declared how by the spirite and grace of Christ the power to lyue vprightly is ministred vnto the regenerate But now he speaketh onely of certayne outwarde honest and vpright actions whiche as touchyng ciuill righteousnes might by nature be performed of me Neither sayth hee that the Ethnikes fully performed the lawe so that they kept it all whole or that bycause of it they were iustified but onely hee vnderstandeth that they performed some certaine pointes thereof Whereof hee inferreth that they by the light of nature could discerne betwene honesty and dishonesty betwene right and Some Ethenikes in ciuil righteousnes far excell very many Christians wrong Yea if we looke vpon the lyfe and maners of Cato Atticus Socrates and Aristides we shall sée that in iustice ciuill comelynes they farre excelled a great many Christians yea and also Iewes Therfore they can not excuse them selues that they had not a law Ambrose vpon this place for asmuch as by this sentence to do those thinges whiche are of the law he vnderstandeth the full and absolute accomplishement of the law and séeth not how it is possible that any man should performe it whiche beleueth not in Christe for asmuch as Christe is the ende of the lawe affirmeth that Paul here speaketh of such Gentiles as were now conuerted vnto the Gospell and beleued in Christ This kynd of men without the helpe of the law of Moses did those thynges which are contayned in the law Augustine in this booke De Spiritu litera ad Marcellinum is of the same opinioÌ„ that by the Gentiles are vnderstaÌ„ded the ChristiaÌ„s whiche were conuerted froÌ„ yâ— The difference betwene the olde Testament and the new Ethnikes for yâ— he herein putteth the difference betwene the old Testament and the new namely that in the old Testament the law was described in outwarde tables but in the new Testament it should be written in the hartes and bowels of men accordyng to the Prophesie of Ieremy in hys 31. chap. Wherfore seyng Paul here sayth that the Gentles whiche by nature fulfilled the law shewed the worke of the law writen in their hartes it could not sayth he but pertayne vnto the new Testament And bycause he saw that this was agaynst hym where it is sayd by nature he sayth that by that worde is excluded the law of Moses but not the grace and spirite of Christ by which nature is not ouerthrowen but restored to hys old estate wherfore hys mynde is that the Gentles fulfill the lawe by nature beyng reformed by the spirite and grace But nowe let vs sée how those thinges which Augustine Ambrose alleage agrée with the senteÌ„ce of the Apostle Vndoubtedly that whiche moued Ambrose to this exposition is very weake for Many Ethenikes before the comming of Christ obteyned saluation by faith in him asmuch as there mought haue bene many before the commyng of Christ whiche beleued in hym and were iustified and obserued the thynges contayned in the law so much as the infirmitie of man will suffer Iob was an Ethnike who yet was not ignoraunt of Christ and also at the preachyng of Daniell the kyng of Babilon and as it is easie to bée beleued together with hym many of the Chaldeans were conuerted vnto God as it is written in Ionas the Niniuites returned into the right way And seyng all these attayned vnto saluation vndoubtedly they looked for the Mediator to come and by that meanes endeuored to performe those thynges whiche pertayned vnto the law Neither hath the reason of Augustine The holy patriarkes prophets had the law written in their â—arts because they pertained vnto the gospell much force For although it be a promise of the new Testament that by the benefite of the holy Ghost the lawes of God should bee written in the hartes of men yet is not that so to be vnderstand as though before the comming of Christ the same happened vnto none For the good fathers and holy Prophetes whiche were both endued with the fayth of Christ and had also geuen vnto them the holy Ghost had the law grauen not onely in stones but also in theyr bowels And although they liued before the sonne of God tooke fleshe vpoÌ„ him yet for asmuch as they beleued in him they pertayned vnto the Gospell Whiche is not therfore called a new Testament bycause the thyng is new but onely bycause it was published The Gospell is not called the new TestameÌ„t because the thing is new abroad in the latter tymes and was then publickely receaued Wherfore although before the preachyng of the Apostles it was not publikely professed among the Gentles yet florished it among many of the Ethnikes in whose harts the law of God was sealed so that although they wanted the doctrine of Moses yet were they so much rightly instructed that they could frame theyr actions vnto the preceptes of God And yet the same Augustine in the booke before cited the 7. chap. bryngeth the selfe same exposition whiche we before brought namely yâ— these thinges may be vnderstanded of certeine excellent actions of the Ethnikes whiche were notwithstandyng vngodly Their excelleÌ„t workes although as touchinge them they were sinnes yet of their owne nature or kynde for asmuch as they agréed with those thynges whiche God commaunded in the law could not The workes of the Ethnikes although theiwere goodly to the outward shew yet were they sinnes be condemned by the iudgement of maÌ„ But that they were wicked before God therfore it is not to be doubted bycause they were not referred to the right end Augustine noteth the same and addeth that therfore the worke of the law is sayd to be written in the hartes of the infidels bycause the lineamentes of the first estate still abode Hereof we gather that the writing of the lawe of God in the hartes of men is after two sortes one is which serueth only to knowledge and iudgement the other is which besides that addeth both a readines and also strength to doe that which is iudged to bée iuste and honest And the Image of The law may be writea in the hartes of men not vp the holy gost geuen vnto the faithful but by the naturall knowledge grafted into meÌ„ God vnto which man is created is not as touching this by hys fall vtterly blotted out but obfuscated and for that cause hath néede to be renued by hym So naturall knowledges are not fully quenched in our mindes but much of them do still remaine which thyng Paule now toucheth Wherefore the difference betwene the olde Testament and the newe abydeth whole although Paule so speaketh of the vngodly Ethnickes that they had the worke of the lawe written in their hartes Neither is it sayd that because of these thinges which they did or knewe they attayned vnto the true righteousnes Yea rather when Paule had shewed that they wanted it he styreth them vp vnto Christ Chrysostome in déede vppon thys place writeth that
vnderstand the mynd of mā compacte of them both being renued by the holy Ghost But the letter signifyeth whatsoeuer is outwardlye set before vs be it neuer so spirituall when it cleaueth not to our minde or vrgeth not Wherefore the circumcision of the flesh is the signe of the circumcision of The circūcision of the flesh is the signe of the circumcisiō of the harte The circūcision of the hart in the bookes of the law Both God woorketh in vs good things and we also woorke The spirite and the letter are discerned by the affect of the mind the harte and of the mind Therfore great care was to be had that it should not be vayn or superfluous This phrase touching the circumcision of the hart Paul borowed out of the olde Testamente In the. 10. chap of Deut commaundement was geuen that they should circumcise the foreskins of theyr hartes and in the selfe same booke the. 30. chapter Moses promiseth that God will one day circumcise the foreskin of theyr hartes to declare that either is true namely that God woorketh in vs the things that are good and that we also worke the selfe same forasmuch as God vseth our ministery to bring forth good woorkes Wherfore so longe as our minde resisteth the woorde of God whiche is set foorth vnto vs althoughe outwardlye it make a shewe of somewhat yet is it occupied in the letter But when it is made prone vnto the commaundementes of God then is it gouerned by the spirite Wherefore as touching the thinge whiche is set foorth and red there is no difference betwene the spirite and the letter but as touching the affect of the minde Which thinge Paule hath declared in his latter Epistle to the Corinthians the 3. cap whē he saith Ye are the Epistle of Christ wrought by our ministery and written not wyth inke but with the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in tables of flesh Where he manifestlye teacheth that this is the ministery of the spirite whē in the tables of our hart are imprinted those things which God commaundeth and will haue to be of vs beleued and done Neyther let vs meruaile that Paule sayth that such an Epistle was written by him whē as it is the worke of God for he meaneth that he wrote it onely as an instrumēt ioyned with the woorking of God Wherefore they are to be counted ministers of the spirite which do not onely expounde the woordes of God but also do imprinte Who are ministers of the spirite thē into the hartes of the hearers Which thing such as do not althoughe they speake good and healthfull thinges yet are they but ministers of the letter neither of theyr woorke followeth any thinge els then the death of the hearers For they which vnderstand the will of the Lord and do it not shal be punished with many stripes And therefore Paule sayde that the letter killeth but the spirite quickeneth Wherefore it is the duety of pastors and of them that teache to pray vnto God For what thing pastors ought to pray What is the true circumcision moste ernestly to make them ministers not of the letter but of the spirite Paule also vnto the Philippians declared what is the true circumcision when he sayth We are the circumcision which serue God in the spirite we glory in Christ and haue not confidence in flesh By these thre notes he expressed the spirituall circumcision And vnto the Colossians after he had said that we are circumcised in Christ but yet with a circumcision not made by handes he declareth by very many circumstances what that circumcision is namely that we haue put of the body of the sins of the fleshe that through Baptism we are buried together with Christ that we haue forgeuenes of synnes that the hand writing is put out which was agaynst vs by reason of ordinances and the principalityes powers which were agaynst vs are by Christ vanquished ouercome In which place this is not to be passed ouer that baptisme is called the true circumcision so that it be in the spirite and the hart and not in the letter and the Baptisme when it is in the spirite is the true circumcisiō fleshe Wherefore these sentences a Iewe inward and outward the circumcision in the flesh and in the hart are to be taken in respect as they are opposite one to the other that is a part and disseuered one from the other For ioyne them together and then the sentence of Paule pertayneth not vnto them For it is not to be doubted but that there were very many Iewes in the olde tyme which were Iewes both outward and inward and were circumcised not only in the fleshe but also in the harte These thinges may be taken three maner of wayes so that there is one circumcision of the fleshe an other of the spirite and the thyrd ioyned together of them both For it is not to be thought that the olde Testament Many liued vnder the law which therewithall liued also vnder th◠Gospell An 〈…〉 or of the Maniches was so seperated from the Gospell that they which liued in it could not also therewithall haue the Gospell These two thinges are indeede seperated the one from the other but yet in such sorte that they may be ioyned together in one and the selfe same man Manicheus so reiected the olde Testament as though it were vtterly vnprofytable vnto vs. And vsed this kynde of reason Forasmuch as that inheritance of the land of Chanaan pertayneth not vnto me I do reiect also both the Testament and the writinge whereby the bequest was made Yea also though it should bring vnto me the possession of that land yet Christ hath so exalted vs to better thinges that I regard not these thinges These wordes obiected Faustus and they are red in the 4. booke of that worke whiche Augustine wrote against him In which place he thus answereth him Those thinges which are written The olde Testaraent pertayneth vnto vs also in the olde Testament are types of our thinges Forasmuch as Paule in his latter Epistle to the Corrinthians sayth These thinges happened vnto them in a figure but they are written for our correction vpon whome are come the endes of the world And vnto the Romanes we reade whatsoeuer thinges are written are written for our erudition and learning And in the oracles of the olde Testament is promise made of Christ Wherfore he being raysed from the dead and disputing with his two disciples of himselfe cited testimonyes out of Moses and out of the whole scripture And the same Christ sayd that the good father of the houshold brought forth of his treasure both new thinges and olde Wherefore the olde Testament is not so contrary vnto the new as the Manichies fayned it was And therefore Paule when he semeth to speake any thinge Paule whē he semeth to diminish any thing frō the law condēneth not the olde
predestination For although therby as it is proued be not letted free wil yet doth not it otherwise want impedimeÌ„ts or lettes For we are borne in sins wil we or nil we we are wrapped in original sin neither can we by any meanes wynd our selues out of sinne And before regeneratioÌ„ what maner of power so euer we geue vnto the will of man in thinges indifferent ciuil this first we ought to thinke yâ— which way soeuer it do turne it selfe it of necessity sinneth neither caÌ„ it do any thing which is in very dede acceptable vnto God neither also can it geue vnto ciuill works yâ— successe which it purposeth Wherfore Augustine worthely wrote in his Enchiâ—idion that the first man in sinning lost the liberty of choyse or will This moreouer is to be considered that the wils motions of the mind actions euen of men not yet regenerated are directed of God and so directed that by his prouidence they are brought vnto the ende by him prefixed and determined Yea also when we are regenerated althoughe after a sort we obteyne liberty thorough Christ yet is not it full but only begonne For the first motions whiche stirre vp vnto sinne crepe vpon vs agaynst our willes whiche motions to be sinnes we haue in the seuenth chapter proued And Ambrose plainly confesseth that our hartes are not in our owne power neyther is there any of the beleuers which continually falleth not when yet he would stand Wherefore we ought all to pray Forgeue vs our trespasses And vnto the Galathians Paul sayd The spirite fighteth against the fleshe and the fleshe agaynst the spirite so that ye do not those thinges which ye would And in his epistle as we haue heard it is written The euill that I hate that I do agayne I feele an other law in my members striuing with the law of my mind leading me away captiue into the law of sinne Which wordes can not be vnderstanded but only of a man regenerated For he had sayd In minde I serue the lawe of God but in flesh the lawe of sinne which in no wise can be referred to a man not yet iustified We graunt in deede that God coulde if he God coulde kepe vs froÌ„ all maner of sinne but he doth not would geue vnto men so much ayde that they should not sinne at all but that hetherto hath he not done neyther hath he promised that euer he will do it Wherfore our will is subiect yet vnto some seruitude which as we desire to remayne certayne and vndoubted so on the other syde we affirme that by the foreknowledge and predestination of God the will is not letted We haue hetherto in this third article sene what necessity commeth of the foreknowledge and predestination of God namely such a necessity which is not absolute but by supposition which we call necessity of consequence of infalliblenes and of certainty but not of coactioÌ„ And seing that it is so it is now euident that no iniustice is committed of God when he condemneth sinners and glorifieth the iust For vnto euery man is rendred according to his works so that no man can say that his sinnes are not his owne workes when as he is not compelled to committe them but excedingly alloweth them and willeth them Neither are lawes admonitions promises and punishements in vaine MonitioÌ„s lawes and punishmeÌ„ts are not in vayne as it was obiected for they are so much of force as God hath decreed they shall be of force as Augustine writeth in his fifth booke de Ciuitate Dei in the chapter before cited For Gods will is to vse them to the saluatioÌ„ of many and though they profite not some yet they want not theyr end for they conduce to the condemnation of the wicked Prayers also are not made vnprofitable for by them Prayers aâ— not vayne Sinnes are not excused by the predestination and counsel of God An example we obteyne those thinges which God hath decreed to geue vnto vs by them Wherfore this is an excellent saying of Gregory in his dialogues That by prayers can not be obteyned but those thinges onely which God hath predestinated to geue And howe by predestination or foreknowledge or predictions sinnes are not excused we are taughte by very many testimonies of the holye scriptures Christ foretold that Iudas should betray him verilye that foretelling neyther tooke away from Iudas his wickednes nor also powred it into him He followed the entisementes of couetousnes he betrayed not the Lord to the end to fullfill his prophesy Christ also was by the will of God slayne For he sayd in the garden Let this cup passe away from me if it be possible but not my will be done but thine And touching himself he foretold I will geue my life for my shepe Yea Herode and Pilate are in the Actes of the Apostles sayd to haue ioyned together to doo those thinges which the counsell of God had decreed Are by reason of thys eyther the Iewes or those princes to be acquited from sinne when as they condemned and slew an innocent man Who will say so Can any man also discharge of villany the brethern of Ioseph wheÌ„ they sold theyr brother although God would that by that meanes Ioseph should come into Egipt Neyther shall the cruelty of the king of Babilon be excused although the iustice of God decreed to haue the Iewes in such sorte punished He which is killed is sayd to be of him deliuered into the hande of his enemy And God is also sayd to deliuer a city when it is wonne by assault And Iob said that those thinges which were by violence and theft taken away from him by the Caldeans and Sabeans were taken away by God The Lord sayth he gaue the Lord hath taken away Wherefore of that counsell of God whereby he vseth sinnes to theyr appointed endes can not be inferred any iust excuses of sinnes For wicked workes are iudged and coÌ„demned bycause of the vitiate and corrupt harte from whence they are deriued Wherefore let no man be offended with the doctrine of predestination when as rather by it we are led to acknowledge the benefites of God and to geue thankes vnto him only Let vs also learne not to attribute more vnto our owne strengths then we ought let vs haue also an assured persuasion of the good will of God towardes vs whereby he would elect his before the foundacions of the world were layd let vs moreouer be confirmed in aduersities knowing assuredly that whatsoeuer calamity happeneth it is done by the counsell and will of God and that it shall at the length by the gouernment of predestination turne vs to good and to eternall saluation The tenth Chapter BRethren myne hartes desire and prayer to God for Israell is that they might be saued For I beare them record that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For they being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and
glory of God For when as nothing is attributed vnto our merites and workes it must néedes be that the whole glory redoundeth vnto God Therefore Paule saith of Abraham he gaue the glory vnto God knowing this most fully that what soeuer he had promised he was able also to performe And the more to expresse the certainty of faith he vsed this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he signifieth that Abraham with a certaine most full assent embrased the promesse of God And least any man should thinke that this was a proper and peculâ—are prerogatiue geuen vnto Abraham the Apostle addeth an vniuersall rule and saith that it was not written for him only that it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs vnto whome it shall be imputed so that we beleue in him which raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Farther out of the .v. chapter we haue also an other testimony wherfore seing saith he we be iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through Iesus Christ by whome we haue accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand Here are two things to be noted the one is that we are iustified by faith and that by grace the second that vnto this grace is not an entraunce made open by preparatioÌ„s or works which dispose vs but only by faith In the. vâ—ij chapter are set forth as it were certaine steppes and degrees by which we must come to eternal saluation WhoÌ„ he hath foreknown saith he those also hath he predestinate that they shold be like fashioned vnto the image of the sonne of God that he might be the first begotteÌ„ amongst many brethreÌ„ And whoÌ„ he hath predestinate those also hath he called And whoÌ„ he hath called those hath he iustified and whoÌ„ he hath iustified those also will he glorifie Here are reckened vp .v. degrees foreknowledge predestination vocation iustification and glorification in which as touching our purpose let vs consider what commeth betwene vocation and iustification And that is nothing else but faith For for as muche as vocation is done by the promise of iustification and of saluation the same is receiued by faith geuing assent thereunto Towardes the ende of the .ix. chapter is set forthe a difference betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles and a reason is geuen why the Gentiles obtained righteousnesse and not the Iewes For thus Paule saith What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue taken holde of righteousnesse which is by faith But Israell which followed righteousnesse attained not vnto the lawe of righteousnesse bicause they sought it not by faith but as it were by workes What caÌ„ there be more manifest then these words for they declare that they which wil be iustified by faith doe obtaine righteousnesse but those which doe aspire vnto it by works doe labor but in vaine This self thing he proueth euen from the beginning of the .x. chapter where he describeth two kindes of righteousnesse the one which he calleth ours which consisteth of works the other which he calleth the righteousnesse of God which is taken holde of by faith And thus he writeth They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establishe their owne are not obedient vnto the righteousnesse of God Hereby it is manifest that they which wil establish their owne righteousnesse â–ª that is the righteousnesse of works do fall away from the righteousnesse of God Paule goeth on and more plainly openeth the nature of these two kinde of righteousnesses Moses sayth he thus wryteth of the righteousnesse which commeth of the lawe The man which dothe these things shall liue in them By these words he sheweth that the righteousnesse of the law consisteth in workes But of the righteousnesse which commeth of faithe he thus speaketh Say not thou in thine heart who shall ascend vp into heauen to fetch Christ from thence or who shall descend into the deepe to fetche vp Christ againe from the dead But what saith he The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouthe and in thine heart The same is the worde of faith which we preach which word he which beleueth in his heart and with his mouth confesseth the Lord Iesus Christ shal be saued Hereby we se that not the righteousnesse of the lawe which is had by workes but the righteousnesse of faithe is it which bringeth saluation And this is by the latter words more manifestly confirmed For in that there is added With the heart we beleue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation the later clause touching confession which semeth to be an outward worke is therfore added least we shold thinke that the faith wherby we are iustified should be idle for it is not a vaine barren faith such a one as our aduersaries dreame that we obtrude It hath most pleÌ„tifull and most aboundant fruits amongst which the confession of piety obtaineth the first place and is most necessaryest Hereunto Paule addeth a testimony out of the Prophet he which beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed They are commonly ashamed which coÌ„trary to their expectation are frustrated of that which they hoped to haue obtained Wherefore the meaning is He which beleueth in Christ and by this faith waiteth for saluatioÌ„ shal not be put to shame bicause he shall not be frustrated of his hope He addeth also an other testimony taken out of the Prophet Ioel Whosoeuer doth call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued in which words the promise of saluation seemeth to be ascribed vnto inuocation But Paule profitably teacheth as I haue before oftentimes said wheÌ„ Note thaâ— the scriptures teach a resolution froÌ„ workes â–ª vnto fayth And againe from fayth to his obiect promises seeme to be adioyned vnto workes we must alwayes run from them vnto the roote and foundation namely vnto faith So Paule in this place when he had sayd Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued straight way addeth how shall they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleued So he resolueth the whole matter from inuocation into faith And that we shold not think that faith by his owne power hath any thing whereby it can iustifie he againe passeth from it vnto the obiect saying how shall they beleue without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Also faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wherefore the vttermost point of the resolution is the worde of God and promesse touching Christ from whence as from the fountaine is deriued our saluation and iustification In the .xj. chapter is set forthe the Antithesis betweene incredulitie and faith which serueth very muche to confirme that which we now teache The braunches were broken of that I might be grafted in This was an obiection of the Gentiles against the Iewes Paule answereth thou sayest well
woman vnto whome the Lord thus answered thy faith hath made thee safe signifiyng that he for her fayth sake had forgeuen her her sinnes And that the faith of this woman was very feruent she declared by the effectes in that she loued much in that she kissed his féete in that she washed them with her teares and wiped them with her haire In the Gospel of Iohn the .iij. chapter Christ sayd vnto Nicodemus So God loned the world that he gaue his only begotteÌ„ sonne that he which beleueth in him should not pearish but haue eternall life And in the selfe same Chapter Ihon Baptist thus speaketh of Christ He that beleueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleueth not hath not life but the wrath of God abideth ouer him Out of which place we gather not only that we presently entreat of but also this that they are strangers Here is prâ—ued that they which are straungers from Christ can do no good thyng that may please God from Christ and those which beleue not can doe nothing that may please God and therfore they can not merite of congruitie as they call it and as our aduersaries affirme the grace of God And in the .vj. chapter Christ saith This is the will of him which sent me that he which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him hath eternall life And I sayth he will raise him vp in the last day And when as he had before said No man commeth vnto me vnles my father draw him Also He that hath heard of my father and hath learned commeth vnto me afterward he addeth And he which beleueth in me hath eternal life In the .xj. chapter when Christ should raise vp Lazarus he said vnto Martha He which beleueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and he which liueth and beleueth in me shall not die for euer And in the .xvij. chapter this is eternall life that they acknowledge thee the only true God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ But this is to be noted that here he speaketh not of a cold knowledge but of a mighty and strong faith Wherefore if it be eternal life then shal it also be iustificatioÌ„ For as we haue before taught wheÌ„ we expounded this sentence of Abacuk the Prophet The iust maÌ„ shall lyue by fayth Iustification and life are so ioyned together that the one is oftentimes taken for the other And in very déede Iustification is nothing els then eternall life now already begonne in vs. And in the. 20. chapiter Those things saith he are written that ye should beleue that Christ is Iesus and that in beleuing ye should haue eternall life In the Actes of the Apostles the 15. chapiter it is thus written by faith purifying their hearts In which place Peter speaketh of the Gentiles that they should not be compelled vnto the works of the lawe of Moses for Christ had without them geuen vnto them the holy Ghost and had by faith made cleane their hearts from sinnes Paule also in his Oration to king Agrippa said that he was called of Christ to be sent vnto the Gentiles which should by his ministery be illuminated and by faith receiue remission of sinnes and lot amongst the saintes And these testimonies hitherto we haue gathered out of the Newe testament But if I should out of the old testament reherse all that which maketh to this purpose I should then be ouer tedious And if there be any of so obstinate a heart that those things which we haue alredy spoken can not vrge them to confesse the truthe neither should it any thing profite suche men if we should bring many testimonies Wherfore a few shall suffice and besides those testimonies which Paule hathe cited out of the. 15. Chapiter of Genesis Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse out of Abacucke The iuste man shall liue by his faith out of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeueÌ„ out of Esay Euery one that beleueth in him shall not be confounded and a fewe others suche like besides these testimonies I say I will cite the. 53. chapter of Esay wherein Christ is by most expresse wordes painted forth For there he is sayd to haue taken vpon him our sorowes and to haue borne our infirmities to haue geuen his soule a sacrifice for sinne and many such other things which are so plaine that they can be applied vnto none other but only vnto Christ Iesus our sauioure And it is sayde moreouer and by the knowledge of hym shall my righteous seruaunt iustifye many and he shall beare their iniquities These words teache that Christ iustifieth many namely the elect by the science and knowledge of him which knowledge vndoubtedly is nothing else but a true faith And that he in suche sort iustifieth them that he taketh vpon himselfe and beareth their iniquities And Ieremy in the. 15. chapter wryteth O God haue not thine eyes a regarde vnto faith vndoubtedly they haue As if he should haue said Although thou séest al things and there is nothing pertaining vnto man hidden from thée yet hast thou chiefly a regarde vnto faith as vnto the roote and foundation of all good actions And as touching the oracles of the scriptures this shall suffice Now will I answere vnto such obiections which are commonly brought agaynst this second proposition And we will heginne first with Pigghius because our aduersaries count him for their Achilles or chief champion and thinke that he only by his subtil sharp wit hath persed euen into the inward misteries of the truth And this man vseth this cauillation we are not iustified by that from which this iustification may be seperated For it is not possible that the causes should be pulled away or seperated from their effects But faith is seperated from iustification for many that beleue do notwithstanding liue most filthely so farre is it of Whether iustification may be seperated from faith that they should be iustified But because he thinketh that this may be denied he bringeth a reason to proue that it is not against the nature and definition of faith but that iustification may be seperated from it And he maketh an obiection out of the 13. chapiter of the epistle to the Corrinthyans If I haue all fayth so that I can remoue mountaynes and haue not charity I am nothing By these words he concludeth that faith may be seperated from charity and therefore from all good works He citeth this also out of Mathew many shall come in that day and shall say Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and haue cast out deuils and haue wrought signes But vnto them shall answere bee made I know you not These signes sayth Pigghius can not be done without fayth wherefore seing that they are shut forth from the kingdome of heauen which yet do these things it is cleare that they were not iustified Wherefore in them faith was seperated from righteousnes But this he
which in the first state of nature liued godly Therfore the simboles The godly had holy rites also before the law or outwad signes of rites are in dede by reason of the diuersity of tymes oftentymes chaunged but the thinges remayne the selfe same Moreouer by the wordes of Paule is gathered that Circumcision profitâ—th so that the law be obserued For it is very profitable to obteyne regeneration to haue the signe of the couenaunt and a perpetuall admonition of the mortification of the flesh and an obsignation or seale of the promise of God and of the heauenly gifte bestowed vpon vs. If thou be a transgressor of the law Here he vnderstandeth none but those which of purpose transgresse and not those which fal of infirmitie and are draweÌ„ either vnawares or vnwillingly and do sighe and grone saying together wyth Paule who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Thy circumcision is made vncircumcision To be made vncircumcision in this place is to be counted vncircumcision as it shall afterward be declared wheÌ„ he sayth Shall not his circumcision be counted vncircumcision And to kepe the law is to be taken in the same sence that we before declared Ambrose vppon this place sayth He then kepeth the law which beleueth in Christ. But if he beleue not he is a transgressor of the law Which wordes although they serue not much to the expositioÌ„ of this place yet are they very profitable Bicause therby we perceiue that he which beleueth in Christ kepeth the lawe for that by fayth is geuen vnto vs the power and facultie of the spirite wherby to obey the law And if there want any thing to the obseruation therof as in very dede there alway wanteth the same is He that beleueth not is according to the sentence of Ambrose a transgressor of the law The Iewes gloried in circumcision holpen by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ Moreouer in that he affirmeth that he which beleueth not in Christ is a transgressor of the law he manifestly sheweth that the workes of them which beleue not in Christ are sinnes and transgressions of the law The Iewes bosted excedyng much of circumcision as though it had bene geuen them for their merites and as though it had ben an assured testimony of a iust and holye lyfe whiche thyng is declared to be vntrue Chrisostome vpoÌ„ this place vseth a very trim order both as touching the law also as touchyng circumcision There is sayth he an outward law there is also a law in the hart and in the middle place are set good workes which procede from the law of the hart are agreable with the outward law Likewise there is circumcision in the flesh circumcision in the harte In the middest is placed a iust and holy life For it proceedeth from the circumcision of the harte and agreeth with the circumcision of the flesh Paule putteth A double comparison of circumcision a double comparison of circumcision The first is whereby it is contrarye vnto vncircumcision yâ— is vnto the condicioÌ„ of the Ethnickes And of this he speaketh now presently and sheweth that it was nothinge preiudiciall vnto men as touchign saluation The other is whereby circumcision is compared with faith and thereof shall afterward be entreated when the Apostle sheweth that AbrahaÌ„ first beleued and therefore obteyned righteousnes and afterwarde that righteousnes was sealed with circumcision Wherfore the circumcision of the flrsh is of lesse dignity then fayth and commeth after it Therefore if vncircumcision do kepe the iustifications of the law shal not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision In ciuile iudgementes when any is to be condemned which is in any dignity or Magistrateship he is The ciuile manner in condemning of noble men first depriued of his dignity or office and then afterward condemned So the Apostle first depriueth the Iewes of the true Iewishnes and of the true circumcision and then afterward condemneth them because they liued filthely This similitude in a manner vseth Chrisostome Wherunto we may moreouer adde that like as in a publike wealth they which shal be preferred to honour if they be of a base and obscure stocke are fyrste adorned with some noble Magistrateship or publike dignity so Paule minding to bring to honour the Gentles which seemed abiecte attributeth vnto them the true circumcision and true religion of the Iewes when he sayth that theyr vncircumcision is counted for circumcision which they haue in theyr hart And in these wordes circumcision I say and vncircuÌ„cisioÌ„ is vsed the figure called Metonymia which is a traÌ„spositioÌ„ of names The figure called Metonymia vsed in circumcision vncircumcision For by those signes is signifyed the state and condicion of the Iewes and Gentils The iustifications of the lavv In Greeke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many take to be ceremonies called of the Hebrues Chocoth But I do not easly se how the Ethnikes kept the ceremonies of the law vnles we wil say that the Hebrues in theyr captiuities taught the Gentils the ceremonies of Moses which is not casy to be beleued especially forasmuch as they were not to be obserued but in the land of promise PeradueÌ„ture they meane the these iustifications do signify those rites which the Ethnikes counted in the law of nature godlye and good For we speake not of idolatrous rites but of those whiche some obserued by the tradicions The holy Ethnikes had certain good and godly rites in the law of nature of theyr Fathers which hoped in the Mediator to come For by suche ceremonies they both professed God also accused theÌ„selues as sinners after which folowed the practise of vpright liuyng And we deny not but ther were many such meÌ„ Yet can we not therfore affirme that either Socrates or Phocion or Aristides were of the number of these men when as we haue nothyng that is certayne of theyr pietie and fayth but rather by historyes they appeare Idolatrers Neuerthelesse the Scriptures commend Iob vnto whom no doubt there were many like But by our iudgement as we haue sayd they can not be declared or defined But the Apostle speaketh not of those rites of the lawe of nature when as by the lawe he here vnderstandeth the lawe of Moses For he hath to do against the Iewes And that the Ethnickes obserued not the rites of Moses hereby it is By the iustifications of the lawe he vnderstandeth the morall partes of the lawe manifest because they were vncircumcised are called vncircumcision Wherfore it is more truely sayd that the iustifications of the law signifie here the morall part of the lawe of which the Gentiles by the light of nature were not ignoraunt The scope of the Apostle is to shewe that righteousnes is not of necessitie ioyned with the rites and ceremonies of the lawe and that it was no let vnto the Gentiles touching saluation that they wer not circumcised so that they had
the truth to whome Iesus Christ was before described and before your eyes crucified Farther to the Hebrewes we reade And if any mā shal make voyd the law of Moses he is vnder the witnes of two or thre without any mercy slain How much more greuous punishmēts abide those which haue troden vnder foot the bloud of the sonne of God Lastly they bring a place out of the latter Epistle to the Corrint the 7. chapter Where Paule seemeth to haue made mencion of satisfaction to be made after crimes committed They thinke also that Ambrose maketh on theyr side when he interpreteth these woordes oute of the 11. chap. to the Romanes The giftes of God are without repentaunce Because sayth he grace in baptisme seeketh not sighinge or mourning or any woorke but onely profession from the harte And a little afterwarde he sayth that in the first entraunce of fayth is not required repentaunce for the gift of God freely forgeueth sins in baptisme And they faine that they speake these things that we should not geue our selues to slouthfulnes or sluggishnes and least some should imagine an idle iustificatiand a repentance without fruite Repentance say they whiche is added after baptisme is of that kinde that it hath ioyned with it most feruent prayers and mourning and sighing and almes geuing to our neyghbours and spiritual excercises There is but one maner of true repentance by whiche maye be washed away sinnes committed But whatsoeuer those men say there is but one manner of true repentaunce whiche is that we shoulde from the hart be sorry for the sinnes whiche we haue commited whiche haue alienated God frō vs. Vnto which sorrow is added a desire of forgeuenes and thereunto also are adioyned prayers to attayne the same with a full purpose not to runne any more into the like sinnes and wyth a wyll to mortefy the old man and to put on the new man And all these thinges oughte to leane vnto Vnto Christians repentance is a perpetual companion how be it it is sometimes greater and somtimes lesser In the baptisme of them that are of full age is required repentance faith for without it they cannot consiste And in a christian man is perpetuallye this kinde of repentance so long as he liueth here although we graunte that it is greater when we haue committed greuouser sinnes whiche thinge then vndoubtedly cōmeth to passe when after grace once receaued we fal againe But as the common sayinge is more and lesse chaunge not the nature and kinde of thinges But whereas these men fayne that in baptisme is not required repentaunce and especiallye when they that are of full age are baptised it is both vayne and also manifestlye repugnaunte vnto the holye scriptures For in the Actes of the Apostles when the people had heard the sermon of Peter they were smitten in the hart and sayd Ye men brethern what ought we to do Vnto whom Peter aunswered that they should repent them And when the Iewes were baptised of Iohn they were smitten with such a sorrow of repentance that of theyr owne accord also they confessed theyr sinnes Which selfe thinge the Ephesians also did when they brought foorth their wicked bookes to be burnt And as touching Ambrose vnles he be vnderstanded of Ecclesiasticall satisfactions for that the church requireth not them for sinnes before baptisme that which he writeth is not true For in very déede it is not possible that a man should from the hart Before baptisme wer not required ecclesiasticall satisfactions be conuerted vnto God and come vnto Christe to be washed in baptisme but that he must ernestly repente him of his former life Neyther can I see why it is not conueniēt to vse the ministery of the law to preach it vnto those which haue fallē away frō Christ as well as vnto those which are not as yet cōuerted For it is certayne that Christ entreated with the Apostles touching the lawe in the. 5 and 6. chapters of Mathew when yet notwithstandinge they had nowe both beleued in him and also followed him Paule also in this self same epistle which he wrote vnto the faithfull in the 7. chap. vseth a testimony of the law to the declaracion of concupiscence And in the first to Timothy he pronounceth the law to be good so that a man lawfully vse it Neyther do those places of the Apocalipse vnto the hebrewes and vnto the Galathians teach any other thinge For the vpbrayding of benefites receaued forasmuch as it reproueth men of ingratitude layeth before them the transgression of the law For to sinne is nothinge els but to violate the commaundementes of God which are contained in the law Neither is there anye mencion made of satisfaction in the latter Epistle to the Corrinthians as these men fayne there is For that word which Paule there vseth A place in the latter epistle to the Corrin is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither mente the Apostle in that place any thinge els then to declare that he was very glad that his first letters had brought forth in the Corrinthians a study 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an indignatiō For that they had excommunicated the incestuous person whom Paule had noted vnto them and had declared that they were not a little sory for that which Paule had reproued in them So vtterlye far of is it that that place commendeth vnto vs Ecclesiasticall satisfactions of which yet there is no suche cause why these men should so much boast of when as in theyr churches they now are vtterly cleane out of The true ecclesiasticall satisfactions ar banished out of the Church of the Papistes How the fathers assigned remission of sinnes to good woorkes God beareth with sinnes vre neither nowe haue they any other satisfactions then those whiche they enioyne men after auricular confession and which no manne can fully performe vnles he be already before absolued of the priest whiche is vtterly contrarye to the vsage of the elders And if at any time we reade that the fathers attributed remission of sins or righteousnes vnto almes geuing or vnto other good works eyther they are vtterly not to be harkened vnto or els they are to be vnderstanded to speake of woorkes as they are effectes of fayth They may also by the name of sinne sometimes vnderstand the paines and punishmentes whiche are due vnto sinnes which punishmentes oftentimes are either mittigated or takē away if woorthy fruites follow repentaunce Thorough the patience of God By these woordes is signified that God remitteth those sinnes which he hath long time before borne with when as otherwise men as touching themselues deserue to be punished euen straightway so soone as they haue sinned But God is mercifull and slow to anger whiche thing he declared when he sent the floude when he destroyed Sodom and ouerthrew the publike wealth of the Iewes And we finde him also to be euen suche a one towardes euery
them but yet by the will of God Wherefore if thinges happen otherwise then they hoped for they comfort themselues for that they know that God theyr most louing father prouideth better both for his kingdome and for theyr saluation then they coulde haue prouided for themselues And they haue alwayes that in theyr mouth which Dauid sang Vnles the Lord builde the house they labour in vaine which build it Wherefore this is theyr care to frame theyr counsels to the word of God And the euent they committe vnto God And so on euery parte they worke surely But in those workes which are acceptable In thoâ— workes which are acceptable vnto God they 〈…〉 r straungers from Christ haue no liberty at all and greatefull vnto God men being strangers from God haue no libertye at all Hereof it came that Augustine sayth in his Enchiridion That man vsing frâ—e will ill lost both himselfe and free will For when in the battaile sinne got the vpper hande it broughte man into bondage I knowe there are some whiche thus interpretate thys sentence of Augustine that Adam lost free will as touchinge grace and glorye wherewyth he was adorned but not as touchynge nature Verelye here I will not muche striue to denye that reason and will whiche pertayne vnto nature were left vnto man after the fall But that the same nature After sinne nature remayned but â—et mayned and wounded is mayned wounded nether can they themselues vndoubtedly deny For thys thinge also affirmeth the Master of the Sentences in hys 2. booke and xxv distinction For he sayth that man nowe after hys fall is in that state that he maye sinne and that he is in such condition that he can not not sinne And although Augustine and others should not so affirme yet may most firme reason teach it For holy workes depend of two groundes namely of knowledge and of appetite Of knowledge Paul sayth The naturall man vnderstandeth not A reason why man can not not sinne the thinges which are of the spirite of God yea neither vndoubtedly can he For vnto him they are foolishenes But now if we know not what is to be done and what pleaseth God by what meanes then can we performe it in act â–ª And in what sort our appetite and cogitacions are towardes those holy workes it is manifest by the sixt chapter of Genesis My spirite sayth God shall not striue in man for euer for he is flesh And straight way God saw that the malice of men was great and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his hart were only vnto euill continually And in the 8. chapter The imagination of mans hart is euilleuen from his infancy And these things speaketh God himselfe And we ought touching our strengthes to beleue none Touchinge our strengthes we must most of all beleue him that made vs. more then our maker when he geueth testemony of his owne worke In Ieremy the 18. chapter the people sayd we wyll go after our own thoughtes Which place Ierome expounding thus writeth Where then is the power of free wyll without the grace of God and the iudgement of a mans owne wyll When as it is a great offence to God for a man to follow his own thoughtes and to do the will of his wicked hart That we are obnoxious vnto seruitude Christ declareth in Iohn saying he which doth Without grace we ar seruants sinne is the seruaunt of sinne Wherefore seing we sinne in many thinges and haue from our mothers wombe sinne fast cleuing vnto vs we must of necessity confesse that we are seruanntes But then shall we be in very deede frée when the sonne hath deliuered vs. Otherwise we serue a most bitter seruitude Wherefore Paul sayd that he was sold vnder sinne and so solde that in his fleshe he confessed to dwell nothing that is good and that he did the thinges which he would not and which he hated and felt an other lawe in his members resisting the lawe of hys minde and leading him away captiue vnto the lawe of sinne And vnto the Galathyans he sayth that the flesh fighteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe so that we do not the thynges which we would Which thinges if they be true of so great an Apostle and of holy men regenerate by Christ what is to be thought of yâ— vngodly which pertain nto vnto Christ For they can not come vnto him vnles they be draweÌ„ For Christ sayth No man can come vnto me vnles my father draw hym He which before would of his owne accord go is not drawen as sayth Augustine No man can come vnto Christ vnles he be drawen Places prouing that we are not free before regeneratioÌ„ but is led Wherfore if we must be drawen vnto Christ before we would not which is a most gréeuous sinne And therefore we will not because the wisedome of the fleshe is enmity towardes God For it is not subiect vnto the lawe of God yea neither vndoubtedly can it And as many as are not by Christ set at liberty liue vnder the lawe and as Paul aâ—deth vnto the Galathyans vnder the curse whiche should not be true if they could fulfill the lawe of God For none incurre the curse but they which transgresse the lawe Farther Paul expressedly sayth It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy For our saluation is his worke and not the worke of our strengthes For it is he which worketh in vs both to wyll and to performe Before he bringeth that to passe if he deale any thing with vs ether by the lawe or by the doctrine of his worde he dealeth with stones for our hartes are stony vnles Christ chaunge them into fleshy Which thing in Ezechiell he promiseth that he will do and will so worke that we shall walke in his commaundemenntes And doubtles if we coulde without grace liue iustly and vprightly we should be able also by our workes to be iustified which sentence is vtterly condemned both of Paul and of all the whole scripture Ieremy It is Gods worke and not ours to be conuerted vnto him sayth Conuert me Lord and I shal be conuerted And Dauid sayth Creat in me O God a cleane hart And that this commeth not to passe in all men we playnly sée by the 29. chapter of Deutromony where it is thus written The Lord hath not geueÌ„ vnto you eyes to see nor an eare to heare nor an hart to vnderstaÌ„d And in the 30. cha God promised to circumcise their hartes and the hartes of their séede that they may walke in his preceptes For he both beginneth and maketh perfect our saluation For so Paul sayth vnto the Phillippians I hope that he which hath begon in you wyll accomplishe it euen vnto the day of Christ This thing holy men right well vnderstanding pray with Dauid Incline myne hart to thy testimonyes and wyth Solomon The Lord
seme doubtfull whether it ought to be referred vnto Moses whome he had before cited or vnto the righteousnes of faith which is brought in as if it should speake But thys is no matter of wayght and there are some greke exēplers wherin is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is But what saith the scriptures Nether is this to be passed ouer y◠in the Hebrue is had not only nigh or next but there is also added this aduerbe Meod which signifieth very whereby is noted a very nigh inward néerenes The Seuenty intepreters haue in their translation not onely in the hart and in the mouth but haue added in the handes But that is not had in the Hebrue and Paul hath left it out Augustine in his questions vppō Deut. who readeth after the translation of the Seuenty diligently noteth that But if it be added it nothing hindreth yea rather it helpeth the interpretacion of the Apostle whereby is declared that in that place is entreated of the commaundement of God as it is grafted in the hart as it is confirmed by the mouth and as it is expressed in worke But all these thinges are to be referred vnto Christe and How great the strēgth of fayth is vnto faith for that is it which causeth our mind and harte to be opened and made able to receiue those thinges which are vtterly repugnant vnto reason iudgemēt and sence and so is that made nigh vnto vs which is by nature most farre of from vs. And that the scripture by name mencioneth the hart it wanteth not a mistery for although faith pertaine vnto the assent of the minde yet notwithstandinge hath it most nighly ioyned with it the affect of the will which is by the hart described for that if vnto our vnderstanding or minde be offred those thinges which are most manifest and plaine it is so ouercome that it straight way geueth assent nether The minde when it assēteth vnto thinges very manifest waiteth not for the consent of the will How the vnderstanding will are vnto faith waiteth it for the commaundement or consent of the will as it is euident in the first principles of all sciences and in mathematicall demonstrations But whē thinges doubtfull are set foorth and that the reasons on either side are obscure and many thinges are agaynst the proposition set foorth the minde and vnderstanding geue not assent but by the commaundement and consent of the will which in that case peiseth and examineth the ambiguity Wherfore when faith is engendred in vs the holy ghost therein vseth two workes The one is so to illustrate the minde that it may be made certaine of the thing set before it although it be not very euident The other is that the will be so strengthned that by the affect therof it may ouercome whatsoeuer sence or reason do set foorth which is repugnante vnto the word of God geuen vnto vs. For in the worke of faith vnto our will is ioyned the holy Ghost for the assente whiche by beleuing we geue vnto the oracles of God is firme and of efficacy for the spirite chaungeth the will and maketh it of hys owne accorde vtterly to will those thinges which it before refused Wherfore God whē he geueth vnto vs faith gouerneth ech power of the soule as is agreable vnto their nature And forasmuch as this pertaineth to the wil not to iudge any thing of it self but to follow the iudgemente of vnderstanding the minde is by the spirite of God made assured of the thinges which are to be beleued and vnto it therewithall it is made plaine that we must wholy be obedient vnto God Therof it commeth that the wil resisteth not but represseth all thinges which otherwise shoulde be a let to this assent required at our hands He calleth the Gospel y◠word of faith for none other cause but for that by faith it is apprehended whereby a figuratiue kinde of speach the obiect is illustrated and described by the vertue which apprehendeth it This is the worde of faith which we preach This is not spoken that we should beleue that the Gospell is not ioyned with the law for how then could repētance be preached But therfore it is written for that the chiefest parte of the ministery of the Apostles is occupied about the righteousnes of faith And when it is said This is the word of fayth which we preach by a certaine Emphasis is declared that the doctrine of the Gospell is in no wise repugnant vnto the lawe of Moses yea rather it excellently well agréeth with it It is not onely sayd that the woorde is nigh in the hart but also in the mouth Which thing Paul weying moste aptly applied it to his purpose for this he saith belōgeth to confessiō which euer straight way foloweth a true effectuall faith Some of the Iewes vnderstood this place as though Moses should say now the word is in your mouth y◠is ye haue it in sight before you for this woorde Pi disagréeth not from this signification for it is sayde Keephi lephi which signifieth hard by and nighe Others also haue not vnaptlye by in the mouthe vnderstanded expressing or rehersing for the lawe being geuen and written the Iewes mought repeat and recite with themselues the woordes thereof And the Leuites daylye repeated it in the Tabernacle or in the temple of God and in this wise it was said to be had in the mouth But this is to be considered that it was for no other cause had in handes and sighte or recited either of the Leuites or of any of the people but to bring men vnto Christe and to stirre them Why the law was oftentimes repeted vp to faith in him and to prouoke the godly to confesse to praise and to allowe that which the Lord had spoken If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the lord Iesus and shalt beleue in thine harte that God hath raised him vp from the deade thou shalt be saued For with the hart mā beleueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation For the scripture saith whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall not be made ashamed For there is no difference betwene the Iew and the Grecian For there is one lorde ouer all who is riche vnto all them that call vpon him For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the lord shal be saued If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleue in thine hart that God hath raysed him vp from the deade Althoughe Paul séemeth not here to obserue a right order for first we beleue before we make confession The fayth of an other mā is knowen onely by confession In the resurrectiō is accomplished our saluation yet because that we cannot iudge concerning our brother whether he beleue vnles we heare him first confesse for this cause the Apostle putteth the effect before the cause And amongst other thinges which are to be beleued he
imitate to approue the glory of God so often as occasion serueth with all our harte to wishe it and with a willing and glade assent to affirme and ratify it Of Iustification BVt now to make an end of the long disputation which we haue had it shall not be amisse more fully to entreate of Iustification which is the The questiō put forth scope and end of all that which Paul hath hitherto spoken of And in this sort let the question be put forth Whether men be iustified by workes or by fayth But first of all it shall be good to pease and discusse the woordes of the question proposed and let vs beginne with this woord Iustification The signification of this worde to iustifie This verbe Tsada with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth to be iust But if it be transferred vnto the third coniugation it signifieth to transferre righteousnes into an other and to make iust for this is the nature of the forme of those verbes which they call Hiphil Euen as Amad signifieth to stand so Heamid signifieth to appoint that is to make an other thing to stand Wherfore Hitsadik in the Hebrue signifieth to iustifie that is to make one iust which thinge God is said two maner of wayes to iustifie when it is done of God is done of him two maner of wayes For sometymes he doth in very deede bring forth righteousnes in men First when with his holy spirite he frameth them agayne wholy reneweth them in restoring the strengths of their mindes and deliuering the powers of man from a great part of his naturall corruption and this is the first righteousnes which sticketh and cleaueth to our mindes by the benefite of God thorough Christ Then when he hath so restored and made them new agayne he geueth good and holy workes by the vse and frequency of which workes is engendred in our minds a quality or as they call it an habite whereby we are made prone to lyue honestly and holyly And we deny not but this kind of righteousnes is in the harts of the regenerate But sometimes God iustifieth in absoluing vs from sinnes and ascribing and imputing vnto vs righteousnes And then this woord Hitsadik is a woord taken of the lawe whiche pertayneth to iudgements as also this word Hirsehig ▪ which signifieth to declare one to be wicked and hurtfull And to iustifie is by iudgement words testimony and affirmation to count one for iust And forasmuch as there are two significations of this word to iustifie namely eyther in deede or in accompt and estimation And God is the author of either of them whether of these two shal we followe We now in treate of the latter forme of iustification in the disputation proposed Forsothe the latter and that for because the renouation inspired by the spirite of God and our righteousnes as touching the habite gotten by good workes are whilest we lyue here so vnperfect and mayned that if iudgement should be geuen by them we were neuer able to stand before the iudgement seate of God Besides that Paul disputing of this matter after he had brought forth the authority of Dauid and a testimony of the history of Abraham in Genesis vseth this word of imputing and by the proper signification thereof he reasoneth touching this present cause or question And this I suppose to be sufficient as touching the declaration of the first word namely of Iustification Now let vs entreate of fayth A man with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth to be firme which self same verbe in the third coniugation which as I What this worde faith signifieth haue sayd is called Hiphil signifieth to geue constancy and assurednes to any promise or thing Wherefore the Latines say Fidem homini aut verbis tribuere which is in Englishe to geue fayth vnto a man or vnto words and it signifieth as much as if a man should say to beleue Wherefore this Hebrue verbe Heemin signifieth none other thing then to suppose or thinke a thing to be firme constant and sure And as touching God he which beleueth not him maketh him a lyar For Iohn sayth in his first Epistle the 5. chapiter He which beleueth not God maketh him a lyar Which thing how greauous a sinne it is let euery man consider with himself Contrariwise he which beleueth God adorneth him with glory and honour For in this Epistle to the Romanes it is written of Abraham that he staggered not thorough doubting in hauing consideration to his own body being now almost dead or to the wombe of Sara being past child bearing but gaue the glory vnto God being strong in fayth and fully persuaded that he was able to performe whatsoeuer he would Wherefore there semeth to be a certayne Analogye or proportion betwene this verbe to beleue and to iustifie as we in this place take it for as to iustifie An analogy or proportiō betwene to beleue and to iustify A double certainty of faith is by iudgement and estimation to ascribe righteousnes to a man and not to make him to be in very deede iust so to beleue is not in very deede to make the words and promises of any man sure and firme but to thinke and setle with our selfes that so they are But this acte of beleuing whereof we now intreate hath two maner of firmenes and certaynety First of the things namely of the words and promises of God which abide much more firmely then heauen and earth Secondly as touching the persuasion which forasmuch as it is wrought by the power of God is also most firme and most certayne and of an assured persuasion that is that it is neuer naked but alwayes draweth with it many and sundry motions An assured persuasiō is not naked ▪ it draweth with it also other motions of the mynde of the mind For experience and dayly vse teacheth that in things ciuile a man being well and fully persuaded of pleasaunt promises is filled with confidence reioyseth sheweth a mery contenaunce is glad and pleasaunt and cleaueth vnto hym that made the promise so that he doth by all meanes allowe him But contrariwise when he beleueth not the persuasion he laugheth at it neglecteth and contemneth it or waxeth cold and bendeth the browe wherefore it can neuer be that he which beleueth in very deede can want such affections whiche are accustomed to followe a full and stronge persuasion And therfore those that are the pure professors of the Gospell do iustly affirme that to beleue hath a very greate coniunction with action or withe the motion of confidence hope and such like affections But most of all with a sincere and firme affiance which it alwayes draweth with it Whereby it commeth to passe that in the holy Scriptures promises are made Vnto true faith is ioyned an assured confidence Promises are in the scriptures geuen both vnto saith also to cōfidence Why in the olde Testamēt is
ye not heare what the lawe saith For it is written that Abraham had two sonnes one of an handemayden an other of a free woman and he whyche came of the handemayden was borne accordynge to the fleshe but hee which came of the free woman was borne acoording to promise which thinges are spoken by an allegorye for these are two testamentes the one from the mounte Sina which gendreth vnto bondage which is Agar for Agar is mount Sina in Arabia is ioyned vnto the city which is now called Ierusalem and is in bondage with her children But Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all In these words this thing is chiefly to be noted yâ— the law gendreth not but as Agar did vnto boÌ„dage But if by the workes therof it could iustifie it should gender to liberty for what thing els is iustification then a certain liberty from sinne But forasmuch as it is both called a seruant and gendreth to bondage we ought not then by it to looke for iustification In the .v. chapter it is written If ye be circumcised Christe shall nothing profite The 39. you And he bringeth a reason of the said sentence For saith he he which is circumcised is debter to kepe the whole law So much doth Paul take iustification from circumcision and woorkes that he saith that Christe nothing profiteth them if in case after they beleue they will be circumcised And still he more stronglye confirmeth that which was said Christ is become in vaine vnto you for if ye haue iustification as the fruite of your woorkes then the comming death and bloudsheding of Christe should not haue bene necessary And I if I yet preach circumcisiom why do I suffer persecution Then is the offence of the crosse abolished the offeÌ„ce and slaunder of the crosse The 40. is that meÌ„ being wicked and otherwise sinners are counted of God iust throughe Christ crucified and faith in him here the flesh is offended here doth reason vtterly resiste whiche thing happeneth not when iustification is preached to come of workes whether they be ceremonial or morall But God would haue this offence The 41. to remaine bicause it pleased him by the foolishenes of preaching to saue them that beleue Vnto the Ephesians the. 2. chapter it is written And ye when ye were deade to trespasses and sinnes in whiche in time passed ye walked accordinge to the course of thys world euen after the gouernor that ruleth the ayre and the spirite that now woorketh in the children of vnbelief among whome also we all had our conuersation in time past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our thoughts and as it is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and were by nature the children of wrath euen as others are Let vs note in these woordes yâ— men at the beginning before they come to Christ are dead in sinnes and therfore are not able to moue themselues to this that they should liue and be iustified who euer saw that a deade man coulde helpe himselfe Further by those wordes is shewed that they were in the power of the Prince of darkenes which worketh and is of efficacy in the children of vnbelief Seing therfore they are gouerned by him how then can they by their workes tende to iustification And because we shoulde not thinke that he spake onely of some other certaine vngodly persons he addeth All we comprehending also the Apostles a 〈…〉 them saith he were we And what did we then we were conuersante in the lustes of our flesh And to the end we might vnderstand that these lustes were not onely the wicked affections of the grosser part of the soule it foloweth we doing the will of the flesh and of the minde or of reason did follow also the thoughtes or inuentions of humane reason If we were all such from whence then commeth saluation and iustification But God which is riche in mercy for his exceeding loue sake wherwith he loued vs yea euen when we were dead in sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ But The 42. what instrumente vsed he to geue vnto vs our saluation For by grace saith he were ye saued through faith and that not of your selues For it is the gifte of God not of workes least any man should boast Could workes be more manifestly excluded In what place then shall we put them Certeinely they follow iustification For the Apostle addeth For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we should walke in them but before they could not be The 43. in vs which thing is very well thus described Ye were at that time without Christe being alienated from the common wealth of Israell straungers from the testamentes of promise hauing no hope and being without God in this world Who can in this state faine vnto himselfe good woorkes by which men may merite iustification And to the Phillippians the. 3. chapter If any other man maye seeme that he hath whereof he The 44. might trust in the flesh I haue more being circumcised the eight day of the kinred of Israell of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrue borne of the Hebrues as concerning the law a Pharisey as touching feruentnes I persecuted the church of God as touching the righteousnes which is of the law I was vnrebukeable Seing that Paul had so manye and so great thinges before his conuersion and that he had whereof to â—rust and boast in the flesh let vs heare what he at the lenth pronounceth of all these thinges These thinges saith he if they be compared vnto the true righteousnes whiche is throughe the faith of Christ I count losse vile and dounge If we should thereby obteine righteousnes should so profitable thinges be counted for losses so precious and holy things for vile thinges and thinges acceptable and pleasaunte vnto God for donge Let Paul take héede what he saith here or rather let the readers take héede that they beleue not Sophisters rather then Paul And to the Colossians the first chapter And The 45. you which were sometimes farre of and through euill workes enemies in your harts hath he yet now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death Here ought euery word diligently to be noted that we may sée that they which are farre of from God ought not to haue a regarde to those thinges thereby to come into fauor Peace which is ioyned with iustification can not be obteined of those which are enemies in mind there can not come good woorkes from those whiche before they be chaunged are saide to be full of euil workes But what manner of workes those were is described in the ii chapter when as it is there written And ye when ye wer dead through sinnes and through the vncircumcisioÌ„ of your flesh hath he quickned together with him The 46. forgeuing all your sinnes and hath
moued By the first righteousnes the mind of a sinner is pacified wheÌ„ as he beleueth that thorough Christ his sinnes are forgeueÌ„ and so also is it by the second for that our hart accuseth vs not of any crime of any such crime I say which may plucke vs away from God and may wast the conscience After this in order followeth ioy whereby we alwayes reioyce in the Lord and assuredly hope for perfect good thinges and doo now presently fele the same good thinges to be begoone There is a certayne other peace of the flesh which Christ came not to send vpon the earth And touching the ioy of the flesh Christ sayth in Luke Wo be vnto you which laugh now and pronounceth them to be blessed which mourne This particle in the holy ghost is added for that by him all these thinges are geuen vnto vs. Wherefore it is witten in the 5. chapiter to the Galathians The fruites of the spirite are ioy peace and patience But thou wilt paraduenture say Although the kingdome of God as it is sayd be spirituall yet notwithstanding outward thinges also seme to make somewhat eyther with it or agaynst it For they are commonly commended in the Church which liue temperately and they which geue themselues to dronknes and glottony doo greauously sinne That hereof commeth for that whatsoeuer eyther vprightnes or wickednes is in these thinges the same as Christ sayth commeth out of yâ— hart And when Paul saith yâ— the kingdoÌ„ of God is not meat or drinke he most sharpely reproueth those whose bealy is theyr God These are the things whereof the kingdome of Christ consisteth by which also it is confirmed and aduanced In these thinges let vs excercise our selues and let vs decline from those thinges which are contrary to them namely iniustice brawlinges and sorow of the spirite These stronger sorte are in my iudgemeÌ„t greauously reproued in these woords for that they vniustly reiected theyr weake brethern and for that by those theyr vntimely disputations they troubled the common peace and also for that they in liuing licentiously ouer fréely did by theyr exaÌ„ple fill others with sorow For vvhosoeuer in these thinges serueth Christ is acceptable to God and is approued of men The latine interpreter as it should seme red not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in these thinges but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in this For he hath thus turned it Qui enim in hoc that is for he which in this which reading Origen followeth and also Ambrose and eyther of them semeth to referre this sentence to the holy ghost as if he should haue sayd he which thorough the holy ghost serueth Christ If we follow this sentence then much more greauously are these coÌ„tencions and brawlings of the Romanes reproued bycause that they semed hereof to spring for that in In what things coÌ„sisteth the true worshipping of God spirite they serued not Christ but attributed to much vnto carnall thinges But we will follow the Greke reading For by it we are with great fruite taught in what thinges the true and proper woorshipping of God consisteth But in the Papacy all thinges are full of dâ—me and supersticious ceremonies He which after this maner woorshipeth God is acceptable vnto him For he worketh those things which without doubt come not of our selues but of God And men will they or nil they shall be compelled to geue testimony vnto the truth The thinges which are An argument takeÌ„ of contraries here promised are most high and most excellent namely that we shall be gratefull and acceptable both to God and to men wherfore of the contrary we may wel conclude that they which are occupied wholy in outward woorshippings in meat and drinke and afflicting of the body shall neyther be gratefull nor acceptable to men that be of an vpright and true iudgement nor also to God And this is that which Paul writeth to Timothe The excercise of the body hath litle commoditte but piety that is the spirituall woorshipping of God stirred vp by fayth loue wherof spring righteousnes peace and ioye auayleth to all thinges as that which hath promises both of this life and of the life to come And Paul so writeth not of the supersticious excercise of the body for otherwise that is vniuersally condemned in the holy scriptures as it is manifest by the second chapiter to the epistle to the ColossiaÌ„s but he speaketh of that which was of many most highly and singularly estemed and reuerenced as though the whole stay and foundacion of all religion consisted in it only Let vs therefore follow those thinges which concerne peace and mutuall edification Destroy not the worke of God for meate sake All thinges indede are pure but it is euill for the man which eateth with offence It is good neyther to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor any thing wherby thy brother may stumble or be offeded or be made weake Hast thou fayth haue it with thy selfe before God Blessed is he which iudgeth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth For he that doubteth is condemned if he eate for that he eateth not of fayth For whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Let vs therfore follow those thinges which concerne peace and mutuall edification He auocateth them from thinges vnprofitable to the end they should geue themselues to the principall and chiefe thinges and very sinnewes of the Church namely to peace and to edification Which he declareth are to be followed not lightly or negligently when he sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For peace as Origene saith semeth to be driuen away thorough the default of men and to be taken away froÌ„ theyr doinges But the more it flieth away the more earnestly is it to bee followed after yea though it bâ— to the hinderaunce of our commodities After peace he putteth edification for that no man can abide to be instructed of him whome he thinketh to be his enemy Neyther can men be closed together as liuely stones to the building of the church vnlesse they be ioyned together with the glewe of peace and of charitie Neither destroy the worke of God for meate sake Chrisostome calleth the saluation The saluation of men is yâ— worke of God of men the worke of God This doubtles beséemeth vs not that whereas we are the workemen of God to this ende appoynted to be an helpe to him in aduauncing the Gospel we should through our default ouerthrowe that which God will haue to be established For so shall we be rather the workmen of the deuill and of the fleshe then of God But in my iudgement they nothing stray from the meaning of Paul which by the worke of God vnderstande faith although it be weake or a sparke of Christian pietie kindled in the hearts of our brethren which it is our partes by al maner of meanes to cherish and not to oppresse and to extinguish as the Romaines did and especially séeing that