gospel haue many weake ones For Paul saith vnto the Corrinthians that he could not speake vnto them as vnto men spirituall for that they were carnall and therefore he was fayne to féede them with milke Which selfe thing is written vnto the Hebrues And contrariwise they had men strong in fayth of whome we caÌ„ not doubt but that they were in thys The fathers in the olde time attained to the adoption of childreÌ„ adoptioÌ„ most excellent And that so it was at that time also the Apostle testifieth in thys epistle the 9. chapiter for he sayth Vnto whome pertayueth the adoption and the glory and the testament and the geuing of the Law and the worshipping and the promises and vnto whome pertayne the Fathers Here we se that adoption pertayned vnto them also Ambrose vpon this place teacheth that of thys adoption springeth vnto godly men greate security And doubtles forasmuch as this commeth We are more certaine of this adoption then we are of our carnal fathers Alexander the greate vnto vs thorough the spirite whereby we are inwardly moued we ought to be farre more certayne that we are the sonnes of God then the sonnes of thys worlde are certayne that they are the sonnes of them whome they call fathers For oftentimes the mothers deceaue both the husbandes and the children But the spirite of God deceaueth no man Long since flatterers went about to perswade Alexander that he was not the sonne of king Phillip but of Iupiter Afterward when he saw that there came bloud out of a wound which he had geuen him he lawghing sayd that that semed vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is common bloud and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is the bloud Gods But we though we suffer many things yea loose our life for Christes sake yet notwithstanding ought to be fully perswaded yâ— we are the sonnes of God For to the end we should not any thing doubt of that matter we haue not only a testimony of the spirite but also euen the sonne Christ hath taught vs to call God father of God hath taught vs to call God Father and to inuocate him by that name And this forme of prayers ought to call vs backe from all kinde of wickednes and from all maner of filthy works and also to put vs in minde not to degenerate from the nobility of so greate a father and that we in no case dishonour hym For it is taken to be a greate reproch vnto fathers to haue wicked childreÌ„ And forasmuch as we can not as we haue sayd attayne vnto this adoption but thorough Christ and his spirite nether the Iewes nor the Turkes nor men straÌ„gers from Christ can call vpon God as vpon theyr father By vvhome vve cry Abba father This selfe same maner of speach the Apostle vsed vnto the Galath For thus he writeth Bycause ye are sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his sonne in which we cry Abba father After this selfe same maner Christ our first begotten brother prayed vnto the father in the garden sayinge Abba father let this cuppe passe away from me Nether is it to be meruayled at that the Apostle ioyned a Greke word and a Syrian word together whiche tounge What is ment by the ioynyng together and repeticion of two tonges was then commonly vsed of the Iewes For first this repeticion serueth to vehemency of speach Farther the Apostle semeth by a certayne mistery to teach that as well the Gentiles as the Iewes shoulde be indifferentlye pertakers of thys adoption in both whiche tounges God should be called vpon by the name of father In the primitiue Church were kept still of the interpreters some Sirian words which were then in vse which we rede sometimes in yâ— holy scriptures as Messias Cephas Talitha Cumy Maranatha Rabby Osianna Alleluia and Amen For those words were theÌ„ most perfectly knoweÌ„ especially wheÌ„ as betwene the Ethnikes the Iewes yâ— were coÌ„uerted vnto Christ was a most straight bond of loue in a maner a perpetual familiarity But we must not thereof gather yâ— in yâ— We must not vâ—eâ— strange tounge in the church The inuocation of the godly is the worke of the holy Ghost How vnto prayers to ascribed our saluation seruice of God should be vsed a straÌ„ge tounge For yâ— the holy ghost hath manifestly forbidden vs. Paul in this place wheÌ„ he maketh mencion of inuocation declareth the worke of the holy ghost which it straight way sheweth forth vpon the children that are adopted and now regenerate And of so greate waight and force is this work that the Apostle doubteth not by the testemony of the Prophet to attribute vnto it saluation For he saith as afterward shal be declared Euery one which calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Not that our prayers can merite salution for that is apprehended by faith only And therefore that we should not be deceaued he straight way expresseth in what maner he ascribeth saluation vnto them For he saith How shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued Which wordes plainly teach vs that that which is written of prayers is to be attributed vnto faith as vnto their roote But because in this place is mencion Whether the adopted be free from all feare of God Dâ—finition of feare made of feare for the Apostle thus writeth Ye haue not receaued the spirite of bondage agayne vnto feare it shall not be from the purpose briefely to sée whether Paul meaneth that we are deliuered from all kinde of feare or no First
inculcate then shoulde not boastinge be excluded for euery righteous man mought say of himselfe I haue obtained grace because wheÌ„ it was offred I receiued it I haue beleued God making promise vnto me for that I gaue mine assent I haue obteined Christ because wheÌ„ he came I receaued him But Paul crieth out that our boasting is excluded not in déede by the law of workes but by the lawe of fayth and of grace Neither can the aduersaries That modicum is some kinde of of worke Workes at vniuersally excluded froÌ„ the cause of iustificatioÌ„ The sentence of Paul is to be takeÌ„ simply and not by way of comparison deny but that that modicum which they labour so ernestly to establish is some kinde of worke But Paul so excluded not woorkes from iustification that he lefte vnto them the second place vnto faith but he vtterly and vniuersally excluded theÌ„ as touchyng the power to iustifie For he sayd not onely that we are iustified frely but added without workes Wherefore whereas they say that the senteÌ„ce of Paul is not to be vnderstanded simply but by way of comparison it is vntrue and vain But the scriptures saye they in other places speake so For it is written in the Psalm Vnles the Lord buyld the house they labour in vayne which buyld it And Paul to the Corrinthians sayth Neither he which plaÌ„teth is any thing nor he which watreth but God which geueth the encrease It is certaine say they that these thinges are to be expounded by way of comparison For in very déede both he which buildeth and which planteth and whiche watreth doth somewhat But that whatsoeuer it be forasmuch as it is but little if it be compared vnto the worke of God therefore it is sayd to be nothing and they are sayd to labour in vaine As touching the firste place we say that Dauid speaketh of ciuill works touching which we graunt that men in them take greate paynes and woorke somewhat Howbeit they labour in What is to be thought of ciuill enterprises vaine vnles God vouchsafe to fauor theyr enterprises Let Cesar AlexaÌ„der or Cato take what paynes they will either in the kingdome or in the Publike wealth and yet shall all thinges come to no purpose vnles God geue the successe In the other place Paul entreateth of the holye ministerye of the churche Neyther will I graunte this vnto the aduersaries that the Ecclesiasticall ministerye is eyther a thing small or suche as maye be called nothing For it is a thinge honorable and The holy ministery is both a thing great also nothing with most weighty wordes commended of the holy scriptures Wherefore as touching the office it is not nothing but touchinge the geuinge of spirituall life it is as Paul sayth vtterlye nothing For of it selfe it can not geue that spirituall life neyther perfect nor vnperfect The minister of the church in déede setteth forth the worde of God and the sacramentes but cannot reach to the coÌ„municating of that heauenly life Wherefore Paul spake truly and properly neither néeded he that figure A figure vsed in one place is not alwayes vsed in an other place of comparison whiche these men imagine Moreouer graunte that the scripture in other places vseth these kindes of speaches shoulde it straight way follow that therefore this sentence is so to be taken especially séeing it hath bene by most firme argumentes proued that it is in verye déede neither of him that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And therefore our election or predestination consisteth not of our works but fréely and of the mercy of God But still notwithstanding they are ouercome by reasons they cauill and say that they deny not but that we are elected of God fréelye but yet that causeth not but that some respecte may be had to woorkes foreséene For so they saye that we say with Paul That eternall life is grace when yet notwithstandyng we confesse that God rendreth vnto euery man accordyng to hys woorkes And if God can haue a respecte vnto woorkes when yet he geueth eternall lyfe fréely what shoulde let hym that he can not fréelye predestinate a man although he haue a respect also vnto workes foresene Hereunto we answer that eternall life is indede geuen Good workes oftentimes go before eternal life but can not preuent predestination Predestination is the efficient cause of good works and not eternall lyfe Predestination and reprobation are oftentimes with ouâ— works freely which yet followeth good workes not as merites but as necessary degrees by which they which are of full age come vnto it And this order the scripture it selfe putteth But that any our workes go before predestination the scriptures in no place haue tought vs yea rather contrariwyse Paul sayth to yâ— Ephesians Hereunto are we predestinated that we shoulde be holye and immaculate And vnto Timothe he sayth that he had obteyned mercy that he moughte be faithfull Why then seke these men to preuent order and especially seyng that theyr own similytude serueth not For eternall life followeth good workes and is not the efficient cause of them but predestination is the cause of good works Farther thys respect to good workes in predestination can not as we haue sayde take place in all men For many are predestinated vnto eternall lyfe and many are appoynted to eternall destruction which neuer should haue any workes at all as it is manifest in infantes Wherfore this is firme and vnmoueable that as touching election and infusion of the spirite there is nothing at all in vs whereby God shoulde be moued to bestowe these thinges vpon vs. For in predestination vocation and iustification there goeth before in vs nothing that is good but good works go before glorificatioÌ„ The reasoÌ„ therof is for that we straight way dye not so sone as we are iustified wherefore it behoueth that that space Why good workes in them that are of age â—o before eternall life of tyme which is betwene haue workes whereby may be declared our fayth and righteousnes which we haue by yâ— electioÌ„ of God obtayned By will Paul vnderstandeth the endeuor of the mynde and by course or running all holy workes vniuersally which metaphore is much vsed in the holy scriptures For Paul in an other place writeth of himselfe I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course And vnto the Corrinthyans So ranne ye that ye maye winne the price And vnto the Galathyans Ye runne well who letted you Out of thys sentence two thynges we ought to gather first that our saluation or election is not of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth that is not of our merites but of the mercy of God onely as God sayth in the 9 chapter of Deutronomy Say not for my righteousnes hath the Lorde brought me into thys lande Secondly that it is not of the willer to will nor of the runner to runne but these
and Paul here chiefely reproueth the Iewes We may also hereby learne how farre we are of from the perfection of God He suffreth long tyme beareth with men God is more patieÌ„t then men that will not beleue in him but all men are high mynded and can not abide that either their wordes or writinges should be contemned Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Here again is repeted the commeÌ„dation of the ministery that by it faith is diuulged amongst CommendacioÌ„ of the ministery men Faith is by hearing this sentence must be rightly and soundly taken that is when God will worke therewithall and put to his ayde Some haue thought that by hearing is here to be vnderstanded the inward word for that in it is the full and perfect cause of faith Which thing as I deny not so also I sée that Paul speaketh not of the inward hearing that is of the motion that is done by the holy Here is entreated of the outward worde The worde of God abideth firme though it be not beleued ghost but of the outward preaching to the office whereof the Apostles were sent And although faith can not after the ordinary and accustomed maner be without the word of God yea and that without the outward word yet the word of God abideth still although faith be not geuen vnto it for knowledge hath relacion as they vse to speake to the thing knowen but that which may be knowen is not on the other side referred to knowledge when as there are many thinges which may be knowen are not knowen After which selfe maner very many thinges are to be beleued which yet are not beleued Wherfore faith forasmuch as it is an asseÌ„t WhereheÌ„ce faith taketh his differences geuen vnto the word of God although it take not his differences of the subiect or of his forme yet taketh it them not either of the efficent cause or of the obiect for it is occupied aboute those things which haue bene reuealed by God neither commeth it by the light of nature but by the illustracion of the holy ghost But as touching the subiect it is placed in the minde as wisdome prudence and other sciences are and the nature thereof is a quality as other knowledges also are qualities Furthermore if hearing whereof springeth faith be by the word of God it is manifest that the foundacion of faith is the word of God only Wherefore the ministers of the Church and preachers ought hereby to learne what is to be preached Onely the worde of God is the foundacion of faith Humane traditions are not the worde of God namely the word of God only and not humane traditions although now they are so bold to call them the word of God which yet they are not by any meanes able to proue when as they are vncertaine and repugnant the one to the oâ—her and are oftentimes abolished or renued which in no wise agrée with the word of God Basilius in his sermon de confessione fidei saith that it is a falling away from faith and a great pride either not to admitte the thinges which are written in the holy scriptures or to adde any thing vnto them Which sentence he confirmeth by the testimony of Paul to the Galathians where he saith The testament although but of a man when it is once ratefied no man maketh voyde or addeth any thing thereunto which thing ought much more to be taken hede of in the testament of God set forth in the holy scriptures But here a riseth a doubt For if onely the woorde of Whether we must beleue miracles God is to be beleued why sayd Christ that if they woulde not beleue him they shoulde yet at the least beleue his workes For it séemeth by thys sentence that we shoulde also beleue miracles But we aunswere that miracles are as testimonies by which men are the easelier brought to beleue so that they are thinges by meanes whereof men beleue not that fayth is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect although as touching the miracles of Christ and of the Apostles we must beleue that they were done by God and not by Belzebub or by the deuill as the Pharise is sclanderously reported and this is conteyned in the worde of God for it geueth testimony that these miracles should be wrought and that they were wrought in theyr due time namely in the preaching of souÌ„d The Sacramentes are beleued doctrine The Sacramentes also are beleued but they are nothing ells but the visible words of God wherunto also is adioyned yâ— word of God which is heard as Augustine fayth The worde commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament Howbeit there is discretion and iudgmente to be had when we beleue the word of God that we picke not thereout any wicked or corrupt sentence there is also requisite good triall and examination to discerne miracles and in the sacrameÌ„ts Whether we must beleue with iudgementâ— or without iudgement â–ª is to be considered that they be orderly ministred that is as they were instituted of God And by sound iudgement we must remoue away and set aside the inuencions of men that we beleue not them as we would beleue the wordes of God And when Basilius or other of the fathers doo say that we must beleue with out examination or iudgemeÌ„t which semeth to be taken out of that which Paul sayth in this epistle that Abraham beleued neyther iudged he that word in greke Distinction of iudgement is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To answer to this doubt this is to be vnderstanded that iudgement is of two sortes â–ª The one is when we take counsell of the sences and humane reason and this is vtterly to be remoued from fayth for it alwayes resisteth the word of God The other is the iudgment of the spirite which is of necessity to be had And this is it which Paul sayd Proue all thinges and that which is good hold fast And vnto the Corrinthians Spiritual thinges are compared with spirituall thinges and by this iudgment it is necessary to conferre one place in the holy scriptures which is more obscure with an other whiche is more manifest The authority of the Church hath not dominion ouer faith as some wickedly thinke The office of it is to preach to admonishe to reproue to testifie The autority of the church hath not dominioÌ„ ouer fayth to lay the holy scriptures before mens eyes neyther requireth it to be beleued but so farre forth as it speaketh the wordes of God Paul before he here made mencion of the worde by which fayth is brought forth made mencion of them that preach the Gospell that is of the ministers which are sent of God in whoÌ„ he described the ministery of the Church namely that it consisteth in preaching of the Gospell Moreouer if fayth as it is here written come by hearing that is as it is added by
before that grace And in the 25. chapter We ought to preach and to beleue that by the sinne of the first man free will is so decayed and diminished that no man afterwarde can either loue God as he ought to do or beleue in God or for Gods sake to worke that which is good vnles the grace and mercy of God preuent him Wherfore iust Abell Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the saintes in the olde tyme are in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues sayd by faith to haue done those thinges which are in the holy scriptures mencioned to haue ben done by theÌ„ which faith we haue before taught to come of God And Paul writeth of himself I haue obtained mercy that I might be faithful But he saith not I haue obteyned mercy because I was before faithfull but contrariwise And in the self same chapter This also we plainly confesse and beleue that in euery good worke it is not we our selues that do first begin and afterward are holpen wyth the mercye of God but that he first inspireth in vs both fayth and the loue of hym and that without any of our merites goyng before Wherefore we must without all doubt beleue that both Zacheus and the thiefe and also Cornelius attayned not to beleue by nature but by the gift of the goodnes of God These thinges haue I alleaged out of the Synode of Arausicanum peraduenture more largely then may seme to be conuenient for this place but for this cause haue I the willinglier done it for that I saw that al those things which are there affirmed are confirmed by the holy scriptures and do excedingly muche serue for our purpose Such Councels vndoubtedly gentle Reader are to be harkened vnto which leane vnto the worde of God For whatsoeuer commoditie or discommoditie the church hath the same ought wholy to be ascribed vnto the obseruation or contempte of the worde of God For in the olde and auncient councels how were Arius Eunomius Nestorius Eutiches and other pestiferous heretikes onercome but by the worde of God For without doubt they could neuer by any other engines be ouercome and vanquished And contrariwise when began yâ— church to geue place vnto abuses supersticions but when the word of God was conteÌ„ned And now in our times vnles the word of God had bene sought for and called agayne in a maner out of exile how could we euer haue bene deliuered from the tiranny of the Pope Let these few thinges be a warning vnto vs not rashly to beleue euery councell but let vs receiue those councels only which haue soundly Tridentinum consilium coÌ„firmed the decrées of their doctrine by the scriptures But to make that which I say more manifest I will speake somewhat of the Councell of Trent that by the contrary the truth may yâ— better be vnderstand In that Councel the 5. SessioÌ„ from the 5. chap. vnto the 11. chap. is entreated of iustification There these good holy Fathers namely the hirelinges of the Pope do thus decrée That the beginning of iustification is of grace But what grace they there vnderstaÌ„d they straight way make plaine For thus they say It calleth and it stirreth vp they which are to be iustified are so holpeÌ„ by it that beyng called and stirred vp they geue assent vnto this grace and worke therwith and are made apt to regeneration but this assent and workyng together they affirme as the wordes declare to be done by frée will What more could Pelagius say if he were now on lyue For neither did he also deny grace if thou take it for an admonitioÌ„ calling and stirring vp He also attributed this vnto What is the worke of grace in â—â—stificatioÌ„ frée will that it had power to assent and to obey the commaundements of God But the grace which the holy scriptures set forth vnto vs renueth our vnderstaÌ„ding and will and in stead of a stony hart geueth vs a fleshy hart For it doth not only counsel our reason but also fully persuadeth it and boweth and changeth the will Our men of Trent graunt in dede that God toucheth the hart of man by yâ— illumination of the holy ghost but lest a man himself should do nothing they adde yâ— he receiueth the inspiration as he which may also refuse it Wherfore they fully coÌ„clude yâ— it pertaineth to man to receaue although they confesse that he can not do that vnles he be called and stirred vp by grace But how can the hart of man vnles it be renued by the spirite and grace of God receaue those thinges agaynst which by reason of his nature being yet corrupt and vitiate it resisteth Assuredly though it be neuer so much stirred vp taught and moued yet vnles it be vtterly chaunged it wil continually withst and and resist Wherfore Augustine It is not in our power that those thinges which are set forth vnto vs should please vs. ad Simplicianum writeth very well That it is not in our power that those thynges which are set forth vnto vs should be acceptable and pleasant vnto vs. But we chuse not that thing which is neither acceptable nor pleasant though we haue neuer so many admonishers to stirre vs vp As if there should be offered vnto a sicke man good healthfull meates and very pleasantly dressed yet because they are neither pleasant nor acceptable vnto him he refuseth them though there stand many by and say vnto him that those meates are wholesome and very well dressed The selfe same thing vndoubtedly happeneth vnto a minde not yet regenerate but that as touching the receiuing of the grace of God there can be done no violence vnto the minde but the sicke person may be compelled to take meates that are vnto him vnpleasaunt Wherfore so long as our will and vnderstanding is not changed by the spirite of God it will not admit any healthfull admonitions And euen as a sicke person before he be restored to health neither abideth nor gladly receiueth meates when they are offered him so also the minde of man vnlesse it be chaunged from infidelitie to faith from impietie to godlines as saith the Synode of Arausicanum it neither obeyeth nor geueth place vnto grace which calleth and stirreth it vp which thing yet the good Fathers A place of Zachary declared of Trent affirme But lest they should seme to speake without scriptures they bring forth two testimonies The one out of the first chap. of Zacharie Bee ye conuerted vnto me and I will be conuerted vnto you This say they hath a respecte vnto the man who is commaunded that euen in iustification he shoulde doo somewhat But Ieremy sayth Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted by which word is declared that vnto this conuersion is also required the helpe of God And by this meanes they deuide the whole matter betwene God and man But Augustine many other of the Fathers ascribe the whole acte of our iustification vnto God onely But as touching
vnto vs the choise of meats by this place any thing be holpen For Paul sayth it commeth of weakenes to estéeme one day aboue an other and commendeth them as men of more strength which count euery day all one and a like Touching which matter it shall not be amisse to cite the words of Theodoretus which wryteth thus vpon this place This custome sayth he abideth euen to this day in the Churche and this man embraceth abstinence but that man dothe without all manner scruple eate all kindes of meates â–ª and neither doth this man iudge that man nor that man this man but the lawe of concorde maketh them renowned and notable These wordes of Theodoretus and those which are vpon this place gathered out of Origen Ambrose and Chrisostome plainly declare that these differences of dayes as touching fastings and abstinences DiffereÌ„ces of dayes as touching fasting and abstinence were free Some abstained froÌ„ flesh on the fourthe day of the weke and some on the saterdai were in suche sorte vsed amongst Christians that yet notwithstanding they were frée Neither doubt I but that at the beginning Lent was of the same nature although afterwarde the yoke thereof was vrged at menues handes Out of Ambrose vpon this place this I note that in his time some abstained from fleshe the fourth day of the wéeke and some on the Saterday I thought it good gentle Reader to mencion these things that thou mightest know whereto some of the fathers wrested these wordes of Paul How be it the first interpretation touching the dayes of the Iewes is both more simple more agreable with Pauls purpose Let euery man be fully satisfyed in his minde The olde reading hath let euery man abound in his own sense which some hereto wrest as though we ought in those things which pertaine to religion to permit euery man to his owne sense This In maters of religion euery man must not follow his owne sense thing Chrysostome proueth not to be true For when we come to matters of fayth Paule pronounceth that he is accursed which teacheth any other Gospel yea although he were an Angell from heauen But this is true in things indifferent Why then doth not the Pope at this day suffer men to be frée as touching meats But the wordes of Paul haue not this sense In Gréeke it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is let euery man be in his minde fully persuaded and assured of that which he doth and defendeth to be true This thing ought euery man chiefly to sée vnto that when he either doth or defendeth any thing he be first of al assured and firme as touching it For a man shal sée some which dispute contend We must not dispute of matters of fayth for victori sake only for victory sake when as oftentimes in theyr mind they either staÌ„d in doubt or thinke otherwise Those doth Paul in this place reproue which either affirme or do any thing when in the meane time they stand in doubt thereof themselues It may here aptly be demaunded whether this sentence of Paule wherein he admonisheth How farre for the we must beare with the weake A distinctioÌ„ of the Cerâ—monies of the law â–ª as touching thre times to bear with the weak be vniuersally true Chrisostom sayth yâ— this sentence is so long to be followed as long as the fruit is not yet ripe For so loÌ„g must we beare with the weake least by rashnes they take hurt But we wil make a distinction of the ceremonies of the law this distinctioÌ„ al meÌ„ in a maner refer to thrée times One time was when yâ— law was in force then were all those ceremonies of necessity to be obserued of all yâ— Iewes An other time was when yâ— gospel was now spred abrode shined throughout the worlde and yâ— coÌ„mon welth of the Iewes and their temple was vtterly destroyed There was also a midle time wheÌ„ the coÌ„mon wealth of Israel after a sorte remayned still namely when Christ had now ascended into heauen and the Gospell was yet after a sorte in swadling clothes and the light had not fully burst forth out of these darkenes Then it was lawfull Let the godly beware that no maÌ„ abuse theyr lenitye towards the weake for a time to kepe still the ceremonies of Moses but yet so that no man should put in them the hope of his saluation And this moreouer was to be sene vnto that others should not guilefully abuse this indulgency which was for a tyme permitted towardes the weake to defend their supersticion by the example or lenitie of the godly Paul when he saw that there was some consideration to be had of the weake circumcised Timothie But afterward he would in no case circumcise Titus For he saw that if he shold haue so done christian liberty shold by his example haue bene oppressed Paul towardes the Romanes shewed himselfe very gentle remisse for that he thought it mete to beare with their infirmitie simplicitie For forasmuch as they were but newly come vnto Christ they could not straight way learne all thinges But contrariwise let vs sée how the same Apostle vsed himselfe towards those which now bitte vpon the bridle and of a certayne obstinacie resisted his doctrine Vnto the Col. the 2. chap. he saith Take hede that ye be not wonne away by philosophie and vayne deceite according to the tradition of men accordyng to the elementes of the world and not accordyng to Christ. And streight way Let no man therfore iudge you in meat or drinke or in parte of a feast day or of the newe Moone or of the Sabbothes And to the Galathians ye which are circumcised haue fallen away from grace Christ is nothing profitable vnto you And agayne ye obserue dayes and times and monthes yeares I feare me lest I haue labored in vayne amongst you This consideration also ought we at this day to obserue that whome we se When in this case we must deale either geÌ„tly or seuerâ—ly not yet sufficiently instructed we gently cheresh and quench not the smoking flax namely so long as there is hope of repentance and of a better mind But if they declare themselues to be hardened and to be of purpose sworne enemies of the truth there we must deale seuerely and constantly He that obserueth the day obserueth it to the Lord. There were two things in the weaker sort of which the one could by no meanes be allowed namely that they were ignorant of those thinges which they ought chiefely to haue knowen and were in a maner destitute of faith and of the knowledge of Christian liberty This thing Paul now omitteth as which made not much to yâ— preseÌ„t purpose The other was that they so feared God and obserued his law that they durst committ nothing which they thought was prohibited by the authority of God And for that What might be commeÌ„ded in those weker sorâ—
well to agree with that whiche is written in the Gospell Now I will not call you seruauntes but frendes Paul also semeth Iohn 15. Rom. 8. to be against it whiche sayde Ye haue not receaued agayne the spirite of seruitude in feare but the spirite of children whereby we cry Abba Father And contrarily we can not deny but that we are the seruauntes of God Christ hath payd the price for vs wherefore beyng redemed of hym we are hys seruauntes God hath created vs and it is the rule of the workes of euery artificer to serue There are two maner of seruitudes hym that made them Wherefore there must be had a distinction namely of the inward man and of the outward of the spirite and of the flesh As touchyng the outward man and workes of the body we are called seruauntes bycause we execute offices in seruing God and our neighbours as much as lieth in vs. Further In what part we are seruaūtes as concerning aduersities and the crosse which we dayly suffer we are punished of God no otherwise then seruauntes are striken and beaten not in ded◠alwayes for punishement sake as they are but for the most part to try our faith and that the fleshe and the lustes therof should be repressed and that repentaunce of our faultes and sinnes whiche cōtinually breake forth should be stirred vp Also the forme and humble behauiour whiche the faythfull vse hath a shew of a certayne seruitude After whiche maner Christ also to the Philippiās is sayd to haue taken vpon him the shape of a seruaunt But our spirite because In what part we are free it is not moued with the hope of reward chiefly or with the feare of punishmentes but frely and of hys owne accord executeth the commaundementes of God therefore we are sayd to haue the spirite of children Also bycause we are kyndled with loue and not compelled of necessitie we are frendes neither are we dishonored with a seruile condition Paul hath manifestly said when I was free from all men I was made the seruaunt of all men and in that maner to serue God is a thing of no smal weight For in the last chapter of the booke of Iosuah wee reade that that Captayne preached vnto the people of Israel Ye are Iosu 24. Augustine not able to serue God Of which place Augustine entreatyng in his questions whiche he made vpon that booke sayth If we will serue God accordyng to hys dignitie and maiesty and as the law requireth it is impossible for vs. Wherefore that people should haue aunswered the Prophet we will go about and endeuour our selues to performe that and when we fayle we will desire pardon and by prayers we will obteyne strength dayly to behaue our selues better But they with great stoutnes and much pride aūswered we will serue our God and will do all those thynges whiche thou hast spoken What could be more arrogantly spoken then this Yet experiēce taught that the Prophet spake the truth And for as much as it is a thing so hard vnto our fleshe hereof it commeth that commonly we finde that men are sayd so to serue God as Nabucadnezar in the 45. chap. of Ieremy is called the seruant of the Lord namely bycause he fulfilled How the wicked serue God hys will in ouerthrowyng of Ierusalem although he ment farre otherwise So many in dede do the will of God but not with that minde to serue hym but the godly onely haue a regard to that wherefore they may truly be called the seruauntes of God And Dauid to amplifie that sayde Because I am thy seruaunte Psal 116. and the sonne of thy handmayden For hee whiche is borne of a handmayden is not onely a sernaunt but also is borne a seruaunt for the child foloweth the condition of the mother But to serue is sometymes all on with that whiche otherwise To serue is religiously to worship ▪ we say to worshyp seruitude is a worshyppyng or Religion whiche is geuen vnto God The Hebrues call it Abad and Aboda neither displeaseth it me so to vnderstand Paul as if he had said I was once a persecutor but now I am a worshipper of Iesus Christ And in this phrase of speache is to be sene the Hebrue phrase wherby Abraham Moyses Dauid and Iob and many other are commēded for that chiefly bycause they were the seruauntes of God But that in other tongues is not counted an honor or praise but the Hebrues do after such maner commēd the most excellēt men Wherfore in Esay the 49. chap. it is sayd vnto the people of Israell that it is not a thyng of small wayght to be the seruaunt of the Lord. And vndoubtedly to acknowledge the true God and to worshyp him is the head and chief poynt of wisedome In that that he sayth he is the seruaunt of Iesus Christ that is of our saluation of our kyng and Priest it foloweth that they to whom he writeth should gladly and willyngly receaue heare hym He claymeth also vnto hym selfe an other title namely that he was called to be an Apostle For there are manye kyndes of seruices for some are Prophetes some Apostles some Euangelistes c. He declareth now presently by what kynde of seruice he pertained vnto Christ namely bycause he was his Apostle whiche degree is the chiefest in the Churche and he doth not arrogantly clayme the same vnto hym selfe as thoughe he hym selfe vsurped it For he affirmeth that he was called wherby he sheweth the great power and strength of the word of God by which God most mightely bryngeth to passe what soeuer pleaseth hym Neither to call is any thyng els as touchyng God then to bring to How God is sayd to call any thing passe or els to appoint any thyng Wherfore by creation it is sayd that he called those thynges whiche were not as if they had bene And the Prophetes write that he sometymes called pestilence famine and the sword that is he brought to passe that they should bee and raunge abroade among men They amonge vs are sayd to be of excedyng great power whiche bryng to passe great thyngs onely by their commaundement Therfore we attribute the same thyng vnto God bycause by hys worde and callyng he maketh to consiste what thynges so euer he will Apostles in the Greke are called sent yea and Christ also in the Epistle to the Hebrues is called an Apostle that is sent of the father and this his Christ hath communicated his Apostleship vnto his disciples dignitie he hath cōmunicated vnto his Disciples for he sayd As my father hath sent me so send I you And in that Paul sayth that he was called he sheweth that he was called when he thought nothing of it but was occupyed otherwise for he was persecutyng the Churche and was taken in the very crime it selfe and as the Grecians say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the very acte By which place
thynges of which there is no mention at all made in the holy Scriptures yea we know that very many thinges which they defend were receaued long after the Apostles tyme out of the decrees or Synodes of Byshops And if there be any whose originall is not certainly knowen yet doe not the holy Scriptures make any mention of them But here the Apostle doth for thys cause commend hys Gospel because it was before promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures All these thynges haue a wonderfull When the promise of the Gospell begâ—n emphasis For that which was so long tyme before promised of God can not be but excellent and wonderfull And thys promise beganne froÌ„ that which Adam inspyred with the holy ghost spake Thys is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my fleshe which the Apostle to the Ephesians taketh to be spoken of Christ Gen. 2. and of the Church and from that also which was sayd vnto Eue Thy seede shall Gen. 3. breake hys head in peeces Afterward it was extended with continuall oracles by the Patriarckes holy Prophets euen vnto the end Prophets are here taken for excellent men namely interpreters of the worde of God and by thys worde are signified all the writers of the Canonicall Scripture of what degree soeuer they were of And that which is added in the holy Scriptures pertayneth to this end to shew that they are not vayne oracles which he citeth for as much as they are extant in the holy Scriptures For they are sealed with publicke writings and ratified and firme by an instrument And in speakyng of these thynges he commendeth hym self which was the minister of so great a Gospell And by the selfe same meanes he calleth them backe both from ceremonyes and also from Philosophie vnto which thynges they were wonderfully bent It followeth VVhich was made of the seede of Dauid The incarnation of the Sonne Howe the sonne of God was made of God is here touched and in consideration of the person he is sayd to haue bene made although thys agreeth not with hym but as touching hys humanitie But it is sayd of the seede of Dauid because vnto Dauid was made a notable promise so that Messias was commonly called the sonne of Dauid as we read in the Gospell that the Scribes the Phariseis testified vnto whom Christ obiecteth How doth Dauid call hym hys Lorde By thys place are the wicked Math. 22. heretickes ouerthrowen which affirme that Christ had a body not of the nature and substaunce of the Virgin but brought from heauen They faine vnto them Christ had a true body and flesh of the Virgin Mary selues this argument Because our fleshe is subiecte vnto damnation the curse therfore it is not very likely say they that the sonne of God would take it vpon hym Which argument may easily be confuted For curse and damnation are accidences wherefore God was able easilye remoue them and yet keepe whole the nature and substaunce of man Wherefore he could no lesse geue vnto Christ a holy and cleane body of the Virgin then he could out of the vyle clay bring forth a noble and most cleane body vnto Adam And in that we heare that the sonne of God so abased hym selfe to take vpon hym humane fleshe it ought to be vnto vs no small spurre that nothing be offered vnto vs so hard which for Christes sake we will not suffer Many demaunde why Christ the sonne of God Why Christ tokâ— vpon hym humane fleshe tooke vpon hym humane fleshe And although many reasons might be brought yet will I bryng that which Ambrose hath rendred vpon this place namely that punishment myght be taken in that fleshe which sinned euen as men that are malefactours are there accustomed to suffer punishmentes where they haue coÌ„mitted Ambrose great wicked crimes VVhich was declared to be the Sonne of God Here I can not tell howe the Latine translation had Qui praedestinatus est that is which was predestinate By meanes whereof the interpreters had much adoe to declare it aptlye They myght in deede saye that Christ was to thys end predestinate to be the Mediatour and redemer of mankinde But the thynges which followe agree not therwith for the cause of thys predestination could not be eyther the resurrection from the dead or effusion of the holy ghost Therefore we must read it as the Greke bookes haue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as Chrysostome interpreteth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shewed declared and iudged The Apostle first entreateth of the veritie of the humane nature which is hereby shewed because he was made borne of the seede of Dauid Now he setteth forth the deuine nature For he sayth that Christ was by sure argumentes published declared and shewed to bee the sonne of God And although here is no mention of predestination yet is not the Latine translatioÌ„ new For Origene maketh Origene eiteth the Latine translatioÌ„ mention of it who yet followeth it not For he interpreteth it as it is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how he shoulde cite the Latine translation there are sondrye opinions Some attribute thys to hys diligent and painfull studye which had a care to search out all translations Neyther is it to be thought that he was ignoraunt of the Latine tongue for as much as he was called to Rome by Mammaea the mother of Alexander the Emperour Some thinke that these thynges were not written by the author but put in by the interpreter And there are some which thinke that that booke is none of Origenes among whom is Erasmus Hierome expounding the first chap. to the Ephesians playnlye sheweth Hierome that we shoulde here reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neyther addeth he the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And vndoubtedly thys worde is vsed when Magistrates elected are published and declared Therefore thys is the sense Christ which was man in very dede The signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The resurrections is the only signe of the deuine nature of Christ and of the seede of Dauid was declared appoynted and published to be the sonne of God by the reasons following In power according to the spirite of sanctification resurrection of the dead Thys kinde of speache being very darcke hath sondrye expositions Some thus expounde it as though it were one onely argument to proue the diuinitie of Christ namely hys resurrection which they say was done by power and by the holy ghost And to proue thys argument to be of great force they alleage that Christ gaue no other signe but the signe of Ionas the Prophete that also which hee sayd Lose thys Temple and on the thyrd daye I will rayse it vppe agayne Iohn 2. And it seemeth that some of the Apostles dyd therfore dispayre of the diuine nature because they saw the resurrection to be differred as Cleophas sayd vnto
the straunger vpoÌ„ the way We had well hoped that he should haue ryseÌ„ againe the third day Luke 24. An other opinion is which thinketh that it is one onely argument taken of the sendyng of the holy ghost For none but onely God can geue the holy ghost The sending also of the holy ghost is no small token of the deuine nature of Christ for by it we are made companions of the diuine nature and partakers of the minde of God And thus they frame the wordes that Christ was declared to be the sonne of God in power that is to say to be therby mighty because he sent vpon hys the spirite of sanctification and that from the resurrection of the dead that is after he was raysed vp from the helles For although before also he had geuen the spirit vnto such as beleued yet because it was not done so largely and so aboundaÌ„tly therefore as Iohn also testifieth the spirit was not yet geueÌ„ And Iohn 7. so this argument is taken of the effusion of the holy ghost which effusion although as touching miracles it be not at this day extant yet it so indureth that without it the Church can not consist For regeneration hath no place without the holy ghost I leue to speake of this that some take the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead as touching those which were raysed vp at the death resurrectioÌ„ of Christ wheÌ„ the graues were opened because this agréeth not well with those thinges which afterward shal be spoken But me thinketh that here are touched three principall argumentes wherby Christ is proued to be the sonne of God One is of the Three arguments of the deuinity of Christ miracles and that is signified by this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in power For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Paule signifieth the working of miracles An other argument is of the resurrection whereby he was raysed from the dead and liueth for euer and wherby we also shall ryse agayne with hym The third argument is of the sending of the holy ghost and these thrée thinges were done according to the order and course of tyme. For Christ whilest he liued wrought very many miracles after his death he was raysed agayne from the dead and after his resurrection sent the holy ghost By whom we haue receaued grace and Apostleship He had before sayd Paule called by Christ vnto the Apostleship what grace is What is the difference betweene the loue of God and the loue of meÌ„ that he was called but he added not by whom Here he expressedly sayth he receaued this of Christ Grace signifieth in the holy scripture cheifely that beâ—enolence fauor wherwith God loueth vs. Wherefore we are wont to call those gracious which are loued of many are also acceptable vnto many But this is the difference they whom we call gracious haue some thing in them whereby they allure men to loue them whether the same be beauty or vertue or any such like thing For men are not moued to loue a man who hath not in him some thing that is worthy to be loued But we can not so say of God because he before all thinges loueth vs and wheÌ„ he hath loued he geueth vnto vs his gyftes whereby he maketh vs both acceptable and worthy of loue And if we should affirme otherwise God should not be counted the author of all thinges For by that meanes we should put some thing to be in vs before we were loued of him which should allure him to loue vs and so of a creature we should make a creator The definition of grace in affirming that we haue something which depeÌ„deth not of God Wherefore grace signifieth the liberall fauour and good will of God which he fréely beareth vnto vs for Christes sake And this may be taken eyther generally so that it is afterward contracted by adding thys namely the office of an Apostle or els it signifieth in this place a gift and faculty fréely geueÌ„ vnto Paule which faculty is straytway expressed when he addeth And Apostleship to the obedience of fayth He addeth the ende whereunto The ende of the Apostleship the faculty of the Apostleship pertayneth namely to obey fayth And this may be done two maner of wayes either in receauing faith for it forasmuch as it is a firme assent which is geuen vnto the wordes of god may be called obedience as Paule wrote vnto the Corrinthyans that he had spirituall armors Obedience of sayth wherewith he would make captiue all vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the obedience of god Or els it may be vnderstand of a good life and holynes of maners which follow fayth whyles we expresse the might of our fayth by honest actions For his name We execute not the office of an Apostle for our owne gayne or glory but for the name that is for the glory and prayse of Christ Iesu in al nacions And in that he addeth in all nacions he sheweth that the office of the Apostles was not contract to certayne limites but that they should throughout the whole world preach the word committed vnto them and found Churches and bringe disciples vnto Christ In which ye also are the called of Iesus Christ Although ye be Lordes ouer all yet neuertheles ye are in the number of other nacions He calleth them the called of Christ because without calling they had not come vnto him Neyther Called is not here a participle but a now â—e vsed he the participle which hath the signification of tyme and that to the ende he would wish them constancye and stability in the purpose which they had taken in hand as though they had not a temporall calling but a firme constant And in that he so often vseth the name of calling he sufficiently declareth what maner of thing our conuersation is when we embrace Christ It is vndoubtedly voluntary and not compelled nor violent We are perswaded when we are with efficacy called by the inward word of God Here is the ende of the pareÌ„thesis which began at these words which he had before promised by his prophetes Now commeth the second part of the salutation of the epistle wherein are expressed the men whom he saluteth when he sayth Whome he seluteth The Church of Rome consisted of many nacions To all which are at Rome the beloued of God Sainctes by calling He saluteth all the Romaines because at Rome the church consisted not only of towne borne men but also of an innumerable company of straungers which were partlye Iewes and partly Grecians Therfore Paul maketh the salutacion common vnto theÌ„ all so the they beleue in Christ To the beloued of God he sayth which worde ought to admonish that beleuers to loue one an other for how can I not loue him whome I beleue is loued of God He rightly calleth them the beloued of God not those which loue God because it is he which loueth vs first And
he is God must be worshipped as he hath declared in the word of the scripture set forth vnto vs in the holy scriptures as a Lord and father they worship him obey him and study to aduaunce his honour as muche as they are able And agayne when they see hym declared as a iudge they set his iudgement seate before theyr eyes in all theyr actions lest they shoulde transgresse in any thinge and incurre the anger of theyr mighty iudge But they doe not so feare hym that they hate hym or that they woulde flye from hym yea and thoughe there were graunted them a place to flye vnto they woulde chose rather to embrace him punishing and chasteninge them And amonge these thinges whiche oughte to haue the principall place as touchinge this spirituall worshipping God is worshipped by obedience is obedience wherof we rede that it is better then sacrifices Neyther had God a regard in a manner to any other thinge in the whole lawe and rites of ceremonies than to haue men truly subiect and obedient vnto him But we forasmuche as we haue contracted a corrupte and viciate nature by the sinne of Adam are in nothyng more diligent and exquisite then to obtrude our own inneÌ„cions and fayned rytes for the worshipping of God and greater seueritye is vsed agaynst the transgressors of the Commaundements of men then there is agaynst those which publikely violate the Commaundementes of God A man shall euery where see blasphemers whoremongers adulterers and periured persons laughed at by the magistrates so farre are they of from punishynge them But agaynste hym whiche will vse the sacramentes of the Euchariste in both kinds they rage euen vnto the fyre And to be brief men are condemned to death for neglecting of humayne traditions but for violatinge of the lawe of God they are not so muche as once accused Wherefore God did not without a cause in Deut. commaund Moyses Onely the thynges whyche I haue commaunded shalte thou keepe neyther shalte thou adde nor diminyshe any thynge And we haue A remedye agaynst humane traditions no prâ—seÌ„ter remedy against this pestilence then dayly to be occupied in the holy scriptures and to gather out of them by what meanes God would declare him selfe vnto vs and to picke out such wayes whereby he hath chieflye commaunded vs to worship him in thus doyng we may wtout any great difficulty serue god in spirite And contrary to this spiritual worshiping is to serue god in flesh To serue God in flesh that is onely wyth fayned rytes and outward ceremonies laying away faith and inward piety This Antithesis or contrarye posicion Paul touched when he sayd vnto the Galathians Yee which began in the spirite beware ye end not in the flesh Those Galathians were rightly instructed but by the deceates of false Apostles they declined vnto the Iewishe ceremonies and outward rites which thyng was to fynish in the flesh that whych was with holynes and vpright 〈◊〉 begonne Vnto the Philippians also he sayth We are the circumcision whiche serue God in sprite hauing confidence in God and not in the flesh Then he manifestlye declareth What it is to trust in the flesh what it is to trust in the flesh saying Although I if any other may put confidence in flesh as whych am of the kindred of Israel of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew borne of the Hebrewes and of the secte of the Pharisies by feruentnes persecâ—tinge the church of Christe and as touchinge iustifications of the lawe I was conuersante without blame c. Thou seest nowe that carnall woorshippynge consisteth of all these thynges But spirituall worshippyng consisteth altogether of fayth and charity Paule addeth In the gospell of his sonne By which wordes he declareth that thys spirituall Nowe God is serued in the Gospell of hys son worshipping if it be expressed in outward workes consisteth principally in this the we should preach Christ that we should allure vnto him as much as lyeth in vs as many of our neyghbours as we can He hath alreadye declared what God he called to witnes now he goeth to the thyng which he woulde haue signifyed vnto the Romanes And that is that he contynually made mencion of them in his prayers Neyther can it hereby be gathered that Paule did alwayes so praye that he neglected other duetyes He preached he iorneyed be laboured with hys handes and fynallye he executed all such thinges as pertayned vnto hys office Wherefore we must not expound those thynges which are here spoken accordyng to the word but according to the sense and we must vnderstand them no otherwise theÌ„ that as often as the Apostle prayed he made mencion of them And the prayers of the Saincts are deuided into two kyndes Two kindes of prayer For there are certayn which are appoynted as wheÌ„ they are had in a publique congregation at appoynted and prescribed dayes the Lordes day I say and if there be any other oppoynted by the Church for publike prayers Farther it is the duety of a Christian man to haue euery day also appoynted haures wherin to pray vnto God and that three times in a day or fyue tymes or seuen times as hys busines wyll suffer him There is an other kynd of those prayers which are called vncertayne for we vse them so often as any present daunger vrgeth vs. But Paule sayth now that he alwayes maketh mencion of these men in his prayers and in some bookes is added this aduerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth euery where althoughe some exemplars haue put it out There were heretikes which were called Messaliani and of them Tripartita Historia maketh mention An heresye of the Messalianits or Euchites They attributed all things vnto prayers and that so much that they vtterly derogated both the word of God and also the sacraments affirming that al these things do nothing profyte but what commodity soeuer we haue the same coÌ„meth by prayers and they could not abyde to labour wyth theyr handes or to do any other thing If a man had vrged them to worke they would haue said that that nothing profyted for as much as we oughte to do nothinge but pray when as yet the Apostle expressedly admonisheth that he whiche laboureth not ought not also to eate He also wryteth that a man must not neglecte to haue a care ouer his owne especially his houshold which fault if any man commit he should be counted euen as an infidell But omitting this superstition we ought The children or God ought to pray often to attribute much vnto prayers forasmuohe as this is the nature of the children of God to geue themseltes oftentimes to prayers for that is to acknowledge the prouidence of God For whilest we beleue that a man can obtayne nothyng whych is not geuen him of God we are oftentimes prouoked to emplore hys ayde for such necessities as happen And whilest we pray we doo no lesse submitte
sede of the word of God doth not streight way bryng forth his fruite haue heard the word of the Lord do not at that tyme bryng forth fruit But after ward beyng both chastised by God and more â—ehemently stirred vp with fruite they repete with themselues those things which otherwise they hard without profite Which selfe thyng happeneth in the sacrament of Baptisme For a man shall fynde an infinite number which haue had it by them a long tyme wyth out any fruite But afterward beyng conuerted vnto God they do not onely much esteeme it Baptisme sometymes is had a long tyme without fruite Whether the papistes haue the promise of the holy ghost but also therby they profite much Here also the Papistes obiect an other doubt vnto vs. The promises of God say they are not made voyde as Paule sayeth thorough our sinnes and vnbeliefe Therfore seing we haue the promise of God that by the holy ghost he wil alwayes be present with vs to gouerne his church he fully performeth the same Wherfore ye do ill in departing froÌ„ our rules and our communion But these men are excedingly deceiued when as the promise of the holy ghost was made vnto the disciples of the Lord and not vnto them First let them proue that they are the disciples of Christ and then will we beleue theÌ„ They which are the disciples of Christ adde nothing vnto his wordes neither appoint any thing contrary to the holy scriptures which thing these meÌ„ vndoubtedly do They cry out that the holy ghost is geuen vnto the church We The church hath the holy gost but not the congregation of the aduersaries of the Gospell graunt that But what maner of church is that church A counsell of bishops or a sinode of mitred prelates The holy ghost hath alwayes bene in the church and hath inspired some good men to cry out against these men when as they or deined their decrees contrary to the worde of God In summe the Apostles meaning is that the performing of the promises of God dependeth not of our merites but of the goodnes of God And as it is manifest by the wordes of Dauid when he sayth Agaynst thee onely haue I sinned We when we praye vnto God We bryng nothing of our owne vnto God but sinnes doe bryng nothyng vnto hym but sinnes Therefore we desire hym to heare vs that he might be iustefied in his sayings Hypocrites wyll be heard for theyr merites good workes sake for they acknowledge not their sinnes But they which vnderstaÌ„d them do therby take great consolation because their trust is that they shal be heard eueÌ„ through the goodnes of God For forasmuch as they see that in themselues all thinges are full of vncleanes they woulde neuer presume to lifte vp eyther theyr eyes or prayers vnto God Farther let vs marke We must speake well of the giftes of God and inueigh against the abuses that the Apostle reuerenceth the gifts of God and onely inueigheth against theÌ„ which abuse them For he saw that it followeth not that if men beinge by God aduaunced vnto great honors and they in the meane time are ingrate towards him that therefore those honors should not be had in estimation The husbande men of the Lords vyneyard were vndoubtedly noughty men But theyr noughtines caused not that the ornamentes of the vineyarde whyche Christ and Esay make mencion of were not wonderfull excellent and profytable Now if our vnrighteousnes commendeth the righteousnes of God what shall we saye Is God vnrighteous whiche bringeth in wrath I speake as a man God forbid Els howe shall God iudge the world For if the verity of God hath more abounded throughe my lie vnto his glorye why am I yet condemned as a sinner And as we are blamed and as some affirme that we saye why do we not euell that good may come thereof whose damnation is iust Novv if our vnrighteousnes commendeth the rightousnes of God what shal vve say Here Paule turneth somewhat from his purpose but it is not a digression strange from the cause which is entreated of He before very much extolled the mercy of God and declared that the promises of God were not made of none effect through the vnbeliefe of menne yea rather that by our sinnes the goodnes of God is more illustrated Hereby he saw there mighte be obiected vnto him as the wisdome of the flesh is alwaies redy to speake ill of the words of God and to wrest them to a corrupt sence both that God is vniust which punisheth our sinnes when as by them he is made more illustrious and also that we without hauing any regarde oughte to committe synne seing God by our wicked actes is more iustefyed and so hath alway the victory and his cause is thereby made the better Commendeth sayth he which in the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth also to confyrme and to establish Which thinge very well agree with commendatioÌ„ Which forme of speaking the Apostle afterward vseth Paralâ—gismus accidentis when he fayth that God hath commended vnto vs his loue for that when we were yet sinners he gaue his owne sonne for vs. But in this kinde of obiection is committed a false argument taken of the accident For that it is not the office of sinnes properly and of themselues to illustrate the glory of God Which selfe thinge may also be sayd of that which is writteÌ„ in this selfe same epistle That of the fall of the Iewes followed the saluation of the Gentiles For we must not thinke that theyr fall was the true and proper cause of the saluation of the Gentiles For it came of the determination of God For God had appoynted that the preachinge of the Gospell beinge reiected of the Iewes shoulde be transferred vnto the Ethnickes And they whiche let loose the bridle vnto sinne vnder this pretence for that they would thereby make God to haue the victory iustefy him are muche like vnto them which hauing bene payned with a most greuous sicknes and then being restored to health by the Phisition haue made his arte more famous will agayne endeuour them selues to fall againe into the selfe same kinde of disease that thereby the Phisition maye be the more renowmed or if poore men beggers should determine that therfore they would eyther wante or begge thereby more and more to shew foorth the liberality of riche men That which of it selfe conduceth to the setting forth of the glory of God oughte not to be blame woorthy or filthy Vertues whiche are ioyned with true prayse do of themselues aduaunce the glory of God We ought not to meruayle that our doctrine is sometimes The doctrine of the Apostles was subiect vnto sclaunders oppressed with sclaunders when as we see that this selfe same thing happened vnto the Apostles They preached true things yet the vngodly through theyr sophisticall subtelties inferred of theyr woordes most pernicious
vnto the promises But now they which after this maner attribute more theÌ„ is mete vnto the sacrameÌ„ts may be called sacramentaries bicause they put to much affiaÌ„ce in theÌ„ The other thing which we said is repugaant vnto the nature of the sacraments is when we count them to be nothing but bare naked signes For by that meanes they shuld nothing differ from Tragicall and Comicall significations and from colours and garments Nether are they only signes of our actions but also of the promise and of the will of God and are sealinges therof And the holy ghost doth no les vse these signes to stirre vp our hartes then he vseth the woords of God which are in the holy scriptures And hereby also we may se that they likewise are agaynst the sacraments which will haue them to be sacrifices For the nature of a sacrifice is to be offred of vs vnto God but the nature of a sacrament is to be offred of God vnto vs. I confesse indeed that in the celebracion of the supper of the Lord are contayned thankesgeuing almes prayers and other such like things which may haue the consideration of a sacrifice But we deny that the very sacrament The sacrificing priestes offer not Christ vnto God the father The instrument wherby the thing of the sacramente is receaued is fayth of the Eucharist may properly be called a sacrifice And much les is that to bee borne with all which the sacrificing priests make theyr boast of that they offer vp vnto God the body of Christ Our lord hath offered vp himselfe nether hath he nede of any other to offer him vp Now that we haue well considered all these thinges we nede not manye woordes to expresse the instrument whereby the thing of the sacrament is receaued For Paul hath most manifestly declared it when he sayd that CircumcisioÌ„ is the seale of the righteousnes of fayth For it is faith wherby yâ— righteousnes which is signified in yâ— sacrament is receaued of vs for nether can our sense or reason therunto attayne And Augustine expouÌ„ding these woordes of Iohn Now ye are cleane bycause of my word sayth that in that the sacraments doo make vs cleane they haue it of the word of God For if thou take away sayth he from the element the word there will nothing remayne but water only The woord commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament For how commeth it sayth he that the water toucheth the body washeth the hart He answereth that the same commeth to passe thorough the force and power of the word not bycause it is spoken but bycause it is beleued By these thinges it is manifest that fayth is it whereby we receaue clensing and sanctification which thing also is written in the Actes of By the power of the word we aâ—e wâ—â—hed not because it is spoken but because it is beleued the Apostles By fayth purifiing theyr harts And Paul to the Ephesians sayth that Christ loued the Church and clensed it with the lauacre of water But there is added In the woord that is by the word which as Augustine sayth is vnderstand to be done bycause it is beleued and not bycause it is spoken For by the pronunciation of the woords are neither changed the natures of the signes nor the benefites of God geuen for so it mought seme an enchantment Fayth I say is the instrument wherby we receaue the woordes of God and let them downe into The benefites of God are not geuâ—n by the pronounciatioÌ„ of the woordes The sacrameÌ„ts must be administred as Christ hath instituted them our mindes But now touching the maner of administring the sacrameÌ„ts there ought none other maner to be brought in then that which Christ himselfe the author of the sacramentes hath commended vnto vs. For if the Iewes durst not deale otherwise in the ceremonies of the old law theÌ„ was prescribed theÌ„ of God much more ought we to obserue those ceremonies which christ hath prescribed vnto vs after the selfe same maner that he hath prescribed them Farther forasmuch as those signes came from the wil of God and of theyr own nature signifie nothing what is more reasonable then to referre all thinges vnto his wil which hath geuen them But his will can by no other wayes be knowen but by the holy scriptures And vndoubtedly no maÌ„ will presume to alter the letters patents of kings graunts much more ought the same thing to be takeÌ„ hede of in the sacramentes of God And the minister by whome these thinges ought to be exercised and distributed althoughe it be conuenient that he be godly and of an honest lyfe for such a one is to be maintayned and when he behaueth himselfe The wickednes of the minister corrupteth not the sacramentes A similitude otherwise and is knowen so to be he ought no longer to be suffred yet though he be wicked so long as he kepeth still that funcioÌ„ he can not vitiate the sacraments so that he doo those thinges which Christ hath commaunded to be done Augustine hath a very trime similitude of a pipe of stone through which water is brought into a garden For although the pipe be made nothing the more fertile by meanes of the running through of the water yet is the garden by it watred and made fruitfull The dignity of the sacramentes dependeth not of the minister but of the institution of God which thing the donatistes not vnderstanding raysed vp much tumults agaynst the Church That is true which is commonly sayd of liuing creatures that by a dried vp member the spirite of life can haue no passage into the other member For if the arme be dead and withered Solucion of the argument obiected vp the life and spirite can not come vnto the hand But in the Church there is no suche greate coniunction betwene menne For the power of the sacraments is to vs as the light of the Sonne which light although it bee dispersed through vile and filthy places yet is it not therfore contaminated or infected But the times of the sacramentes may be deuided into two partes For some were before the comming of Christ and some after And these differ the one froÌ„ the other by outward notes and signes Nether was that done rashly or without Of sacraments some were before the comming of Christe and some after The sacraments of the elders our sacramentes are aptly distinguished vp signes Two errors to be eschewed in the sacramentes A similitude An other similâ—â—ude How the signes of the elders are taken away and how they abide What are the thinges of the sacrament By the second comming of Christ shall our signes be taken a way Our sacrameÌ„ts more excellenter then the sacramentes of the elders The nature of the thinges signified is one and the same We and the Iewes in the old time haue one the same stocke and one and the same roote The diuersity of tyme distinguisheth them
of the elders promised a saulour but ours geue saluation But by these wordes Augustine mente onely to put a distinction betwene the maner wherby the sacraments of the elders signified Christ in one sort and ours in an other sort For they so represented Christ as which should one day come ours do so represent him as now already come For how could Augustine thinke that the sacramentes of the elders did by no meanes geue a sauior when as he most manifestly testifieth that the fathers in the Manna had the selfe same Christ which we now haue in the Eucharist And in his booke de nuptijs concupiscentia ad Valerium and other places he oftentimes confesseth that the Elders were by circumcision deliuered from originall sinne Bede also vpon Luke affirmeth the selfe same thing and saith that circumcision differed nothing from baptisme as touching remission of sinnes but onely that it opened not the gates of the kingdome of heauen For to the performance of that the death of Christ was looked for Touching this thing surely I will not much contend so that this be graunted y◠those fathers being dead in what place so euer they were were in the presence sight of God in happy state For they had without al doubt the fruicion of God neither is it to be thought that they could bée forsaken of hym in whom they beleued But that they were caried vp into heauen before Christ ascended vp I know the fathers do deny neither do I therein any thing contende against them But let vs returne vnto that that these fathers of their owne accords graunt namely that Circumcision toke away originall sinne How then can they An error of the master of the sentences say that Christ by circumcision was not geuen at all For what remission of sins could there be without Christ The maister of the sentences very absurdly thinketh that circumcision had the power of remitting of sinnes but not of conferring of grace as though forsooth remission of sinnes can be had without grace He fayneth also that the sacraments of the Gospell had their force of the death of Christ and The death of Christ was of efficacy euen before it was payde forasmuch as this death is now accomplished therefore are they of more efficacy more mightier then the sacraments of the elders as in whose time the price of the death of Christ was not yet paid But this their sentence wherby they appoint the force and merite of the passion of Christ to be but for a time cannot be but absurd For of what more force to saue is the death of Christe now that is already past then it was in the old time when it was looked for to come Vndoubtedly on eche side is required faith whereby assuredly we do no lesse comprehende thinges to come then we do things past But if we will say that GOD hathe a respect vnto the sacrifice of hys sonne offered vppon the crosse vndoubtedly this was from all eternitie and before the foundations of the worlde were layd ratified and most fully accepted of him Of Christ also it is written in the Apocalips That the lambe was slayne from the beginnyng of the worlde And where as they say that circumcisiō had the power to take away originall sin frō whence I pray you had it such so greate power but from the death of Christ Doubtles our baptisme so agreeth with circumcision that Augustine agaynst the letters of Petilianus in hys 2. booke and 72. chapter and in other places proueth that the sacramēt of baptisme ought not to repeted because circumcision in the olde tyme was not repeted if a man had receaued it of the Samaritanes and were afterward conuerted How the sacraments of the elders were weake and beggarly elements of the worlde Why there were more sacraments in the law then in the Gospell vnto the sincere religion of the Ierosolomites But amongst other thinges this semeth not a litle to haue moued our aduersaryes for that it is written vnto the Galathyans of the ceremonies of the elders that they were weake and beggerly elementes of the world But these wordes of Paule are to be vnderstand of those olde sacramentes whiche are now abrogated by Christ Or if this aunswere like not then vnderstand Paule so to speake of the sacramentes of the elders as he saw the Iewes at that tyme vsed them namely without Christ or hys promise But the first answere is both truer and playner for that place And if a mā demaund how it commeth to passe that the sacramentes of the elders were more in number then ours this question may easely be answered Namely that the church was then beginning neyther did they know so many thinges of Christ as are made open vnto vs after that he How they erre which speake softly to themselues the woordes of consecration is now come into the world and hath finished the sacrifice so long looked for Wherefore it was requisite that God shoulde at that tyme by many ceremonyes and images shadow one and the selfe same thynge but there is no neede now of such paynfull instruction For as we haue before sayd the signes of the sacramentes were therefore geuen to confirme the promises of God not as though those promises are not of themselues firm inough but that our minds being otherwise hard to beleue and wauering should by sēsible signes be strenthened Chrisostome in hys 60. homely vnto the people of Antioch If sayth he our nature had bene vtterly spirituall and without body spirituall thinges shoulde haue bene deliuered vs without corporall signes Hereby it is manifest how absurdely they order the matter which set forth the visible signes of the sacramentes to be sene of all men but the promise which should be confirmed by those signes and ought to cleaue vnto our mynds they both pronounce in a strange tonge and secretly mumble vp that it should not be heard of others But that the sacramentes Explicatiō of certaine of the sacramentes of the elders of the lawe which were so many in number were seales of the promises of God may by induction be easely known The tabernacle and Arke of the Lord sealed the promise that God would dwell in that people that he would be in the middest of them The conseccation of the priest and the ornamentes of the garmentes shadowed Christ the only priest and the same perpetuall and eternall as the author of the epistle to the Hebrues proueth And of this selfe same promise Dauid most playnly maketh mencion when vnder the person of Christ he sayth Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech The sacrifices also signified the oblation of Christ vpon the crosse But here some man will paraduenture say Ergo the sacrifices were sacramentes How then do we say that there is great difference betwene the nature of a sacrament and the nature of a sacrifice So indeede we sayd before and now agayne
contayned Only the signes are changed Wherfore If circumcision was geuen vnto infantes baptisme cā not be denied them hereby we may conclude that euen as in times past Circumcision was geuen vnto infants so also Baptisme can not now he denied vnto them For if they haue the thing what reason is it why they should not haue also the signe And that we should not doubt whether Circumcision and Baptisme are a like and haue one and the self same nature Paul most manifestly declareth it vnto the Colossians in which place he calleth Baptisme the circumcisiō of Christ And they which affirme that the infantes of the Hebrues oughte to haue bene circumcised but ours should not be baptised do make God more fauorable vnto the Iewes then vnto Christians Some demaund that seing we are ignorant whether infantes God is not more fauorable vnto the Iewes then vnto Christians Seing we are vncertayne of the thing why is the sealing added haue the thing of the sacrament or no why we geue them the signe and seale y◠which is vncertaine vnto vs Vnto whom we answere that this questiō is not moued agaynst vs but agaynst the word of God For he expressedly commaunded and willed that children shoulde be circumcised Father let them aunswere vs why they admitte them that be of full age vnto Baptisme and vnto the Communion when as they are not sure howe theyr harte is affected For they whiche are baptised or doo communicate maye dissemble and deceaue the Churche They aunswere that it is inoughe that they make theyr profession If they lye what is that to vs say they let them looke to that So say we of infantes that it sufficeth vs that they are offred vnto the Church ether of the parents or of them in whose power they are And if with the action of the sacrament be ioyned election and predestination that which we doo is ratefied but if not then is it voyde For our saluation dependeth of the election and mercy of God But as touching election for as much as it is hidden from What tokens of the election of God we follow in geuing of the sacraments When infantes are baptised the Church is enstructed vs we iudge nothing We follow only those signes and tokens of it which wee may attayne vnto as are these that the children being infantes are offred vnto the Church to be baptised and that when they come to age they by words confesse that they beleue in Christ which tokens although they be not so certayne that they can not fayle yet vnto vs they are sufficient for the ministration of the sacraments Nether as I thinke is this to be omitted that when infants are baptised although they haue not the vnderstāding of the signification to moue thē yet notwithstanding doth it moue and instruct the Church which is present but the infantes obtayne the benefits at Gods hand who secretly worketh in them by the holy ghost But the signification of the sacrament they shall whē by age they may afterward perceaue and vnderstand Nether let vs much be moued with the difference of the signes of Circumcision I say and of Baptisme for in the sacraments this part is of least wayght for they may be changed as experience hath now thought And without them God can geue the more excellēt part For nether is his power and mercy bound vnto the sacraments Wherfore The mercy and grace of God is not bound vnto the sacramentes The thinge is more to be considered then the signes when we vse the sacraments we ought to applye our minde rather vnto the more excellenter and better part Wherfore the Lord in Ieremy the 4. chapter after this maner reproueth the Iewes Circumcise the foreskinnes of your hart lest my fury be kindled and there be no man to quenche it But they which contemning fayth and the thing signified cleaue wholy vnto the signes seme to deale euen altogether as they doo which in kings letters patents with great diligēce kepe the seales but the letters themselues and the giftes they ether rent or care not for Now are there two thinges remayning to be discussed The one is why circumcision Why circumcision was marked in the member of generation was commaunded to be marked in the member of generation the second why it was commaunded to be done the eight day Out of Augustine in diuers places we gather that therefore God woulde haue it so to put vs in mynde that originall sinne is by generation traduced from the parentes into vs and that euen as the foreskin being cut of in the parent doth notwithstanding returne agayne in the childe which is begotten so originall sinne being remitted vnto y◠parēts buddeth vp agayn in y◠children which are brought forth We are thereby also admonished whiche thing we haue before oftentymes mencioned that the league of God pertayneth not only vnto vs but also vnto our children whom we beget Fynally by that signe was chiefely signified that Christ shoulde spring of the seede of Abraham Nether ought we here to follow our owne sence or humane reason to thinke that to be a thing ridiculous or of small force which God himselfe hath instituted For otherwise the crosse of Christ and the Gospel are an offence vnto the Iewes foolishnes vnto the Gentiles Neyther ought we to iudge of thinges deuine according to that which is shewed outwardly Otherwise Iulianus and Celsus made a laughing matter that the apple was forbidde our first parentes And Naaman the Sirian thought Things deuine are not to be iudged by the outward apperance it a thing ridiculous that he should be seuen tymes washed in the riuer of Iordane Nether doubt I but that there were some which derided Moses when he did cast the wood into the bitter waters to heale their bitternes In our dayes also very many meruayle how it commeth to passe that the stealth of one halpeny bringeth eternall destruction But these men ought to remember that these thinges are not to be considered by their owne force but vnto them must be added also the wayght of the word of God which vndoubtedly is of so great wayght that it waygheth heauier then the whole world Neyther is there any thing so vile and abiect but that when the word of God is added thereunto it is made notable and excellent Indeede kinges and princes of this world haue a The word of God is of most great waight The seales of God consist not of thinges of goodly shew care to haue goodly and honorable seales But as touching the promises and gifts which are by them sealed they oftentymes deceaue men But God when he vseth euen the most abiect signes neuer deceaueth any man Now will I speake a word or two of the consideratiō of y◠eight day The Hebrues affirme that such is the dignity of the seuenth day that of it all thinges obtaine I know not what force and strength Wherefore they thinke that
that we shall be the heires of God and the fellow heires of Christ for that he is the first begotten amongst many brethern Christ himselfe also sayth Euen as the liuing father sent me so send I you and dispose vnto you the kingdome as the father hath disposed it vnto me Where I am I will that there also be my minister Agayne in an other place to the ende he woulde declare that we are not excluded froÌ„ this inheritance he sayth blessed are the meke for they shall possesse the earth And Paule sayth All thinges are youres and you long to Christ and Christ to God Yea also the Angels serue the elect He hath geuen charge fayth he to his Angels concerning thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Farther by Christ is restored whatsoeuer was lost in Adam Man when he was created was made vnto the image of God which sentence the scripture strayght way interpreteth to be ruler ouer all thinges created And if Christ haue restored this Image then also hath he rendred agayne the principality that was lost and so hath rendred it that the same is sayd by right to be restored vnto vs by right I say of inheritance Nether ought we to despaire of this promise although the outward shew of things appeare now farre otherwise They which pertayne vnto Christ are very weake And the deuil stirreth vp against them the Princes of this world and tyrantes Wherefore we seeme to be most nedy of all thinges and to be most abiect The abiect outward appearaunce nothing depriueth vs of our dominion when yet in very dede we are Lordes of all thinges These thinges are hidden from the eyes of the fleshe but then shall they appeare when Christ himselfe in whome our life is hidden shall appeare Which is not spoken as though Christ doth not now raygne Vnto many paraduenture he semeth to be idle but the godly feele that he raigneth most mightely in the congregation of the elect which is the churche And he raigneth by the spirite the word that is by faith which coÌ„meth from the spirite and depeÌ„deth of the word of God Which The godly feele Christ euen now also to râ—igne Christ raigneth by the word and the spirite that is by fayth faith when the elect haue obtained they haue obtained the victorye against the world For Iohn saith This is the victory which ouer commeth the world your faith And forasmuch as the faithfull vnderstand that all thinges are theirs they are content with meate and drinke and apparell as for other thinges they vse of them so much as is expedient vnto their vocation Finallye there is nothing in the world which turneth not to their profite The Chiliassis whom in Latin we may cal Millenarij thought that this inheritaunce of the whole world shal be declared before the end of this world when Christ as they thought shall raygne a thousand yeares in this world with his saintes hauing destroyed and ouercome all the wicked And these men it should seme followed the oracle which is sayde to come from Elias That the worlde should endure 6000. yeares And these An oracle of Elias yeares they thus describe saying that 2000. yeares passed away before the law 2000. vnder the law and as many shall be vnder the Gospell Afterward they adde a thousand yeares in which they say shall be the chiefe rest so that the thousand last yeares they call the Sabaoth And so they appoint a weke in which euery particular day is taken for a thousand yeares according to that which is said a thousand yeares are wyth the Lord as one day againe one day as a thousand yeres Augustine maketh mencion of this opinion in his 20. booke and. 7. chapter de ciuitate Dei and saith that it was after a sorte tollerable that he himselfe was once of the same minde But that which they added concerning pleasures delightes and worldly honors which they sayd all the faythfull should for the space of those thousand yeares enioy together with Christ he earnestly reproueth They vsurped certaine testimonies of the scriptures wherby they thought to establish their fond inuention For in the Apocalips the. 27. chapter it is written that Christ shall raigne a thousand yeares with the saintes hauing in the meane time ouercome and vanquished Sathan They leane also vnto a saying of Christ in Luke the. 22. chapter That ye may eate and drinke vpon my table I wyll so dispose the kingdome vnto you as my father hath disposed it vnto me Finallye the oracles of the Prophetes which by temporall descriptions shadowed the kingdome of Christ they so take as though they were no otherwise to bee vnderstande then they seeme for at the first sight And they in suche sorte speake of this matter as though in the last time shall be restored the golden worlde which is described Great men were Mtilenarii of the Poetes There were of this opinion men not of the meanest sort as Papias which liued in the Apostles tyme Ireneus Apollinarius Tertullian Victorinus Lactantius and Methodius the Martir Wherfore Hierom in his 4. booke vpon Ieremy writeth that he durst not condemn that sentence because many ecclesiasticall men and Martyrs had died beyng of that opinion Howbeit in an other place he manifestly derideth these Millenarij and very pleasauntly mocketh them Eusebius Cesariensis The opinion of the Chiliasts sprang from Cherinthus in the third booke of his history saith that this opinion had his beginning of Cherinthus the heretike of whom Dionisius bishop of Alexandria expounding the Apoe of Iohn thus writeth that he was altogether geuen to lustes and vnto the bellye and therfore attributed these carnall delightes vnto the kingdom of Christ which should continue a thousand yeares Neither contendeth he onely that there should be matrimonies and procreations of children all that whole time but also that there should be circumcision sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law But sithen we sée that Ireneus is agaynst Cherinthus we cannot easely thinke that he was wholy of the selfe same opinion touching this fable And doubtles it is possible that amongest these Millenarij some were touching one and the same thing of an opinion and other some of an other opinioÌ„ For it is very likely that by reason of that place of the Apocalips some holy men were brought into this opinion to thinke yâ— Christ should In the kingdome of Christ the law shall not be renued in this world raigne with his a thousand yeares but touching the restoring of the law the réedifieng of Ierusalem with precious stones the bringing in agayne of delightes and pleasures of this world they were vtterly against it For how is it possible that the law which hath brought no man to perfection shall be theÌ„ of greatest force when the state of the godly shall be most perfect Doubtles men that are of full age haue no neede of a scholemaister and they which haue profited
chapter sayth that by it the image of God is alienated from the life of man by reason of the blindnes of the harte whiche blindnes he sayth is sinne neither is it very agreable with the nature of man Blindnes of the hart is sinne The same Augustine in his 1. booke of the merites and remission of sinnes the 30. chapter where he bringeth these wordes of Dauid Remember not the sinnes of my youth and my ignorances maketh mencion of most thicke darkenes of ignorance which is in the hartes of infantes being yet in their mothers wombe who know not why from whence and when they were thrust in there For the Blindnes and ignorance are not agreable with the nature of man infant lyeth in the mothers belly vnlearned vndocible not able to vnderstand the commaundement being ignorant where he is what he is of whome he was created and of whome he was begotten All which thinges were far from the nature of man as it was first created and are rather vices of nature For Adam was not so created but he was both able to vnderstand the commaundement of God and could also geue names vnto his wife and to all other liuing creatures But in infantes we must wayte a long tyme that they may by little and little as it were disgest this dissines Farther that this ignorance is to be counted sinne Reticius the most auncient byshop of Auston is a witnes as Augustine testifieth of him in his first booke agaynst Iulianus For when he speaketh of baptisme thus he writeth That it is the principall indulgence in the Reticius bishop of Auston in Fraunce Church wherein we put away all the waight of the olde crime and we blot out the olde wicked actes of our ignorance and put of the olde man with his naturall wicked actes By these wordes we sée that wicked actes are naturall in vs and that the sinnes of ignorance are blotted out in baptisme Wherefore forasmuch as infants are baptised it is manifest by the authority of this father that they haue sinnes and that their olde ignorance is blotted out in baptisme Now concerning the The wil is also corrupt will let vs see whether it also be corrupt or no. The Apostle beareth manifest witnes of it that the sence and wisedome of the fleshe is enmity agaynst God And vnder this sentēce he comprehēdeth all the affectiōs of men which are not yet regenerate But I meruayle at the impudency of Pigghius who because he would by some meanes vnwrap himselfe sayth that this place is to be vnderstand of the sence of the letter which he contendeth is agaynst God nether can it be subdued vnto him For both the wordes that go before and the wordes that follow are manifestly agaynst hym For Paul straight way addeth the difference betweene men which are in the fleshe and them which are in the spirite Wherfore it playnely appeareth that he entreateth not of the diuersity of the sence of the scripture but of the variety of men The wordes that go next before that sentence are that which was impossible vnto the lawe in as much as it was weake by reason of the fleshe God sending his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe by sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. These wordes also testify that Paul speaketh of vs and not of the spirite or letter of the scriptures For in vs is that weakenes whereby the lawe was weakened that it coulde not bringe vs to saluation and by Christ the righteousnes of the lawe beginneth to be fulfilled in vs. Neither ought we to harken vnto The scripture by flesh vnderstandeth not the grosser part of the mind them which both in this place and also in many other will that by fleshe we should vnderstand only the grosser part of the mynde For Paul when to the Galathians he rehearseth the workes of the flesh doth not only number amongst them adulteryes fornications wantonnes and other such lyke but also idolatry whiche no man can deny but that it pertayneth vnto the mynde and not vnto the fleshe And Christ when he sayth That whiche is borne of fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite exhorteth vs to regeneration whiche vndoubtedly pertayneth not only to the substance of the bodye or grosser partes of the mynde but also chiefely vnto the will and mynde And when he sayde vnto Peter Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for flesh and bloud hath not reueled these thynges vnto thee he signified that he had not lerned those thinges of naturall knowledge but of the spirite of God For vnder the name of flesh he comprehendeth those things which pertaine vnto the mynde and reasō Neither yet do we say as Pigghius fondly cauilleth that in the chiefest part of the minde is nothing but flesh For we know though Pigghius had not told vs Why the soule is called flesh in the scriptures that the soule is a spirite which yet before regeneration is in the scriptures called flesh bicause when as it ought to make the flesh that is his grosser partes spirituall and to bring it to the obedience of a minde instructed by the worde of God it rather declineth vnto the pleasures therof and so is made carnall But they obiecte vnto vs that which is written to the Galathians The flesh lusteth against the spirite and the spirite agaynste the fleshe as though this could not be possible if we leue nothing vncorrupted in the mindes of men But vnto this obiection we thus easely aunswer First that Paul speaketh those wordes of the beleuers which are alredy regenerate which thing those wordes which followe do sufficiently declare That ye should do not those thinges which ye would by which wordes he declareth y◠they had obteined a right will of the spirite of Christ which yet they were not able to performe by reason of the daily conflictes of the minde and their great infirmitie Wherfore the Apostle in that place ment nothing els then that whatsoeuer is in vs which is not perfectly regenerate altogether rebelleth against the spirite of God Farther also we deny not but that sometimes there is some such battaile in In the mindes of those that are not regenerate there are yet lawes of nature and some illustration of the spirit of God men which are not yet regenerate not bicause their minde is not carnall prone to vices but because in it remaine still grauen the lawes of nature and bicause in it is some illustration of the spirite of God although it be not such an illustration which can either iustifie or worke an healthful alteracion Farther that reason is corrupted in vs Pauls wordes sufficiently declare wherein he admonisheth vs to put on the new man which he saith ought continually to be renewed in vs. Now forasmuch as he will haue a man to be so vtterly chaunged and a man consisteth not onely
the merites of the parentes For they can not by procreation of the body poure grace into the children forasmuch as it is a thing altogether spirituall nether hath it any naturall fellowship with the fleshe Wherefore forasmuch as goodnes holynes are the mere and pure giftes of God God doth in dede promise that he will doo good vnto the posterity of godly men euen to a thousand generations But that is not to be vnderstand as though there were put any merit in the parentes God was of his mercy moued to make this promise and not by the merites of men And to declare his libertye herein he suffereth it sometimes to happen otherwise and by that meanes teacheth that holy parentes are not so holy but that they haue still much wickednes and corruption in them which they may se to be naturally grafted in theyr children Whereby we may manifestly se the corruption of our nature which also followeth the sayntes euen to the death And for the more establishing also of thys sentence some bring out of the Psalme a curse of the Churche agaynst the children of the vngodlye That they shoulde be orphanes that no man shoulde haue compassion on them that they shoulde begge theyr liuinge If the children of the vngodly be innocents then is this no iust prayer Wherfore it semeth by these words of necessity to follow that they are partakers of the wyckednes of their parentes And bicause they are infantes it can by no other meanes be done but by propagation I know there are some which will haue these wordes of Dauid to be prophesies of thinges to come wherin the holy ghost hath foretold that these misfortunes shall come vnto them But graunt that they be prophesies Yet can it not be denied but that there is in them both the forme the affect of a prayer But a prayer Whether the latter mē be more miserable then the first ought to be iust for otherwise it should be no prayer But where as they say that that is most absurd which followeth of this doctrine namely that the last men also should be more miserable then all others bicause they should beare the synnes both of Adam also of all their elders it may be answered two maner of wayes For first not all thinges which seme absurd vnto vs are also absurd before God The things that are absurde vnto vs are not absurd before God For not to depart from this selfe same matter Christ threatneth the Iewes that all the murther of the godly from Abell euen to Zacharias the sonne of Barachias should come vpon them And who séeth not that the estate of the children of Israel which were led away into captiuity was much more miserable then very many generations of their elders which had defiled themselues with the selfe same sins Farther we aunswer that that should in dede be absurd if the sinnes of the elders should continually passe into the children But seyng we haue declared that that is not alwayes so but that the prouidence of God hath appointed an end and measure To the reasons of the scholemen Affections of the mind◠are communicated frō the parents vnto the children vnto this euil and hath therfore determinately pronounced onely of the third and fourth generation there is no cause why it should seme absurd vnto any man But the reasons of the scholemen wherwith they withstand this propagation are very weake First they alledge that the qualities of the minde are not communicated from the parentes vnto the children which thing euen experience teacheth to be false For we sée oftentymes that of angry persons are borne angry children and of sad parentes sad children Neither doth this similitude serue thē to any purpose when they say that of a Grammarian is not borne a Grammarian nor of a Musician a Musician For these are artes which are gotten by precepts and exercise not affections which are naturally grafted in men And yet by experiēce we sée that it somtymes commeth to passe y◠in what arte the father chiefly excelleth he hath children very prone vnto the same whither if be husbandry or the arte of war fare or els some liberall science Farther we in this place principally speake of those affections which are the groundes and beginninges of actions In the other Sinne defileth both soule and body argument they say that sinne in the parentes doth vitiate only the soule which is not true For as we haue before taught their body is also defiled And therfore it is no meruaile if fathers do communicate such a body vnto their children Wherfore as touching this matter I gladly agrée with Augustine that it is probable and agreable with the scriptures and this sentence Martin Bucer a man no lesse lerned then holy hath allowed that priuate sinnes are deriued from the parents vnto the children But we must note that that commeth by chaunce and is not of necessitie For God sometimes stayeth the sinnes of the parentes and of his goodnes suffreth not the nature of men vtterly to be destroyed But when he will either represse this traductiō of sins or els suffer it to take place he himself only knoweth Howbeit vnto vs it is sufficient to consider these two things First the sinne is poured from the parentes into the children Secondly that the same is by the benefite of God sometimes prohibited which yet can by no meanes be spoken of Originall sin For we al are borne infected with it Now let vs returne vnto the words of the Apostle which we haue so long tyme intermitted Moreouer the lawe entred in by the way that sinne shoulde abounde But where sinne abounded there grace abounded muche more That euen as sinne hath raigned in death so might grace also raigne by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ Moreouer the law entred in by the way that sinne should abounde But The Methode of Paule where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more We muste call to memory that the Apostle began to reherse the effectes of iustification namely that by it we haue peace with God and that we do reioyce not onely bicause of the hope of that glorye but also we reioyce in tribulations bicause we are assured of oure saluation For the confirmation of whiche hope he hathe declared that GOD hathe geuen his sonne vnto the deathe and that when we were yet sinners enemies vngodly And that it should not be obscure by what meanes the righteousnes of Christ could saue vs he sheweth by a comparison that euen as by the sinne of Adam all men haue perished so by Christ all men haue reuiued And in this comparison he teacheth that the effect of sinne is death And that men are deliuered from it only by Christ Now bycause a man might aske whether the law hath any thing profited to the attayntment of that saluation he answereth by preuention that it rather augmented the disease so farre was it of
forgeueth vs our sinnes geueth the holy ghost an vpright life and eternall felicity By this definition is séene not onely what we call grace but also by whom we haue it and which are the principall effects thereof Now must we sée after what maner God By what meanes God worketh in vs his good thinges Why the outward ministery is needefull in the church worketh in vs so excellent good thinges First he offreth the promises of these thinges then by his inspiration he openeth the harte that they may be receaued which if he did not those good things should neuer take place in vs for the hart of man is stubborne and repugnant to spirituall things and therefore in the Church the minstery is alwayes néedefull For the duety of the pastors is to set forth the promises of God vnto the people and not to vrge them in wordes onely but also to seale thē with sacraments which are certaine visible wordes And in especially it belōgeth vnto them to remoue away two impediments which do most of al draw men away from the promises of God For on the one side men think that The ministers ought in teachyng to haue regard to two thinges they can not attaine vnto the promises of God bicause they are vnworthy of thē Here must the faithfull minister diligently resist and teach that these thinges are fréely geuen of God not by workes or any dignity of such as receiue thē On the other part some vse to doubt whether they by the electiō of God are excluded frō these promises As touching this point they must teach y◠the faithful ought generally to receiue the promises of God as they are deliuered vs by the holy ghost in the holy scriptures neither ought they to be carefull concerning the secret will of God For without doubt God would haue reueled and shewed who they be that be elect or who be reprobate if he had known that it should haue bene profitable to saluatiō Wherfore seing the scriptures exclude no man perticulerly from the promises euery man ought so to receue thē as if they peculiarly pertained vnto himself And vndoubtedly together with faith shall be geuen vnto them that beleue through y◠persuasion of the holy ghost that they shall not doubt but that they do in very déede belong vnto the elect After this maner the ministery of the church serueth God and worketh together with him towards our saluation not that the goodnes and power of God can not without it both offer his promises vnto vs and also inclyne our mindes to receiue them For neither is the grace of God of necessity bound either to the ministery or to the sacraments or to y◠outward worde But we speake The grate of God is not bound to outward thinges now of the accustomed maner wherby God bringeth men to saluation But whē we haue once receiued the promises of God we which before were dead vnto sinne begin streight way to reuiue and so being restored vnto lyfe in some part we obey the law of God not in dede with a perfect obedience but with an obedience begon Farther against our enemies the flesh and Sathan we haue the present helpe of God and a wonderful consolation in afflictions and the powers and faculties both of the soule and also of the body are renued And to speake briefly the grace of God God doth not onely offer the promises but also boweth the hart to embrase them What manner of grace the Pelagians graunted which we haue described is the spring of all good thinges But yet we haue affirmed one thing which is not yet confirmed by the scriptures namely y◠God doth not onely offer the promises which we haue now spoken of of his mere grace and beneuolence but also with his spirit boweth the harte to receiue them The first part the Pelagians also admitted namely that there is required the grace of doctrine and illustration But the other part they thought consisted in frée will ether to receiue or to refuse the promises offred But the scripture teacheth farre otherwise For Ezechiell in the 11. chap. sayth That God woulde geue vnto hys faythfull a new hart a new spirite would take away frō thē their stony harte and geue them a fleshy hart These wordes most manifestly teach that there must be a chaunge The meaninge of the fathers made in our hartes Wherfore when we reade either in Augustine or in other fathers that grace commeth first whom our will followeth as an handmayden we may not so vnderstand it as though our will followeth of his owne strengthes beyng It is not sufficient that the will be stirred vp vnlesse it be moued also only stirred vp and admonished by grace for vnles it were changed it would neuer follow This therfore is required first that the will be chaunged and then that it obey We must warely also geue eare vnto Chrisostome who in his sermon of the inuention of the crosse saith That neither the grace of God can doe any thyng without our wyll nor our wyll without grace For vniuersally it is not true that grace can doo nothyng without our will vnles thou vnderstande will to be that about which grace worketh But that grace should tary for the consent of the will it is not true For grace changeth y◠wil before it can geue any consent Dauid therfore Grace ought not to tary for our consent prayeth Create in me a cleane hart O God ▪ Salomon also Incline O Lord the harte of thys people to execute thy commaundementes And agayne Dauid Incline myne harte to thy testimonies The Pelagians taughte that the beginnyng of good workes is of oure selues namelye of frée wyll And that grace dothe helpe them The opinion of the Pelagians easlier and more readely to accomplishe them But the latter Diuines or Sophisters least they shoulde seeme vtterlye to agrée with Pelagius haue thus defined The opiniō of the Scholemē grace that grace in déede commeth first but it is in vs either to receaue it or to refuse it but this is as vntrue as that sentence of Pelagius for from hence haue we power to receaue this grace If this were true then saluation should be of our selues But Paul sayth what hast thou which thou hast not receaued But if thou hast receaued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it And against these men Augustine citeth these wordes of Paul which we shall afterward reade It is not of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath compassion If these mens opinion saith he were not true the Apostle mought in like maner haue sayde It is not of God that hath compassion but of hym that wylleth and runneth For as these men teach this matter semeth to be deuided so that one part is geuen vnto God and the other part is leaft vnto our selues And by that meanes the grace of God is not sufficient
commeth that Baptisme also ought to be geuen onelye once Which thing is also therfore done bicause the holy ghost wil haue vs fully perswaded that after Baptisme we ought no more to returne to our old life as though an other regeneration might be permitted vnto vs. For if any man should so think he should as it is written in the epistle vnto the Hebrues treade vnder feete the bloud of the sonne of God Paul therfore vnto the Ephesians sayth One spirit one fayth one baptisme And that it consisteth of the lauacre of water and of the word we are taught out of the epistle vnto the Ephe. by these wordes Euen as Christe also loued the church and gaue himselfe for it that he myght sanctifie it beyng made cleane by the lauacre of water through the worde This is is the nature of sacraments that they consist of a signe an outward Element and the word of God Many Ecclesiasticall writers when they entreat of Baptisme do set forth the prayses and commendations Symboles of the Sacraments of the Gospell are most easy to be gotten The misteries of the Ethnikes were sumptuous The deuil sometimes imitateth the simplicity of God What is the analogy or signification of water in baptisme of water But I in thys place do rather reuerence the simplicity of Christian religion whereunto are geuen Sacraments not onely most fewe in number but also moste easye to be done For as touchyng the signes we haue nothyng but breade wyne and water whiche are thinges euerye where in vse and in all places easye to bee gotten But the misteries of Idoles were celebrated wyth greate cost and were verye sumptuous But Christ in outward thinges followed alwayes greate simplicity Although the deuill also as an imitator of God would sometimes haue water also ioyned to his holy seruices as in the misteries of Mitra and Isis And the Romanes in the playes of Apollo and Pelusius sprinkled the city ouer with water For by that meanes they thought it perfectly clensed from periuries murthers iniustice and publike crimes And such as had committed murther of set purpose sought purging holy waters But omitting these thinges this we ought to consider that the signe in sacraments ought to haue an affinity and similitude with the thing which is by it signified Wherefore séeing water washeth away the filthines of the body maketh the earth fruitefull and quencheth thirst it aptly signifieth remission of sinnes and the holy ghost whereby good workes are made plentifull and signifieth grace which refresh 〈…〉 the auguishes of the minde Neither did the prophetes in the olde Testament otherwise prophesye of the geuing of the holy Ghost in regeneration Ioell saith that God would poure cleane water vpon the sonnes and daughters of the Iewes And Esay saith All ye that thurst come vnto the waters And the elders of the Hebrues Paul saith were baptised in the red sea and in the cloude But what maner of word it is that ought to be added vnto the element of water we haue noted namely wherein in the name of the father of the sonne of the holy ghoste remission of sinnes c. Into this promise our faith is sealed and as Tertullian saith the sacrament of baptisme is the garment of this fayth These prescribed wordes are deliuered of Christ in the last chap. of Mathew Nether as we haue before saide can I be perswaded that the Apostles changed this forme of words although Ambrose in that thing thought otherwise Of whose iudgement what is to be thought we haue before sufficiently declared It sufficeth vs at this present that by the element and word of God we haue a manifest testimony of of our regeneratiō and saluation For euen as there are three thinges as Iohn saith which beare witnes of Christ the spirit bloud and water For the father which is A place of Iohn Of the thre testimonies signified by the spirite the sonne which is declared by bloud and y◠holy ghost which is noted by water do beare witnes of his deuinity And of his true humane nature the spirite is a witnes which he commēded vnto the father vpon the crosse and also the bloud and water which flowed out of his side so that we are the children of God we haue a testimony of the holy ghoste we haue the remission of sinnes by the bloude of Christ set forth in the worde of promise and in the water outwardly poured vpon the body For by these witnesses our faith is both raysed vp and also confirmed because we are regenerate and are nowe made the children of God There is offred vnto vs remission of sinnes in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost And yet ought we not to thinke that it is geuen by reason of the worke wrought as they vse to speake as though a holines or the spirite lay hidden in the water and that we are regenerated by the outward touch thereof For it is not so But by the word of God and outward signe is signified vnto vs our reconciliatiō with God made by Christ which reconciliation if we take hold on by faith we are both iustified and also sanctified Wherefore Augustine vpon Iohn saith From whence commeth this so greate a power vnto the water that it should touch the body and washe the hart but through the word which worketh it not in that it is spoken but in that it is beleued But in infantes which by reason of age can not yet beleue the holy ghost worketh in their hartes in steede of fayth The effusion also of the holy The worde clenseth not because it is spoken but because it is beleued The things which are offred vs in baptisme we haue also before baptisme ghost is promised in baptisme as it is expressedly written in the epistle to Titus Which hath saued vs through the lauacre of regeneration and of renouation of the holy ghost which he plentifully hath powred vpon vs. Neither are these two thinges in suche maner offred in baptisme vnto vs as thoughe we by no meanes had them before baptisme For it can not be denied but that they whiche are of full age if they beleue haue iustification euen before they be baptised For so Abraham beleued and was iustified and then he receaued the seale of circumcision And Cornelius the Centurion when he had heard Peter and beleued was not onlye iustifyed but also visibly receaued the holy Ghost Neither woulde we baptise infantes but that we suppose that they already pertayne vnto the Churche and vnto Christe And yet are not suche baptised in vayne For we oughte to obeye the commaundement of God whiche if any In baptism the giftes which we had before are increased The holy Ghost is powred into the hart when we are regenerate By baptism we are visibly grafted into Christ and into the Church man shoulde contemne though he boasted neuer so muche of hys fayth yet shoulde he sufficientlye
to geue place but to resist to fight and to continue still in the battayle wise yet in the meane tyme with Paul to want this enemy Because in thys battaile although thou wholy yeld not thy selfe yet alwayes will thou or nill thou thou shalt be somewhat hurt It were a greate deale better for thée to performe that which the lawe commaundeth thou shalt not lust so that there mought be in vs no euill desire But this is a full righteousnes which forasmuch as it can not here be had perfect this only remayneth that we follow not after lustes They will not follow thee if thou desire thinges iust and sound why then shouldest thou consent to follow after them This is doubtles a thing vnsemely seing they are thyne enemyes For no man that is wise will follow his enemy When Paul saith In mynde I serue the lawe of God but in fleshe the lawe of sinne shall we thinke that he or such like as he was would for euery light prouokement to wrath haue hurt or killed his neighbour or for euery impulsion of the flesh haue committed adultery or fornication No doubtles But he fought he stroue he suffred not sinne to beare rule and to raigne in his mortal body And Paul thus wrote of himselfe that Why Paul wrote these thinges of himselfe the godly mought by this place receaue some consolation For otherwise when they should sometymes feele themselues moued and tikled with such desires they mought thinke that they are vnacceptable vnto God and hated of hym and that they pertayne not vnto Christ But when they see that Paul writeth these things both of himself and of other godly men and of the regenerate they beginne to plucke vp their spirites and to haue a good hope of their saluation Wherefore they which thinke that Paul in this place transferred vpon himselfe the person of an other man let them consider of how great a consolatioÌ„ they depriue the church of Christ Wherefore let these wordes so be taken that they both bring consolation vnto them that striue and also nothing helpe the outragious opinions of the libertines Forasmuch as the Apostle hath in this chapter spoken many thinges of the Offre wil. infirmity of our strengthes and of that seruitude whereby we are obnoxious vnto sinne it shal be good somewhat in this place to entreat of the liberty of our wil that we may afterward teach how the prouidence and predestination of God taketh not away will from men which neither also is taken away by his power whereby he doth whatsoeuer thinges he will nor by the appoynted order or connexion of causes of thinges Of which matters as I hope we shall more largely entreate in the 9. and 11. chapters Wherefore at this present we will only enquire The question to contracted to the 〈◊〉 coâ—e bâ— originall 〈…〉 e. how much our naturall prauity whiche came by originall sinne hath lefte vnto vs of fre wil especially seing that whatsoeuer we do rightly the same is said to be attributed wholy vnto the grace of God And although this word frée wil be not red in the holy scriptures yet ought it not to seeme a thing ether fayned or inuented The Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of his owne power or of his This word free will is not red in the hoâ—y scriptures What is free What choyse is When the will is free Free choyse consisting in the will hath his rootes in reason In reason error two manner of wayes Luste foloweth the weaker argumentes We deliberate not but touching things that are to be done We deliberate not touching all things that are to be done owne right Which self thing the Lattines signify when they say Arbitrij libertatem that is the liberty of the choyce or will For that is frée which followeth not the will of an other but his owne will But the choice séemeth herein to consist that we as it séemeth good vnto vs follow those thinges which are decréed by reason But then is the will frée when according to his lust it imbraceth these thinges which are approued of the vnderstanding part of the minde Wherefore the nature of frée choise although it most of all consisteth in the will yet hath it his groundes in reason But they which wil rightly vse this faculty or power must chiefyly sée vnto that there be in reason no error And that commonly commeth two maner of wayes For other it is hidden from vs what is iust and vniust in the doyng of thinges or if we sée that yet in iudgyng of the reasons whiche are accustomed to be alledged on other side we faile For alwayes in a maner our lust adioineth it selfe vnto the weaker argument By whiche meanes it oftentimes commeth to passe that the stronger and better reason is neglected and forsaken which thing in disputations we see oftentimes happeneth For they whiche will defend the weaker part are accustomed with all maner of ornamentes colours to poolishe it and to set it forth that the hearers beyng allured by cloquence and counter feate shewe should not pease the streÌ„gth and waighte of the reason Farther this is to be knowen that men coÌ„monly deliberate not touching all maner of thinges but onely touching those whiche are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is which are to bee done of vs. Nether do all yâ— thinges which we either folow or refuse nede deliberatioÌ„ For there are certayne good things so manifest sure that it is inoughe yâ— they be once named For streight way they are ether chosen or refused Such as are felicity infelicity life death and such other like But there are other thinges more obscure or meane about which men are wont to deliberate That God is to be worshiped all men without any doubting coÌ„fesse But in what maner and with what rites or ceremonies he is to be worshiped there is greate doubt put That it is profitable for men to inhabite in cities and to maynteyne felowship together all men knowe But with what Lawes they are to be gouerned or what kinde of common welth is best to be vsed therof ofteÌ„times great doubtes In what things free will consisteth Definition of free will Fower differences of states arise In these and suche like thinges is free will occupied and thus we may define it Free will is a faculty or power whereby we ether take or reiect as it semeth good vnto vs thinges iudged by reason But whither there be any such power or no in man or how it is in him can not with one answere be declared First it is necessary that we distinguish the state and condition of man Now in man there are found at the least fower differences of states For the state of Adam when he was at the beginning created was far diuers from that state after his fal such as is also now yâ— state of all his posterity Farther they which are regenerate in
requestes for they knew not what they asked And to the declaration of this matter he saith it is wonderfull necessary not to be ignoraunt of the maner of the primitiue church For at the beginning there was in Christian men an incredible force of the spirit For some excelled in the word of vnderstanding some in the worde of knowledge some in the gift of tonges some in the gift of healyng Which giftes Paul in yâ— first to the Corrinthians in many other places reckoneth vp And amongst those giftes The gift of praying a right also was the gift of true praying wherby certaine were assured of such thinges which were to be asked of God so that they were fully certained what should be profitable vnto saluation Of these men some one when the Church was gathered together stept forth and in the name of them all prayed for those thinges which might be profitable not after any common or colde manner but being earnestly pricked forward and with many teares Of this thing there remaineth at this day A signe or tracke of the old manâ—r after a sorte remayneth in the church The holy ghost is here taken for the gift some signe or trace For when prayers are to be made publikely in the Church yâ— Deacon with a loud voyce exhorteth yâ— people to pray sometymes for yâ— church somtimes for this necessity sometimes for yâ— Wherfore Paul in this place taketh not yâ— holy spirit for yâ— third person in yâ— Trinity but for yâ— gift wherby any of the faithfull was stirred vp to pray or for the minde of a godly man so stirred vp of the spirite of God Wherfore Chrisostome thinketh that the spirit in this place signifieth a spirituall man Neither thinketh he that he so prayed as though God were to be taught but onely that they which were present might know what to aske The things which Chrisostome hath hitherto noted are not very vnlikely But here arise two doubtes the first is for yâ— Paul amongst the giftes of yâ— spirite which he in many places maketh mencioÌ„ of reckeneth not this kind of gift But this is â—asely Whether Paul make any mencioÌ„ of the gifte of prayers aunswered vnto For the gift of prayers may be comprehended in that gift which Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is muâ—uall charity For we do not only helpe our brethren by almes by assistance by guardonship and by good councell but also by daily and feruent prayers Neither do I thinke that Paul hath made mencion of all the giftes of the holy ghost For he hath omitted the spirit of feare of fortitude of which Esay maketh mention â–ª It was inough for him to reckon some by which the forme and maner of yâ— rest might the better be vnderstand Although in Zachary is mencion also made of yâ— spirit of prayers â–ª For thus it is written in yâ— 12. chap. I wyll poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpoÌ„ the inhabiters of Ierusalâ— the spirit of grace of prayers which place yet yâ— Chaldey interpreter turneth coÌ„passion For in Hebrue it is Tehannonim in the Chaldey Vehachamin The other doubt is for that this exposition of Chrisostome séemeth to draw into to narrow a compasse the helpe of the holy ghost namely to those only which had this peculiar gift as though those thinges which are here spoken are to be vnderstaÌ„d only of publique prayers wheÌ„ as the wordes of Paul séeme rather to pertayne vniuersally vnto all men For the faithfull can not in any place lift vp pure hands without the helpe of the spirit of God Ambrose expoundeth these thinges more generally But it is wonderfull how he red thus It is the spirite which helpeth the infirmity of our prayers neither doth he only so rede it but also so interpretateth it And our prayers saith he are by the spirite two maner of wayes corrected the one way is if peraduenture we aske thynges hurtfull the other is if we aske thynges ryght and profitable but before the tyme. The spirite saith he commeth and powreth hymselfe vpon our prayers to couer our vnskilfulnes and vnwarefulnes and by hys motion causeth vs to aske those thinges which are profitable Augustine in his 121. epistle vnto Proba De orando Deo at large handleth this place and demaundeth whether we thinke that these were so vnskilfull of Christian religion that they were ignorant of the Lordes prayer They were not vndoubtedly How then were they ignoraÌ„t what they should aske In the Lordes prayer are contained all thinges profitable and to be desired for Here is entrâ—ated of asking of thynges indifferent when as in it are contained all thinges that are profitable and to be desired for He maketh answere that these men were in great persecutions and it is very likely that they oftentimes prayed to be deliuered which thing might be vnto them sometimes profitable and sometimes hurtfull Wherefore here is entreated not of all maner of thinges but only of thinges indifferent which if we obtayne not yet is there no cause why any man should be discouraged for peraduenture yâ— thinges should be hurtful vnto vs which we beleue should be profitable vnto vs and if we obtaine them yet ought we not insoleÌ„tly to puffe vp our minds For although these thinges be geuen vs yet do they not alwayes conduce to saluation Those thinges which are contayned in the Lordes prayer are necessary The things that are coÌ„tained in the Lords prayer can not be ill wished for neither can be amisse wished for But such things are oftentimes geuen of God in his anger as vnto the Israelites in the desert was geueÌ„ flesh with so great wrath that a great multitude of them perished So at their reqâ—est they had a king geuen them not yet of good will but in the fury of the Lord. Vnto the deuill when he made request was Iob geuen to be vexed of him Christ also permitted the deuels to enter into the heard of swyne How beit Paul could not at his request haue the pricke of the flesh taken from him Yea neither could Christ also obtaine that the cuppe which was now at hand mought passe away from him And yet no man dare say that either the deuill or the â—ngodly Israelites were more acceptable vnto God then Christ or Paul But what it is the spirit to pray for vs with vnspeakeable sighes Augustine in the same epistle which we haue spoken of declareth for he saith that we in thys thyng are disseased of a certayne learned ignorance For we know not what is profitable for vs. But on the other side the spirite insinuateth it selfe and causeth vs to sighe for good thynges And they are called vnspeakable sighes because it is not we our selues that speake or vtter that which we aske but it is the spirite The third person abaseth not it selâ—e as though he were lesser then the father He prayeth because he makeâ—h vs to pray which stirreth
Moses semed by theyr sorceries to raise vp new creatures But I thinke that this exposition Iannes and Mambres is more simple to saye that Paul in this clause would finishe the induction which he had begon For when we vse an induction and haue gathered together many perticuler thinges we adde at the last that all other things are in the same sort to finish vp the reason which otherwise should be vnperfect So Paul whē by an Antithesis he had in a maner reckoned vp all thinges added to shut vp the reason And if there be any other creature besides these yet can not it seperate vs frō the loue of God Which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we should not think that we are for our owne sakes loued of God For of our selues we are odious vnto hym seing that we are contaminated with originall sinne which we haue contracted frō Adam and also by many other sinnes which we moreouer commit And that there was nothing which could plucke away Paul from the loue of God Chrisostome hereby coniectureth for that for Gods honor sake he refused not to be cast into hel fire And this he addeth That it is the property of a wise mā neuer to seke to depart frō his father although he be sō what sharply chastised of him For he which cleueth A similitude vnto God is couered with his loue beneuolēce is lyke a square stone which whiche way so euer it fall falleth right By this reasoning of Paul we may easely gather y◠The church shall neuer fall away from God the Church shal neuer vtterly fall away frō God neither shall there euer come any euils of so great might that they can vtterly ouerthrow it Which thing Christ in other wordes promised vnto Peter saying The gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it For it is as it were a certayne moste strong rocke whiche although it be striken with waues and floudes yet can not be moued out of this place For the church pertayneth to predestination and hath to hys protection the loue of God Wherfore no creature is able to preuayle against it The ninth Chapter I Speake the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience bering me witnes in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrowe in my hart For I would wish with my self to be seperate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh which are the Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glorye and the couenantes and the geuing of the lawe and the worshippinge and the promises Of whom ar the fathers and of whō concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen The beginning of this chapter is after diuers maners annexed to those thinges which haue bene before spoken For Chrisostome as we haue declared thinketh that Paules meaning is earnestly to shew how firmly he was knit vnto the loue of God namely that for Gods sake he was ready with gladnes to suffer euen to perish But others thinke that this new speache of the Apostle doth hereof arise because before he said that those whom God had chosen could by no violence be seperated from his loue Wherefore it might seme wonderfull how the nation of the Hebrues could be reiected from God which onely nation God before all other nations had chosen Wherefore say they the Apostle straight way added that not al the Iewes did pertayne vnto the election of God and that their fall was not against the decrees of God But in my iudgement the Apostle séemeth in a maner to begin a new matter to entreate of For hetherto he hath proued that iustification commeth not of humaine wisdome nor philosophie nor also of our workes nor by the obseruation of the law but onelye by the faith of Christ But there remayned two other thinges of great weyght which it behoued him to discusse to make plaine For by these two things men were exceedingly moued so that if the Apostle had not throughly answered vnto them he might seme to haue spent his labour in vayne The one of them was that the promise of saluation was made vnto the posteritie of Abraham and vnto the seede of Israell But now for as much as that kinde of men receaue not the fayth in Christ of necessitie it followeth either that the promise of God is vayne or if the Iewes be saued then may iustificatiō be without faith in Christ The second was there was neuer at any time in any nation so great righteousnes so great an endeuour of pietie so diligent an obseruation of the law as was amongest the Iewes And it were absurd if we should say that God would not embrace such kinde of righteousnes which excelled the vprightnes of all nations These are two such thinges that of them no man can doubt namelye that the promises of God are firme and that an vpright iustice is acceptable vnto God Vnto these thinges Paule answereth in these three chapiters following First he sayth that the promises were made vnto the elect of God and he addeth that the externall people of Israell were not in very dede that people vnto whom were A distinctiō of the people of Israell made the promises as pertayning to the whole number which thing he proueth by testimonies of the scriptures Wherefore though the Iewes were blinded sayth he it followeth not thereof that the promises of God are vaine Afterward he maketh a distinction of righteousnes so that one is outward which A distinctiō of righteousnes consisteth in rites and workes and an other inwarde which consisteth in spirite and in fayth The first righteousnes sayth he God nothing regardeth but the latter is it wherein onely he is delighted and which he continuallye embraceth and of that were the Iewes voyde And therefore God nothing esteemed theyr outward righteousnes These things are entreated of in the .ix. and .x. chapters But in the .xi. least the Iewes should thinke them selues vtterlye reiected Paule addeth that of that people there remained some remnaunts which in successe of time should be brought vnto Christ But as touching the .ix. chapter the Apostle keepeth this order First forasmuch as it shoulde be verye bytter vnto the The Methode of the 9. chapter Iewes to heare that the promises of God shoulde not pertayne to their stocke and that they them selues should not be counted of the nomber of the elect Paul sheweth that he could not consider these thinges with himselfe but wyth great griefe and that he was ready to redeme this calamitie euen with his owne eternall destruction by which woordes he playnlye declareth that he speaketh not these thinges agaynst his own nation of hatred towardes them Then draweth he nere to the very matter and confesseth that the promises of God are firme but they pertayne not to the carnall propagation Which thing he proueth by a most manifest example of
Iacob and Esau For they being borne of one and the selfe same parentes yet was the one elected of God the other reiected In this place Paule bringeth in humaine reason complayning for that God dealeth not a like with all men But the Apostle aunswereth that we ought not to seeke a cause of the electiō of God which answere for as much as it satisficeth not mans reason there ariseth an other complaint why should the blame then be layd on vs that we are obstinate and come not vnto God when as the fault semeth not to be ours if God haue not chosen vs Here Paule sayth that the potters vessell ought not to complaine of his maker and that God made some vessels to honour and some to contumely Which comparison whē we call to remembrance we ought to cōsider how great a benefite we haue obtayned in that we are partakers of the election of God And though God haue chosen some of the Iewes and many more of the Ethnikes yet is not that repugnant vnto the Oracles of the scripture but rather by the testimonie of Ose the Prophet it is confirmed Neither is there any cause why the Iewes shoulde boast of their righteousnes forasmuch as it is not geuē to thē to beleue Wherfore according to the saying of Esay They haue stumbled agaynst the stone And that thing which vnto others was a strength and foundation was made vnto them a fall and offence These thinges being diligently weighed bring great vtilitie and doo verye well agree This treatise is profitable for our tymes with our tyme. It semed at that time a thing absurde that among the people of Israell so few beleued and to vs at this day it is obiected that there are verye few which truly professe the Gospell and lyue thereafter At that time men suspected that Christ was not that Messias which was promised in the law because he should saue the Iewes but this man chose very few of thē Farther they boasted of the name of the people of God So vnto vs also at this day is obiected the title of the churche And men thinke it a thing absurde that the most parte of the world should dissent from the Gospell and those in especiall which seeme to passe all others in honors and wisdome of the world Moreouer Paul sheweth What are the grounds of the churche what are the principles o◠groundes of the church namely the election of God and the worde Hereby saith he ought the matter to be measured and not by the authority or agrement of the multitude or gorgeousnes of this world Wherfore this place hath a notable consolation that we should not repent vs in that we are fewe Although we doubt not but that God for his mercy sake will daily encrease the number that the fellowship of the elect may be ful howbeit in the meane time In what thinges other congregations sometimes excell the church The Iewes boasted much of theyr kinred and workes of ceremonies we confesse that the church is not to be weighed either by the propagacion of the flesh or by the greatnes of the multitude or by dignities and honours or els by excellencies of wittes for as touching these notes other nations oftentymes excell it These two thinges which Paul in this place entreateth of namely the confidence of their stocke and bloud and the affiaunce in rites and ceremonies the wicked Iewes bosted of euen in the times of the Prophetes For they had perswaded themselues that it should neuer come to passe that either they should be ledde into captiuity or that the publike wealth of the Israelites should euer cease to be and to florish They made their vauntes that they were the stocke of Abraham and of the Patriarkes but as touching ceremonies and the outward worshippyng of God they so much swelled with pride that Ieremy the prophet in this maner derided them with an elegant irony They say saith he the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. They leaned also vnto the multitude whē as yet in very dede neither fewnes nor multitude are a sufficient firme and sure argument The church is not to be measured by the multitude of the church For it is a false argument taken of the Accidens For these thinges are onely accidences to the Church But the multitude and the number thou wilt say will make an argument probable I graunt that But the iudgement of wise and better men is much more probable But they are oftentymes in number most few Farther graunt that the opinion of the multitude make a probable argument yet doth it not make a true and necessary argumēt Neither can we thus gather This reason is probable or very likely therfore it is true For Thinges probable ar not alwaies true but oftentimes false there are many thinges which are goodly in shew and probable which yet afterward if they be examined are found most false And contrariwise many things at the first sight séeme absurd which yet if a man afterward diligētly pease weigh he shall finde to be true Experience teacheth vs y◠the number of them y◠truly beleue is very small if it be cōpared with the Iewes Turkes heretikes Epicures The nomber of them that truly beleue is small And Christ calleth his flocke a little flock affirmeth That many in deede are called but few are chosen Farthermore Paul in this place and the Prophetes euery where testifie that not all the Iewes shal be saued but only that a few remnantes shall be made safe Wherfore the cause is neither confirmed nor confuted by reason Fewnes nor multitude confirme not the cause of fewnes or multitude Howbeit Augustine semeth somtimes to obiect vnto y◠Donatistes that they being a few in number would yet neuertheles ascribe vnto themselues only the Church condemning the whole world besides But if a man diligently reade ouer those disputations of Augustine he shall perceyue that the Donatistes erred in thrée thinges in especiall First bicause they beleued that the Three errors of the Donatists whole Church was in Afrike only and in their multitude but other churches dispersed throughout the whole world they said were corrupt bicause many had ben pertakers with them which had betrayed the holy scripture as though in this life there can be found any church which vtterly should want all spotte and wrinckle Farther they iudged that the sacramentes were contaminated by the ill life of the ministers and for that cause they rebaptised those which fled vnto their Church But we beleue that Christ hath his churches euery where For there is nothyng more proper vnto the Church then to be catholike that is vniuersal neither so to It is proper vnto the churche to be Catholike The cause is proued by the word of God and not by fewnes nor multitude ▪ be bounde either vnto certayne places or persons that it can be no
dissease whereof he was sicke was by nature deadly Wherefore the prophet in those threates pronounced Gods will of the signe that is so much as could be knowen by the force of nature But the changing came of the will of God which is of efficacy which they call the consequent Niniue also for the greauous sinnes thereof was worthy to be destroied Wherefore Ionas shewed vnto them the antecedent will of God which they call the will of the signe Wherefore when God calleth Pharao or any other reprobate by that vocation or outward promise we vnderstand the antecedent will or the will of the signe but that other hidden will which they call the wil of efficacy or the consequent we vnderstand not Wherefore God can not deny himselfe neither doth he in these willes striue agaynst him selfe But by his doctrine and promises being in differently and generally set forth he stirreth vp the mindes of the ministers of the Church chearefully to preach the word and that vnto all men which thing doubtles they would not doo if he had made them assured of his hidden wil. For if they knew that they had to deale with men reprobate they would vtterly be discouraged and geue ouer And on the other side when as we se that no fruite succedeth of our doctrine and preaching herein we comfort our selues for that we were before admonished of this that there are many which by the purpose of God are made blinde Augustine in his booke de Spiritu litera the 34. chapter in which place he entreateth touching this matter sayth That if he were asked the question touching euery perticular man why God will haue some to heare the Gospel but not to receaue it and other some both to haue it and to embrace it he hath nothing to answer but only these two things O the depth of the riches c. And also Is there iniquity with God God forbid And if there be any sayth he that are not content with these answeres let them enquire of men better lerned then I am but in the meane time let them beware of presumptuous persons Presumptuous persons he calleth those which flye eyther vnto workes foresene or vnto such like fonde imaginations For these thinges forasmuch as they are not taught in the holy scriptures may well be called humane presumptions Ambrose vpon this place sayth that the will of God can not be resisted for that he is of all the most mightiest And forasmuch as he is the father of all therfore vnto no man he willeth ill but will haue those things preserued which he hath made Wherefore it is by no meanes agreable vnto him to be vniust In these wordes Ambroses meaning is to shewe that this power of the will of God is tempered with such a iustice that it hath a respect vnto the worthines and merites of men Of which minde also is Origene For he sayth that the will of God is in dede most mighty but yet the selfe same will is most vpright Wherefore he writeth that it is in our will to be eyther good or euill And on whiche side so euer we incline we can not resist the will of God but that it will eyther reward vs or punishe vs as iustice shall require For it lieth not in our handes vnto what maner of paynes or vnto what maner of rewardes we should be destinâ—ed or appoynted Wheras Origen sayth that it lieth in our handes eyther to be good or to be euill it is not true For our saluatioÌ„ The nature of generatioÌ„ consisteth wholy in regeneration which dependeth altogether of the grace and spirite of Christ For this is the nature of generation that he which is begotteÌ„ nothing at all worketh to the begetting of him selfe yea neyther doubtles caÌ„ he But he which sayth that it lieth in vs to be good doth without doubt eyther vtterly take away the benefite of Christ or elles wonderfully diminishe it But we say and teach that the will of God is vpright although we deny that it dependeth eyther of creatures or of merites This obiection VVhy doth he complayne and vvho resisteth his vvill The Apostle bringeth agaynst the conclusion before inferred he hath mercy on vvhome he vvill and hardneth vvhome he vvill and chiefly as touching the latter part of the conclusion For it may seme very absurd that God should according to his will harden any man Yea oftentimes in the Fathers and euen in Augustine also who yet in this matter is on our side we reade that induration commeth by the iust iudgmeÌ„t of God as if they should say that God hardneth those only which by theyr wicked actes deserue the same Wherefore induration semeth not to depend of the will of God as Paul in this place teacheth for he simply pronouÌ„ceth Whome he will he hardeneth But to the vnderstanding here of we must cal to memory the things which we before sad concurre to induration For first there is What thinges are to be considered in induration grafted in vs a vice or corruption wherby doubtles we are aleantes from God And induration is nothing els if we geue credite vnto Augustine in his 4. chapter de Predestinatione Gratia then to resist the commaundementes of God Then followeth it that we are left of God in this euil Wherfore the same Augustine To harden is not to make soft sayth in the selfe same place that God hardneth whom he will not make soft maketh blind whome he will not illuminate repelleth whome he will not call And as touching this the seÌ„ce of the Apostle is He hath mercye on vvhome he vvill and vvhome he vvill he hardeneth that is he hath not mercy And in this worke of God to haue mercy or not to haue mercy we do nothing at all For he freelye God freely distributeth his mercy vnto whom he will It is not in our power not to be moued impelled distributeth his mercy vnto whome he wil. And wheÌ„ we are thus without mercy left in our naturall corruption vnto vs is added the perpetuall motion and impelling of God which suffreth no creature to be idle Although neyther euen this to be moued and impelled is left in our power Thirdly forasmuch as occasions are offred and cogitations sent into the minde eyther of God him selfe or at his commaundement and will by Angells or the deuill by meanes whereof that induration the more vttereth it selfe and is made greater here we may consider the iustice of God For Achab being a most wicked man deserued to be An example of Achab. deceaued of the deuill by the ministery of false prophetes And Pharao for that he was cruell agaynst strangers and infants deserued so to be stirred vp and to vtter his induration Wherefore when God is said to harden thereby we ought to vnderstand that he will not haue mercy But wicked men being forsaken of him forasmuch as being stirred vp by his perpetuall motion they can not be quiet
few were fruitfull in Babilon So also happened it in Christes time for very few were saued which few yet brought forth greate and most plentifull fruites for as we redâ— in this prophecy they made righteousnes to ouerflow For the Apostles although they were few yet they preached Christ thoroughout the whole world and that with such celerity that Paul toward the end of this epistle and vnto the Colossians sayth that in his time the Gospel was in a maner euery where preached Therfore the Prophet saith that God had consummated that is had excedingly diminished the nomber and out of that multitude which was like the sand of the sea had elected only a few And this is to be noted yâ— in this place Paul reasoneth of election by the effects and by that yâ— few of the Iewes were saued proueth that predestination pertayneth only to a few of them These wordes are taken out of the 10. chapter of Esay Ci im ijhich ammecha israel cechol haiom schear iâ—schus bo Cillaion sharuts schoteph tsedaka Ci calah venechratsa adonai iehouah tsebaoth oseh bekereb col haarets Whereas Esay sayth in the middest of the whole earth it is not to be vnderstanded generally but only of the land of the Iewes For the prophet speaketh of that land only and Paul writeth of Israel And this phrase is very much vsed amongst the prophetes Which I therefore put you in minde of for that I know there are some which sometimes referre these wordes to the whole nomber of the faythfull being indede moued thereto by that sentence of Christ Many are called but few are elected Which sentence as it is most true so is it not of necessity yâ— it should pertayn to this place Paul saw that these wordes of Esay are of great force to plucke away the mindes of men from the confidence in yâ— flesh and in humane procreatioÌ„ For by theÌ„ is taught that of so greate a multitude of the children of Israell which were like the sand of the sea very few attayned vnto saluation And thinges which were theÌ„ done were not only shadowes and tipes of the Church of Christ but also a certayne beginning and progresse therof And as those thinges at that time were not obscure so in the comming of Christe were they most euident Paul followed the translation of the seuenty interpreters that the Church of the Romanes vnto whome he wrote might vnderstand those things which he cited out of the Prophetes but that the Seuenty added this greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worde and yet obserue the Hebrue phrase For with the Hebrues Dabar which they turne vvord signifieth also a thing or a matter So we rede of the adultery of Dauid that the worde of Vrias displeased God And Moses sayth Man liueth not by bread only but also by euery word which commeth out of the mouth of God in which wordes he signifieth that the power of God is not bound to things but yâ— he can fede his if he will with any other thing as well as with bread and therefore it was not wonderfull though the Israelites were fed in the desert with Manna which fel from heauen Wherefore the sence is that God would make his word that is the matter of that people cut of shorte and extenuated so that that so greate multitude should be brought vnto a small nomber And this is it which Ieremy complayneth of in his 8. chapter and also Ezechiell in his 11. chapter And Amos the prophet compareth the remnantes of the people of the Iewes with a young shepe deuoured of a lion which when the shepeherd seketh to deliuer can recouer nothing but only a legge or an eare of it so sayth he when the Iewes shall be led away into captiuity a very small part of them shal returne home again In Hebrew it is writteÌ„ A consumption made Venehadtsah which signifieth not only a thing lessned and cut of but also a thing definitely appointed and determined as though the sentence were alredy geueÌ„ which signification serueth very well to the purpose of the Apostle For his meaning is to declare that thys diminishing and reiection of the people which God would bring to passe depended of the appoynted purpose and of predestination not that the Iewes had not thorough theyr sinnes deserued to be reiected but bycause all these thinges were appoynted by the sentence of election and reprobatioÌ„ For by these things Paul here reasoneth of the effects as it were by the effectes Paul declareth that few of the Iewes are elected but many are reiected Vnto this lessening cutting of of the Israelites Iohn Baptist semeth to haue had a respect when he sayd That the axe is put vnto the roote and that Christ hath his fanne in his hand to purge his wheat And to this purpose Paul afterward sayth That the remnantes shall be saued according to election thorough grace Micheas also the prophet faineth God to be like one that gathereth grapes who when he hath gathered his grapes leueth oftentimes certaine few clusters in the vineard And Esay sayth that the daughter of Ierusalem should be lefte as a cottage in a vineard And in the time of the sloud only eight soules were left on liue howbeit those few which were lefte brought forth incredible fruite For euen as sedes when they are few do yet notwithstanding draw vnto A similitude them greate quantity of ioyce and moystnes of the earth and conuert it into theyr owne nature and for euery grayne render somtimes thirty sometimes threescore and sometimes an hundreth so that little flocke of Christ by theyr preaching conuerted vnto the Gospel great Churches of the Gentiles And this is it which Osea the Prophet when he had entreated of the reiection of the people sayd yet notwithstanding that the nomber of it should be like the sand of the sea Which selfe thing Ieremy prophesied in his 33. chapter when he spake of The Gentles conuerted vnto Christ are Israelites the couenaunt which should be renewed thorough Christ For they which of Ethnikes were conuerted by the disciples of Christ were made Israelites for that they hâ—d Christ for theyr hed and became his members and liued by hys spirite and were made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones And of this thing Christ admonished vs when he sayd yâ— God could euen of stones rayse vp sons vnto Abraham Neither ment Esay any thing els when in this place he added that righteousnes should ouerflow Origen sayth that the Prophet prophesied these thinges for that he foresaw the infidelity of the Iewes for which they should be reiected therfore he thinketh that the prophet said If thy people were aâ— the sand of the sea for that they by theyr sinnes had made themselues barren and were vnfruitful as the sand is out of which can nothing spring But the multitude he sayth of the godly which should come out of the sâ—de of Abraham is compared
oftentimes we are ignorant what it is that we aske and then God which knoweth what thinges are profitable for vs although perticularly he seeme not to graunt vnto our requestes yet most of all he heareth our prayers when he geueth saluation and therefore is he neuer in vaine called vpon of his faithfull These things being thus set forth and confirmed Paul setteth the Churches in quiet dâ—claring that neither the Gentiles ought to despise the Iewes nor the Iewes also ought not to enuy the Gentiles when as faith and inuocation may be common to ech people For the Prophetes also testifie that wheresoeuer shal be sounde faith and inuocation there also shal be saluation and an assured obtainment of righteousnes For as touching the lacke thereof the Iewes and the Gentiles were both equall as it is said in the 3. chapiter of this epistle For all haue sinned and haue nede of the glory of God Neither herein is there any difference betwene Iewe or Grecian Moreouer neither people hath of himselfe faith whereby to be iustified Wherefore as touching these things the lot both of the Iewes of the Gentiles is a like And therfore it was mete yâ— as the Gospel was preached vnto the Iewes so also it should be preached vnto other people the Iewes wer vnwisemen for this thing to be angry with the Apostles We are also taught forasmuch as faith may be geuen of God vnto whomsoeuer he will neither is We must despaire of no man Note his predestinatioÌ„ knoweÌ„ to despayre of no maÌ„ but by teaching admonishing preaching to endeuor our selues to draw all men vnto Christ The Lord commauÌ„ded the Apostles to go into the whole world to preach to al nations neither excepted he any Therefore Paul earnestly laboured to be made all to all yâ— he might winne all or at the least some vnto Christ None when he falleth into any sinne or in any thing disagreeth from vs is straighway to be reiected he may yet beleue and call vpon God and thereby obtaine righteousnes and saluation Neither ought we hereof to be ignorant that the wordes of the Apostle which we haue hitherto entreated of in this 10. chapiter so proue certainty of saluation that vndoubtedly they can not be denied nor auoyded First he sayd Hereby is certayntye of saluation proued Say not in thine hart who shall ascend into heauen By which wordes he suffreth vs not to doubt that Christ being in heauen pacifieth the father and maketh him meroifull towardes vs and that by his death he hath ouercome eternall destruction sinne the deuill and hell fire so that they can not preuaile against vs if we hope in him Moreouer that we should not doubt he added He which beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed Agayne Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued This suffreth vs not to doubt of saluation whatsoeuer our aduersaries obiect vnto vs. But how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleued and how shall they beleue in him of whome they haue not heard and howe shall they heare without a preacher And howe shall they preach except they be sent as it is written How bentifull are the feate of them which bring glad tidinges of peace and which bring glad tidinges of good thinges But how shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued That thou shouldest not thinke that by the worke of inuocation thou shalt haue saluation the Apostle straight waye declareth vnto thee the roote whereby thou art made safe namely faith None inuocateth but he which beleueth wherefore the fruit of inuocation commeth vnto vs through faith Paul in this place The fruite of inuocation coÌ„meth vnto vs by faith maketh a certaine kinde of gradation wherein he knitteth the causes together with their effectes We must beginne at saluation which is put for the last effect saluation commeth of inuocation inuocation is by faith faith commeth of hearing and hearing is by preachers and they come by the sending of God Wherefore it followeth that if the Gentiles ought to haue saluation as well as the Iewes then God should send preachers vnto them also Wherefore the Apostles are not to be blamed in that they preached vnto the Gentiles seing that God sent them This kind of argument is called Sorites of heaping vp together for the causes are gathered of the effectes and of the first is inferred the â—â—st or of the last is concluded the first How shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued No man imploreth the helpe of God vnles he be perswaded with himselfe that God is at hand and redy to helpe him And here againe thou hast an argumeÌ„t to confirme The certainty of saluation confirmeâ— â–ª the certainty of saluation How shall they beleue in him of whome they haue not heard We must first heare the thinges that are to be beleued for that whiche is beleued is the word of God which is receaued by hearing It is not lawfull that we should of our owne hed deuise things to be beleued of vs we muste beleue God in suche force as he hath reuealed hym selfe vnto vs. The ministers of the church are adorned with an excellent title But how shall they heare without a preacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold with how excellent a title the ministers of the Church are adorned they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the ambassadors of God This is theyr chiefest worke to publishe abrode the wordes of God But they haue vtterly lost this dignity which are of this minde that the highest and singulariest honor is to consecrate as they vse Vnles they preach the Gospel they are not the Ambassadours of God to speake the sacrament or to transubstantiate bread and wyne They are not so described in the holye scriptures but that they shoulde preache and doo the office of ambassadors How shall they preach vnles they be sent For an ambassader can signifie nothing of the will of his prince but so much as his prince shall before shew vnto him Paul was not ignoraunt but that it is possible that God can by him selfe worke without an outward minister he knew very well that he which planteth and which watreth is nothing but it is god only which geueth the encrease God can without outward preaching bring to saluation But he here speketh of the ordinary way which God vseth in the Church For he ordeyneth the ministery and vseth the voyce and words of the preachers to kindle fayth by the holy ghost in the hartes of the hearers Wherefore we ought to geue thankes vnto God for so singular a gift But manye contemne and loth the ministers of the Church and would as I suppose be instructed by Angells are ignoraunt that Christ would by his humanity minister vnto vs saluation God delighteth in the loue and knitting together of the members in the Church that we should hang
the word of God then followeth it of necessity that there is nothing whereby fayth is more norished maintayned and confirmed then by continuall reding and repeting of the woorde of God Thys thing testified How â—ayth is norished Tertullian in his Apology when he sayth that to this end holy assembles are gathered together to heare the woord of God The Philosophers say that we of the selfe same thinges both are and are norished wherefore in like sorte is it yâ— if fayth be by the woorde of GOD then by the same also is it nourished We knowe moreouer that of woorkes often repeted are confirmed habites or qualities as contrariwise if a man cease of from actions they waxe weake Wherefore if a man cease to rede to heare or to repete the holy scriptures fayth will waxe feble in him And they which thinke that a liuely and pure faith may continew in Churches without ofteÌ„ preaching doo excedingly erre Chrisostome hath a very similitude of a light or lampe that burneth which easely goeth out vnles A similitude of Chrisostome there be stil oyle powred into it By the lampe or light he vnderstandeth fayth by oyle yâ— word of God this he there writeth where he entreateth of the parable of the wise and foolishe virgens But now yâ— I haue made an end of interpretating the Apostles senteÌ„ce there resteth that out of his sayings we gather things much profitable When he had put a distinction betwene the righteousnes of God and the righteousnes of men and had taught that by the righteousnes of God is to be vnderstanded faith in Christ to the end he would declare that faith pertayned not onely vnto the Hebrues He brought out of the prophet Esay Whosoeuer beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed And out of Ioell Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the lord shal be saued These thinges most manifestlye proue the diuinity of Christ For if fayth in him and inuocation of his name haue saluatioÌ„ The diuinitye of Christ proued ioyned with them which thing is most true it followeth of necessity that he is God when as it is not lawfull to put confidence in any creature or to call vpon it Yea these two thinges are so proper vnto God that he communicateth them not vnto others he is pronounced cursed which putteth his confideÌ„ce in man or maketh flesh his arme An other thing worthy to be noted is yâ— that so excellent commendatioÌ„ of the ministers of God is to be referred vnto those only which in very dede execute theyr office for the prophet sayth that the féete of The commendation of the ministery pertaineth not vnto theÌ„ whiche haue only the name or title therof them that preach the Gospel are beautifull and not the fete of them which haue haue only the name or title thereof It hath also bene declared that the word of God is the instrument which the holy ghost vseth to instill fayth into the beleuers wherfore we may conclude that no other thing â—â—ght eyther to be taught or preached in the Church No man also ought to be moued with the fewnes or scarsety of the beleuers for that alwayes euen from the beginning the nomber the faythful hath bene small And Augustine if sometimes he vse this kind of reasoning agaynst the Donatistes when he sayth that they are very few in comparisoÌ„ of the multitude of the catholikes he reasoneth agaynst them as it were a probabili that is by probability agaynst them I say whome he had before by other necessary reasons confured Moreouer when he alledgeth the multitude of Churches he reproueth the error of the Donatistes which had contracted the church of God only into a litle corner of Affrike as though it now had no where place but with them which vtterly ouerthroweth the propriety of the Church namely to be Catholike or vniuersall for it is spread abrode thoroughout all places although euery where be found an incredible smal nomber of them that beleue truly Ireneus also and Tertullian for no other cause appealed to the testimonies of many Churches but for that they had to deale agaynst those heretickâ—s which receaued not the holy scriptures but vsed them maymed vitiated and corrupted as semed good vnto them and therefore to reproue theyr vanity he referred them to the old Churches where the scriptures had ben kept sincere and vncorrupt Last of all is declared what preachers ought to set forth vnto the people if they wil nourish and maintaine the true faith now receaued But I say haue they not heard No doubt theyr sound went ouâ— thoroughout all the earth and theyr woordes into the endes of the worlde But I say haue they not heard When he had reproued the Iewes of incredulity and had shewed that messeÌ„gers were sent vnto them which brought vnto them glad â—idinges of peace whome they beleued not he saw that peraduenture they would excuse them selues that they had not heard How sayth he can ye so say seing that the Gospell is now euery where published abrode He had reproued theyr ignoraunce and the more to aggrauate it he declareth that they could not pretend that they had not heard No doubte theyr sound wente out throughout all the earth By these woordes is shewed that the Gospel was nowe euerye where preached But some thinke that Paul séemeth here to abuse Dauids woordes when as in that place is entreated of the knowledge of God by creatures gotten by the lighte of nature for therto séemeth the scope of the Psalme to tend as touching the first parte thereof For in the other part it entreateth of that knowledge whiche is had by the law or by the scripture for straight waye at the beginning he saith that the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament or sky set foorth the woorkes of God So that although in heauen are not words nor speaches and albeit that those higher orbes séeme to be without voyce yet notwithstanding is euery where heard theyr speach The Chaldy Paraphrast aptly expresseth this trope or figure for he saith that they which looke vp into heauen do declare abroad the glory of God and they which looke vp vnto the sky do setfoorth his workes signifieng that these creatures indéede speake not but allure vs to speake and to confesse God In Hebrue is not written Theyr sound The Seuenty haue thus turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in Hebrue is written Canam and Can signifieth a line a rule or leuell Neither any other thing can thereout be gathered but yâ— there is séene noted euery where sure rule of the making of the celestiall orbes and that their mouinges succession of their reuolutions is regurall and infallible Wherfore without all doubte the speach of the heauens setting forth their creator is most excellent wherby men are instructed touching many most excellent and most honest senteÌ„ces Cicero in his oration for Milo mencioneth many thinges of the constante order
it is vnpunished it hath nothing in it that is good but so soone as punishment is inflicted vpon it forasmuch as that punishment is a parte of iustice sinne is thereby at the least somewhat restrained and brideled from ranging any farther abroade whiche thing also is profitable vnto wretched sinners Wherfore if we will iudge vprightlye the martyrs in so prayinge prayed rather for them then againste them Neither also were it absurde if they shoulde pray for the end of the world wherein they had suffred such great euils that impiety may once at the length haue an ende Althoughe I thinke not that all the elders are of Tertullian thought that we should pray for the prolongyng of the end of the world Why they prayed for the prolonging of the ende of the world this mind that we should pray for the end of the worlde when as rather contrariwise Tertullian in his apology saith that Christians in theyr congregations praye for the prolonging of the end of the world And in the same place he writeth that our men by the prescript of the holy scriptures prayed not only for Emperors but also for the long preseruation of the the world For after this monarchy of the Romanes as Paul writeth vnto the Thessalonians shall come Antichrist and the end Wherfore some of the saintes prayed that the time might be prolonged partly that the tribulatioÌ„ which should come through Antichrist might be differred and partely that the Children of election might be gathered together The Gréeke Scholies write that those holy martyrs prayed against the deuill that his power might at the length be brideled or brought to an ende And thus much touching Augustines opinioÌ„ who was also of the same minde against Faustus where he sayth These things which we read in the Prophets seeme to be wordes of execration of such as foretell or forespeake and not the desires of such as pray But as touching this thinge I thinke this to be true that when there is an enemy whiche both wisheth euell vnto vs and also to the vttermost We must make a distinction of the cause why our enemies haâ—e vs â–ª Distinction oâ— yâ— persoÌ„s which vse imprecatioÌ„s of his power worketh euell against vs we firste of all make a distinction of the cause wherfore he hateth vs. For either it is our proper cause humane and ciuill or els it is because he hateth God and his truth Secondly that we make a distinction of the men for some are led by an accustomed affection of theyr own and other some are moued of God who reuealeth vnto them both what he wil do in what state the wicked are stirreth theÌ„ vp to speake the things which they speak nether is this in the meane time to be passed ouer yâ— the euils which we praye for are ether teÌ„poral or eternal These distinctioÌ„s considered this we say yâ— if it be our own cause only therin we ought to be patient long suffring mild Blesse curse Distinction of the â—uils which we pray for In our own cause we ought to be patient not the scripture coÌ„maundeth vs. We ought also to pray for them that persecute vs. God hath created vs men let vs not spit out the venome of serpentes and forasmuch as we are meÌ„ let vs not suffer our selues to be changed into wild beasts They which hurt vs are madde and are moued with furies and therfore are worthy rather of compassion then vengeaunce or imprecations The mouth is geuen vnto vs to helpe and remedy things and not that we shoulde with it curse han Otherwise God will say vnto such execrations I haue commaunded thée to pray for thine enemies why doost thou now then irritate me against them Wilt thou An example of a priest of Athens haue me to be a helper to thée to transgresse my lawes and to be thine hangman A certaine woman priest of Athens coulde not be perswaded to curse Alcibiades for she said that she was placed in the priesthoode to pray for men and not to curse them And amongst the Romanes it was not lawfull for the high prieste of Iupiter to sweare for that oftentimes the ende and conclusion of an othe is execration for they say let this or that fall vpon me vnles I performe this or that And séeing it In our own cause we must vse prayers not exâ—cratioÌ„s In Gods cause it is lawfull somtymes to vse imprecations Our cause iâ— somtimes nerely ioyned with gods cause In imprecations we must beware of the incitation of the flesh We must â—e ioyne sinne from the nature of him that sinneth How it is lawfull to wishe temporal afflictions vnto sinners A maÌ„ may sometymes wish temporall euill things vnto himselfe was not lawfull for the priest to curse himselfe muche les was it lawfull for him to curse others Wherfore if the cause be our owne we ought not to vse execrations but rather prayers compassion and blessing but wheÌ„ Gods cause is in hand and that this our anger commeth by reason of sinnes and wicked actes there is no thing to let but that the godly may sometimes vse imprecations in such manner as we shall expresse And it oftentimes happeneth that our cause is ioyned wyth the glory of God and is so ioyned that it cannot be disseuered therefro but onely by diligent and attentiue consideration As if a minister of the church sée himselfe coÌ„temned and derided although oftentimes he contemne his owne dignity yet notwithstanding neither can he nor ought he quietly to suffer yâ— worde of God which he ministreth to be contemned For which cause the prophets semed many times to be very wroth for that theyr messages and prophesies were derided Wherfore I graunte that in this case both imprecations and cursinges maye iustly be vsed Howbeit this I thinke good to admonish you of that here we go warely to worke for our flesh is wonte oftentimes vnder the pretence of Gods glorye and honor to fight and to braule for our owne honor and estimation Moreouer this is not to be neglected that we very diligentlye seioyne sinnes from nature and that in anye wise we wish well vnto nature it selfe that is vnto men but let vs curse and hate sinnes And forasmuch as it oftentimes happeneth that men after that they haue bene by some afflictions and punishmentes corrected do repente therefore if vnto wicked men beinge straungers from God and transgressors of hys lawes we sometimes wishe some discommodities and aduersities of the fleshe to the ende they maye féele the wrath of God I sée nothynge but that we maye so doe Thys thing without doubte we maye sometime wishe vnto our selues and that iustly that God should rather afflict and scourge vs then to suffer vs to fall into sinnes or if we sinne that he would at the least by these meanes call vs home againe And if we may wish these and such like things vnto our selues why should we not wish
oliue tree against nature neither in this respect are miracles done eyther besides nature or agaynst nature But if we looke vpon the proprieties and qualities of things both miracles are not according to nature yea rather they are repugnant vnto it and men are contrary to nature called backe to true piety and grafted into a good tree Wherefore Augustine aptly said that to haue possibility to beleue is of nature but to beleue is of grace I knowe that there are some which in this place referre contrary to nature this way that the spirituall grafting in is contrary to the naturall grafting in which men according to yâ— rules of husbandry vse wheÌ„ as in naturall grafting the grafte which is grafted in bringeth forth fruite agreable to his owne sappe not to the sappe of the stock wherinto it is grafted But here the braunches of the wild oliue tree grafted into the fatte oliue tree draw their sappe whereout they bring forth good fruites not of their owne naturall plant but of that whereinto they are grafted These thinges without Braunches proper haue greater conformity to theyr owne plante then straunge plantes doubt as I haue before mencioned are true but they seme not to serue to the purpose of Paul The summe is that there is a greater conformity agreeablenes and proportion betwene braunches broken of to their owne plant then betwene straunge braunches to the selfe same plaÌ„t But because this conformity though it be neuer so nigh is not of it selfe sufficient therefore the power of of God is necessarily to be had Whiche power is sufficient to grafte in any whether they be nigh or farre of or howsoeuer they be God is able saith Iohn of these stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham And the Lord sayth Thinges which are impossible with men are possible with God The Prophets and all yâ— scriptures in a manner when any great thinges or after a sort incredible are to be looked for at Gods hands commaunde vs to consider the power of God And thereof commeth vnto the godly most swete consolation if at any time any great aduersityes hange ouer their heddes for they doo not easely feare the power of their aduersaries which set before their eyes the power of their heauenly father And hereof it commeth that the Church when it prayeth for helpe at Gods In the beginnyng of prayers are well put these words almighty God The power of God extendeth farther theÌ„ his will How an argument a posse ad esse is in this place of force hands alwayes in a manner in the beginning of their prayers hath these two wordes Almighty God Neither is this to be passed ouer that it commeth to passe farre otherwise in vs then in God both in all other thinges in a maner and also in this thing chiefly For in vs the will extendeth a great deale farther then the power when as oftentimes we will very many thinges which yet we are not able to performe But it is cleane contrary with God for he is able to do many more thinges then he will For the Father coulde haue geuen vnto his sonne which was euen at the point to be crucified eleuen legions of Angels which should straight way haue deliuered him but he would not But if a maÌ„ say that it is not a strong argument a posse ad â—sse as the Logicians vse to speake that is from possibility to being and therefore Paul ought not to conclude that the Iewes shal be grafted in againe for that God is able to performe that thing for besides power is also required will We answere that here can no controuersy be made touching his will for that he is redy to do them good the promises the couenant which he made and the benefits which he bestowed vpon their elders playnly declare Further if he would graft in the Gentles being straungers why should we doubt but that he will one day bestow the A similitude like benefit vpon the Iewes Wherefore this we may affirme that the nation of the Iewes is at this tyme like vnto the roote of some good tree in the tyme of winter which roote if one that hath no skill looke vpon he will soone contemne plucke vp and burne it if it lye in him But a skilfull husbandman will say that it ought to be spared and will be more carefull to cherishe it for he knoweth that when the time commeth he shall haue thereof leaues flowers God hath not extinguished the Iewes but daily calleth some of theÌ„ fruites So vndoubtedly doth God deale with the Iewes he extinguisheth not that stocke but oftentimes out of it calleth some vnto him and towardes the end of the world looketh for great plenty of his elect to come thereout Not that any holynes is to be attributed vnto that stocke or generation if it be considered by it selfe for as we haue already twise admonished as touching it selfe it is condemned and obnoxious vnto the curse Which thing Paul acknowledged when he sayd We are by nature the children of wrath as others are But when these excellent things are spoken in the commendation of the nation of the Iewes vnto it is adioyned the fauor of God and his promise and couenant which yet burst not forth into acte but only as touching the elect Of which things yet there appeare Certain tokens of the nobilitie of the natioÌ„ of the Iewes some markes in others for they are studious of the law and of the word of God although they vnderstand it not rightly and as Paul sayd They haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge which things although vnto them they are sinnes yet is it a certaine light and shew of that nobility wherof we speake For I would not brethern that ye should be ignoraunt of this mistery least ye should be high mynded that partly blindnes is come vnto Israell vntil the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in And so all Israell shal be saued as it is written Out of Sion shall the deliuerer come shal burne away the vngodlines from Iacob And this is my testament with them wheÌ„ I shall take away their sins For I would not brethern that ye should be ignoraunt of this mistery The entent of the Apostle now is to proue that in the nation of the Iewes still remayneth séede of election which thing he doth many wayes First he setteth forth his prophesy which he calleth a mistery after that he bringeth testimonies of the Prophets then he declareth the nature of the vocation and giftes of God namely that they are without repentance last of all he teacheth that the order of thinges so requireth and he abideth long in this matter for that of the full knowledge thereof much depended the peace and quietnes of the Church at that tyme. And how much the peace and tranquillity of Churches is to be desired we may How much the tranquilitie of churches is to be be
desired easely hereof gather if we loke vpon the contrary Doubtles it is a miserable and horrible thing to sée in one and the selfe same body the members at discorde one with an other yea rather fighting one against an other And when he saith brethern and saith that he setteth forth a mistery he moueth them to geue diligent attentiuenes Mistery Chrisostome sayth in this place signifieth a thing vnknowen vnspeakeable which is full of admiration and is contrary to the opinion of men Augustine in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum when he interpreteth this place turneth mistery by this word Sacrament And touching the signification of this word mistery I finde that it is diuers in the scripture Sometymes What mystery signifieth ▪ how many significations it hath it is a secret thing and which happeneth contrary to hope and to the iudgement of our reason as Paul saith in the first to the Corrinthyans Behold I tell vnto you a mistery we shal not all slepe but we shal all be changed And vnto the Colos vnto y◠Ephe. he calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mistery Sometimes mistery signifieth that which is indéede partly knowen vnto vs but yet not perfectly but the perfect knowledge thereof is reserued till we come to our contrey where we shall be in full possession thereof and this is it which Paul sayd I speake wisdome in a mistery Of this kind are the articles of the faith which we beleue but not fully vnderstand Now we partly know but then we shall know as we are knowen Lastly that is called a mistery which setteth forth one thing vnto our sēce and ministreth vnto our minde and spirite an other thing as Paul sayth of the coopling together of the man and the wife in matrimony for it signifieth vnto vs the coniunction of Christ with the Church Neither for any other consideration are our sacraments How our sacraments are called misteries Baptisme I say and y◠Eucharist called misteries in which bread wine and water are shewed vnto the senses but farre other thinges are signified But why they ar called Sacraments it is more hard to gather Howbeit this must we know y◠amongst y◠Lattins this word Sacramētum that is a sacramēt is takē for an oth so that we reade oftentimes euen in good writers those wordes Sacramenta Sacramentum militare militaria that which signify othes pertaining to warre for they which were admitted into warre fare sware that they would manfully do whatsoeuer theyr Generall captayne commaunded them to doo for the pub welth of Rome So long as they were bound with this sacramēt or othe they could not depart from warfare and it was neuer lawfull for them to fight agaynst theyr enemies vnles they were bound by Sacramentum militare that is by the othe of warre Wherefore forasmuch as in these misteries and sacramentes and manifest simboles we are adioyned vnto the host of Christe and vnto the Church whereinto we were before thorough the spirit and fayth hiddenly grafted therfore were they called sacramentes And besides this as Varro telleth in his booke de Lingua Latina when any matter of contencion was both the playntife and A maner vsed of them which had any matter of contenciō also the defendant layd downe with the priestes a certayne summe of money and of other thinges which was layd vp in some holy place and he which had the vpper hand receaued agayne out of the holy place that which he had layd downe so that he was sayd to receaue agayne his sacrament but he which had y◠foyle was punished and the things which he had layd downe were forfeated and put into the common threasory Whereby it is manifest that a sacrament signifieth not only the inuocation of the name of God which is vsed in an othe but also a certayne bond And for that in those ceremonies which the Churche now calleth sacramentes men binde themselues vnto the ecclesiasticall society and do also addict themselues vnto God and God by them sealeth his promises therefore it semeth that they are not without good consideration called sacramentes And this is to be noted that such ceremonies are called misteries when they are taken in that third signification which we haue now mencioned But here mistery pertaineth vnto the first for the Apostle now openeth that whiche was hidden vnto humane reason and should come to passe contrary to the opinion of the Gentiles For when they saw the Iewes such enemies vnto God they thought that they should neuer agayne be receaued Be not high minded In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which word semeth to be referred vnto prudence and wisedome so that the Latine interpreter turneth it Ne sitis sapientes apud vosmetip sos y◠is be not wise in your owne conceate Which sence Origen also followeth when he sayth that this is the wisedome which properly commeth of God whereby we are impelled not to be puffed vp agaynst our neighboures Wisdome of two sortes And he maketh mencion of an other wisedome of the fleshe whiche the Apostle now reproueth But I thinke rather that that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be trāsferred vnto the affect namely that we should not be high minded And this affect commenly hereof springeth for that men thinke y◠they haue by theyr owne strēgths gotten the giftes which they haue and thereby are stirred vp in respect of themselues to disdaine others By these wordes we may easely perceaue what the scope of the Apostle is namely to reconcile vnto the Iewes those whome he admonished Wherof springeth hautines of the minde and to take away the discord which y◠Church was infected thē with Blindnes is partly come vnto Israell Origen in expounding of these wordes somewhat digresseth whose digression I thinke it good here to touch At the beginning sayth he the most highest deuided the earth vnto the children of men according to the nomber of the Angelles so that euery nation was vnder the gouernmēt of some one Angell but the people of Israell he reserued vnto himselfe as peculiar and proper whome he would by himselfe gouern These thinges it semeth he tooke out of the booke of deut the 32. chapiter according to the translation of the 70. interpreters for there they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is according to the nomber of the angelles of God But in the Hebrew it is not so for in the Hebrew it is written Lemitpar bene Ischraell that is according to the nomber of the children of Israell That the Angelles as ministers gouerne diuerse regions I deny not but that can not Angels are ouer diuers regions by that place be proued but rather it may be proued by Daniell Further we may not thinke that God without the ministery of Angelles gouerned the Israelites for we know that he many times sent angelles vnto the Fathers and vnto God gouerned also the Israelites by aungels God excluded
argument that he should be God when as it belongeth vnto him only to forgeue sinnes Men may indede remitte the punishmentes which they which haue sinned should suffer and not take vengeaunce of them but they are not able to blot out the sinne for the the giltines abideth still and he which hath sinned is obnoxious vnto the iustice of God Only God whome the sinner offendeth is able to blot out such guiltines Wherefore the Pharises when they saw that Christ toke away the disseases paynes of the body which are the effectes of sinnes and heard him say moreouer Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee cried out that the blasphemed for that he attributed vnto himselfe that which was proper vnto God But paraduenture Of the kayes some man will say doth God so forgeue sinnes that men may not remitte them Whereto then serue the kayes in the Church In this case by this The kayes of the churche are the worde and faith meanes is committed error for that the Papistes imagine farre other thinges of the kayes theÌ„ the word of God teacheth Christ hath left vnto the Church the kayes wherewith sinnes should be forgeuen which kayes are the word and fayth For in the word of God is set forth vnto men the promise of God whereby thorough fayth in Christ sinnes are forgeueÌ„ and he which beleueth not shall be condemned and his sinnes shall be imputed vnto him This is one kay which the Churche vseth whilest in it is both publiquely and priuately preached the word of God The other kay is fayth for if any heare and geue theyr asseÌ„t vnto these things which are set forth vnto theÌ„ they haue remission of sins And these two kayes the Euangelists haue excellently wel declared vnto vs. For in Iohn Christ breathed vpon the Apostles said Receiue ye the holy gost and whose sinnes ye forgeue c. And what he wrought by this brething spirit is declared in Luke where it is said that he had opened vnto theÌ„ the sence of the scriptures This kay also is set forth in Math. wheÌ„ Christ coÌ„maunded the apostles to go preach c. The other kay belongeth vnto the heares namely the they beleue He which beleueth shal Although the kayes be in the church yet do not men geue remission of sins Whether the old Testament and the new be vtterly diuers be saued Wherefore although the kayes be in the Church yet do not men geue remission of sinnes for the kayes are the instrumentes wherâ—by God offreth it But bycause Paul sayth out of the testimony of Esay that this is a Testament and we read the same in the 31. chapiter of Ieremy that the new couenaunt herein consisteth that the deliuerer should come and be mercifull vnto inquities there ariseth a doubt whether the new Testament and the old be diuers or no. Of which matter I haue before spoken somewhat but nowe I entend more at large to entreate thereof At the first sight they seme vtterly distinct so that the one is altogether diuers from the other for in Ieremy it is sayd that there should be a new Testament and not according to that which he made with the fathers And the epistle to the Hebrewes addeth When he sayth a new then is that abolished which was old but who seeth not but that when one thing abolisheth and maketh voyde an other thing it vtterly differeth from the same There is also an other argument for that as they say in the old testament was not forgeuenes of sinnes For the epistle vnto the Hebrewes in the 10. chap. sayth That the bloud of Goates and of oxen and of calues could not take away sinnes But in the new testament no man doubteth but that there is remission of sinnes wherefore no man will say but that the thinges which in so greate a matter differ are diuers But on the other side One the selfe same maner of iustification in eche One and the same mediator The promise of the forgeuenâ—s of sinnes of eternall lyfe is in eche The selfe same morall commaundements the selfe same signication of the sacrameÌ„ts The selfe same roote and tree The substance of either Testament is one the same the accidences differ In the olde Testament was iustification that is remissioÌ„ of sinnes this is to be considered that that fayth whereof iustification consisteth is in eyther Testament one and the same moreouer that the mediator is one and the same namely Christ Iesus one and the same promise of the remission of sinnes and of eternall life thorough him the selfe same commauÌ„dementes as touching morall commaundementes one and the same signification of the sacramentes one and the selfe same roote and plant from which some of the Iewes are cut of and we grafted in theyr place All which thinges playnly declare that eyther Testament as touching the substance or essence if I may so call it is one and the same thing although there must be granted some differences by reason of the accidences which are that Christ was there knoweÌ„ as which should come but with vs he is knowen as which is alredy come And also theyr simboles or figures were diuers from ours in forme but of like strength in signification as Augustine sayth Moreouer they had a certayne and assured pub welth for the preseruation whereof they had ciuill precepts deliuered vnto them which we haue not And finally vnto the promise of the remission of sinnes by the Messias were in the old time added a greate many other promises as of the encrease and preseruation of theyr posterity and of the possession of the land of Chanaan which promises we haue not And besides all this our sacramentes are more easy and fewer in nomber and also more manifest and extend much farther wheÌ„ as they are not shut vp in a corner as theirs were in Iewry but are spread abrode thoroughout the whole world Wherfore we may affirme that the new testament and the old are in very dede one as touching the substance and differ only in certayne accedences which we haue now mencioned But now resteth to answere vnto the two argumentes which were before brought Touching remission of sinnes we deny that it was not in the old Testament for if we consider the promise which there also was of force by it the elders were iustified For it was sayd of Abraham He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him to righteousnes as the Apostle hath declared And Dauid sayth Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered But if we looke vpon the sacramentes or ceremonies they did not remitte sinnes as touching the worke yea neyther haue out sacramentes strength so to doo But whereas Paul sayth vnto the Hebrewes that the bloud of goates oxen and calues could not take away sinnes We deny not this to be true but yet in the meane time neyther doth Paul deny but that The bloud of Christ and not the bloud
feruentnes of persecution shal waxe hot they fal away from it and therfore they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men hauing faith for a ceason Wherfore leauing all these significations in this disputacion by faith we vnderstand that firme assent which is of so great force and efficacye that it draweth with it the affect of trust hope charity lastly al good works as much as the infirmity of this present life will suffer Therefore Smithe whiche wrote a Smith an EnglishmaÌ„ an impudeÌ„t Sophister booke agaynst me of Iustification although he set it out before agaynst Luther agaynst Melancthon and speaketh much against others and seldome maketh mencion of me is herein excedingly deceaued in that he iudgeth that those are sharpely to be reproued which say that faith is a trust And he bringeth a place out of A place to the Ephe. declared the Epistle to the Ephesians the 3. chapiter where it is written By whome namely by Christ Iesus we haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is boldnes to speake and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an accesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in trust which commeth by fayth Seing therfore trust sayth he is by fayth it is not fayth Oh trimme man I promise you and a sharpe diuine which alone sawe that these two thinges namely faith and trust are two things separated What other thing in a maner ment Philip Melancthon and other our faithfull teachers when they call that fayth whereby we are iustified trust but that it is not dead that is not slouthfull that it is not a humane persuasion but so vehement an assent that it hath euen trust it selfe most inwardly nighly ioyned vnto it But I mynd not much to contend with this man All that he bableth he scrapeth out only of Eccius Pighius and other beastes of the Antichrist A dead faith iustifieth not but driueth into desperatioÌ„ This word Amen sealeth praiers of Rome and setteth them abrode as thoughe they were his owne That faith which draweth not with it trust and other holy mocions of the mind driueth men into desperation so farre is it of that it can iustifie which thing the miserable endes of Cain and Iudas do plainly testifie But that which is a firme faith continually trusteth yea it sealeth our prayers in the Church by this common and receaued word Amen among other words vsed of the faythfull Which word is deriued of this Hebrue worde Aman which I before spake of as Dauid Chimhi They whiche pray without faith do lose their labor A similitude testifieth it signifieth It shal be ratified and firme so shal the Lord bringe to passe They which pray without such a faith do lose their labour In this fayth vndoubtedly men do quiet themselues in tranquillity and vnspeakeable peace and are like vnto him which found a most ample treasure and precious pearle wherein he so contented himself that he sold all that he had to buy it Hereof came it that in the 7. Chapiter of Esay the Prophet sayd vnto the wicked king Achaz exhorting him to the true fayth Hischamar Vehischakat that is Take hede and be quiet for the Prophet would that the king should beware of incredulity and stay himself What is the property of fayth â–ª A distinctioÌ„ of workes with the word of God which is the proprietye and nature of fayth as contrariwise the nature of infidelity is to wauer and to be vnconstant For they which beleue not are caryed about with euery wynd of doctrine and opinions and are always wauering and vnconstant Wherfore in Iosua the 17. chapiter the people are reproued because their hart flowed as water and that vndoubtedly happened only by reason of their incredulity Wherefore forasmuch as hereby it now appeareth what we vnderstand by fayth and what signification of this word among many significations we followe in this question we must now speake somewhat of workes There is one kynd of worke which after the action and motion remayneth outwardly and appeareth after it is finished as the Image whiche Phidias made is called a worke and the temple at Ierusalem was called the work of Workes inward outward Salomon And after an other sort actions of men their motions depending of will and reason are called workes after this maner do we now take workes which are also soundry wayes distinct the one fromt he other For there are some which are inward as to beleue to loue to fauour to feare and to pitye other some are outward as to trauaill abrode to geue almes to preache to teache and such like Workes morall and ceremonial And of both these kinds of workes is our question ment They deuide also works into such which pertayne vnto ceremonies into such which as they call them are Workes ether go before or els follâ—w iustification morall both which kinds also doth this question comprehend Further the tyme wherein workes are wrought is to be distincted for some are done before we are iustified and haue obteyned the benefite of regeneration and other some followe and are counted as the fruites of a new lyfe and of righteousnes begon And forasmuch as we can not entreate of these latter workes as such which followe iustification we will speake only of the first for this onely is called into controuersie whether workes iustifie vs for those which follow iustification can not bring forth In thre propositions this questioÌ„ is comprehended iustification because it is alredy had These suppositions being thus set we will dissolue this whole question by three propositions which are these Iustification is not of workes Iustification is had by faith Iustification is geueÌ„ by fayth only These three thinges when we haue confirmed by reasons taken out of the holy scriptures and haue defended them from the obiections and cauillations of our aduersaries we suppose that then we haue sufficiently answered the questioÌ„ God If good workes iustefy not it commeth not thorow their default graunt and worke with vs to bring this to such effect as we desire As touchinge the first proposition when we saye that men are not iustified by workes it is not to be thought that the same happeneth thorough the default of good workes For if they coulde so be performed of vs as the law commaundeth them then should we be iustified by them for God for that he is iust as he acquiteth not the wicked so should he by his sentence iustifie such as satisfie the lawe But there is no man which can thoroughly accomplishe such workes as the lawe commaundeth As if a man should owe a thousand crownes of gold and had toward the payment therof but onely a thousand pieces of leade or brasse money vndoubtedly he shoulde not be discharged of the debte neither can he bee pronounced cleare or quitte whiche thing shoulde not happen thorough the default of the crownes of golde but through the defaulte
he writeth vnto the Gentiles Wherefore those workes which he excludeth from iustification can not be vnderstand of ceremonies for the Gentiles obserued not them But what will they say of the epistle vnto Timothe where in the second chapiter we are simply absolutely sayd to be called not for our works but according to purpose and grace Also vnto Titus He hath saued vs saith he not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to hys mercy All these thinges are so playne and manifest that they nede no interpretacion For there is no man so dull but that as sone as he once heareth these thinges easely perceaueth that they can not without greate iniury be wrested vnto the ceremonies and rites of Moses But I would fayne know of these men why they take a way the power of instifieng from the workes of ceremonies and do so easely attribute it vnto morall workes Is it not a good and laudable maner to worshipe God which certayne appoynted rites which he himselfe hath commaunded Were not the rites and sacred seruites which were at that time prescribed vnto the people of the Iewes commaunded in the ten commaundementes Vndoubtedly where the Sabaoth is commaunded to be obserued there are all these thinâ—s conteyned And eueÌ„ these selfe same Sophisters doo they not at this day attribute the forgeuenes of sinnes and collation of grace vnto theyr sacramentes as in the old testament they were attributed vnto circumcision What man of constancy is this one while to say that the rites of Moses haue no power to iustify and an other while to graunt that the same were sacramentes of the old fathers and that in circumcision originall The inconstancy 〈…〉 e Sâ—pl if â—s sinne was forgeuen vnto infantes But this affirme not we yea we rather vtterly deny that any sacraments conferre grace They doo indede offer grace but SacrameÌ„ts conferre not grace yet by signification For in sacramentes and wordes and visible signes is lette forth vnto vs the promise of God made thorough Christ which promise if we take hold of by fayth we both obteyne a greater grace then that was which before we had and with the seale of the sacramentes we seale the gifte of God which by faith we embrased But I can not inough meruayle at these men which both affirme An other cauillation and also deny one and the selfe same thing They graunte but not with any great warines as theyr accustomed maner is that they vtterly take not away from the sacraments of the elders and chiefely from circumcision the strength of iustifying but onely since the time that the Gospell was published abrode of which time only say they the contencion of Paul sprange that the rites of Moses should no more be retayned But here also according to theyr accustomed maner they are both deceiue theÌ„selues also they deceiue others For when yâ— Apostle teacheth yâ— AbrahaÌ„ was not iustified by circumcisioÌ„ but receaued it afterward being now iustified by fayth vndoubtedly he taketh away the power of iustefying from that ceremony euen also in the time of Abraham wherein it was first instituted Dauid also wheÌ„ he affirmeth that blessednes herein consisteth that sinnes should not be imputed which thing as we now reason is nothinge ells then to be iustified speaketh he of his owne time or of any other time Abacuck also when he sayth that the iust maÌ„ liueth by his fayth and excludeth workes from iustifieng as Paul manifestly expoundeth him spake he only of his owne time thinke you Vndoubtedly he spake both of our time and also of his owne time Lastly when Paul expressedly writeth vnto the Galathians in the third chapiter As many as are of the law are vnder the curse and goeth on in prouyng that sentence wherehence I beseche you seeketh he a testemony Vndoubtedly out of the law Cursed sayth he be he which abideth not in all the thinges that are written in booke of the law Seing therefore the Law so speaketh and that as Paul sayth it wrappeth in a curse all those which traÌ„sgresse An other cauillation the commaundementes thereof then followeth it of necessity that by those works which pertayne vnto it no man can be iustified But these men go to an other shifte for they say that all those which are to be iustefied are not of one and the selfe same condition For such which come to christianity are eyther of yâ— Hebreues They put a differeÌ„ce betwene those which are first conuerted vnto Christ and those which hauing sallâ—n are restored or ells of the Gentiles certayne also after they haue once receaued Christ do fall into greauous wicked crimes and haue nede againe of instauration Nowe say they the state and consideration of both these partes is not a like For they whiche haue once professed the name of a Christian when they are fallen can not recouer righteousnes but by good workes as by almes geuing teares fasting confessions and such other which preparations and merites are not required of those which from infidelity are first conuerted vnto Christ But I would first heare of these good wise men out of what place of the holy scriptures they found this theyr distinction And seing the maner of iustification is vtterly one and the selfe same and portayneth as well to the one as to the other why ought the one to come vnto it one way the other an other way Farther why do they attribute this vnto those that are fallen in Christianity by theyr workes to merite vnto themselues iustification but vnto those which come from infidelity they attribute not the same Are they whiche haue not kept fayth when they were in the Church better then the They whiche fall froÌ„ christiaÌ„ religion are of worser estate then infidels Ethnikes I thinke not vndoubtedly for they which haue once tasted of the swete word of God and do afterward fall from it are in worse estate theÌ„ the other And the seruaunt which knoweth the will of his master and doth it not is greeuoslier punished Also He which hath not a care ouer his and especially ouer his house hold the same man hath denied the fayth is worse then an infidele But they say they deny not but yâ— they which are conuerted froÌ„ infidelity may do some good workes yea and yâ— they may if they do theÌ„ after some sort deserue iustification at the lest way of congruity but that these works are alike required as well of those as of the other they deny But forasmuch as al their works as I haue ells where taught are sins how caÌ„ they do good works before God Moreouer how are not good works required of theÌ„ before they come vnto Christ are baptised WheÌ„ as none which are regenerate by Christ caÌ„ beleue truly vnles he earnestly repent him of his former wicked life For he abouÌ„daÌ„tly bewaileth the sins of his former life confesseth yâ— he hath greauously erred
Augustine expouÌ„ding this place out of yâ— first epistle of Iohn Perfect charity casteth out feare sayth that this seruile feare is not vnprofitable for euen as a bristle being put by the shoomaker A similitude draweth the threade after it so this feare draweth with it charity As touching yâ— first I answere yâ— their grouÌ„d is false namely that God hath euer in any place coÌ„maunded such a feare which wanteth charity faith Which thing I know right wel these meÌ„ are neuer able to find But as touching Augustine we answer yâ— in yâ— A place of Iohn place of Iohn Herein is charity perfect in vs that in the day of iugdemeÌ„t we haue coÌ„fideÌ„ce for as he is eueÌ„ so are we In this world there is no feare in charity but perfect charity casteth out feare by charity is not to be vnderstaÌ„ded our loue towardes God but yâ— loue of God towardes vs. For he speaketh of perfect charity such a one as we haue not in this life And yâ— meaning of Iohn is that after yâ— we are perswaded of the perfect loue of God wherewith he embraseth vs we haue confideÌ„ce that in yâ— day of iudgemeÌ„t we shal be in safety And this perfect charity of God after we once know it casteth out feare bicause it suffreth vs not to feare Wherefore that interpretacion of Augustine touching our loue towards God maketh nothing to the purpose But suppose that Iohn spake of our loue towardes God as that place is commonly taken In that sence also may the wordes of Augustine be true but yet not vniuersally Charity doth not alwayes follow a seruile feare that charity alwayes followeth such feare for we know yâ— it otherwise happened in Cayn and Iudas but only in men which are to be iustified For God vseth this meane first to perce them with greate feare of theyr sinnes and then by it to bring them vnto fayth and charity In the meane time yet we nothing doubt How a seruile feare is called profitable but that that feare is sinne Howbeit the sayd feare may be called profitable not worthely or of his owne nature but bicause of the order instituted by God whose will is so to vse it to our saluation And this thing also we adde that that charity the more it increaseth in vs so much the more and more doth it cast forth feare not only seruile feare but also the feare which men that are iustified haue For whosoeuer is thoroughly perswaded of the loue of God towardes him can neuer feare his owne damnation For that doubting whereby we feare eternall punishments is sinne And yet that doubt somewhat alwayes sticketh in our mindes for we neuer in this life beleue so much as we ought nor so much as we should And by reason of this weakenes of charity wherewith we should loue our neighbour and also by reason of the infirmity of the perswasion whereby we ought to beleue in God so long as we are in this life we neuer cleane put of all this vicious feare This also they take and obiect agaynst vs Aske and ye shall receaue Seke and ye shall finde How this is to be vnderstand Aske and â—e shall receaue knocke and it shal be opened vnto you But they oughte to remember that prayers procede from fayth and cleane vnto it only For otherwise they can not be heard But I meruayle why they lefte this vnspoken of Whatsoeuer ye shall aske beleuing it shal be geuen you For by these wordes it appeareth that whatsoeuer is geuen vnto them yâ— aske is geuen vnto fayth Hereunto also they adde a sentence out of Luke Geue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you Geue almes and all thinges shal be cleane vnto you But these wordes may be expounded thrée maner of wayes of which yet neuer a one serueth for theyr purpose The first way is to say yâ— that kind of speach was any Irony as if Christe should haue sayd vnto the Pharisies ye geue almes and ye thinke straight way that all things are cleane vnto you Whiche is not so for we ought first to make cleane those thinges which are within An other way is which Augustine followeth in his Encheridion to Laurentius Certayne had perswaded themselues that if they gaue almes they should be saued though they ceassed not froÌ„ sinning And theyr chiefest anker hold was these wordes of Christ Augustine answereth that those wordes of Christ are to be vnderstand of the true and approued almes of which is written in Ecclesiasticus the 30. chapiter Haue compassion of thy soule and please God Wherfore thou oughtest to beginne true almes at thine owne selfe that hauing compassion of thy selfe thou mayest be conuerted vnto God and ceasse of from sinnes and afterward haue compassion of others And the third way is this which in my iudgement more agréeth vnto the purpose Christ being at dinner with the Pharisies began to eate with vnwashed handes for which thing when they were offended Christ began to reproue theyr ignoraunce which would haue theyr dishes hands and all outward thinges made cleane and beawtiful but as touching that which they had inwardly that is in theyr mind they were nothing careful Wherfore he first exhorteth them to purifye the hart which is inwardly whiche thing is done by fayth For in the Actes it is written By fayth purifieng theyr hartes Afterward as touching outward thinges he addeth Geue almes and so all thinges shal be cleane vnto you Farther as Theodorus Beza a man of greate learning and iudgemeÌ„t hath in his adnotations very well considered Christ spake not of all maner of cleanes but of that which pertayneth vnto meate whereunto Christe applieth a double commaundement one is that they should eate nothing gotten by rapine or stealth an other is that of those thinges which are within that is which are contayned in the dishes somewhat should be taken out for the almes of the poore whereby what soeuer is left might be clensed and sanctified But of all this there is nothing which furthereth our aduersaries opinion There are others which thinke to establishe this theyr error by the ministery of the kayes by which other thinke that men are absolued from sinnes But they are farre deceaued for they vnderstand not what What be the kayes that are deliuered vnto the Church those kayes are which Christ hath commended vnto the Church The preaching of the word of God touching the remission of sinnes to be obteined by Christ is the only kay to open the kingdom of heauen And if he which heareth this word do also adioyne a true fayth and geue ful assent vnto those wordes then commeth also yâ— other kay With these two kayes is the kingdome of heauen opened and the forgeuenes of sinnes obteyned Wherefore Christ sending forth his Apostles sayd Go ye and preach the Gospell Then he addeth He which beleueth shal be saued By these few wordes he expressed the kayes which he deliuered vnto the
Church In which Many sinnes are forgeuen her bicause she hath loued much wordes thou shalt find no worke wrought as they cal it For Christ spake only of the hearers of the word of God which is preached But how shal we at the lēgth confute this sentence which is neuer out of theyr mouth Many sinnes are forgeuen her bicause she hath loued much If the place be diligently cōsidered it wil be an easy matter to doo We ought to know that some reasons are taken of the causes and some of the effectes Christ a few wordes afterward sheweth the cause of saluation when he sayd vnto the wooman Thy fayth hath made thee safe But bycause that fayth was hidden in her minde neither could it be sene of those which were present therefore putting forth a parable he sheweth that they loue more which receaue greater gifts of any And that this wooman receaued a very greate gifte that is iustification he sheweth by the effectes namely bycause she washed his feete with her teares and wiped them wyth her heare because she kyssed them because she annoynted them Which thinges forasmuch as that Pharisey did not it may be a very greate token or signe that he had not receaued the like gifte Not the hearers of the law shal be iustified but the doers They cite also out of this epistle vnto the Romanes Not the hearers of the law shal be iustified but the doers But Paul in that place when he reproued the Iewes bycause when they had receaued the law and boasted therof yet they liued contrary to the law ment therby nothing ells but that if righteousnes were to be sought for by the law it is not sufficiēt either to haue it or to heare it but it behoueth also in actes and dedes to performe it Which thing we neuer denied that a man may be iustified by the law if he can perfectly and fully accomplishe it But forasmuch With feare and trembling work your saluation how it is to be vnderstand as the same is by no meanes possible we say that by it righteousnes can not be hoped for That also which they obiect out of the epistle vnto the Phillippians with feare and trembling worke your saluation nothing helpeth them Vndoubtedly they which know that they haue all that they haue from God are of a moderate and humble minde and are euer more afrayd of themselues For they se that in themselues there is nothing that is good but that helpe is to be looked for at the handes of God only And therfore Paul biddeth a godly man alwayes to feare and tremble But they which thinke that it lieth in theyr owne power to iustifie and saue themselues such as are those which in this matter contend agaynst vs they I say haue nothing that they nede to be aferd of or to tremble for For they boast that theyr saluation consisteth in themselues Which saluation though Paul doo in this place name yet he therby vnderstandeth not iustification For he writeth vnto those which were alredy before iustified Wherfore this place maketh nothing for them But Paul meaneth by saluation that renuyng by which we alwayes profit A place of the Apoc. Beholde I stand at the dore and knocke and go forward to things better and better Lastly as though now they had gotten the victory they obiect this out of the third chapiter of the Apocalips Behold I stand at the dore and knocke And if any man open vnto me I will enter in and suppe with him But we plainly affirme that by these wordes is signified That God at the beginning calleth and stirreth vp and instigateth vs to saluation vnto which no man can by hys owne strengths be led wyth out the impullsion of God But that we of our owne accord wythout the Grace of God penetrating and changing y◠mind can open our harte vnto God we vtterly deny neither can these men euer proue it by the holy scriptures But because we haue certain aduersaries which passe very little or els nothing at all vpon the holy scriptures but measure al their religiō by fathers and counselles so that they may rather be called Patrologi then Theologi and that which is more intollerable they gather certaine prety sentences out of y◠writings of the Fathers and obtrude thē vnto the people and the easlier to obscure the truth and to blinde poore simple men they adde taunting speaches especially forasmuch as certaine of thē thinke themselues cōning craftes men in rethoricall speach and haue in that kinde of study spent the greatest part of theyr time I shal desire the indifferent reader not to iudge any thinge rashly against the truth but rather attentiuely to consider those thinges which we also will alleadge out of the fathers for by that meanes he shall easly vnderstand that the fathers make not so much on our aduersaries side as they do on ours But least we should alleadge any A methode in cityng of the fathers sentence out of the Fathers confusedly and rashly we will vse a methode or compendious way which methode that it may the easlier be vnderstand it shal be good first to put forth a demonstration or a certain proofe out of those testimonies of the holy scriptures which we haue before cited Whiche shal be in this manner They which do worke according to the prescript of the law that is as the very law requireth are iustified by works But none especially before regeneration can do such workes as the law requireth Wherfore none are iustified by workes The maior or first proposition is so plaine that it néedeth no exposition For he whiche doth any thing contrary to that which the law prescribeth vndoubtedly committeth sin fo farre is it of that he can thereby be made iust But the minor or second proposition although it be proued by testimonies of the scriptures yet wil we also declare by the Fathers Farther seing the conclusion is that iustification is not of works it must then of necessity be of grace Wherefore secondly we will shew out of the Fathers that men are iustified fréely and without all consideration of merites And because we reiect not good woorkes but say that in their place they are to be had in estimation as which by a most straight bond follow iustification alreadye obteyned we will lastly teach this also out of the sayings of the fathers That good workes follow iustification but go not before And those places will we chieflye cite out of the fathers which are founded vpon the holy scriptures And first commeth in place Basilius who in his firste booke de Baptismo bringeth Basilius these wordes out of the Gospell Many shall say in that day Lord in thy name we haue prophesied we haue caste out deuilles we haue done many miracles But these men saith he God will not onely cast out of his kingdome but also call them woorkers of iniquitie Wherfore they which worke
false doctrine But this man vndoubtedly is so farre besides him selfe that he sayth that this was lawfull for the Fathers to do For in his booke de votis which not many yeares ago he set abrode he sayth that Augustine in his booke de Bono viduitatis whereas he writeth that their matrimonies which had vowed a vow of virginity or of sole life are true mariages not adulteries wrote the same for no other end but to perswade Iuliana the widow vnto whome he wrote the booke that mariages in generall are not euill And so in Gods name he confesseth that Augustine setteth forth one false doctrine to ouerthrow an other false doctrine And with the like wisedōe in the same booke he fayneth that Clemens Alexandrinus wrote that Paul had a wife which he thinketh to be most false only to proue that mariage is good and honorable And if it be lawfull so to mingle true thinges with false and to confound all thinges when then shall we beleue the Fathers What thing can at any time be certaine vnto vs but that we may be deceaued by them Farther he fayneth that Paul excluded from iustification only workes of the law But this we haue before aboundantly confuted and haue taught that the reasons of Paul are generall Yea the Fathers saw euen this also For Augustine in many places affirmeth that Paul entreateth not only of ceremoniall works but also of morall works But bycause the authority of Augustine is I can not tell by what meanes suspected vnto our aduersaries Ierome also was of the opinion that not only ceremoniall works are to be excluded from iustification let vs se what Ierome sayth He vnto Clesiphon agaynst the Pelagians vpon these wordes By the workes of the law no flesh shal be iustified thus writeth By cause thou thinkest this to be spokē of the law of Moses only and not of all the commaundements which are conteyned vnder this one name law the selfe same Apostle sayth I consent vnto the law of God There are others also of the Fathers which teach the same but I now ouerpasse them Let it suffice to shew that this other fayned inuētion of Smith is vaine and trifling Thirdly he sayth that they ment to exclude workes as he calleth them penal namely those woorkes I suppose which men repentant doo but to shew how rediculous this is also shall nede no long declaration For first such workes were required of men not that by them they should be iustified before God but only to approue themselues vnto the Church namely lest they should by a fayned and dissēbled repentance seke to be reconciled Farther it is not very likely that Paul spake of any such workes For they were not at that time in vse In dede Ambrose when he excludeth woorkes frō iustification hath hereunto once or twise a respect But we ought not so much to consider what one or two of the Fathers say but what agréeth with the holy scriptures Smith addeth moreouer that it is certayne that God requireth much more of vs then fayth For in Marke it is thus written Repent ye and beleue Here sayth he vnto fayth is adioyned repentāce And in an other place He that beleueth and is Baptised shal be saued He addeth also that in the epistle to the Ephesians the Church is sayd to be sanctified with the lauacre of water in the word And that Peter in his 3. chap. of his first epistle sayth That Baptisme hath made vs safe Ierome also thus writeth vpon the first chapiter of Esay The lauacre of regeneration only remitteth sinnes Behold sayth he iustification and remission of sinnes is ascribed not only vnto fayth but also vnto the sacraments As touching the first we graunt that Christ requireth more of vs then faith For who doubteth but that he will haue men that are iustified to liue vprightly and to exercise them selues in God requireth more of men then faith all kindes of vertues otherwise they shall not come vnto eternall saluation But these are fruites of fayth and effectes of iustification and not causes But as touching the sacramēts we haue many times taught how iustification is to be attributed vnto them For they are in the same respect vnto it as is the preaching of the Gospel and the promise concerning Christ which is offred vnto vs vnto saluation And very oftentimes in the Scriptures that which belongeth vnto the thing is ascribed vnto the Sacrament or signe And bicause Baptisme promiseth remission of sinnes by Christ and signifieth it and sealeth it in them which are washed therfore Ierome of all other sacraments attributeth this vnto it only Wherefore the wordes of the Fathers ought nothing to moue vs when as they thus write That fayth alone is not sufficient vnto saluation For they vnderstand that of eternall saluation vnto which we come not except some fruite follow our fayth But of theyr sayings we ought not to gather the a man is not iustified by faith only And though at any time those selfe same fathers seme to referre theyr wordes vnto iustification yet are they to be vnderstand that theyr meaning was to expresse the nature of the true and iustifieng fayth For it in very dede is neuer alone but hath euer hope and charitie and other good workes as companions Sometimes also by iustification they vnderstand the righteousnes which cleaueth vnto vs of which it is moste certayne that it consisteth not of fayth only They thinke also that this maketh agaynst vs for that Paul writeth vnto the Romanes By hope ye are made safe Neyse The righteousnes which cleaueth vnto vs consisteth not of faith only they that hope is there taken for the last regeneration which we hope we shall one day obteyne in our countrey For the Apostle a litle before spake of it And vndoubtedly we possesse that saluation onely in hope not as yet in very déede If there be any paraduenture whō this most iust and most true solution wil not satisfy let him follow the interpretation of Origen For he vppon that place sayth that hope is there put for faith which is no rare thing in the holy scriptures But they haue found out yet an other fond deuise whereby as much as lieth in them they goo about to lenifie this worde Only which is so often vsed of the Fathers namely that fayth only hath the beginning and as it were the first degrée of iustification which afterward is made perfect and full when other good workes come vnto it But how vayne this is Paul himselfe sufficiently teacheth For he doth not onely say that we are iustified by faith onely but also he addeth without workes Farther this also maketh against these men which is written in in the 15. chapter of wisdome To know is full righteousnes In which place it is a sport to sée how our Smith writeth himselfe First he dareth not deny the sentēce for he counteth that booke for canonicall but as he is
of it and cherefully to follow it first it is manifest that the philosophers had not a mynde renewed For they onely allowed their owne doctrines and rested themselues in them onely The wicked also haue not a mynde renewed For if a man aske them what they thinke touching the commaundementes of God if they speake as they thinke they will aunswere that they séeme vnto them hard and yrkesome and importunate Yea and the matter at y◠length proceded to such impiety that there were some which held that the law of Moses was not geuen of the true God but of an euill God such a God as they had fayned vnto themselues In this error or rather wicked impiety were the Valentinians Martionites Maniches and other pestiferous heritiques Last of all neither they also haue their mynde renewed which in sence only and wordes prayse The law of God ought to be allowed not only in sence and wordes but also in dedes and allow the law of God but in déedes do much abhorre from it Chrisostome thus readeth it That ye may allow the better thinges and then by opposition he addeth The will of God as though he should adde an interpretacion which shoulde make playne what these better thinges are namely those thinges which God willeth But that particle is not had in this place but is red in the Epistle to the Phillippians for there after this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to allow is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is better thinges Paul in these wordes setteth forth an excellent rule whereby a mynde renewed ought to be directed namely that the whole order of a mans life is to be taken out of the word of God and out of his lawes For thys is the part of true a Christian that being asked a reason of his doings whatsoeuer he do speake or meditate he aunswere that therefore he doth it for that he knoweth that it pleaseth God That the mynde of man not yet renewed can not allowe The institution of lyfe ought to be directed by the worde of God the thinges which are of God but rather ernestly resist them we may vnderstand by that which Paul before sayd The wisedom of the fleshe is enmity agaynst God for it is not subiect vnto hys lawe yea neither can it Wherefore euen as in a sicke man the tast ought first to be clensed from corrupt humors before that he cā iudge a right of his meat and drinke so in vs humane reason must néedes be purged before that it can vnderstand any thing pertayning to God and conducing to saluation Farther Paul when he exhorteth to renew the mynde séemeth to haue a respecte to that whiche he had before touched concerning those which when by humane wisedome and by the admonition of creatures knewe God yet worshipped him not as it was méete and therefore they were cast of God into a reprobate mynde Wherefore he now exhorteth vs that by a new profession of fayth we vtterly put of the olde mynde Good acceptable and perfect These thinges may be taken two maner of wayes first they may bee referred vnto the will of God as thoughe they were a certaine expressiō of his dispositiō or nature And if we follow this interpretacion thē ought we to take y◠wil of God for those things which God willeth not for y◠power or faculty wherby he willeth For so we vse to say this is my will or this or y◠mans will when as onely thereby is signified what it is y◠I will or what is that this or that man willeth So the meaning of Paul should be that those things which God willeth are good acceptable vnto him perfect Yea we cannot find those proprieties but only in those things which God willeth The other exposition is that that which is here sayd be referred wholy to y◠which went before as if Paul should say that to be transformed in newnes of mind and to allow the will of God is both good and acceptable vnto God and perfect But the first sence is both more simple semeth also more agréeable Origen vpon this place thinketh that there is one wil of God which is takē absolutely simply there is an other wil which Paul calleth good acceptable and perfect For the old law sayth he and the olde ceremonies were the will of God But they could not be called the good acceptable and perfect will of God After this maner we may say that the sinnes wherby God auengeth other sinnes are a certain wil of God but not a good acceptable and perfite wil for such sinnes we ought neyther to allow nor to desire For we wought to follow that will of God which we haue set forth vnto vs in the holy scriptures But I thinke y◠this subtelty serueth nothing to the purpose of Paul For I say thorough the grace that is geuen vnto me to euery one that is amongest you that no man presume or thinke of him selfe more then he ought For we ought to be wise vnto sobriety as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of fayth For I say thorough the grace that is geuen vnto me That which was before spoken summarily and generally Paul now declareth perticularly and by partes and more plainely setteth foorthe and profitably amplifieth By this grace geuen vnto him he vnderstandeth the office of the Apostleshippe and sayth that he was heard of God although not for his owne sake yet for his office sake which he executed He vseth the figure Metonomia whereby the cause is put for the effect For of the grace and mercy of God it was that Paul was an Apostle He sheweth also the necessity wherby the Romanes vnto whom he wrote were bound to obey his sayings And when he nameth grace he escheweth all suspicion of ambition For it signifieth that that office was fréely geuen vnto him of God For he did not thrust himself into the ministery but when he thought nothing les or rather when he persecuted the Gospell God appointed to him this office Hereby also men ought to learne how much they are bound vnto God for the pastors and ministers of Churches For God in this thing no les gratifieth the people then he doth them that be theyr rulers and theyr teachers For those giftes of God which are commonly frée gracious giftes are bestowed not so much to theyr vse vnto whome they are geuen as to the edifieng of the common body of the Church Crisostome moreouer noteth the singular modesty of Paul who as before he did set forth the mercies of God whereby to allure the Romanes to harken to the word of God so here he maketh mencion of his grace to the end those thinges which he speaketh should not be reiected I say Many haue taken this word as an exposition of those thinges which were before spoken As if Paul should say that this is the good acceptable and perfet will of God which he now
exhortation and consolation to all men In these wordes Paul most manifestly teacheth to what peculiar offices the gyft of Prophesie pertayneth in the Churche Or a ministery in ministery The want of this speach may thus be supplied whether he haue a ministery let him abide and be occupied in the ministery and wholy apply himselfe thereunto vnles paraduenture any had rather with Origen to repete that former particle namely according to the proportioÌ„ or measure of fayth let him exercise himselfe in the ministery As touching the sence Paul in these wordes No man ought to be idle in his vocaâ—ion sheweth that God will not that any man should be Idle in his vocation For as Alexander sayd to Mammea There is nothing more pernicions to a common welth then to haue thinges done by deputies Euery maÌ„ ought to labour himselfe in his vocation But what a lamentable case is it to sée in these dayes infinite ministers in the Church which boast that they are not bound to preach to fede the flocke and to gouerne the shepe of Christ when yet in the meane time they receue no small gaynes at the handes of theyr shepe He which teacheth in teaching Of this commaundemeÌ„t the Apostles haue geuen vs an excellent example when they sayd It is not mete for vs to leue the word of God and to minister at tables For forasmuch as they were appoynted of the Lord to teach the whole world they would be occupied in teaching He which exhorteth in exhortacion These two to teach and to exhort are To teach to exhort are diuers of very nigh affinity the one to the other And sometimes ech is geuen to one and the same man But sometimes and for the most part they are deuided For a man shall sée some teach aptly and most playnly set forth thinges most subtle and perspicuously expound thinges that are obscure which selfe men yet in exhortatacioÌ„s are very vnapt There are others which haue a wonderfull dexteritie and efficacy in exhortacions which yet of all men are most vnapt to teach By the woordes of the Apostle to the Cor. a litle before alledged we sée how the giftes of the prophesie are distinguished â–ª First he sayth He speaketh edification which pertayneth to doctrine secondly exhortacion namely whereby men are stirred vp to doo good and to eschew euill thirdly is put consolation For oftentimes it commeth to passe Thre parts of prophecy that some are broken in aduersities which by that meanes may seme redy either to dispayre or to fall away frome the truth Wherefore it is necessary that they be holpen by consolation This part Paul here prosecuteth not I thinke therfore for that he comprehendeth it vnder exhortacion And how much publike teachinges and exhortacions were vsed in the old time in the Church we may gather out of that 14. chapiter to In the sinagoge of the Iewes these offices of prophecy were vsed the Corinthians Yea neither were these thinges euer entermitted in the sinagoges of the Iewes so often as there was had an holy assembly Which may here by be proued for that vnto Christ when he was set downe in the sinagoge was deliuered a booke to expound somewhat thereof vnto the people And when Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch as Pisidia as it is writteÌ„ in the 13. chapiter of the Actes and were come to the sinagog with the rest of the Iewes the ruler of the sinagog sayd vnto them If ye haue any word of consolation for the people say on He that distributeth let him do it with simplicity Here is touched the office of deacons as they were at that time and ought also to be in our time Theyr office was to destribute to the poore the almes and oblations of the faythfull Let theÌ„ doo theyr office sayth he with simplicity Let them conueighe nothing away by craft or by euill practises For noughty and deceatefull men when they haue the chardge of common receauinges of mooney doo nothing simply but vse wonderfull The office of Deacons guiles and subtletie The faultes Paul willeth to be remooued away from this kind of ministery Others thinke that the geuing ought to be done simply that is without any regard to get the prayse of men which some seke for in the distribution of other mens almes But the first interpretacion in my iudgement semeth more apt He that ruleth with diligence Although I doubt not that there were many kindes of gouermeÌ„t in the Church yet to confesse the truthe this as I thinke may most aptly be vnderstanded of those which were called praesbiteri that is elders not of these which had the charge of the woord and of doctrine but of those which The office of the elders were appointed as helpers to the pastors They as men of the wiser sort endewed with a greater zeale and piety were chosen out of the Laytie Their office was chiefely to se vnto discipline and to looke what euery man did and in euery house famely to se what euery man neded either as touching the soule or as touching the body For the Church had his elders or if I may so speake his senate which as time required prouided for all thinges mete and profitable Paul describeth thys kind of ministery not only in this place but also in the first to Timothe For thus he writeth The elders are worthy of double honour especially they which labour in the word in doctrine In which words he semeth to signify there are some praesbiteri which teach and set forth the woord of God and there are others which although they doo not this yet are they gouerners in the Church as elders This thing Ambrose left not vntouched when he expounded that place yea he complayneth that euen theÌ„ either thorough the pride or thorough the slouthfulnes of the priests they were in a maner worne away For whilest they which haue the gouerment of yâ— Church seeke to draw all thinges to themselues they diligently as much as they can labour that in that roome should be ioyned no fellow officers with theÌ„ Wherfore Paul willeth that they which haue this charge doo put to theyr diligence and expell slouthfulnes and sluggishnes He that sheweth mercy with cherefulnes This semeth to haue bene the office of widdowes of old men which were to that end maintayned of the Church to se vnto strangers and to sicke persons Vnto these he not without iust cause coÌ„maundeth cherefulnes For men weake and afflicted are much relieued if they sée their necessities holpen with cherefulnes For they which doo these thinges with an heauy and frowning loke doo seme to adde sorrow to them that are in sorrow For thereby they suspect that they are greauousome and burdenous to theyr Why these giftes are called free giftes brethern By meanes wherof they are oftentimes brought to that poynt that they count death much better theÌ„ that life Thus much hath Paul spokeÌ„ of the
other with mutual benefites For of our owne accord we loue both our children and brethen although they haue not bound vs vnto theÌ„ by any theyr benefit to vs ward And forasmuch as these things ought to be obserued in christiaÌ„ loue therfore Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although it come not of nature but of the spirite of God and of grace And how much the consideration of brotherhoode is of force to stirre vp loue betwene The loue of brethren is of great efficacy Christian men we are taught by the example of Moses For he the next day after that he had slayne the Egiptian when he went to visite the Hebrues and saw a certayne Hebrew doing iniury to an other Hebrew as S. Stephan reciteth the history sayd vnto them Ye are bretherne why doo ye in this sorte iniury one an other The force of this affect Ioseph also declareth For he when he ment vpon the sodayne to reconcile himselfe to his brethren who had solde to be a bondman sayde vnto them I am your brother Ioseph And so soone as he had spoken that he could not restrayne him selfe from teares So great is the force of this affect with the godly Neither is the mutuall loue betwéene Christians without iust cause called a brotherly loue For Christ called his disciples brethreÌ„ and yâ— at that time chiefly when after his resurrection he was now endued with immortality Aristotle in his 9. booke of Ethiks wheÌ„ he entreteth of frendship Amongst brethreÌ„ saith he one and the self same thing is distributed amongst many and therefore for as much as they communicate among themselues in one and the selfe same thing they by good right loue the one the other By that one and the selfe same thing wherin brethren communicate he vnderstandeth the substaunce of the father and of the mother whereof eche haue their part The like consideration also is there betwene the faithful For as Peter sayth they are made partakers of the nature of God wherfore they ought to loue one an other as brethren which thing if they neglect to doe they are worthely called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without naturall affections Which vice as a sinne most greuous Paul in the first chapiter of this Epistle attributed to those which fell away from the true worshipping of God and were therefore deliuered of him into a reprobate minde In geuing honor â–ª go one before an other This is the proper effect of brotherly The â—ffects of honour of contempt loue that whome we loue those we labour by all meanes to honoure and in so doing we allure those whome we honour to loue vs again as contrariwise when we contemn our brethren we breake in sonder the senewes of loue and prouoke our brethren to hatred and enmities towardes vs. For what thing els is anger but a desire of vengeance sprong by reason of contempt Honor is here taken not only for a certaine outward reuerence wherby we reuerence the dignitye of our What honour signifieth neighbour but also for an outwarde helpe succor and aide wherby we help those which stand in néede So Paul admonisheth Timothe to honoure widowes And Christ reproued the Phariseis for that they contemned the precept of God which commaunded that parents should be honored when they gaue counsell to yâ— children to offer vp those things in the temple which ought rather to haue ben bestowed towards the relief of their parents And of how great force the neglecting of this kinde of helpe towardes our brethren is to stirre vp hatred and enmities we The neglecting of our brethren stirreth vp contentioÌ„s may gather out of the Actes of the Apostles For straight way in the primitiue Churche there arose a grudge for that the widowes of the Gréekes were contemned in the daily ministery Hereunto Christ exhorted his when he willed that they should not prease for the first roomes in the sinagoges and that being bidden to feasts they should sit downe in the lowest rowme This worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in this text may haue a double sense by reason of the diuers significatioÌ„ of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For sometimes it is taken for existimo or reputo that is to estéeme or make accompt of And so the sence shall be let euery man thinke that others are more worthy of honour then him selfe As to the Philippians in the. 2. Chapiter it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in humblenesse of minde euery man esteeming others better then him selfe And sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth nothing els but to be a captaine and to goe before And so the sense is let euery one of you preuent the other with honour and suffer not himself to be preuented Not slouthfull to doe seruice For as much as these things which he hath now reckened vp ought not slenderly to be put in vre therfore Paul sayth therein we must doe our diligence And the slouthfulnes which he commaundeth to be put away is that slownes in executyng of offices whereby men declare that they doe those things which they do grudgingly From which fault they are cleare which doe it with such cherefulnes and willingnes that sometimes they contemne euen their own commodities In suÌ„me Paul requireth that we loue not only in words but also in very dede and with an effectual endeuor and that we be not professors of this Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all in words but nothing in dedes which thing was reproued in diuers wise men amongst the Ethnikes Feruent in spirite Those things which he hath now made mention of for that they bring with them troubles lothsomnes laboures and costes therefore commonly seme irksome vnto the fleshe Wherfore Paul requireth that we suffer not our selues to be seduced by the flesh but rather that we be feruent in spirite Men neither hot nor colde highly displease God I would to God sayth he thou wert either hot or colde but for that thou art luke warme and neither hot nor colde I will begin to spew thee out of my mouth This word spirit may here signifie two things either the power and instincte of God or els our soule And it is doubtfull whether sense Spirit somtymes signiâ—eth our soule we ought here to sollow And that spirite sometimes signifieth our soule it may be gathered by many places of the scriptures For it is written blessed are the pore in spirite Againe he bowed downe his head and yelded vp the spirite â–ª Againe that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord. Again that it may be holy both in body and in spirite Againe the body without the spirite is dead Againe Christ went to the spirites whiche were in prison Howbeit I graunt that this word spirite hath either signification And I here thinke that it hath either signification namely bothe our soule and also the power of the spirite of God
siluer but that he left only a paterne of perfection vnto them which so order their life as he did who forsaking all that he had folowed Christ that he might the redylier serue him But these men should remember that not only examples but also commauÌ„demeÌ„ts Commaundement is geuen to the ministers of the church not to haue the sword nor dominion make on our side For Christ sayth The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them but so shall not ye And these words are to be vnderstanded singularly and perticularly of the Apostles and of ministers and not of all men vniuersally For cityes and kingdomes can not be gouerned without a Magestrate Peter also coÌ„maundeth the gouernors of the Church not to exercise dominion ouer the flocke But let vs sée by what reasons these men pretende the vsurpation of the sworde Cityes and prouinces say they are by this meanes the better gouerned Héere I néede not much to trouble my selfe to make answere Let vs loke vpon the Cities which are vnder Bishops how much holyer and purer they are then others Verily By what light arguments the Popes and â—ishops defend their sword for as much as they can not by themselues gouerne and order things they substitute deputyes and iudges and those whome they call Officials But they geue themselues to deceites and to wicked practises and to most filthy gaines no les then other most vile iudges which are placed in the ciuill Magistrateship An other reason is for that say they in this yron and most corrupt age men are not led by the zeale of piety nor by the spirite as they were in times past in the primitiue Church it is expedient that they be kept vnder by force and by the sword Amit it were so But Princes can by their sword kepe vnder the wicked and especially at this time when as Princes are Christians and professe one and the selfe same fayth with vs but whome I beseche you haue they by theyr sword made the better Vndoubtedly the state of Christianity was neuer in worse case then it hathe bene since the time that Bishops leauing the charge of the shéepe and flocke of None are â—p the sword of the Pope made better but worse These two functions do let the one the other Christ began to vsurpe the sword Further who séeth not that these two functions doe so hinder the one the other that he which exerciseth the one can not execute the other For it is an hard matter to finde one fo prompt and ready that caÌ„ rightly and orderly administer but euen one of those functions But touching this matter we haue spoken sufficiently Now resteth more diligently to consider vppon the woords There is no power but of God According to the rules of Logike it is all one as if Paul should haue sayd euery power is of God Wherefore séeing that Paul in such sort reasoneth some in vaine cauill that they should doe no reuerence to inferior maiestrates as to suche as haue the charge of cityes or are appoynted gouernors of prouinces For they think it sufficient if they be subiect to the higher powers as to Emperors and to Kings But Paul comprehendeth all maner of power For a proposition exclusiue as they vse to speake is of the same force that an vniuersall proposition is transposed or conuerted As for example Only man runneth Ergo euery thing that runneth is a man So here Only if God is power It is lawfull to appeale from the inferior magistrate to the superiour Ergo all power is of God And if all power be of God then without doubt ought we to honor and reuerence it But if we sée that we are too cruelly oppressed of the inferior magestrate we are not by this doctrine letted but that we may vse the benefite of appealation For as that is by good equitie permitted by the law of man so is it by no parte of the holy scripture abrogated Yea Paul himself vsed it when he saw opportunitie Wherfore it is lawful by way of appeale to flye from the inferior magestrate to the fidelitie and mercy of the superior But they which resist them resist the ordinance of God What is more vniust They whiche resist the power fight with God The ciuill power is resisted two maner of wayes or more vnworthy then to go about to fight with God How peruerse a thing that is euen the Ethnike poets also saw For they fain that Iupiter toke most greuous vengeaunce vpon the rashnesse of those Giants which went about to assault heauen And the ciuil power is resisted two maner of wayes either by open violence which thing we sée seditious and rebellious men vse to doe or els by craft and subtlety as when a Prince is through wicked pollicies and deceites circumuented that he can not execute his office For by these meanes oftentimes the Prince being ignorant the course of iustice is hindred Wherefore this saying of Dioclesian is much vsed A good wary and wise prince is oftentimes sold For whilest he is alone in his chamber his seruauntes come and declare all things vnto him deceitfully So he vnawares doth things as vpright and iust which in very déede are most vniust He remoueth away good men from the gouernement of the publique wealth and aduaunceth those which ought to be most far of banished Therfore a certaine wryter called the Senate of Rome not Patres conscripti but circumscripti Howbeit I speake not this that I thinke that it is not lawful for godly men by all maner of vpright meanes to auoyde the daunger of falling into the handes of tyraunts Which yet they ought not to doe after that they be once cast into prisone For this were to violate publique lawes and to geue an example to murtherers and théeues to doe the like And they that resist shall receiue vnto them selues iudgement Men are not in this case hurt but the estimation and dignitie of God is contemned For God answered to Samuel They haue not cast thee away but me that I should not raign ouer them By iudgement we chiefly vnderstand that iudgemeÌ„t which concerneth eternal destruction For afterward it foloweth that we ought to be subiect not only for anger sake but also for conscience sake We may also by iudgement vnderstande iudgement in this life For Salomon sayth the anger of a king is like the roaring of a Lion he which prouoketh it sinneth against his owne soule Greuous punishments are appoynted for seditious persons and for rebels In the olde law it was death if a Greuous punishmeÌ„ts appoynted to seditious and rebellious persoÌ„s man had resisted the higher power Chore with all his was consumed with fire Dathan and Abirom were swallowed vp of the earth for that they seditiously resisted Moses and Aaron We know what end Absolon came vnto when he had expelled his father out of his kingdome What séemed more goodly to the whole world then that notable
are thorough Christ receaued of God therefore Paul sayd the God of hope He sayth he the author of so great a gifte fill you with ioy and peace in beleuing that is thorough fayth He putteth fayth first and out of it springeth hope and thereout are deriued peace and ioy For when we beleue and hope we obteyne righteousnes And after that followeth peace and ioy And in these thrée thinges as we haue before declared consisteth chifely the kingdome of God And as before he made mencion of the holy ghost saying Righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy ghost so here also maketh he mencion of him For he addeth That ye may abound in hope thorough the power of the holy ghost Neither They whiche trust 〈…〉 in God are heauy is this lightly to be passed ouer that he sayth That ye may abound For hope engendereth not peace and ioy vnles it be ample and plentifull For those which haue but litle fayth we sée when aduersities come are heauy and sore troubled For euen as theyr harte is ouer runne with feare so theyr speach yea and theyr contenance is ouerwhelmed with heauines Peace and ioy although they may be referred vnto the mynde for they which beleue and which are cōfirmed in hope do reioyce in the Lord and haue peace both in their conscience and also towards God yet notwithstanding by reason of the consent and vnity whereunto Paul exhorteth the church of Rame I encline rather to this sentence to vnderstand that ioy whereby euery man reioyseth for the commodities and giftes of his brother and likewise that peace whereby the faithfull with an entier affect of loue embrace one an other and are knitte together with an indissoluble bond of mutuall loue Neither sayth Paul only thorough the holy ghost but also expresseth his power For forasmuch as he wished that those giftes might be in the Romanes ful perfect and aboundant he by the way signifieth that it is requisite to implore a great force of the spirite that they might attayne to those giftes And I my selfe also am perswaded of you brethren that ye also are full of goodnes and filled with all knowledge Forasmuch as Paul hath hetherto at large discoursed as touching doctrines to teach that man is iustified without workes by faith only in Christ and also hath as touching maners exhorted them to be obedient to the publique power to loue one an other to receaue the weake and that the weake should not iudge the stronger and that they should agrée amongst thēselues now least the Romanes should be displeased with him as though he had attributed vnto them that they had very litle profited in the religion of Christ and had taken vpon himselfe more then was méete by this conclusion he warely remedieth that affect which otherwise mought casely haue séemed to haue sprong of What is done ◠◠this conclusion It is profitable for vs to prayse our brethren the fleshe And as Ambrose noteth whilest he prayseth them he more feruently inflameth them to those things which he had admonished them of For when a man perceaueth that he is praysed especially of excellent men he commonly more diligently applieth hys study and endeuor least he might séeme to haue ben adorned with a false commendation And by this meanes Paul bringeth himselfe out of the daunger of ill suspition in that he sayth that he is fully persuaded of theyr excellēt goodnes and singular knowledge but for that he was the generall minister of the Gentiles it had not bene his parte to haue pretermitted his duety towards them Goodnes in this place which in Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Erasmus noteth signifieth all kinde of vertues and is opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which on the contrary side comprehendeth all kinde of vices But how coulde Paule without a lye pronounce these things of the Romaines When as in that Church were many weake ones and they were enfected with greuous dissensions and brawlings amongst themselues Whether Paul could truly thus prayse the Romanes Is it lawfull for the minister of the worde of God to lye to beare with the wicked affects of the people which paraduenture would take it in ill parte eyther to be taught or to be stirred vp to doe well or to be accused Doubtles I thinke that in y◠Churche were many very weake members which were infected with those vices which haue bene reproued of the Apostle Wherefore the thinges which are here written nothing pertaine to those members But it is likely that amongste them were many most perfect and most holy men which were aboundantly adorned of the holy Ghost both with muche knowledge and with honest maners To these men the Apostle referreth this parte of his talke Neither here only doth he after this maner write but also in the first to the Corinthiās For he saith through him ye are enriched in all thinges in all kinde of speache and in all knowledge so that ye are not destitute of any gift These things was not Paul afeard to pronounce of the Corinthians who yet did néede to be taught what giftes of God were more excellent then others and to be confirmed touching the resurrection and to be admonished to abstaine from fornication to excommunicate the incestuous person to vse the supper of the Lorde rightly not to prefer themselues before others because of theyr institutions and a great many such like things which vndoubtedly he ought not to haue written if all the members of that Church had bene by the holy ghost so adorned with the gifts of God and with knowledge that they wanted nothing And if the case were so then what shold we now at this day loke for that our people should in all poynts be perfect Which yet I would not that any man shoulde thinke I speake as thoughe I were of this mind that the slouthfulnes and negligence of pastors is to be borne withall For euen as at that time they which were of the excellenter sorte mought by very good right be adorned with great praises for that they cōtinually labored in admonishing teaching and enstructing others for Paul and the rest of the Apostles omitted nothing which was to be done for the common saluation so ought these men to behaue themselues to the ende these Apostolicall prayses might iustly be applied vnto them also Origen somewhat curiously Whether any may be truly sayd to be full of al goodnes The apostle with that that he beganne this epistle with the same I◠say enbeth it enquireth how they are sayd to be ful of all goodnes and knowledge when as there is none in this life which is without all maner of faulte and we nowe sée through a glasse only in a riddle And to contract al his sayings into a few words he sayth that these things are to be expounded according to the small measure of this life and according to the degrée and time of euery mannes conuersion
Chrysostome noteth that Paul begon this Epistle with the praises of the Romains For straight way at the beginning he sayd that he gaue thankes vnto God for that theyr fayth was spred abrode throughout the whole world and that amongst them he would receiue consolation of theyr mutuall faith and now also endeth in theyr prayses but yet in such prayses as are of much more excellency then the first For it is a farre greater matter to be full of all goodnes and to be filled with all knowledge that they are able to admonish one an other then to haue fayth which is euery where published and such as of which the Apostle himself may take some consolation That ye are able to admonish one an other If they were full of all knowledge They whiche otherwise know thinges may be admonished touchyng them what néede was there that one should admonishe an other Ambrose as though he would vndoe this knot thus wryteth He sayth to admonish and not to teach For of those things are we admonished which otherwise we know but in the meane time are slipt out of the minde But I doe not thinke that Paul in this place had that consideration For if we speake of maners there is none which may not sometimes be admoshed But if we speak of doctrine this is the duety of wise men and of those which are gouerners ouer Churches to instruct and to teach others And least any man should take it amisse some bokes haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is others some haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one an other But as I haue declared either of these words will very well agrée with Paules purpose Neuertheles brethren I haue somewhat boldly after a sort written vnto you as one that admonisheth you throughe the grace that is geuen me of God That I should be the minister of Iesus Christ amongst the Gentiles This is another part of his Apologie He had confessed that he knewe assuredly that they by reason of theyr singular goodnes and excellent knowledge were apte inough to admonishe one an other Wherefore they might say Why then hast thou so boldly written Bicause sayth he God would that I should be the minister of the Gentiles But ye are nombred amongst them wherefore to the ende I would not leaue mine office What thinges Paule wrote somwhat boldly vndone I was bolde to wryte these things vnto you He sayth that he thought not only to wryte but also to wryte somewhat boldly and fréely for that as Erasmus thinketh he had at the beginning sharpely reproued Idolatry and the fonde wisedome of the Philosophers and most filthy lusts But this in my iudgement is not very likely For those things pertained not to the Church of Rome but to the Ethnikes that were straungers from Christ For Paul ment to vpbraide vnto theÌ„ theyr most wicked actes that they might vnderstande how farre wide they were from the true righteousnes in as muche as they did put theyr truste in humaine strengths and in the ayde of sciences wherefore I thinke rather that he had a regarde to those things which he had written in the Chapiters next going before Such as are those which Chrisostome hath noted least by any meanes it come to passe that he neither spare thee Again be not wise in your selues Again why dost thou iudge thy brother And this why dost thou despise thy brother wherunto a man a may adde these destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ hath died Again do not for meat sake destroy the work of God These and such like things mought Paul seme to haue writteÌ„ somwhat boldly Howbeit in excusing himself he changeth nothing but only Paul by excusing himselfe altereth not the things which he had written The excuse of the author of the booke of Machabes is not to be compared with the excuse of Paul preteÌ„deth his vocation that is his Apostolicall office This forme of excusing is farre diuers from that which the author of the boke of Machabées vsed For he towardes the end of the second booke is in doubt whether he had written well or no and addeth If I haue no done well yet is it that I was able to doo As if he should haue sayd Pardon me But Paul who doubted not but that he had written nothing but by the instinct and impulsion of the holy ghost only declareth this what mooued him to write so fréely and so boldly and sayth as Chrisostome noteth I doo not â—f my selfe reproue you but GOD hath commaunded me thus to doo For as his Apostleship was of the Lord so also came his woordes from him Howbeit he somewhat mitigateth his speach wheÌ„ he sayth As one that admonisheth you and this we must thinke to be spoken bycause of the better and holier sorte And what to admonish signifieth we haue before declared out of Ambrose He calleth the Apostleship the grace that was geuen vnto him For he was not thorough his owne merites placed in that office For euen at that selfe same time wherein he was called he most cruelly persecuted the members of Christ Consecrating the Gospell For so Augustine turneth it and that very aptly as Erasmus also noteth The woord is composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to woorke in holy thinges Wherefore Chrisostome in this place very well writeth that Paul here hath made mencion both of â—is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The priest hoode of Paul was to preach the gospell as if he should haue sayd This is my priesthoode to publish abrode the Gospel and to preach Wherefore though I haue somewhat boldly written these thinges vnto you yet ought ye not to take it in ill parte For no man imputeth it as a faulte to the priest that he do exercise holy thinges pertaining to his office Vnto me vndoubtedly is this kind of sacrifice committed by the preaching of the Gospel to offer vp the Gentles a most acceptable sacrifice vnto God My sword saith Paul as Chrisostome writeth is the Gospell the sacrifice whiche is killed with my right hand are the Gentles Let our Cake consecrators go now and boast that they are therfore priestes for that by their inchauntments they transubstantiate bread wine This is that sacrifice this I say is yâ— priesthoode which the Apostles executed and which also the pastors of the churche ought now to execute Neither yet ought the ministers of the church therfore to be called sacrificers bicause the Apostle so speaketh in this place For he vseth a metaphore and excellently alludeth to those thinges which were done in outward sacrifices Many at this day faynâ— themselues to lament our church for that they are now without a sacrifice But we haue hitherto much more iustly lamented that in them hath nothyng bene sacrificed thorough pure and Euangelicall sermons And euen at this day also after
A comparison of the sacrifice of the Masse with the sacrifice of the gospell that by the benefit of God there is frée course geuen to the Gospel we bewaile that such sacrifice is so rarely done Let them answere me now whither of vs hath greater cause to complayne Our cause is so much aboue theyrs theyrs so much vnder ours how much the holy scriptures euery where commend this kind of sacrifice but of that other they neuer so much as once make meÌ„cion and how much we here offer an humane sacrifice according to the prescript of God but thereby the deuilish iuggling of the Pope the soules of the simple are most cruelly killed and finally how much we by our sacrifice spred abrode the worshipping of God but there vnder the forme of piety is retayned still in the Church most horrible Idolatry That the offring vp of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by Our conuersion is like a sacrifice the holy ghost He is vtterly depriued of all fealing of piety which out of these woordes receaueth not incomparable ioy when as he heareth that God is so desirous of our saluation that he counteth the conuersion of euery one of vs as a most acceptable sacrifice I haue therefore whereof I may glory thorough Iesus Christ in those thinges which pertayne to God For I dare not speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient in woord and deede with the power of signes and wonders by the power of the spirite of God so that from Ierusalem and the regious round about euen to Illiricum I haue caused to abound the Gospell of Christ Yea so I enforced my selfe to preach the Gospell not wher Christ was named lest I should haue built on an other mans foundation But as it is written To whoÌ„ he was not spoken of they shall see him and they that heard not shall vnderstand hym I haue therefore whereof I may glory thorough Iesus Christ in those thinges which pertaine to God I se that some are in doubt how this part should hang together with those thinges which went before And in my iudgement they may thus be ioyned together Paul had before sayd that by reason of his Apostleshippe and vocation he was moued to instructe the Romanes also by his epistles But paraduenture they were troubled in theyr mindes with a certayne doubt which made them to thinke thus with themselues But what is the cause that thou ouer hipping other nations doost beginne with vs chiefely It is not so sayth Paul I haue now great occasion to reioyse but yet thorough Christ but yet in thoâ—e thinges which pertayne to God I haue not ouerhipped other partes of the world but amongst them also both farre and wide I haue spred the Gospel But Chrisostome after an other maner ioyneth these thinges together He had last of all sayth he pretended his Apostleshippe as the cause mouing hym to write these letters which he had sent to the Romanes And in this office he had made himselfe to be after a sort a sacrificer which with the sword of the woord of God offred vp the Gentiles Now lest any man should speake ill of this dignity and function which thing the fals Apostles did or deride him as one which boasted himselfe to be an Apostle and a priest when as he was not Tokens of the ministery of Paul able to proue that to the end he would declare that he was chosen of God sent by God he bringeth forth those signes tokens of his vocation ministery which shall streight way be spoken of He reioyseth that he hath wherof to glory but he addeth thorough Christ in those things which pertaine to God Hereby we ought to learne yâ— we oght to glory of those benefits only which we haue obteined through Christ For in those things which our own streÌ„gths are able to performe to bring to passe there sufficieÌ„t mater to glory of Moreouer let vs not puffe vp our selues for riches sake or for beawty or for honours of the world or strength of body or for other thinges which serue not to any vse to aduance the kingdome of God amongst men The instruments to amplifie the kingdome of God are the signes which Paul bringeth to proue his Apostleship And he declareth that he had them aboundantly by which were a great many nations brought to the obedience of God Chrisostome compareth and that aptly the tokens of the priestehoode of Paul with the long garments A comparison betwene priesthoode of yâ— Iues and the ministery of Paul litle bells miter and cappe wherewith the priestes in the old law were consecrated and teacheth that the ornaments of Paul or rather his weapons wherewith he ouercame the Gentiles and offred them vnto God as sacrifices were of muche more excellency as his sacrifices were much more excellent then the sacrifices of the high priestes of the Iewes But our Bishopps Cardinalls and Popes seing themselues destitute of those Apostolicall ornaments and signes of Paul thought it good to bring in agayne those ornaments of Aaron and of the Leuits that at the The papisticall â–ª high priestes haue brought in againe the ornaments of Aaron lâ—st way they might haue somewhat wherewith to bleare the eyes of the commoÌ„ people but with how great fruit or rather with how great hurt vnto the Church they haue doone this God knoweth and we haue to muche felt and had experience thereof For I dare not speake of any thing vvhich Christ hath not vvrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient Now he openeth that which he before sayd he had to glory through Iesus Christ For he sayth that he will speake nothing neither make accompt of any thing but of those things only which Christ had don by him that is that he will not glory of his owne doings but rather will suppresse them and kepe them in silence Hereby let vs learne that all the ornameÌ„ts of ministers all gifts all spirituall faculties and endowments of the minde are to this ende geuen of God to bring men to the obedience of God Wherefore let them beware which hold those gifts with themselues without fruit or bestowe them otherwise then they ought to doe But here marke diligently what are the weapons and signes which Paul teacheth to pertaine to Apostles In vvord and in dede These two are the things wherewith Paule wrought Wordes dedes are the instrumentes of the Apostleship Signes wonders through Christ words I say and dedes Vnder this word vvords are comprehended publique preachings priuate communications disputations and Epistles which when he was absent he wrote to sundry Churches and to his scholers And these things proceded both from Christ and from the power of the holy Ghost And workes containe signes and wonders But what differeÌ„ce there is betwene those two it is not easy to expresse Origen thinketh that those thinges only are called signes which
although of themselues they are wonderfull yet doe they also betoken some other thing to come to passe But wonderfull thinges are those thinges which draw men only into an admiration for that they are not done after an accustomed maner but contrary to the force and order of nature But this distinction he himself also confesseth is not obserued in the holy scriptures And not to goe from this place which we are in hande with all the miracles what so euer Paule wrought were signes wherby was proued the truth of his preaching Which self thing is to be affirmed of the wonderfull workes of Christ and of the Prophets But the writings of the new Testament which euery where make mention of the signes and wonders which Christe and the Apostles wrought imitated the phrase of the olde Testament For there a man shall oftentimes finde these words othoth and mophetim ioyned together Neither thinke I that these thinges are distinguished the one from the other but only in degrée or greatnes Althoughe I am not ignorant that signes or othoth may be suche things as haue in them no admiration at all such as are accents letters poynts words and suche like which we doubt not are signes when yet notwithstanding they procede either of arte or of nature But the holy scriptures to signifie that certaine works of the Prophets of Christ and of the Apostles did not only betoken some thing els besides yâ— which was done but also stirred vp an admiration and amasednes therfore ioyned together these two words This doubtles is my iudgement which I sée not why I oughte not to holde still vnlesse any other can shewe a better And this thyng ment Paul when he said workes How be it there are some which think that hereto are to be annexed the labors watchings and examples of innocency which shined forth in the whole life of Paule This paraduenture is not amisse spoken but therefore haue I not mencioned them for that they were commen vnto Paul and The cause of miracles to the rest of the faithfull neither could they properly be mentioned as signes of the Apostleship Hereby also we gather that the only cause of miracles is that by them might be confirmed the doctrine and truthe of God So that from Ierusalem and the regions round about euen to Illiricum I haue caused to abound the Gospell of Christ It is a very long iorney from Ierusalem to Illiricum yea if a man should goe the nighest way thither But when he addeth the regions rounde about he comprehendeth as Chrysostome noteth innumerable cityes and prouinces And as before in fower wordes only namely vvord workeâ— signes â–ª and vvonders he comprehendeth after a sorte thinges infinite so here also with the self same brâ—uity he comprehendeth most large spaces of the world And he addeth that he had made the Gospell of Christ to abounde to geue vs to vnderstand that he had not lightly or slenderly preached but had euery where lefte the Gospell of Christ perfect and confirmed before that he departed Origen compareth A comparâ— so betwene Paule Moses Aaron Paul with Moses and Aaron For vnto them also God gaue power to work signes and wonders by which yet they could not call backe euen Egipt alone when as it was but on only region from theyr idolatry and infidelity That thing which Paule had somewhat couertly signified in the beginning of this Epistle when he said That I may haue some frâ— it amongst you â—s amongest other nation he now more manifestly expresseth For he declareth what and how many those nations were and what he did amongst them Yea so I enforced my selfe to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named These things are therfore mencioned that the Romaines might vnderstand that What was the office of the Apostles Paul was famous by the most proper marke of the Apostleship For it was not the office of the Apostles to succéede in other mennes workes Yea rather other men succeded them For theyr office was to spreade abrode the Gospell to plant newe Churches to ordaine méete ministers in the Churches which they had instituted that the truthe of Christ might the quicklyer be knowne throughout the whole world And for as much as the Apostles wer of more strength then others it was méete that they should execute those workes which were of more difficultye But it is a muche more difficulte and pearillouser thing to preache the Gospell there where before hath nothing bene heard of Christ then it is to defend doctrine already receiued and established Least I should haue built vpon an other mannes foundation He calleth an other mans foundation Churches instituted by other Apostles Neither is this to be ascribed to ambition but rather to the office of the Apostleship to the incredible zeale which he had to aduaunce the Gospel He doth not rashly adde this word I enforced for sometimes he was of necessity compelled to goe to Ierusalem to Antioche to Rome and to other places in which the Apostles had before preched But as it is vvritten to vvhome he vvas not spoken of they shall see him and they vvhich haue not heard shal vnderstand â–ª This testimony is taken out of Esay the. 52. Chapiter which is therfore with the more diligent consideration to be peysed for that neither the verity of the Hebrew any thing disagreeth from the words of the Apostle neither also can any man doubt but that the prophet foretold these things of the Messias and of the preaching of the Apostles For in that chapter are written those wordes which were before cited How beutifull are the feete of them that bring the glad tidings of peace The meaning of Paul is that forasmuche as the holy Ghost admonisheth that a care be had that the preaching of the Gospell be with most quicke spede spred abrode amongst all nations that they to whome before he was not spoken of might heare and they which had not hearde might vnderstand therfore sayth he am I with so great feruentnes of minde stirred vp to preache there where the name of Christ was not before heard of But woe be vnto vs which neglect to preache there where the name of Christ is heard of true faith and piety towards him is miserably fallen in decay And so farre is it of that we will séeke other places in which the Gospell hath not bene heard of that we will not so much as kepe still those which are already gotten neither will we defend the churches already planted Vndoubtedly we wil imitate him which from Ierusalem euen to Illiricum and in all the regions round about caused the Gospell to abounde when as yet in the meane time we will be counted most stout defenders of the doctrine of the Gospell Therefore also I haue bene oft let to come vnto you But now seing I haue no more place in these quarters and also haue bene desirous many yeares agone to come vnto you whensoeuer
peraduenture séeme straunge vnto some as sayth Origen that the Apostle when as in the spirite of God he know that he should come to Rome wold yet notwithstanding implore those mennes prayers This in my iudgement no man shoulde call in question But we should rather learne that holy men althoughe they certainly know that God will geue vnto them whatsoeuer is expedient yet they also knowe that he will oftentimes geue it them throughe the prayers of his The We pray for those thinges which we know shal be geuen vnto vs. Lord also knew that the father would deliuer vnto him all things yet notwithstanding he continually prayed vnto him and so prayed that he sayde Father into thine hands I commend my spirite And as he knewe that his spirite should without all doubt be receiued of God so doubted he not but that the same was to be obtayned by his prayers Moreouer by those wordes we gather that the force of prayers consisteth not of our workes and merites For Paul so greate an Apostle desireth Prayers consist not of the worthines of them that pray to be holpen by theyr prayers who were far inferior vnto him although Ambrose sayth that many little ones if they be gathered together into one make great ones This saying I mislike not for Christ sayd where so euer shall be two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Againe touching what thing so euer two or three shall agree together it shal be done vnto them as they desire And how much the prayers of the Church profited it is plainly declared in Peter For he was deliuered by the Angel when as continual prayer was made for him And seing now that publique prayers are so profitable they ought without all doubte most often How we ought to praâ— for other to be celebrated Wherfore godly men so often as they are either sicke or are in any great daunger ought to require the publike prayers of the Churche and afterwarde when they haue obtained theyr request they ought also to require yâ— church publikely to geue thanks to God for theyr sakes That ye helpe me in my busines In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This doubtles is more then to helpe a man in his busines For that word signifieth properly a man to take vpon him one and the selfe same labor one and the selfe same trauail one and the self same striuing and conflicte with him for whome he prayeth And by this phrase of speache Paul doubtles instructeth vs with what affecte we ought to pray for others that is to transfer vpon our selues as much as is possible the miseries afflictions and sorowes of him for whome we pray That he vvould deliuer me from the vnbeleuers in Iury. The first thing that he desireth them to pray for him is that he might be deliuered from the vnbeleuing Iewes whome he knewe deadly hated him For they although they wished that all the Christians might vtterly be destroyed yet they hated Paule aboue all others for that no man more vehemently then he vrged that the ceremonyes oâ— Why Paâ—â— was aboâ—â—â— all the other Apostles odious to the Iewes Moses should be taken away And in this iorney as it is set forthe in the â–ª 2â— and â–ª 21. chapiters of the Actes Agabus and other Prophets foretolde vnto him greuous chaunces which should happen vnto him at Ierusalem wherefore both by that history and by this prayer it is manifest that the minde of Paul was troubled with no small perplexity Which perplexity yet God so restrained within certaine limites that it nothing letted him from the worke of the Lord For the Apostolical history most plainely testifieth that he most constantly answered vnto the Prophets and brethren which dissuaded him from this iorney I count not my soule and life so precious sayd he that I will delay to runne my course and to fulfil my ministery which the Lord Iesus Christ hath deliuered vnto me And I am redy sayd he not only to be bound but also to dye for our Lord Jesus Christes sake Wherefore Paule was not afeard to die but he therefore desired to be deliuered that he might minister vnto the saintes and that he might come to Rome and so goe into Spaine For it had bene muche better for Paul to haue died then so to haue bene vexed with perpetuall contumelies and to liue as one layd forth to all iniuries This he himselfe signifieth to the Phillippians saying To dye is to me a gaine How be it to abide in the fleshe is profitable for your sakes and I hope that I shall abide Paule after this manner maketh request to the Romaines not in dede for his owne commoditye but for theirs And doubtles if they had a desire to sée Paul it was theyr parts withal maner of prayers earnestly to contend that according to his desire he might be deliuered from the vnbeleuing Iewes And that this my ministery vvhich I haue to doe at Ierusalem may be acceptable to the saintes The other parte of his request is that the saintes might gently The sâ—ate of the godly is miserable as touching this world accept his trauaile and paines The condition and state of the godly is doubtles miserable as touching this world They take most grieuous paines for the saluation of others not only to prouide for theyr soules but also for theyr bodyes And yet oftentimes they doubt whether they shall be well accepted of them whome they séeke to profit Neither dothe Paul without cause suspect that this might happen also as touching them which fauoured Christ For in those first times there was in the Churche of Ierusalem a certaine great zeale to obserue the law From which when they hearde that Paule was fallen away they bare but small good Some of the Iewes that were Christians bare no great good effection towardes â–ª Paul wil towards him Wherfore Paul feared least his duety towards them shold haue bene reiected and least he should haue bene frustrated of that consent agrement which he saw was nedeful for him to the preaching of the gospell Wherefore the preachers of our time ought to comforte themselues if they sée that theyr paynes which they take in teaching are not accepted of the people Neyther ought they which faythfully handle the distribution of almes to be grieued if they can not please all men Christ himselfe the more paynes he tooke for our sakes so much the more incurred he the displeasure of the Iewes Wherfore it ought not to seme vnto vs any great iniury if we be coÌ„pelled to suffer yâ— which we se he hath suffred What is to be sâ—ne vnto in geuyng of almes Hereby also let vs vnderstand that we ought not only to helpe the poore but also we must haue a care that our oblations may be acceptable and pleasant vnto theÌ„ which thing they litle consider which when they geue any thing geue it with
are rich beawtifull mighty and in honour they ought to know that this is not the Apostolicall loue Riches indede and beawty and honour are the giftes of God but yet not such that we ought with a singular loue to embrace them And the Church that 〈◊〉 in theyâ— house Paul writeth the selfe same thing of these persons in the first to yâ— Corinthians the last chap either bycause that theyr famely was so godly enstructed that it mought seme to be a Church or els for that the faythfull gathered together into theyr house to celebrate holy assemblies And this interpretacion I thinke to be the likelier although Chrisostome Origen and Ambrose follow the first The first fruites of Achaia They which before all others come to professe religion plainely declare that they litle regard men and the iudgements of the flesh but only follow the impulsioÌ„ of the holy gost Origen in stede of Achaia redeth Asia whome he that will follow let him vnderstand Asia the lesse wherein is Ephesus I meruayle at Ambrose which referreth first fruites to present dignity as though he were placed in some magestrateship or principality which semeth not vnto me very likely and especially for that this word in Christ is added My kâ—nsmen and fellovv prisoneâ—â— Kinred alone could not haue moued him but he the gladlier mencioneth them for that they had suffred together with hym They came to Christ before Paul they are called notable amongst the Apostles not that they were of the number of the 12. Apostles but for that as it is most likely they had sowed abrode the Gospell in many places and had built many Churches Origen thinketh that it is possible that they were of the number of the 72. disciples Which I thinke can not be for they fell away from Christ But how attributeth he this vnto his wife as though the office of the Apostleship could agrée also with her Paraduenture they are called notable amongst the Apostles for that they were well knowen vnto them and were of no small reputation in the Church of Christ This sence I dislike not so that the very wordes be not repugnaunt thereunto Them which are of Aristobulus house He biddeth not them to salute Aristobulus Narcissus made a freman by Claudius Cesar himselfe peraduenture for that he beleued not in Christ Yet he had of â–ª his housholde that were Christians Which self thing is also thought of those whome he addeth the friendes of Narcissus This man was made a frée man by Claudius Cesar and was a man of great might but otherwise wicked an extorcioner and one euill spoken of howbeit Ambrose thinketh that he was an elder In the Lord For all the family of Narcissus beleued not the gospel Vnto these men he ascribeth no titles paraduenture for that they were weake and did not so boldly professe the Gospell Apollo Origen thinketh that Apollo was that Apollo borne at Alexandria but I know not how I should be of his minde touching that For so great a man without doubt should haue bene adorned with some most notable title He therefore peraduenture sayth that these women â—hryphona Tryphosa Persis Mariae laboured for that they had suche a ministery as before we sayde Phebe had His mother and mine He calleth this woman mother bicause of her affection The boke of Hermas is not in the Canon towardes him and not that she was so by nature So before he called Phebe his sister Hermas Origen thinketh that this man was the author of the boke called the booke of the Pastor which scripture he sayth séemeth to him holy and inspired by God which is a plain argumeÌ„t that that boke is not to be receiued as Canonicall VVith an holy kisse This amongst the Hebrues was a token of peace and of brotherly amitie All the churches of Christ salute you Here are ment those churches through which Paul had passed or which were nigh to those places Now brethren I besech you marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoide them For they that are such serue not the lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellyes and with faire speche and flattering deceiue the hartes of the simple For your obedience is come abrode amongst al. I am glad therfore of you but yet I wold haue you arise vnto that which is good and simple coÌ„cerning euill The God of peace shall treade sathan vnto your fete shortly The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you I beseche you brethren marke them diligently which cause diuision and offenceâ— He had willed them before to salute the godly Now he admonisheth them to beware of the wicked He willeth them diligently to marke and to consider them for that as it oftentimes happeneth they can not easely be found out but after loÌ„g time and after that they haue done some great mischief In these words are noted the false Apostles and as Chrysostome sayth diuers of the Iewes which by reason of the ceremonyes of the lawe did cause diuision and dissension in the Churches These men serued theyr voluptuous pleasures and their bealy and not God such as they were also whome the Lord sayd deuoured the houses of widowes Suche men Paule to Timothe calleth intractable vaine speakers deceiuers of mennes mindes and which were of the circumcision They ouerthrow sayth he houses they teache those things which are not meete for filthy gaine sake whose mouth oughte to be stopped A certaine Prophet of theyrs sayd That the men of Crete haue alwayes bene liers â–ª euill beasts and slouthfull bellies And in the latter Epistle to Timothe which crepe into the houses of widowes and lead captiue wemen laden with sinnes always learning and neuer comming to the knowledge of the truth They vse fayre speach sayth he but by theyr flattering they seke nothing else but to deceiue you These are two marks to know false Apostles by They serue theyr bealy and speake fayre or flatteringly Such men sayth Origen ment Christ when he said They come vnto you in shepes Two markes to know false Apostleâ— â–ª by Onely by the word of God false doctrine is discâ—rned from true clothing but within they are rauening wolues shéepes clothing are fayre wordes the gredines of the belly signifieth the rauening of Wolues And Origen addeth See in how great daunger they are which exercise not them selues in the holy scriptures by which only these men are discerned These wordes are diligently to be noted that true doctrine is discerned from fals by the holy scriptures only We make not discordes in the churche as the bondslaues of the Pope falsly slaunder vs but we as muche as lieth in vs and as our bounden duety is resist theyr conspiracye which they haue made against the truthe and with which they haue so long time oppressed it And auoyde them The Church hath no other sword but excommunication This sword the Apostle admonisheth them to vse against
these men Your obedience This he therfore addeth least by reason of this adnioâ—ition he might séeme to haue no good opinion of them And this in déede is the common interpretation But I like very wel that which Origen sayth that here is couertly reproued the ouermuch easenes and redines of the Romaines to beleue For yâ— redynes putteth liers and false Prophets in hope to deceiue them Wherefore he exhorteth them not so easely to suffer them selues to be deceiued Which exposition yet if any man shall thinke not to agrée with this that foloweth I am glad therfore of you we ought to vnderstand that it is better to offend on that behalf For if they should haue true doctrine taught them and sound teachers there shold follow very great fruit Wherfore hâ— exhorteth them and stirreth them vp to prudence namely to heare with iudgement and to try examine those things which are spoken before that they beleue them I would haue you sayth he wise to that which is good and simple concerning euill as if he should say Be ye without guil and fraud and be not crafty and subtil to deceiue and to doe iniuryes Paule requyreth at theyr hands simplicity but yet ioyned with prudence he requireth also prudeÌ„ce but yet a simple prudence So Christ sayde Be ye prudent as serpentes and simple as doues Wherfore let no man boast of the ignorance of the scriptures or of the want of knowledge in doctrine or of vnskilfulnes in doing of thinges as thoughe this should be counted vnto him a praise For God will haue vs vnskilful to committe things vniust but prudent wary circumspect industrious to finde out to iudge and to performe those things which are good And the God of peace shall tread Sathan vnder your fete shortly Out of this notable promise the Romanes in times past mought and we at this day may receiue We are made sure of the victory most swéete consolation and confirme our selues valiantly to fighte séeing that we are assured of the victory He promiseth that the troubles dissentions and offences wherewith the Church of Rome was troubled should be diminished and broken and therewithall also sheweth that all our temptatioÌ„s are to be ouercome by the strength and helpe of God There is no small emphasis in this word Conterere that is to treade vnder For it is vsed in those things which are so broken that they can by no meanes be restored againe But this perfect full and absolute victory we haue not in this life For here the deuil still renueth warre against the seruaunts of God Therefore some thought that this saying of Paul is to be referred to the comming of Christ which for that Paul beleued to be euen at the dores therfore he addeth shortly But Ambrose thinketh that this is to be vnderstanded of Paules comming to Rome For by it they should so be confirmed that all impediments of saluation should vtterly be expelled But I thinke neyther of those expositions to be of necessity For we may simply vnderstand that Sathan shall be ouercome and so ouercome that he shal no more be able to do any thing to hinder our saluation And Paule by this kinde of speche séemeth elegaÌ„tly to allâ—de to that which is written in Genesis that the serpent in déede should bruse the héele but his head should be broken in pieces by the séede of the woman Which thing for as much as Christ hath performed he hath also geuen power to his members to be able to doe the same In Luke the 10. chapiter the disciples sayd vnto Christ Euen Lord the deuils also are through thy name subiecte vnto vs. Vnto whome Christe answered I saw Sathan like lightning fal downe from heauen Behold I geue vnto you power to treade vpon Serpents and Scorpious and ouer all the power of the enemy And yet is not this victory to be taken in this sense as though henceforth we shal no more be assaulted with temptations for oftentimes temptations are profitable for vs. And Temptations are profitable for vâ— lest we shald geue ouâ— selues to idleâ—es euen when we are in to much security and haue all things quiet and in tranquillity God himself stirreth vp vnto vs an aduersary that our strength being at conflict with him should not waxe heauy in slouthfulnes but should with a godly exercise be stirred vp The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you Vnder the name of grace he comprehendeth both the fauor of God towards his and also the effectes thereof that is sundry giftes and faculty and endowmentes All which vnder one word he wisheth vnto the Romanes Towardes the end of the chapiter going before he wished vnto them peace saying The God of peace be with you all Here he wisheth vnto them grace that forasmuch as he had begonne thys epistle with these words Grace vnto you and peace so also he mought wyth the selfe same wordes end it Timotheus my fellow worker and Lucius and Iason and Sosipater my kinsemen salute you I Tertius which wrote thys epistle salute you in the Lord. Gaius myne host and the host of the whole Church saluteth you Erastus the receauer of the City saluteth you and so doth Quartus a brother The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen Timotheus my fellovv worker saluteth you Before with great diligence he reckoned vp those whome he would haue at Rome to be saluted in his name now also he reckeneth vp those which send salutacions vnto them And before that we come to the rehersall of theÌ„ this is not to be passed ouer that amongst those which No mencioÌ„ is made of Peter dwelled at Rome and were saluted of Paul no mencion at all is made of Peter who if he had then ben at Rome it is not likely that Paul would haue ouerhipped him For these so diligently whome he sendeth salutacions were much inferior to him Of Timothe I will speake nothing For his name is famous both in the Epistes of Paul and in the Actes of the Apostles And this semeth to be sufficient to the commendacion of him that Paul oftentimes calleth him his sonne and his naturall Lucius peraduenture is Luke sonne And in this place he calleth him fellow worker Lucius This man Origen supposeth to be Luke whose name is drawen of Paul to the forme of the names of the Romanes Iason Of this man is large and manifest mention made in the Actes of the Apostles the 17. chapiter The Iewes that were at Thessalonia were troublesom vnto him and accused him vnto the Magestrate for that he had geueÌ„ lodging and harbrough to Paul and Silas Sosipater This man paraduenture as Origen thinketh is that Sosipater the son of Pirrhus of Berea of whome also Luke maketh mencion in the Actes I tertius which wrote this epistle salute you in the Lord. Tertius sayth Ambrose not in nomber but in name No man is ignoraÌ„t but that the Romanes were called
place 445 Greuous vnto God what it is 37 Grief â–ª what it is 237 Grounds of the church what they are 236 H HAting of God what it is 333 258 Happye is he that foloweth the calling of God 13 Heauen and earth shal passe and after what maner 217 Heretikes vpbrayd the gospel 14 Holines what it is 5 Holy dayes 436 Honor what it signifyeth 219 Hope maketh glad â–ª and maketh sory 420 Hope springeth out of faith 446 Hope and faith haue one property 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. Hospitality is a worke of noble men 422 How we ought to pray for others 452 How we are made sure of the victory 455 I IAcob why he was called Israel 242 Iacob wrestleth with God 92 Iewes are preferâ—ed before yâ— gentiles 16 Iewes were Idolaters 25. 44. 45. 50 Idols and Idolatry 24. 25. 29 Idlenes is an image of death 412 Image of God what it is 124. 188 Image of Christ made of copper 30. 31. 32 Images how they began 24. 25. 30 Images of God sprang of infidelity 30 Images out of Temples are not to be contempned so they be not worshipped 30. 32 Images taken two maner of wayes 82 Imaginations of men 23 Immortality is the mere gift of God 219 Incredulity bursteth out of originall sinne Infants receiue not the Eucharist 202 Inheritaunce what it is 209. 210 Instruction for preachers 155 Inuocation of Sayntes 98 Isaac borne of the promes 247 It is not counted a lye except it be don with a minde to deceiue 452 Iustification what it is 15. 58. 64. 65. 68. 71. 75. 96. 107. 181. 185. 191. 193. And it is spetially and at large intreated vpon from the. 367. leafe vnto the. 410. leafe Iustice is ioyned with the wil of God 274 Iudges maye iudge the crimes of other though they them selues be giltye in the same crimes 36 Iudgement at the last day 38 K KEyes of the church are the worde and fayth 361 Knowledge is of two kindes 36 Knowledge of our sinne is profitable 109 L LAw what it is 58. 66. 70. 90. 114. 191. 192. 135. 136. 137. 138. 151. 155. Lawes are of diuers sortes 175 Law through Christe is no burden vnto vs. 445 Law grace differ 152. 153. 163. 164. 165. 166 Law and gospell differ 15 Law of nature is the law of God 34. 35 Lent abused 143. Letter killeth is expounded 163 Liberty of speche is necessary 330. Liberty is obtained but one way 174 Liberty hath thre kindes 179 Libertines 176. 321. 443 Life what it is 196 Life is a thing excellent 39 Life is of two sortes 111 Loue what it is 106. 258 Loue is the cause of grief 237 Loue of God and loue of men differ 5 Loue election and predestination what they are 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263 Lusts are of two sorts 29. 165. 166. 201 M MAnnes nature chiefly resembleth the diuinity of God 21 Man endued with grace may sin 28 Maniches opinion in fre wil. 28 Maniches confuted 250 Marcion reiecteth the two last Chapiters of this Epistle 456 Magistrate what he is 227. 228. 426 Martirdome what is requisite therunto 233 Matrimony what it is 161 Meates of themselues are not vncleane 438. 441 Mercy of it selfe is not good 185 Mercy with iustice 38 Mercy and truthe are ioyned together 445 Mercy what it is 159 Members of our body what they are 150 Meat what it is 157. 158 Messias is come 82 Methodes vsed by S. Paule that we can not be without some God 23 Millenarij 88 Ministers ought not to forsake their vocation 334. 349. 350 Miracles 323 Miracles that cause 449 Mistery what it is 358 359 Miserable is the state of the godlye in this world 453 Mortifying what it is 203 Mortification is of two kindes 211 Mortification of faith 271 N NAturall copulation betwene man and wife is good 33 Nature teacheth vs not all those things that appertaine to God 20 Necessity is to three kindes 270 Nobility wherin it chiefly coÌ„sisteth 243. 244 Nobility what it is 351 Notes by the which wickednes is knowne 34 O OBedience of faith 5 Obedience what it is 1â—8 Obedience to Magistrates 427 ObiectioÌ„s made in the defence of images 20 Obiections made by Iulianus to proue free will 27 Obsecrations or prayers 410. 411 Occasion is to be obserued 420 Office of deacones 418 Office of the Apostles 449 Olde testament and the new is all one 353 Originall sinne in infants 229 Originall sinne passeth not away 110. but is proper to euery man 118. 119. 127. 129. 130. 131. Origene confuted 250 P PAcience what it is 40. 100 Patience in temptations 273 Papists vpbraid the gospel 14 Papists ascribe trouble to the gospell 15 Papists what they are 36 Parable of the seede 267 Paule and the Pope agre not 3 Paule the teacher of the Gentiles 366 Paule whether he coulde truely praise the Romaines 447 Paule wrote boldly 447 Paule in excusing him selfe altereth not his wryting 447 Paules priesthode was to preache the gospell 447 Paules ministery and the Iewes compared together 442 Paule why he made suche hast to goe about the countrey 449 Paule why he went not to Rome at the beginning 449 Paule Moses and Aarons compared together 449 Paules ministring vnto tables whether it neglected the gospell 451 Paule to the Romains his saluation 1.6 Paule accuseth the Ethnickes 23 Paule aboue all the other Apostles why he was odious to the Iewes 453 Peace what it signified with the Hebrues 6 Peace â–ª what it is 96. 97 Peace passeth all sence 6 Pelagians error 32. confuted 250 Paena tallionis 26 Persons flye from causes 42 Pigghius opinion of originall sinne 120 Pharao why God stirred him vp 263. 264. 265. 266. 279. Philosophers filthy life 21 Phinâ—â—s work how it was imputed 73 Phebe what manner of ministerye in the church she had 453 Pithagoras opinion touching God 31 Plinie wrote to Traiane the Emperoure of the innocent life of the Christians 16 Popes and bishops ought to haue no sword 429 Popish priests 96 Punishment of God what it is 36. 37. 38 Porer more willing to geue then the richer 451 Pore are to be holpen 421. 422 Prayers what it is 223 Prayers consist not of the worthines of theÌ„ that pray 452 Preaching and almes alwayes was coÌ„mitted in charge to Paule 450 Preachers how they ought to vse theÌ„selues 237. 313 Predestination what it is 3. 37. 42. But it is specially intreated of and defined from the 285. leafe vnto the. 366. leafe Promises are of diuers sortes 243 Promises of the law and promises of the gopel differ 210 Purpose of God what it is 253. 259 R REasons why god wil iudge men 36 Reasons to proue that we are loued of God 234 Regeneration is not to be attributed vnto the water 247 Regeneration what it is 149. 154 Reioysing what it is 108 Repentaunce preached 19 Repentaunce of God and repentaunce of men 363 Resurrection is the only signe of the diuine nature of Christ 4 Resurrection of