image of the holy vnion that wée haue with the sonne of God is defiled and that the alyaunce 〈…〉 â—dissoluble is moste cor◠〈…〉 â—e take not these thinges to 〈…〉 it is a playne signe that wée 〈…〉 â—o god Touching also whore◠〈…〉 â—s that S. Paule doth compare it to 〈…〉 as by the same the temples of God 〈…〉 â—es be prophaned and defiled Also that 〈…〉 â—eration of whormongers of what estate or 〈…〉 they be in the worlde or how holy soeuer they 〈◊〉 â—o the worlde God who séeth the fylthinesse of their â—s dothe banish them from his eternall region and kingdome as also drunkardes and are playnely forbidden not to vse any coÌ„pany or familiaritie with them God also threatneth to plague among all the reste those cursed vyces of pride and excesse which now so horribly ouerrunneth the earth Wherefore it followeth that suche euils ought not to be suffered in the Churche of God without sharpe punishement for the auoyding of the wrath of god And these things are the cause that so many and great tribulations be at thys day vppon the earth for insomuche as men doo pardon and winke at suche enormities and greate abuses it muste vndoubtedly follow that God by his iustice wil take vengeance vpon vs Wherfore my Lorde to the intente that his great yre and wrath may be preuented I pray you holde short the bridle to cause them the rather that be the hearers and fauorers of the doctrine of Chrystes holy Gospell doo also proue them selues to be Christian men by the holynesse of their lyues For as Chrystes holy doctrine is the soule of the Churche to giue life so the discipline of the Church and correction of vices be as the sinowes to mainteyne the body of the same in his cleane force and strength It is the office of Byshops and Curates diligent and faythfull Pastours to take good héede to so gret a charge to the intent that the Supper of our Lorde be not polluted defiled by folkes of slaunderous dishonest life But considering the authoritie which God hath committed vnto you the high and principal charge returneth vnto you to sée that the Christian fauourers of the Gospell of truthe ma◠〈…〉 ende that euery one 〈…〉 â—cause with godly 〈…〉 order which is moste go◠〈…〉 â—ly reuerenced and obserueâ— Now my Lorde folowing the 〈…〉 héere made before I will not excuse my 〈…〉 â—ther of the prolixitie or largenesse of my Le◠〈…〉 which I haue liberally declared according to m◠〈…〉 I trust that mine affection is knowen vnto your gr◠〈◊〉 I humbly referre to the iudgement of your wisedome 〈◊〉 as you be exercised in the holy scriptures you sée out of whâ— fountayne I haue drawen all that which is herein contayned Wherefore I doo not feare that I haue béene importune and tedious vnto your Lordeshippe in declaring the best of my power through the good desire which I haue that the name of God be daily by you more largely glorified for the which I dayly call vpon him praying that it may please his diuine Maiestie to poure abundauntly his grace vpon you and to confirme you by his holy spirite in a perfecte and inuincible constancie mayntayning you agaynst your enimies alwayes hauing you with your whole houshold in his holy protection and that you may also administer happily the charge which is committed vnto you so that the King that godly yong Prince may hereafter haue occasion to giue thanks to his Lorde God for that he hath had suche a gouernour in his tender and yong age aswell of his person as also of his Realme Thus I make an ende and haue me moste hartily commended vnto your good Grace The .xxij. of October In the yere of our Lord. 1549. Act. 8.9.26 Act. 13. Act. 13. Deut. 18. Act. 3. Math. 1. 2. Timo. 3. Act. 9. 1. Cor. 1. Gala. 1. 2. Tit. 1. The cause whi Paule desireth to be at Rome Paule excuseth himselfe and shewith the cause of his going to Rome The gospell of Christ is offered vnto al meÌ„ without exception Paules boldenesse in preaching the gospell Ignoraunce of the soules sicknesse From whence our sure iustification floweth Abac. 2. Hebr. 10. The iust cause of Gods fury after the knowen light of the Gospell Act. 18. One way how to knowe almighty god The workes of God. The world hath his beginning and ending God without beginning or ending Psalm 106. Iere. 2. Eze. 14. Great abhomination 2. Reg. 11. Ezechi 14. A grosse sinne yet remaining among the professors of Christ Leuit. 18. Prouerb 1. Act. 7. Greate are the abhominations of manne where the grace of God is withdravveÌ„ God terribly plageth after his grace once offered and vnthankfully taken or wilfully neglected Ose 7. Math 7. 2. Reg. 12. An exhortation to auoid rashe condemnation and iudgement Esay 30. Act. 17. The lenitie of God abused Psalm 61. God by his loue and long suffering stirreth man to repentaunce and to flye therby the terror of his veÌ„geaÌ„ce Psalm 61. Thessa. 1. Act. 10. Ephe. 6. Gala 2. Math. 7. Luc. 6. Iac. 1. Gods lavve knovven and practised requireth sharpe punishment Math. 25. Iohn 8. The lawe what it worketh To trust to the lawe is daungerouse Math. 7. Esay 52. Ezechi 36. Iohn 8. Roma 9. Collos 2. Rom. 2. 2. Timo. Iohn 3. Psalm 115. Psalme 50. Psalme 14. Psalme 53. Aspis is a smal serpent and greatly venemouse bredd in Affricke Psalm 35. Gala. 3. Hebr. 7. Esay 53. Exod. 25. Hebr. 5. Our reconciliation vnto god the father coÌ„meth not by ceremonies by figures or by workes of the lawe but only by the innoceÌ„t bloud of christ shed vppon the crosse Gala â— Esay 51. Gene. 15. Gala. 3. Iaco. 2. Whether they be Iewes or Gentiles they be all only the children of Abraham that haue the faith of Abraham Gene. 15. Gala. 3. Iaco. 2. Psalm 32. Gene. 15. Gene. 17. Abraham was couÌ„ted righteouse before the deedes of the lawe through the only dignitie of his faith Circumcision what it meaneth Abraham the father of all the faithfull As Abraham was iustified without the deedes of the lawe so shal al nations that haue the faith of Abraham How to know the true childe of the father from a bastard Gala. 3. The lawe what it worketh The Iewes deceiued Esay 51. Gene. 17. Luc. 13. â—â— Iohn 2. Gala. 17. Gene. 17. The acceptable faith of Abraham and the sure trust in him of the promise of God. Gene. 15. Abraham as strong in fayth as weake in bodye Psalm 114. Roman 15. 1. Tim. 1. Gala. 1. Christ onely is to bee thanked for our iustification and not the lawe of Moyses Esay 26. Iohn 6. Hebr. 3. A man may not think that the troubles which we here suffer wil bring vs to saluatioÌ„ or els be helpers therevnto for the thing beloÌ„geth only vnto Christes death But they secretly witnes vnto euery maÌ„ that he which suffereth any such troubles for Christes sake and the truth
rebuking of the Iewes which as touching sinne are like or worse than the heathen HOw be it notwithstanding all this it behoueth a godly and true Chrystian man to take héede and bée fearefull howe he iudge hys neyghbour and condemne hys brother in all hys faultes or in suche as he thynketh him selfe blame worthy least he iudge that nought which God accepteth taketh for good or that for good which of it selfe is starke nought Therfore O thou vaine mā what soeuer thou be the bostest thy self in the actes holinesse of thine owne lyfe and condemnest another man in his dooings thou verily art to rashe in iudgement and in great danger of Gods indignation For in that thou condemnest another man thou iustely also condemnest thy selfe bycause thou doest euen the same which thou condemnest in the other And thus thou béeing guiltie with him whom thou iudgest of the same cryme thou giuest sentence vtterly agaynst thyne owne selfe Some one man may soone be beguyled and another may peraduenture easily anoyde his condemnation among men which giue their iudgement onely vppon coniectures but no man may anoyde the iuste iudgements of God who séeth in secrete all things whose iudgement is true and whose sentence is pronounced not vppon coniectures or doubtfull cases but according to truthe and moste certayne knowledge as he is almightie and a God of truth Therefore O thou Gentile for euen thée do◠I meane al this whyle and speake vnto thée euen in the vowels of Chryst that thou diligently take héede least through pride in thy selfe thou ouer rashly condemnest the poore and vnhappie Iewe which is now falne into the aforesayde abhominable vices For assure thy selfe in condemning the Iewe thou doest not onely giue sentence agaynst thine owne selfe bycause thou comittest euen the same faults but shalte be sure also to abide the iudgement of God agaynst thée as it was agaynst the Iewes For thinkest thou to auoyde the punishment of God which finnest agaynst him and canst not auoyde the displeasure of him in this world and in the world to come who respecteth no persons and whom thou haste to gréeuously offended Or doest thou thinke it conuenient to auoyde the iuste iudgement of God séeing thou wilte suffer no man to auoyde thy iudgement which offendeth thée Or doth the softenesse of our Lorde in leauing thée vnpunished for a tyme giue thée occasion to contemne and despise him as though he dyd winke at thy sinnes or fauour thée in the dooings of them Thou shouldest rather reuolue with thy selfe that his softnesse mercifull lenitie long suffering and great gentlenesse doth not put away frō thée his iustice sharpe iudgement and punishment But méekely and gentlely allureth thée vnto himselfe and draweth thée thereby to hartie and true repentance and vseth vnto thée first his gentlenesse to the end that for his sake againe with like vertue thou shouldest begin to hate and reforme thy selfe But thou doest all to the contrary for thou makest of his gentlenesse towardes thy selfe an occasion of thine owne damnation bicause thou wouldest not by gentlenesse and méekenesse be orderly brought into the right seruice of god Wherfore the more that God stirreth thée héereby to perfect pietie and true godlinesse the more thou heapest vpon thy selfe the treasure of condemnation and the ire of God if thou doest not as a Christian conforme thine actes thereunto Which although he do not now hastily appear◠vnto thée with the swiftnesse of his fury yet hath he his time of iudgement ouer thée wil most iustly be reuenged vpon thée at the terrible and moste dreadful day of dome when he shall put apart his clemencie and softnesse and giue more sharpe and bitter punishment bothe vnto thée and to all suche as before were more stirred to repentance by his great mildnesse vnspeakeable loue and gentlenesse At which great and terrible day he will giue his iudgement not according to the māner and custome of men sometime fauouring one partie more than another or like suche a one which is often deceiued in the truth of his iudgement but as a God almightie most vprightly truely knowing all things will rewarde euery man moste vprightly according to his due desertes To some he will giue euerlasting life that is to all those which perseuering in godly life and conuersation do not hunte after the corrupt fraile and vaine pleasures of this world but doe séeke after the true glory honor of God immortalitie And to some which in their pride and statelinesse had rather obey to iniustice than to true rightuousnesse to lying vntruth superstition than to the truthe and holinesse of Gods commaundements shall be giuen the reward of indignation the ire of God the affliction and tormenting of the deuil and of a gnawing and damned conscience which punishment abideth indifferently all men that carelesly liue to offend But first of al the Iew and then the Gentile that the Iew may haue the first plages and punishment which firste of all other had the goodnesse of God offered vnto him Contrariwise glory honor peace and immortalitie shall be giuen indifferently vnto all men that embrace Gods will and liue well but firste vnto Abraham and to the Iewe and after to the Gentile for God hath no respecte to persones as other iudges of the world haue but he is perfectly iust vpright and truely indifferent to all men Therefore what so euer they be that offend hauing no lawe shall so perishe without lawe And who so euer haue receiued the lawe and offende therein shall also be condemned by the lawe Neither shall it be inoughe for the Iewe to haue heard the lawe and so to thinke himselfe the rather iust before God but they which in Christ do the actes and déedes of the law shall be before him iustified and imputed rightuous God only him selfe is all goodnesse and therefore he moste alloweth and approueth the good woorkes of men thoughe there be among them no lawe at all written And the displeasure of God is so muche the more ouer them which haue a lawe bicause they frame not their liues according to the lawe Howe be it it cannot be truely saide that there be men which liue to them selues without lawe for all nations that be thoughe they haue not the written lawe of Moses yet they do in effect the works of Moses law bicause they haue the law of nature grafted in their hartes And what so euer thing is commaunded and done vnder the lawe by them that haue it written in bookes and tables the same do they also which haue the lawe of nature grafted in their hartes For all suche theyr owne conscience doth secretely saue or condemne them they hauing cogitations and thoughtes within them selues that daily doth bothe accuse and excuse them God shall iudge all these according to the same secrete lawe of nature which thoughe it be not nowe openly knowne
the true mercy seate and substaunce it selfe is come amongst vs through which though before wée were worthily hated of God for our sinnes yet now wée bée reconciled agayne vnto him not by the bloud of beasts as the fashion was among the Iewes but by the onely and moste pure innocente bloud of the Lambe Iesus Chryst washing away therewithall the sinnes of all men and thereby declareth truely vnto them their sauing health preciouse redemption iustification and eternall saluation which forgiueth in suche sorte the offences of the former lyfe that in any wise he will not haue them fall agayne into the lyke sinnefull and moste damnable state Neyther hath he hitherto suffered men to offende as though he were ignoraunt of their offence or else in knowing their sinnefulnesse hath at any time allowed the same but onely to this ende bycause at his time appoynted he shall then manyfestly and truely declare vnto men the vertue of their iustification to the ende it should appeare that he is of him selfe naturally true and righteous and the onely Author of righteousnesse to euery suche as constantly wyll beléeue in the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Chryst Therfore O thou Iewe where is now thy glory become Verily it is taken from thée séeing that Gods pleasure is to make all nations equall with thée in the fayth of the Gospell The Gentiles haue their health and saluation giuen vnto them but by what lawe I pray you Is it by the olde lawe of Moyses which appoynteth vnto vs Ceremonies No forsooth but by a new law which requireth nothing but fayth For we suppose as the truthe is that euery man may obteyne hys iustification although the prescriptes of the law of Moyses be not obserued The Lawe was onely appropriate vnto the Iewes but thys benefite commeth onely from God the father in and by Iesus Chryst to all men And is God the God of the Iewes onely is not he God also as well to the Gentiles as to the Iewes Verily he is God euen vnto them bothe Wherefore séeing he is God vnto all men it is expedient that his benefite also be common to all men He is therfore none other that iustifieth the Circumcised drawyng men from the confidence of the Lawe vnto the fayth of the Gospell than he that iustifieth the vncircumcised callyng them from the worshipping of Idolles vnto the same true seruice and perfecte fayth in Chryst But héere wyll one of the Iewes say vnto me what sayest thou Paule if it bée true that thou sayest that all things muste bée done by fayth then thou makest the Lawe of Moyses to be vayne and vnprofitable vnto the Iewes God forbidde that for wée doo not onely not disalowe nor despise the lawe but wée doo also confirme and establish the Lawe declaring nowe that thyng truely and iustely to bée doone and fulfilled which the Lawe heretofore hath promysed to come to passe shewyng foorth also him in whom onely the summe of the Lawe is wholly and altogither comprehended Neither can a man say that to bée cleane abolyshed and put away which is rather repaired and brought into a better state but it chaunceth in this behalfe as in a Trée that beareth frute which when the blossomes thereof doo vanishe and fall away then in their stede dothe follow the pleasant frute it self or as in the stéede of the vanishing shadow doth follow the very perfect and liuely body The .iiij. Chapter He declareth by the example of Abraham that fayth only iustifieth and not the Law nor the workes thereof ANd if there be any amongs the Iewes that so stifly will holde the ceremonies of Moyses law which are grosse carnal and by confidence in them promise vnto others hope of saluation to him wil I obiect lay agaynst not one of the least of the Iewes but Abraham him self the author of their circumcision of whose stocke to haue descended they greatly vaunt and boast them selues throughout all Iewry Which althogh that he be the father of al the Iewes as touching his flesh yet notwithstanding the same is father to al men which do represent him in the similitude of fayth and do declare him in the image of his minde and not of his body for circumcision which as I sayd before was first giuen vnto Abraham as an earnest and a seale and as one would say a priuie badge or token of the law of Moyses by which onely badge the Iewes were called Iewes yet let vs consider with our selues what this mightie father did obtein for the scriptures do gretly prayse and commend him which commendation prayse if it came vnto him by circumcision or else by the obseruance of other things appointed in Moses law I can not deny but he hath occasion to glory but the glory is not with god but with men And why with men verily bicause he hath the bodily signe note whereby he was onely knowen to be a iewe And why not with God bicause the prayse commeth not through the excellencie of fayth which is the very onely thing that commendeth all men to the perfecte clerenesse of the face of god But Abraham to speake more of hym obtayned the prayse of iustification with God him selfe Therefore it came not to him by the obseruation of the law but onely by the true fayth which all the Iewes and also all Gentiles shoulde diligently searche for as the louing chyldren of faythfull Abraham And let this which I now say be taken to none effect onlesse the holy Scriptures do truely approue the same For thus ye shall read in the Booke of Genesis the .xv. Chapter Abraham beléeued in God and his beléefe was imputed vnto him for his iustification God promised him that his posteritie should bée in number equall to the starres of heauen at suche tyme as his wife was barren and had no childe Yet for all that he doubting nothing at all trusted to the promise of almightie god Neither marked he what it was that was promised vnto him but who was the promiser therof and so forthwith he was reputed righteous not by Circumcision at whiche time he had not receiued it but by his onely faith which was not testified of men but of God him selfe with whom onely Abraham wrought this mysterie at that time and God dyd impute vnto him his iustification when he had not perfourmed the prescriptes of the lawe of Moyses Wherefore if Abraham the holy Patriarche did not obtayne his iustification by the merite of Circumcision but before Circumcision by the commendation and dignitie of fayth I wonder howe it chaunceth that the Iewes trust so muche in the Ceremonies of Moyses lawe vnto whom it was giuen but for a tyme Also I greatly maruell why the Gentiles vse so many supersticiouse Ceremonies séeing they had no law at all giuen vnto them And if the Iewe receiue any rewarde for kéeping of the lawe it séemeth to bée of duetie vpon the couenaunts that God made
with them and not of the sauour of him who giueth rewards Agayne if they haue any punishment for not kéeping of the lawe they duely suffer it for their iust deserts In which things they bée likened to a dayly workeman which if he worke and make an ende of his charge and appoynted taske he hath his wages therefore but if he loyter and â—â—outhfully driue the day away with idlenesse he is then duely punished for it But the Gentiles which knowe not the Ceremonies of the law and the Iewes that forsake the sayde Ceremonies turning to the fayth in Chryst and worke not according to the couenaunts of the law but â—â—â—â—ly and wholly beléeue in him whiche giueth iustification of his owne frée motion and fauour in all suche the fayth of Abraham is an occasion that they be iustified Which procéedeth not of the dignitie of the lawe but of onely fayth to the which no man is enforced or constrayned but is gently desired and allured therevnto through the ioyfull and swéete promises of God and the deseruings of his deare sonne Iesus Chryst to the ende that the sayde fayth should be voluntarie and not seruile or bond by which we beléeue in Chryst And that it may come of the grace of God and not of any couenaunt that we be numbred among the iuste by him the kingly Prophete Dauid the highest glory among all the Iewes after Abraham in whom was promised vnto vs Chryst the onely fountayne of our iustification maketh muche for our parte in this poynt For he describeth vnto vs in the .xxxij. Psalme our iustification not to come of the workes of the Law as due vnto vs but onely of the goodnesse of God as it is declared in the Gospell Blessed are they sayth he whose offences be forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered And blessed is that man vnto whom the Lorde imputeth no sinne Héere you perceiue that the sinnes be forgiuen which are done agaynst the lawe of Moyses Also you perceiue those offences to be forgiuen that are done agaynst the law of Nature And you perceiue also that no kynde of sinne is imputed vnto him that hath obteyned his blessednesse by Chryst and that without any mention making of kéeping the law Therefore the Iewes haue no good ground to say that the blessednesse described of Dauid and the prayse of iustification that was imputed to Abraham appertayneth onely to them and not also vnto the Gentiles let them answere me and tell me whether this blessednesse that is here promised doth onely appertayne to them that be circumcised and kéepe the custome of the law and not also to the vncircumcised which know not the ceremonies thereof I doubte not but they will say that iustification was imputed to Abraham before circumcision which considering he was the head and the beginning of all the Iewish nation it is necessarie that all the 〈…〉 be so ordered For the children can chalenge none other right than their fathers had before It is openly knoweÌ„ that Abraham was called righteous but they can not say that it was for circumcisioÌ„ sake but only for his faith without any mention of circuÌ„cision And al the Iewes do know that his iustification could not come to him throgh his circumcision séeing that at the present time wheÌ„ he was called righteous he was neither circumcised nor coÌ„maunded to be circumcised And yet he beleued long before that Christ shold be borne of his posteritie by whoÌ„ they shold al obteine this blessednesse all nations else and for this cause Abraham was pronounced righteous Then after that he was circuÌ„cised not to the ende it should iustifie him but that it should be a certaine badge or note amongst men and not with God by which all men should be knowen to be his children and of his posteritie aswell they that were circumcised as not circumcised so that they onely beléeued in Iesus Chryst If the circumcised had beléeued and had ben onely called righteous it might peraduenture haue ben thought that saluation perteined onely vnto the Iewes But before Abraham was commaunded to be circuÌ„cised he was called righteous through the dignitie of his faith for which cause the Gentiles through their faith in christ are become the children of Abraham Yet notwithstanding it was necessarie for him to be circumcised not for that it should iustifie him which was alredy fulfilled but that it should be a certayne figure of the true circumcision to come that is of an innocent and chast life to be in all such as should beléeue in Iesus Chryst Which maner of circumcision is not wrought with a flint stone to cut therwith the priuie meÌ„bers but with the spirit to cut away all the vaine thoughts of the hart And further circumcision was giuen to AbrahaÌ„ that it might be a sure testimonie vnto him that the promise of god for his posterity shold not immediatly be perfourmed in his sonne Isaac but at the time appoynted to be accomplished in the sonne of god And after this sort béeing the example of fayth be is vnderstanded the father of al nations which imitating folowing him beleue in Iesus Christ without al carnal circumcision therfore like as iustification was imputed to AbrahaÌ„ without circuÌ„cisioÌ„ so it shal be imputed to al other natioÌ„s for their iustification the beleue in christ as the true begotten children of AbrahaÌ„ Howbeit AbrahaÌ„ is the father of all natioÌ„s after such a sort that the Iewes be not secluded from him so that they glory not in their circuÌ„cision and proudly boast that they come onely of the stock of Abraham béeing his kinsmen by lyneall descente but rather doo expresse his fayth by which he was pronounced iuste before circumcision Neither is there any stronger argument to proue that a childe is no bastarde than by folowing the very steppes of his fathers vertues And wheras it is a custome amongst men not to take theÌ„ for their children which do not only not resemble their complexions and conditions but also do degenerate from them in their conuersation of life muche rather wil God make a difference betwixte his lawful child and a bastarde Furthermore Abraham deserued not to be pronounced righteous by kéeping of the lawe of Moyses which was not at that time declared neither by the merit of circumcision neither yet had he deserued any suche thing of God that he shoulde promise to hym so noble a gyfte as was to be the father of all Nations and that the Lorde of all the worlde shoulde descende from him vnto his posteritie as by inheritaunce but it was onely through the dignitie of his fayth by vertue whereof he was called iuste Euen so the Iewes shoulde suppose that the goodnesse and frute of his promise commeth not to them for their circumcision or for the names sake of their law but that it commeth to the posteritie in such sort as it began first in the head For if all
and mine own vnclennesse Wherfore I say if God through his owne infinite wisedome do vse thy wickednesse and sinfull state to the healthfull state of the godly and to the hygh renoume of his owne name what iust occasion then of quarelling or to thinke euill of God haste thou In which case thou art worthily delte withall and iustly punished thyne own conscience bearing thée witnesse for thy forgetfulnesse pride carelesnesse wilfull contempt stubbornesse And the good godly mē through the example of thée in thy wretched state are made the more ware circumspect to them selues how they fall into sinne to haue gods feare before their eies and to thank him with more alacritie franke corage when they do wel learne perceiue by thy wilful blindnesse and destruction how much they be bound vnto the great goodnesse mercy of God towards them Pharao which was brought to nought through his own sin malice had none occasion at al to reproue god thogh the same his malice wilful stubbornes did greatly aduaunce set forth the glory of god amongst his people the Hebrues euen so what occasion haue the Iewes at this time to repine against god which now in like maner as he did in times past with Pharao doth gently suffer beare with their stubbornesse Al which though they be in dede vessels worthy the iust reproch of god to be cast by him against the walles and broken yet this notwithstanding God in mercie did pause with him selfe towardes them to the ende it might be well perceiued and knowne vnto all creatures that moste iustly they haue deserued their owne destruction And all which though they haue bene allured to the gospell by a thousande benefites of God and many sundry occasions of gentlenesse towardes them yet they would not correct and amende them selues By which meanes all other men may take vnto them good and speciall occasion to dread and feare the omnipotencie of God and moste hartily yéelde them selues bounde vnto him for his vnspeakable loue towards them whom they ought not to prouoke to anger through the continuance of sinne but vtterly to be at defiaunce therewith and to detest it from their hearts for his holynesse and great gentlenesse sake All which things haue ben thus wonderfully wrought of God to the end that he would the mightinesse and excellencie of his glory should be the more copiously abundantly manyfested vnto al the godly whom he of filthy and most vile vessels hath happily clensed them and made them louely fayre and preciouse and hath appointed the same to a most honest vse that is euen to haue the fruition of the inexplicable ioyes of heauen which he bringeth to passe in vs not for the loue of our circumcision but onely for the merite of fayth through whiche onely all creatures doo come to this prepared ioy not onely the Iewes but also all other nations which giue their ful confidence trust to the onely shedding of Chrysts most innocent bloud for their purgation or moste perfecte clensing for it is not the birth or posterity by Abrahā that maketh the heires of heuē but the onely election of god the father in by his son Iesus Christ And the Iewes should not maruel that the Gentiles which all were once prophane strangers from Chryst are now adopted and become the children of God considering themselues that once were before thys time through their owne malice despised cast out of Gods fauour yet the same taking repentaunce and amending their liues came agayne vnto grace and that by the méekenesse gentlenesse of God. The which very thing their owne prophet Ozée witnesseth saying in this manner I wil call them my people which are not my people and my beloued which are not my beloued and to dispose my mercie where I had no mercie And so it came to passe that whereas before they were not the people of God they were called againe the children of god Therefore why should they condemne that in others of which they them selues haue had sufficient experience They should rather haue taken diligent héede that through their owne fall they stoode in greater daunger not to come againe into the same case that they were in before And what cause haue they to hate the Gentiles so muche as they doe whome they ought to imitate folow in their conuersation and māners if they had not rather delite to despise than gently to obay And although that the most part of them through their own stubburnnesse did perish yet he wil neuerthelesse performe the promisse to the remnaunt that doe beléeue which promisse he made vnto all suche as would receiue it by faithe And although the same be but a few in number yet they shal be continuall successors to receiue the same promisse The same thing doth Esayas testifie which sayeth Thoughe the children of Israell be in number equall to the sandes of the sea and that numbers and multitudes of them doe perishe by their owne vice and naughtinesse yet for all that there shall alwayes be some of them that shall be saued throughe their faithe And also the number of them that fal from God though it be greate yet the vice and malice of them cannot cause God to breake his promisse with the faithfull To deceiue in the performance of their promisses it is the propertie of men but God most assuredly performeth in déede all suche things as he doth promisse and that without any delay or daliance neither yet deceitfully but most truely and iustly fulfilleth all his beheastes The which thing the Prophet Esay affirmeth and sayeth God will make a bréefe and short reckening vpon the earth And the same also sayeth Excepte the Lord of hostes had left vnto vs some séede we shuld haue bene made like vnto Sodome and should haue bene none otherwise estéemed than Gomor By all which things are vnderstanded that though numbers of the Iewes did forsake Chryst yet notwithstanding he will not suffer all the true and lawfull séede of Abraham to fall and come to naught Which thing considering it went after this sorte with the Iewes it pleased almightie god that the Gentiles which séemed once to be farre from his righteousnesse and without all the ceremonies of the law should now attayne to the same righteousnesse which is not the righteousnesse of the Iewes that had onely but the shadow of true righteousnesse but it was in déede the very righteousnesse of God him selfe and that not through the ceremonies of the lawe but by their onely fayth through which they submitte them selues to the goodnesse and mercy of god But contrarywise the Iewes folowing the law of righteousnesse carnally and promising righteousnesse to them selues by the same lawe through their ceremonies and obseruaunces could not attayne vnto this true righteousnesse in God bicause they dyd forsake Chryst in whom and for whom were all the sayings of the holy
excellencie of whiche precious and inestimable treasure neyther the lawes of the Iewes neyther the precepts of your Philosophie or fantasticall imaginations could once possibly attayne or bring to passe Howbeit it was first preached to the Iewe and after to the Gentile In myne opinion he is very far frō healthfull state which in sickenesse neither knoweth what his disease is neyther woteth where to séeke redresse for the same Many heretofore in the blindnesse of their hearts haue thoght that their iustification or state to saluation dyd stande in the superstitious worshipping of vayne images or else in the outwarde obseruaunce of Moyses lawe but the onely true and sure iustification floweth méerely and simply out of the fayth which we haue in our Lorde Iesus Chryst For if men will confesse that God hath already truly perfourmed vnto vs through his deare sonne all such things as was before promised of him in the Bookes of the Prophets vndoubtedly the certayntie of that fayth and true trust sufficiently iustifieth all men vnto eternall saluation The iuste man sayth Abacuc shall liue by hys fayth But whereas in tymes passed God hath séemed to winke or rather in déede to sléepe at the sinnes and iniquities of men now he earnestly sheweth him selfe to be brode waking and declareth to the worlde the issue of his iuste furie and anger aswell agaynst the Iewe and all them that be vnder the lawe as agaynst the Gentile and them that haue not the law And specially bycause they now knowing the truth of God doo not truely apply it to pietie and godly liuing but still doo continue in the beastlynesse of their former iniquitie to heape iustly vpon them selues the fierce wrath of god And further bicause they now perceiuing and knowing more and more the secrets and high mysteries of the kingdome and grace of God than the multitude of the common people doth yet they doo no lesse vnthankfully receiue it and giue it their carelesse and negligent flippe than though they knew nothing thereof at all And though it be impossible wholly and throughly to know the high maiestie of the immortall God yet as muche as is possible and sufficient for man to know the Iewes of all other nations haue had the grace offered of true instructions for the which they should moste highly haue thanked and praysed their God In asmuche as it was his owne teaching in the Bookes of the Prophets wherein he spake onely to the Iewes to the great admiration of all the whole worlde besides yea and although God him selfe be an inuisible God and not to bée rightly comprehended of flesh and bloud yet he is not altogither aboue our godly imagination and vnderstanding but dothe appeare wonderfully vnto vs by the same vnderstanding as it were by a figure or in a glasse and that by the mightie straunge and maruellous workmanshippe of thys present worke and by the gouernement of the same of the which although there were a beginning and shall also haue an ending yet notwithstanding the wonderfull making and direction thereof declareth moste playnely the vertue and great maiestie of the Maker not to be as his creatures but sheweth him selfe thereby neither to haue had beginning neither yet to haue any ending In all which God hath opened the state of his eternall deitie vnto them to the ende they should of all others haue nothing to lay for their excuse agaynst him but they knowing him and béeing well assured thereby that he was God yet they would not take him as God neither giue him therefore their due and hartie thanks but wholly abandoning them selues and giuen ouer to pride and vanitie were deceiued in their blinde imaginations of their hearts and brought thereby into vtter forgetfulnesse of God ignoraunce and damnable darknesse And where they so muche boasted themselues of their owne wisedome they playnely became before him starke idiotes or very fooles Beholde I pray you and sée into what blindnesse and madde foolishnesse they fell into They forsooke the very Maiestie of the true God that is onely almightie immortall and mercifull and gaue his glory vnto the images of moste frayle mortall and wicked men and not onely of men but also of brute beasts and foules and that more abhominable is of venimous Serpents créeping and noysome vermine of the earth In suche sorte of prodigiouse and most monstruouse idolatrie God giuing them ouer suffered them to fall and to wallow like moste filthy Swine in all suche vnclenlinesse and most abhominable filthinesse that they in continuance of time defiled their owne bodies with the most vncleane sinne and horrible filthe of the Sodomites and moste beastly dooings agaynst nature Certaynely God did suffer them to fall into these abhominations not without great cause which for their pride sake stoutnesse and vayne-glorie made of the almightie true and euerliuing God a counterfeted most miserable dead Idol wrought with the hand of wretched man al that they did was vtterly against the heare peruerse most monstruouse and cleane out of all order For they honored I say the creatures in stéede of the creator him selfe which is onely to be exalted blessed and worshipped for euer and euer Amen Also God did not suffer the men of the Iewes thus agaynst nature and most wretchedly to abuse their owne flesh but also their wiues in the vncleannesse of their hearts to relinquish the naturall vse of their husbands and to become moste miserable and filthy sinners agaynst nature that is as the men dyd so they also did most filthely accomplish like monsters their stinking luste one with an other All which they committed because they hauing the lighte and truthe of God shyning vnto them before their eyes woulde not receyue the lighte but chose rather vaynely to lyue in the darkenesse of their dreames in superstition and in moste damnable idolatrie And the common enormities that were dayly amongst them besides other abhominable wickednesses which are not héere named were these they were full of vnrighteouse dooing giuen to fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnesse full of enuie murther debate deceite euill conditioned whisperers backebiters haters of God dooers of wrong proude boasters bringers vp of euill things disobedient to father and mother without vnderstanding couenaunt breakers vnlouing truce breakers and mercylesse They therefore which knowe that there is a God and haue the lighte of hys grace offered vnto them and will not thankefully recoyue it practise it in conuersation but turne their hearts to wickednesse and abhomination Let them also assuredly knowe that the same God is also moste iuste and wyll suffer all those to fall into suche lyke accursed and semblable myseries that forsake hys holy doctrine for their owne foolish imaginations or deuyses of men not onely all the workers thereof themselues but also all the whole filthy hande of all the like sinnefull consenters The .ij. Chapter The
to men yet God which knoweth all things and séeth all things in secreate shal giue his iudgement thereafter But this iudgement shall be done of God by his deare sonne which is now our Lord and moste rightuous sauioure and shall be at the iudgement day the iudge of al the worlde which thing is the true saying of the Gospell least it be taken of some for a fable or dreame whereof I now moste reuerently speake Therfore O thou Iew that standest so much in thine owne conceit and arte proud that arte called a Iewe making thy reckening vpon the priuiledge of the lawe which was giuen of God only vnto thée and doest vaunt and boaste God to be the author of thy religion whose minde and pleasure thou knowest by the Scriptures that came from him and arte brought vp and taught in the misteries of the lawe whereby thou doest not only knowe what things are to be auoided and what to be folowed and of all good things what be the best but also thinkest thy selfe able to be a guide vnto the blinde and to shine before them which be in darkenesse that is to be a teacher of them that be rude and to be an instructor of them which haue no knowledge all which things though God haue shewed them vnto thée in giuing the lawe only vnto thée shalt thou therefore thinke thy selfe better than the Gentile No verily but the lawe which God hath giuen thée for good maketh thy cause and matter woorse before the iudgement seat of God except thou directest thy life and conuersation according to the lawe in which thou doest so muche glorie and make thy boaste else the knowledge of the lawe whereof thou so greatly makest thine accompt shall be a very snare to take thée withall to thine vtter ouerthrowe and confusion Therfore O thou vaine man which bostest of the law why doest thou aduance thy selfe on this maner why teachest thou another and leauest thy selfe vntaught why doest thou preache that theft shoulde not be committed and yet thou thy self art a théefe why dost thou commaund other to forsake adultry and thou thy self art defiled therwith why dost thou banish idolatrie in another and art thy selfe polluted with worshipping of images And in conclusion why dost thou glory amongs men in that thou hast receiued the law at Gods haÌ„ds and in transgressing the fame doest dishonoure God For in that thou séekest praise and honoure of men by reason of the lawe thou arte become a vessell of muche dishonoure to God which should by thée only haue all the honor and glory And although no mannes iniquitie can in déede dishonor God yet thou doest as muche as in thée lieth to dishonor him Of the like sort of men the holy Prophets héertofore haue spoken as it is wrytten in Esay and Ezechiel The name of the Lord saye they is slaundered by you and hath through your fault an euill report among the nations that are inclined to idolatrie in as muche as you proudly glory in the only title of the law and yet among your selues do liue most sinnefully and wretchedly against the lawe Neither is it sufficient for thée to be a Jews borne or to be of the Jewes religion for then shall Circumcision only profite thée so farre foorth as thou performest the things for whose cause Circumcision was first giuen and also accomplishing suche things in thy life which thou professest in thy Ceremonies Otherwise if thou transgresse the lawe it shal no more profit thée to be Circumcised before the face of the iust God than though thou werte neuer Circumcised Wherefore like as Circumcision is turned to vncircumcision vnlesse thou also performe the other déedes of the law which appertaineth to good manners and vpright conuersation euen so vncircumcision shal not hurt the Gentile but shall be accepted for circumcision if be leaue and forsake the Ceremonies of the law and performe those things that be in déede the whole summe of the law which is a pure and a cleane life and shall also obey Christ which is the end of all lawes Therefore thou Jewe the Gentile shall be made equall with thée in this behalfe yea he shall be preferred before thée and be better taken than thou bicause he knoweth no Circumcision and his innocencie and cleane life shall make thine iniquitie more damnable bicause he not professing the lawe dothe yet declare the ende of the lawe in the actes of his good and godly life where thou glorying in the wordes and sillables of the lawe and professing Circumcision doest violate that which is the chéefe of the lawe God which iudgeth not after the outwarde appearance of the body but after the godlinesse of the spirite taketh no man for a Jewe except he performe in dede the profession of a iewe And him name not I a Jewe that hathe the manifest note marke of the Jewe neither is he Circumcised that hathe his priuie skin cutte but he is a very Jewe that is rightly a Jewe and circumcised in his hart which God only beholdeth and therafter iudgeth all men To conclude therfore he is Circumcised which rather hath his harte circumcised than he which hath his priuie membre circumcised which also dothe not reioyce in the markes and notes made with a stone as the circumcision of the Iewes was but reioyceth in the spirite and minde of the lawe for he that hath only his fleshe Circumcised may goe for a Iewe amongst men but him worthily God taketh for a Iewe whose hart is purged and clensed from the filthe of vice and sinne and is prest and readie to the loue of Iesus Christ of whome only to be allowed is the most high and chiefe felicitie The third Chapter ¶ Paule shevveth vvhat preferment the Ievves haue and that bothe the Ievves and Gentiles are vnder sinne and are only iustified by the grace of God in Christe BVt héere will some men say séeing the summe of the lawe dependeth vppon godlinesse and innocencie of life and vpon the only faithe in Iesus Christ what preheminence then hath the Iewe more than the Gentile Or what preuailed it the Iewe to be circumcised séeing that godlinesse and faithe maketh the vncircumcised as good with God as the circumcised â—ea and that also more is séeing the circumcision of a Iewe that offendeth maketh his cause worse yes verily the Iewe hath great preheminence First he may reioyce in that he is by nature called a Iewe to whome properly the woorde of God is committed or else bicause that only the lawe and the Prophets were caught to that nation either for this cause that God vouchsaued to be their instructor and teacher him selfe Surely it is an honourable thing to be of that nation which God so highly estéemed And further the Iewe hathe preheminence bicause the same by reason of the saide instructors goodnesse may be the readier to the true faith in Iesus Christe For as he is more neare
the truthe that knoweth some parte therof so may the Iewes be which haue Moses and the Prophets amongste them who were the proper traders and directors of them to come to the light in Iesus Christ Neither shall it be any doutfulnesse to the faithfull for them to be pertakers of the goodnesse of God that the Iewes notwithstanding their law beléeued not in Christ for shall their vnfaithfulnesse make the promise of God frustrate and of none effecte Or thinke you that God in vnconstancie wil breake his fidelitie and promisse as mē do and not performe that in déede which he hath vniuersally promised to all men God forbid but rather he wil kéepe his fidelitie to all men vnlesse it be to such as will not take it at his hands Verily men shall haue none occasion to reproue God of his fidelitie and promisse which shall appeare alwayes true and will paie that which he promised bicause he is Faithfull and true All lies come of men which through their owne corruption are most deceitfull and false in their promisses But as God him selfe cannot be deceiued so is it also farre from him to be a deceiuer of other although euery man may be a deceiuer and he him selfe also deceiued The Prophet Dauid doeth assure all men in the certitude of Gods promises which sayeth Thou Lord shalt appeare iust and true and with veritie stoppe the mouthes of them that will iudge thée a breaker of thy promisse either of suche as will furmise that thou wilt not kéepe thy promisse made to the stocke of thy seruaunt Dauid for the vngodly demenors sake of others Vndoubtedly many in their blindnesse do not discerne the true kéeping of Gods promisses with them neuerthelesse through their owne very faulte and corruption Gods veritie and truthe is made muche more manifest and commendable amongst men All which shall in time well sée that God notwithstanding the great offences done daily against him will not alter nor chaunge the constancie and sure determination of his full fixed minde and sentence And héere I am nowe sure that some buste headed body will step foorthe his foote and say If the iustice then and truth of God be made more manifest and commendable through the iniustice and faultie dooings of men then God is vniust him self which will that sinne should be amongest men to the ende his iustice shuld be the better apparant and knowne to men But God forbid that any suche thought shoulde enter into any mannes heart Also vngodlily they will say howe should God be the righfull iudge of this worlde if he be vniust him selfe For if it be prouided of God that I be a lier to the ende that through my lie his veritie shoulde be made more renoumed and my shame redounde to his honoure and glory then why shoulde I haue my sinne laide to my charge Or why shoulde not all men thinke rather within them selues and interpretate this place as some certaine slanderous felowes say Let vs doe things that be euill that the rather by their euill appearance good things may happely come in as much as by oure sinne and vnrightuousnesse the rightuousnesse of God is made more excellent But God defend all men from suche curious Questions vaine cogitations and wycked thoughtes For all these by the iustice of God in their owne pride and vanitie be woorthily damned for suche their contempte hatred incredulitie and vnfaithfulnesse all which as they can not lay to Gods charge the cause that they thus doe sinne which in déede commeth onely of them selues euen so they shall haue no mercie nor grace shewed vnto them althoughe their naughtinesse and sinne be openly tourned into the publike shewe of hys onely prayse and glorye But to come to our purpose what shal we say Are not the Iewes better than the Gentiles No verily as touching the grace of the gospell although they seeme to be better by the prerogatiue of the law of Moses for I proued it before that bothe the Iewe and the Gentile be offenders againste God. Wherin as touching the Gentile the case is more euidente than any man can denie And as touching the Iewes their owne Psalmes do declare what they are For thus it is written in the. 14. and. 3. Psalmes againste them There is none rightuous no not one there is none that vnderstādeth there is none that séeketh after God they are all gone oute of the way they are all vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throte is an open sepulchre with their tongues they haue deceiued the poysone of Aspis is vnder their lippes whose mouthes are full of curssing and bitternesse their féete are swift to shedde bloude destruction and wretchednesse are in their wayes and the way of peace haue they not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes Neither can the Iewes say but that all this is spoken of thē For this is euident and true what so euer the lawe sayeth it toucheth most principally them that be vnder it and are subiect vnto it But to this ende chaunced these īnconueniences amongst the Iewes that all mennes mouths might be stopped and that it be euidently knowne that euery mannes saluation depēdeth only vpon the grace of God in Iesus Christ and that the lawe of Moses though it be obserued and kepte yet it iustifieth no man before god Then one will say vnto me what profiteth the lawe if it doe not iustifie yes verily for by meanes of the lawe euery man knoweth his sinne It is a readie way and degrée vnto health for a man to knowe his disease Furthermore as the office of the law was to declare mennes offences that before were vnknown to them so doth now the Gospell declare vnto man his iustification which was before vnknowne or impertinent to the lawe Therfore mannes iustification commeth not of the lawe but of God only And that not for the circumcisions sake or Iudaicall Ceremonies but by the only faith in Iesus Christe by whome the true iustification is wrought not only to the Iewe to this or that nation but without partialitie vniuersally to all men which beléeue in him For in so much as all men were brought into sinne and fallen into suche kinde of iniquitie that they could not be iustified before God it was necessarie that al mens iustification should he had from God which is onely cleare and without all imperfection Whych iustification is not giuen to man as a rewarde for the due kéeping of the law of Moyses or of the law of Nature but it is fréely giuen of Gods owne good will towards vs and not by Moyses but by Iesus Chryst by whose onely bloud wée are redéemed from the tyrannie and tormente of the diuell from sinne and frō troublesomnesse of conscience The Iewes had in times paste their mercy seate which was the shadowe and figure of Chryst to come But it is nowe euidently knowen that