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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02916	The epistle of the blessed apostle Saint Paule which he, in the time of his trouble and imprisonment, sent in writting from Rome to the Ephesians. Faithfully expounded, both for the benefite of the learned and vnlearned, by Nicholas Hemming ... Familiarlie translated out of Latine into English, by Abraham Fleming. Heerein are handled the high mysteries of our saluation, as maie appeare by the table of commonplaces necessarilie annexed by the same A.F. Perused and authorised.; Commentarius in epistolam Pauli ad Ephesios. English	Hemmingsen, Niels, 1513-1600.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1580 (1580)	STC 13057.8; ESTC S102723	176,886	270

there should remaine for vs no hope at all of our resurrection Let this suffice to be spoken of this part or parcell wherein Saint Paule setteth foorth the principall points of our faith concerning Christ and verie brieflie commendeth vnto vs the fruite of them therewithall ¶ OF PREDESTINATION NOw forsomuch as there is often mention made of Predestination Election to euerlasting life in this Chapter it séemeth a necessarie labour vnto me to adde héervnto certaine assertions or auouchments which shall containe in them the sum of the doctrine touching Predestination which I haue done to this purpose that this doctrine which is the ground worke of our saluation may be the more manifest and the thinking therevpon swéete and comfortable to the godlie Reader when the circumstances of the same are dulie considered I. It is verie néedfull that the Church be instructed and taught throughlie concerning the eternall Predestination and Election of men to the blisfull euerlasting life For as no doctrine can minister comfort more abundantlie to true Christian consciences than the doctrine of Predestination rightlie declared so nothing is more daungerous than to swarue and straie from the true meane and manner of Predestination II. Wherefore to the end we may not swarue and straie from the meane and manner of Predestination Election which the Scripture commendeth vnto vs there must good héede be taken For whosoeuer ouershooteth misseth the marke thereof hée is carried into a perillous breaknecke whereout he cannot recouer himselfe except he haue succour from heauen III. Some there are which when they heare that our saluation standeth vpon the purpose Election of God neglecting the true meane and manner thereof imagine to themselues certaine dreames of the Sto●kes tables of destinie wherewith they both intangle themselues miserablie and leade others out of the waie daungerouslie IIII. For it cannot otherwise be but that hée which imagineth bookes of destinie lucke whereby to learne know who shall be saued who damned either swelleth with vaine hypocrisie or pineth away with dedlie desperation V. For some laieng fast holde vpon a certaine kinde of fleshlie carelesnesse run headlong with full libertie into all kinde of mischiefe and villanie to themselues vndoubted destruction to others a grieuous offense VI. Othersome are carried into a contrarie euill who whiles they dreame of a particular promise of grace against the word of God they are plunged ouer head and eares into the bottomlesse pit of despaire wherein they must néeds be cast alwaie for euer vnlesse the right hand of God raising them vp in time they earnestlie repent VII Wherefore séeing that we heare the mysterie of Predestination commended vnto vs in the word of God it behoueth vs to séeke the meane the manner true cause therof in y e Oracle or word of God likewise which if we haue once rightlie learned it shall fill vs with ercéeding great comfort shall be vnto vs not onlie a spur to prick vs forward to all exercises of godlinesse but also an assured anchor wherevppon to staie euen at the pointe of death VIII Now the meane and manner of Predestination is most true which S. Paule sheweth vnto vs when he writeth thus to the Ephesians Elegit c. He hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that wee should be holie without blame before him in loue Againe Praedestinauit nos c. He hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe Againe Gratos nos c. He hath made vs accepted in his beloued by whom we haue redemption throgh his bloud Againe Proposuit c. Hee hath purposed to gather together in one all things in Christ Againe In quo c. In whom also wee are chosen when wee were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will that we which first trusted in Christ should be vnto the praise of his glorie Againe In quo c. In whom also ye haue trusted after that ye heard the word of truth euen the Gospell of your saluation wherein also after that ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holie spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritaunce IX Heere Saint Paule most plainlie declareth the meane and manner of our Predestination whiles he saith that God hath predestinate vs to saluation by and in Christ By Christ as our mediatour and redéemer In Christ as in and with our head whose members we are made by faith which the Gospell preacheth vnto all people and persons indifferentlie X. God therefore hath predestinate vs not by registring our names in bookes of destinie and fortune as Zeno and his schollers doted but by appointing and ordeining an assured meane and manner of saluation by and in Christ according to the good pleasure of his will XI In this meane and manner the condition of faith is contained For when we are graffed into Christ by faith we are made members of his bodie and therefore are wée called Elect and chosen bicause we are the members of Christ XII Now how necessarie this condition is by Gods good appointment the testimonies are many which declare it S. Paule reasoning of Predestination beateth much vpon this condition saieng Quid igitur dicemus c. What shall wee saie then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue attained vnto righteousnesse euen the righteousnesse which is of faith But Israel which followed the lawe of righteousnesse could not attaine vnto the lawe of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the lawe This condition likewise the Apostle rehearseth in the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle and laboureth verie much thereabout also elsewhere as Si modo c. If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith Also Participes c. Whose house we are if we holde fast the confidence and the receiuing of the hope vnto the end Againe Mulier c. The woman shall be saued if she continue in the faith XIII The Apostle sheweth the necessitie of this condition in his owne person thus speaking of himselfe Vae mihi c. Woe is me if I preach not the Gospell Againe Castigo c. I chastise my bodie and bring it downe in subiection least while I preach to other I my selfe proue a castawaie If therefore S. Paule the chosen vessell of God duetifullie discharged his obedience towards God by faith then no doubt through the want of faith he had fallen from grace and through his owne default become a castawaie To the same end driue the words of the Prophet leremie in the person of the Lord saieng Si poenitentiam egerit c. But if this nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them But if it

doe euill in my sight and heare not my voice I will repent of the good that I thought to do for them XIIII Héereby plainlie appeareth that Gods predestination is ratified confirmed by in Christ and that therefore it requireth at our hands the condition of faith whereby wée are graffed into Christ and so numbered among the chosen XV. Vpon the things which we haue hetherto spoken let vs make this definition of Predestination Predestination is the ordinance of God whereby he hath appointed by and in Christ before the foundation of the world was laide according to his good pleasure and the counsell or purpose of his will all such to life euerlasting as should beleeue in Christ their redeemer that they might be holie and blamelesse before him that they might magnifie the praise of the glorie of his grace for euer euer world without end The opposite or contrarie to Predestination is Reprobation whereby so manie as care not for beléeuing in Christ so manie as continue not in the faith of Christ to their liues end are cut off from grace banished from euerlasting life and like bondslaues condemned to perpetuall paines The cause of this reprobation is the sin of men the iustice of God punishing offenders which foreslowe to flée for succour to the mercie seate which God hath vouchsafed to set before men in open sight XVI Furthermore when we require the condition of faith we do therewithall reproue Pharisaicall errour touching the worthinesse of persons the prerogatiue of flesh the merits of mens works c. Wherevpon this also followeth That we must not iudge of this great mysterie either after reason or according to the law For as reason séemeth to make the worthinesse of persons the prerogatiue of flesh the cause of election so the law likewise séemeth vnto Hypocrites but yet amisse to make the merits of works the cause of election XVII The cause therefore of our predestination is not in vs as the Monks thought who were farre wide but in God which cause the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntas Dei The good pleasure of Gods will And S. Augustine Misericordissimam Dei voluntatem The most mercifull will of God Of this will of God toward men when we are well warranted certeinlie assured then haue we an vnmouable foundation of our predestination For God worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will as Saint Paule witnesseth XVIII The most mercifull will of God is not vnknowne or hidden from vs but deliuered opened by the voice or sound of the Gospell in foure things chieflie it is to be seene namelie In the sending of his son In the promise In the commandement and In the sealing of grace XIX This sending of the sonne is a substantiall testimonie of Gods fatherlie will towards vs according to this saieng of the son Sic Deus c. So God loued the world that he gaue his onelie begotten sonne that as manie as beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And againe Commendat Deus c. God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. The price therfore which he paid downe is a sufficient amends for the misdéedes of the world For the Father himselfe confesseth That in his sonne he is well pleased and biddeth vs boldlie heare him XX. No man hath to thinke that the sonne was sent into the world to redéeme a certaine number put a part from the rest of mankind onlie but rather to take awaie the sins of the whole world according to that saieng Ecce agnus c. Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world For as he toke vpon him y e nature common to vs all so with our nature he tooke likewise our cause For so he saith openlie of himselfe Filius hominis c. The sonne of man came to saue that which was lost Now there were not a few handfuls of mankind lost but all mankinde one with an other As therefore in Adam we all fell so the promise of the seede which should bruse the serpents head is giuen to all Adams ofspring Héerevpon saith S. Iohn Christus apparuit c. Christ appeared to destroie the works of the Deuill Wherfore as S. Paule saith Fidelis hic sermo c. This is a true saieng by all meanes worthie to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners XXI Now in that the successe the more pitie is not answerable to the fathers will who sent his sonne nor to the desire of the sonne who suffered punishment for mans sinne that proceedeth from their own malice wilfulnes for that they béeing bidden of a most mercifull gentle father to the mariage of his best beloued sonne might be welcome guests cared not for comming but vnthankfullie set at naught his kindnes as Christ himselfe complaineth saieng Multi sunt vocati c. Manie are called but few are chosen that is to saie Few beléeue bring foorth fruits worthie of repentaunce This is the cause why they are shut out of the Bridehouse as guests not garnished with a wedding garment XXII THE PROMISE OF GRACE which in déede stretcheth vnto all doth likewise commend vnto vs the most mercifull will of our heauenlie father Heervnto serue manie saiengs among the rest these which followe Haec est voluntas c. This is the will of my Father which sent mee that all which see the sonne beleeue in him should haue life euerlasting Againe Sic non est c. So is it not the will of your Father which is in heauen that one of these little ones should perish Againe Deus vult c. It is the will of God that all should be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Againe Deus longanimis c. God is patient and long suffering towards vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentaunce To this also perteineth that place of the Prophet Nolo mortem c. I will not the death of a sinner but that he repent and liue Héerevpon saith Saint Barnard Prodit in lucem c. The great counsell which from the euerlasting laie hid in the bosome of euerlastingnesse is come abroad in light for the comfort of the miserable and distressed bicause God will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and liue XXIII This promise of grace as it reacheth vnto all so is it also fréelie giuen and is to be receiued by faith alone The Apostle most plainlie auoucheth both in the 9. 10. 11. Chapters of his Epistle to the Romanes where he aloweth no place at all to the prerogatiue of the flesh nor to the merits of workes concludeth that Whosoeuer beleeueth shall not

and the hardnesse of our heart bringeth to passe that we are touched with no féeling at all of sorowe for our sinnes without which féeling the voice of the Gospell doth neuer waxe swéete vnto man but rather lie wide open and giue vp our selues to the committing of all filthinesse Now the word of God is a souereigne salue to heale vp these sores when the same is sincerelie taught and faithfullie learned Which thing that kinglie Prophet Dauid knowing well inough witnesseth saieng In quo mundam c. Wherewith shall a young man redresse his waie In taking heede thereto according to thy word which word doubtlesse he saith in the same Psalme is his delight and counsellers For this cause the same Prophet preferreth that verie word before all the riches of the world saieng Diligo mandata c. I loue thy commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold Againe Laetabor ego super c. I will reioice at thy words as one that findeth a great spoile Againe Melior mihi lex c. The lawe of thy mouth is better vnto me than thousands of gold and siluer Dauid therefore confesseth that the word of God is the most pretious treasure in the world and that our life is vncleane and our waie filthie vntill they be cleansed by the word of God as with water of the clearest fountaine Which thing is then done when we obtaine faith by hearing and receiue the holie Ghost For then the mistinesse of our mindes is driuen awaie our vnderstanding is lightened and our heart which was hard before like a stone is made fleshie and soft so that the lawe of God maie bée written therein euen to be touched with the féeling of sin to defie and spit at sinne and to followe the counsels not of the flesh but of the spirit in framing and ordering our life Séeing the doctrine of Gods word bringeth so manie and great benefites that notable man whom euen now I named saith euen vpon iust cause that Among all the workes of men to teach and learne the word of God is the most excellent Now forsomuch as the word of God is a treasure so pretions to teach and learne the word of God a worke so excellent what shall we saie of the sincere true teachers of this word What shall we saie of them which deliuered the word of God as it were from destruction when it laie ouertroden with the horrible imaginations of men and deuises of diuels as in most filthie mire and made the same faire and cleane with their sound and sincere expositions We are greatlie indebted to them which sée to the prouision of such necessaries as belong to the maintenance of this life and without which these fraile bodies of ours cannot continue in health but we are neuer able to requite them with the like which haue restored and made doctrine pure againe béeing the verie treasure without the which we fall from all hope of euerlasting life and haue deliuered the same doctrine vnto vs both by word of mouth and in writing sound and sincere In the number of these I reckon M. Philip Melancthon our schoolemaster a man worthie of the first place next vnder M. Martine Luther than whom all Germanie neuer bred and brought vp one sharper in wit quicker in iudgement perfecter in knowledge greater in learning readier sounder in expounding the scripture roundlie yea more than that zealouser in godlinesse and earnester in religion In consideration of which notable and singular gifts he is had in great account and estimation not onelie of them which professe the same religion with vs but also of the verie enimies of true religion When Saint Paule wrote to the Philippians of his time concerning Epaphroditus saieng Excipite ipsum in domino Receiue him in the Lord with all gladnesse and make much of such the holie Ghost meaneth indéed thereby yea willeth vs to take them for Gods instruments openlie to confesse the benefits which wée receiue by the meanes of such men to be of God to reuerence them as our schoolemasters to loue them as our fathers to estéeme of them as the builders vp of Gods Church and to make accompt of them as the most principall pillers of Gods Temple Thus much doeth godlinesse desire and their trauels deserue no lesse We must not therefore giue them anie place whose practise it is to deuise slauders reproches and foule speaches thereby doing what they can to put out so great lights of the Church who if they séems to haue done amisse in anie thing let vs make the best of it for Christian charitie and méeknesse sake It is a true saieng of Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which sound thus béeing expounded It is a hard matter for men so to do a thing that it be amisse in no point and it is hard for them also that do a thing in no respect blame-worthy not to light vpō some quareling findfault For the weaknes of men is great and manie escapes are made in a mans life which are rather friendlie fauourablie to be couered than maliciouslie and enuiouslie to be made worse There is also in manie a great lightnesse which maketh men to be sharper iudges against others that haue not offended at all As for our weaknesse let vs lament it and as for our lightnesse which is the cause that they are euill thought of whose labours are greater and their gifts excellenter let vs leaue it giuing God thankes who sendeth into his Church for the edification or building vp thereof such healthfull instruments And although verie great thankes as méete is are due to them which haue found out made redie the first waie yet notwithstanding others that haue followed after in their place and trie all the masteries they maie for the edification or building vp of the Church and the knitting together of the Saints are not to bée sette at naught but euerie one in his place is to be had in accompt Saint Paule was a worthie and chosen instrument of God than whom not one of the Apostles laboured more nor spread the Gospell of Christ further Titus also who remained in the Isle of Crete was lesser than Saint Paule both in giftes and labours and also in degrée of calling Héere I acknowledge and giue Saint Paule his title to be the great teacher of the Gentiles and as for Titus I reuerence him according to his place who learned at S. Paules mouth those things which afterwards he deliuered to his hearers In like sort I acknowledge and reuerence M. Martine Luther M. Philip Melancthon as the principall and chiefest teachers that euer Gods Church had in our age the like I doe also to all and euerie one of them in their place as the healthfull instruments of God in his Church by whose workes I set great store am also right glad that it was my lucke to be of

grace or else were worke no more worke How often soeuer therefore our saluation is said to be either the gift of God or to be of grace or to be obteined by faith or to be ours without works all manner of merit in man touching the worke of our saluation is tript and throwne vnder foote Now why saluation is not of works he sheweth a reason in these words Least anie man should boast Herto serueth that saieng also Vbi est gloriatio c. Where is then the reioising It is excluded By what lawe Of workes Naie But by the law of faith For that which is obtained by faith is altogether of frée gift therfore it excludeth all reioising or boasting contrariwise whatsoeuer wée get by our owne workes and trauell that is matter to vs of boasting Furthermore bicause the fleshlie minded hearing this benefit of saluation to be ours by frée gift and without workes or merits that is to saie without the desart of workes snatch at it and therevpon take full libertie to sinne the Apostle méeteth them in the mouth and laieth against them the verie next or néerest end of saluation which he did beate vpon in the first Chapter namelie our sanctification For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes that we should walke in them The word For is oftentimes so taken in an obiection that it séemeth to carrie a reason or cause of a thing with it But yet notwithstanding it doth not render a reason or cause of the former speach but rather giueth a priuie aunswere to the aduersaries obiection For when Saint Paule saith that we haue saluation without workes one or other maie thus obiect and saie If we obtaine saluation without workes then what néed we doe good workes The Apostle aunswereth that it followeth not For we are created in Christ vnto good workes And thus the word For conteineth a reason to reproue the replie of the aduersaries whose obiection the Apostle aunswereth in this place The obseruation of the vse of this word For is profitable that we may knowe and vnderstand whereto the same serueth Thus farre touching the meaning of this Aphorisme Now let vs to the specialities of the same in due order The first The frée goodnesse of God is the onelie cause of our saluation The second By faith alone we are made partakers of saluation freelie giuen The third Mans workes are neither the causes nor the merites nor part of our saluation The fourth Good workes are ioined with faith as a necessarie and vnseparable accident The fift All mans reioising or boasting in the worke of saluation is excluded The sixt Regeneration or new birth in Christ is the cause of good works These sixe specialties are in the words of this short péece of doctrine which containe the principall and chiefe grounds of Christian Religion confute manie foule and grosse errours For first of all they are confuted héere which will haue saluation to stand vpon faith and works together as vpon the parts thereof But Saint Paule in this place doth manifestlie exclude works and setteth downe faith not as a part or as a cause of saluation but as an instrument only Secondlie they are also confuted by this saieng of S. Paule who whiles they graunt with vs that men are iustified by faith alone exclude works not onelie as causes and merits but also as necessarie consequents as though good works were not necessarilie required in such as are iustified and haue obtained saluation by frée gift Against whom S. Paule in this place doth plainlie reason requiring Workes as a necessarie consequent of saluation and as a necessarie and vnseparable accident of regeneration Workes therefore as S. Barnard saith are not the cause of reigning but a waie to reigne not the cause of our comming to Gods kingdome but a waie thervnto Furthermore by this saieng of S. Paule are ouerthrowen all preparing workes as they terme them to iustification For if our works were required as preparatiues then would not S. Paule haue spoken thus Absque operibus Without works Let vs therefore beare awaie hold fast this speach of y e Apostle wherby we are instructed in our saluation armed against the errours both of the Papists and the Pharisies besides that wée are warned what our dutie is which haue obtained saluation fréelie through Christ Verses 11. 12. 13. 11 Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh called vncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made vvith hands 12. That ye vvere I saie at that time vvithout Christ and vvere aliants from the Cōmonvvealth of Israel and vvere straungers from the couenants of promise had no hope vvere vvithout God in the vvorld 13 But novv in Christ Iesus ye vvhich once vvere farre off are novv made neere by the bloud of Christ VVherefore bee yee mindfull that yee were Gentiles in the flesh which were called vncircumcision of them that are called circumcision in the flesh made with hands bicause at that time yee were without Christ aliens or foreners from the Commonwealth of Israel and straungers of the testaments of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world But now in Christ Iesu ye which sometime were farre off are made nigh in the bloud of Christ THis is an other part of the comparison to wit of the state of the Gentiles before grace and vnder grace which part of the comparison doth not in verie deed but after a certaine manner onelie differ from the former which manner standeth vpon circumstances Nowe the Apostle saith that the Gentiles did differ from the people of God in two circumstances first in the signe secondlie in grace In the signe bicause that as the Gentiles were vncircumcised in witnesse of their vncleannesse so the Iewes had the circumcision of promise In grace bicause that as the Gentiles were Without Christ who is the onelie waie of saluation Out of the Common-wealth of Israel that is to saie not of Gods people Straungers from the couenants of promise that is to saie without the witnesses and testaments wherby God bound himselfe to his people Without hope and without God that is to saie men liuing in the world vtterlie voide of Gods feare seruice so the Iewes had all these things of grace For they had the promise of the Messias they were in the Commonweath of Israel they were heires of the couenants of promise they had the hope of saluation and they knewe God To this he addeth an Antithesis or opposition teaching that the Gentiles are now reconciled vnto God by the bloud of Christ receiued into the Commonwealth and houshold of God through the same Iesus Christ Yee saith the Apostle which once were farre off namelie from grace are now made neere to wit by the meanes of Christs bloud All these things serue to this ende that he might beate downe the pride ●igh mindednesse of the