the foreknowledge of merites For acception of persons is when contrary to iustice distributiue we haue a A similitude respect vnto the conditions which make not a man worthy either of y◠gifte which is distributed or of the office which is committed to his charge as if a bishoppricke should be geuen vnto a man bycause he is beawtifull and of a tall stature or for that he is a stout warrior neglecting in the meane time other men more worthy and méete But of this fault God cannot iustly be accused For he findeth in vs no persons or qualities or conditions For we come all equally of the corrupte Masse of Adam Wherefore whatsoeuer afterward commeth either as touching giftes or worthines the same we haue not of our selues but of the goodnes of God But to returne to Ambrose who thinketh that some are elected for that God knoweth that they shall beleue and others are reiected for that he knoweth that they wil be enemies vnto the truth It appeareth also that Augustine beinge yet rude nor as a then a Bishop followed this sentence of his father Howbeit afterward when he had better examined the matter he reuoked it And Ambrose minde is that the loue and hatred of God springeth of faith or infidelitye foreséene Therefore he addeth Wherefore God foreknowing that they should be endued wyth an euyll wyll counted thē not in the nomber of the good although Christ said vnto the. 72. disciples whiche afterward fell awaye from hym as it is written in the 6. chapter of Iohn Reioyse and be glad for your names are written in heauen For they are sayde to be written accordinge to a certayne present iustice and not accordinge to foreknowledge And God forasmuche as he is a iust iudge iudgeth according to present iustice and not according to foreknowledge Wherefore that which the Lorde sayth to Moses in Exodus the 23. chapter If any man sinne against me I wyll blot him out of my booke is so to be vnderstanded that according to the righteousnes of the iudge he seemeth then to be blotted out when he sinneth but according to the foreknowledge of God he was neuer writen in the boke of life For Iohn sayth they wente out from vs for that they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they had doubtles abiden with vs. Afterward Ambrose defineth the foreknowledge Definitiō of the foreknowledge of God after Ambrose of God and sayth that it is that whereby God hath certainelye appoynted what manner of will euery mans will shal be wherein he shall abide and whereby he shall ether be condemned or crowned wherefore there is no acceptation of persons in the foreknowledge of God And he saith that it is possible that they which shall be good to the end become sometimes euill as it came to passe in Dauid contrariwyse that they which shall at the last become euill and shal be condemned yet notwithstandinge sometimes seeme good as Saul Iudas Salomon and Ioas as long as Ioiada the priest liued We sée that Ambrose in this his sentence was brought to that pointe that to auoyde the acceptacion of persons he referred the election of God to the foreknowledge of workes least God should séeme vniust But we haue already declared that the equitye and The iustice and equitye of God is not here put in any danger iustice of God is nothing put in daunger if we rightly vnderstande wherein consisteth the fault of the acception of persons But amongst the new writers Phocius whose sentence is rehearsed amongst the Gréeke Scholies by purpose vnderstādeth as other do foreknowledge of woorkes and thereof he affirmeth springeth election when as by it is put a difference betwene men But election cannot be vnles there be put some difference in those things which ought to be elected But we Election cā not be but when there is differēce of thinges The difference of things to be lected is not taken of the nature of the thinges themselues but of the purpose of God say that this difference is not to be considered by the thinges themselues which are elected but by the sondrye purpose of God towardes them For whatsoeuer good thing is founde in men the same commeth from the méere mercye and goodnes of God Neither can God foreknow that any thing shal come to passe but that which he willeth to be For forasmuche as all thinges that are haue by his will that that they be whatsoeuer he foreknoweth shal be it is of necessitye y◠he willeth the same to be Wherfore God found no difference in men but he himselfe putteth differēce in thē The same Phocius addeth Although there were no other reason of the election of God but his will yet ought we therewithal to be contēt But there is an other namely his foreknowledge of workes But we haue alredy declared what deceiued this mā namely for that he thinketh y◠the difference which must of necessity be in election is alwayes taken of the thinges that are to be elected when oftentimes they come of the méere will of him that electeth But nowe will I come to Augustine who in his questions to Simplicianus in his first booke and 2. question at large entreateth of this matter He demaundeth in that place why the mercye of God which was present with Iacob was wanting in Esau And he maketh answere that it cannot be sayd because that the one should beleue the other should not beleue for that fayth it self is the gift of God which thing others also sayth he do confesse but therfore they say the one beleued for that he woulde receaue that when it was offred and y◠other beleued not for that he would not receaue it But this aunswere is not sufficient For then mought euery man ascribe his faith Our faith is not an effect of our will to his owne will and thus say Therfore haue I beleued for that I woulde And by that meanes he should haue wherof he might glory and the grace of God and our fayth should be of workes Farther vnto the Phillippiās Paul writeth that it is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe according to his good will Wherefore no man can haue a will to beleue vnles God geue vnto him that will Moreouer A good wil is the gift of God it should then not be of God that hath mercye but of man that willeth runneth And it is meruaile sayth Augustine if these men were demaunded whether a good will be the gift of God if they durst deny it but peraduenture they wil say God in vayne hath mercy if man will not Which is imprudently spoken For euery man hath a will vpon whome God hath mercy But if thou demaunde what maketh in vs this good wil we answer the calling of God But that séemeth to be The calling of God of two sortes against this which we reade in the Gospel That many are called but fewe
what also he meaneth by the Body of sinne which he affirmeth ought to be abolished When he speaketh of the Olde man he alludeth vnto Adam and vnderstandeth the corrupt nature which we all haue contracted of him Neither signifieth Not onely the body and grosser partes of the minde pertaine vnto the old man he thereby as some thinke the body only and grosser partes of the minde but comprehendeth therewithall vnderstanding reason and will For of all these partes consisteth man and this maliciousnes and oldenes so cleaueth vnto vs as the Greke Scholies note yâ— the Apostle calleth it by the name of man And men yâ— are without Christ are so much addicted vnto their lustes pleasures and errors that without theÌ„ they count not themselues to be men Farther by this Antithesis or coÌ„parison vnto the new man we may vnderstand what the olde man is In the epistle to the Ephesians we are commaunded to put on the newe man which is creatâ—d according vnto God in all righteousnes and holynes of truth And coÌ„trarâ—wise To put of the old maÌ„ which is corrupted according to the lusts of error Wherefore Ambrose expounding this place saith That the Apostle therefore calleth the deedes past the olde man Because euen as the newe man is so called by reason of fayth and a pure life so is he called the old man bycause of his infidelity and euill dedes The body of sinne also signifieth nothing els then the deprauation and corruptioÌ„ What the body of sinne is of our whole nature For the Apostle would not that by this word we should vnderstand the composition of our body And naturall lust although it be but one thinge yet bycause vnto it are associated and annexed all maner of sinnes which as occasioÌ„s are offred doo burst forth therfore it is expressed by the name of the bodye And Paul vnto the Colossians after thys selfe same maner calleth sondry sinnes our members Mortifie sayth he your members which are vpon the earth namely fornication vncleanes euill lust auarice and other whiche there followe Our members are the instrumeÌ„ts of sinnes if God prohibite them not And vndoubtedly vnles the spirit of Christ doo prohibite our members they are altogether organes and instrumeÌ„ts of sinnes Chrisostome vpon this place faith That the Apostle calleth not this our body only so but also all our maliciousnes for so calleth he all our maliceousnes the old man The Greke Scholies vnderstand by the body of sinne our condemned nature Although if we would referre that sentence vnto this our outward body it may seme that Paul so spake for that all wicked lust and all corruption of nature is drawen from nature by the body Thys is Humane corruption is drawen by the body The corruption of nature hath sundry names also to be marked that the Apostle setteth our corrupt nature as contrary vnto the spirite but yet by sondry names sometimes by the name of flesh sometimes by the name of the body of sinne sometimes by the name of the old man and sometimes of the outward man and sometimes by the name of naturall man all which things signifie whatsoeuer is in man besides Christ and regeneratioÌ„ and also whatsoeuer withdraweth vs from the law of God CoÌ„trariwise by the name of the spirite he vnderstandeth all those thinges which are done in vs by the inspiration instinction and motion of the holy ghost wherfore Ambrose by the body of sinne vnderstandeth also the soule that is the whole man As contrariwise the soule also in the holy scriptures signifieth sometimes the body and The soule The fleshe the whole man This word flesh also sometimes comprehendeth all the partes of a man that is not yet regenerate For Christ when he reasoned with Nicodemus of regeneratioÌ„ whatsoeuer saith he is born of the flesh is flesh by which words he sheweth that the flesh ought to be regenerated into the spirite And forasmuch as regeneration pertayneth not only vnto the body nor only vnto the grosser Reason and will are coÌ„prehended in the name of fleshe partes of the minde but chiefely vnto vnderstanding reason and will it sufficiently appeareareth that these thinges also are vnderstand by the name of flesh And Ambrose sayth that the flesh is sometimes called the soule which followeth the vices of the body Christ also answered vnto Peter when he had made yâ— notable confession Flesh and blood hath not reueled these thinges vnto thee Whereby fleshe and blood he vnderstandeth whatsoeuer humane reason can by nature come to the knowledge of Wherefore to retayne still the body of sinne and the old maÌ„ is nothing els then to liue according to that estate wherein we are borne And Naturall knowledges grafted in vs are of themselues good but in vs they may be sins The affections of them that are not regenerate are sinnes though they be honest if a man demaund whither these naturall knowledges grafted in vs touching God and outward dedes are to be counted good or no I answer yâ— of theÌ„selues they are good but as they are in vs not yet regenerate but vitiate corrupt vndoubtedly they are sinnes bycause they fayle and stray from the coÌ„stitution of theyr nature For they ought to be of such force that they should impell and driue all our strengths and faculties to obey him But they are so weake that they can not moue vs to an vprighte life and to the true worshipping of God which selfe thing we iudge also of the naturall affections towards our parents frendes countrey and other such like For although these thinges of their owne nature are good and honest yet in vs that are not yet grafted into Christ they are sinnes For we referre them not according as we ought vnto the glory of only true God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ nether doo we them of faith without which whatsoeuer is done is sin And Paul sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is knowing this and a litle afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordeâ—â—each that those thinges which are here sayd ought to be most assured and certayne vnto vs and perfectly knowen of vs so that euery godly man should fele this in hymselfe This kinde of speach hath an Antithesis vnto that which was sayd at the beginninge Know ye not that as many as are baptised â—nto Christ Iesus are baptised into his death as though he should haue said Of this thingye ought not to be ignoraÌ„t And if ye once perfectly know this principle theÌ„ those thinges which thereof follow caÌ„ not but be knoweÌ„ of you Let it not seme straÌ„g that Paul doth Why Paul vseth so many tropes figures by so many so suÌ„dry figure hiperboles I say metaphors exaggerat aggrauateth is matter namely That we are dead vnto sin are buried with Christ and the old man is crucified that the body of sinne should be abolished and suche other like For we neuer sufficiently
vnto them to consider the faults of other men Moreouer they reioyce not neyther delighte themselues in the condemnation of theyr neighbours especiallye that condemnation whiche is done rashely For they know that theyr brother forasmuch as he is of God eyther stādeth to his Lord or falleth But we intreate now of priuate menne and not of Magistrates or Pastors whose parte is by office to be inquisitiue touching the life and manners of those which be committed to theyr charge Wherefore all men as well subiectes as magistrates ought to iudge sinnes which are layde before them by admonishing and punishinge euery manne accordinge to hys office leaste vices shoulde spreade to farre abroade But thys thinge aboue others is diligentlye to be taken heede of as Paule nowe teacheth that wee winke not at those thynges whyche we our selues wickedlye committe For as he sayth In that we iudge an other we condemne our selues The selfe same sentence whereby we punishe other men striketh also our selues And seing we can not escape our owne iudgement how shal we escape the iudgement of God which is according to truth For then shall not that thinge happen whiche we see now doth that in one and the selfe same kinde of crime one is condemned and an other escapeth Euen as our deedes are so shall they be iudged Now men spare themselues and are seuere agaynst others But so shall it not be in the iudgement of God It resteth therefore that we execute the selfe same seuerity vpon our selues which we vse in iudging of other men Which thing how little the aduersaries of religion do performe hereby it is manifest in that they Papistes in what things they condemne vs and flatter thēselues euery where crye out agaynst the mariages of priestes because they seeme vnto them vnpure but in the meane tyme while they ouerpasse themselues being ouerwhelmed with all kynde of filthy lustes They make exclamation that vowes are not performed and they consider not what they haue promised vnto God in Baptisme They complayne that fastes which men haue commaunded are not kept and they neuer make an ende of their bankettinges and delicious feastinges They make lamentacion that the sacramentes are vnworthely neglected of our men when as they themselues with their lyes of transubstāciation haue hitherto sold them mangled them and filthyly deformed them The summe of Paules doctrine is that we iudging others shoulde discend into ourselues for that it is most certayne that the iudgement of God shal be according to truth Therefore we must to our power endeuour our selues to make our life and maners acceptable before so great a iudge But this sentence to sinne and to consent vnto sinners which before he obiected to the vngodly semeth to be repugnant vnto that which he afterward The selfe same mē are both seuete agaynst others ▪ and towardes their owne they are most fauorable speaketh namely that they punished others but spared themselues For how do they consent vnto others which do euill if by their iudgemente they condemne them but the apostle speaketh not generally And the selfe same disease of selfe loue stirreth them vp both to spare themselues and also to supporte and mayntayne them which are by any aliance knit vnto thē whē as they are infected with the same vices that they themselues are but strangers and such as they beare no affectiō vnto by their iudgemēt they most seuerely cōdemne if at any tyme they commit any fault Which thing is most playne in the history of Dauid For when Nathan the prophet had accused before him the cruell act of An example of Dauid the riche man the kinge burst forth strayght way into these wordes he is the sonne of death which hath committed this acte Vnto whome the prophet declared that he himselfe was the man which had committed this so haynous an act He was seuere against an other mā and had yet neuertheles so lōg time wincked at himselfe hauing committed the like fault Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnes patience and lenity not knowing that the goodnes of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thyne hardnes and hart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath agaynst the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will render vnto euery man according to his workes Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnes patience and lenity In amplifiing How the scripture vseth thys word riches and setting forth the wonderfull and excellent proprieties of God the scripture very oftentymes vseth this word riches notwithstanding that the goodnes of God is not limited or bound in with any endes but much excedeth copia cornu as Latine men vse to speake that is all kinde of plentifulnes Neither is goodnes in this place all one with vprightnes iustice and temperance but is a redines and an endeuour to helpe our neighbour For thys Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of profite and commoditye This bountifulnes of God Christ partly touched when he sayd that God our Father maketh his sunne to arise vpon the good and the euill and the rayne to rayne vpō the iust and the vniust Paule also partly here expresseth it when he sayth that God with long suffering beareth with the wickednes of men For in this place Paule ouerthroweth an other foundacion whereunto the vngodly lening perswaded themselues The ground of the vngodly whereby they promise vnto themselues to escape vnpunished that they should escape vnpunished for that God differreth to inflict hys punishementes This commeth not hereof sayth he because God neglecteth these thinges or that he will haue them to go vnpunished but with lenity and pacience he suffreth for a tyme otherwise whē he seeth hys tyme he will seuerely auenge them And this word long suffering is of great efficacy to moue our myndes as though it were paynfull vnto God to suffer our iniquityes For we are not sayd to beare and tolerate but only such thinges which of their own nature are both odious and troublesome Which kindes of speach we haue first in Esay the Prophete when he sayd vnto the vngodly king Achab Is it a small matter vnto you of the house of Dauid that ye are greuous vnto men but ye must be greuous also vnto God And the same Prophet bringeth in God speaking of the sacrifices and obseruations of the vngodly that he could no longer suffer thē but that it was a payne for hym to suffer them For they being voyde of fayth and piety gaue themselues whole vnto ceremonies And Dauid in his Psalme writeth that God complayneth that by the space of 40. yeares the generation of Israell was greuous vnto him in the wildernes because they alwayes erred in their hart And the patience of God which should haue wrought in them repentaunce through their owne default profited them not a whit Which he now vpbraydeth saying Knowest thou not that these thinges leade thee to
perfectly to know themselues and to be displeased with thēselues and to abhorre whatsoeuer they perceaue A profitable manner of thinking vpon the death of Christ to be done in them without Christ And by that meanes it cōmeth to passe that the faythfull thinke vpō the death of Christ with most great vtility which thing if it be not done slenderly but with a vehement fayth we shall fele the anger and vengeance of God most aboundantly powred out agaynst sinnes whē as for the taking of them away he would haue his only begotten sonne who otherwise was euen innocencye it selfe so miserably handled that he might in him only punishe all our sinnes These thinges if with fayth we reuolue in our mind we shal begin so to abhorre from sinnes that the self same power of God which caused Christ for our sakes to suffer death the crosse and most horrible payne shall drawe vs also to dye vnto sinne together with Christ which thing being brought to passe as Paule here teacheth VVe shall also be pertakers of his resurrection for these two are knit and ioyned together Wherefore to the Colossians he writeth If ye haue risen together with Christe seeke the thinges whiche With the spirituall life is ioyned the life of the resurrection are aboue and straighte waye he addeth Mortefye your members whiche are vpon the earth ▪ also Ye are deade with Christe and your life is hidden with him Wherefore when Christe your life shall appeare then also shall ye appeare together wyth hym in glorye And in this epistle If by the spirit ye shall mortefye the deades of the flesh ye shall liue And there are other places very many wherin life is alwaies ioyned together with this death Yea looke how much more we profite in a new life so much the farther procede we in mortificatiō Which thing is very well declared in the epistle vnto the Phillippians For thus Paul writeth That I may be found in him not hauing mine own righteousnes which is of the law but that righteousnes which is of Christ thorough fayth which is of God that I may know hym and the power of his resurrection and the communion of his afflictions whiles I am made cōformable vnto his death if by any meanes I may attayne vnto the resurrectiō of the dead not that I haue alredy attained to it or am alredy perfect But I labor if in case I may cōprehend so far forth as I am comprehended of Christ Iesus Brethern I coūt not my selfe as yet to haue attained vnto it wherefore forgetting the thinges which are behind and endeuoring my selfe to those things which are before according to the prefixed mark I follow hard to the reward of the high calling of God By these testemonies is manifestly proued that the death of Christ and his resurrection and mortification and newnes of life ought to be ioyned together This thing is also to be added If we be grafted into y◠death They which are grafted into Christ do dy vnto the Law and resurrection of Christ we shall not only attayne vnto forgeuenes of sinnes and to a purer life but also we shall dye vnto the law For nether shall we be accused or condemned of it nor compelled to the ceremonies thereof For to the Colossians it is written Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from ordinances why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdned with tradicions as Touch not tast not handle not And a litle before in the same chap. when ye were dead in sins and in the vncircūcisiō of your flesh he hath quickned you together with him forgeuing you al your sins puttyng out the handwriting of ordinances that was against you whiche was contrary vnto you Lastly we are made without feare and patient in aduersities knowyng that if we be dead together with Christ we shall raigne together with hym But forasmuch as this argument of Paul which he is now in hand with is deriued of the nature of Baptisme to the end we may vnderstand what maner of thyng the nature therof is and as it were knowyng the ground might gather out these profitable admonitions and oftentimes reuolue them in our mynd it shal be profitable to set forth a certaine ample definition which may well nie comprehend all An ampl◠and large definition of Baptism things that are written therof in the holy scriptures Baptisme therfore is a signe of regeneration into Christ into his death I say and his resurrection which succeded in the place of Circumcision which consisteth of the lauacre of water in the worde wherin in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost remission of sinnes and effusion of the holy ghost is offred and by a visible sacrament we are grafted into Christ and into the church and the right vnto the kingdom of heauen is sealed vnto vs and we on the other side professe that we will dye vnto sinne and hereafter lyue in Christ That the members or partes of this definition may the better be vnderstād we will briefly declare them First it is called a signe which word is common vnto Baptisme and to all sacraments which is proued by All sacraments are called signes that that Paul before in this selfe same epistle taught that Abraham after that he was iustified receiued Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale of the righteousnes already obteyned But what thyng Baptisme sealeth is sufficiently expressed whē as it is called the signe of regeneration For Christ very manifestly taught Nicodemus in the 3. chap. of Iohn that they which will be saued ought to be born again And that baptisme is the the signe of this regeneration Paul teacheth vnto Titus saying Accordyng to his mercy he hath saued vs through the lauacre of regeneration An explication of Regeneration And forasmuch as regeneration is a certaine mutacion or chaunge that we may the better vnderstand what that mutacion or chaunge is First must be declared the end wherunto this mutaciō tendeth And therfore in the definition we added Into Christ bicause the fayth studies and life of such men as are regenerat tend to no other end then that they may wholy passe into Christ And seing that al things whiche Christ did for our saluation are comprehended in his death resurrection Therfore in this definition we added that we must be be baptised into his death and resurrection Whiche thing Paul also teacheth in this selfe same place For thus he writeth Knowe ye not that all we that are baptised into Christ are baptised into his death And straightwaye he maketh mencion of the resurrection And Why Baptisme ought not to be repeted that Baptisme succeded in the place of Circumcision the epistle to the Colossians teacheth which place we haue before cited Wherfore seyng that Circumcisiō was ministred vnto one man only once and forasmuch as euery man hath but one only natiuity therof it
threatneth Death is improperly called a rewarde Eternall life is not called a rewarde death vnto sinners Agayn he by the figure Catachresis calleth it a stipend For no man committeth sinne with this intent that for a reward he would obteyne death Here Paul inuerteth the Antithesis or contrary position for he sayth not that eternall life is the reward of righteousnes but rather attributeth it vnto Grace which thing he therefore doth to assigne and appointe the whole nature of merite in Christ only And therfore he addeth thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. that no man shoulde imagine any other mediators â—thâ—â— deade saintes or ells theyr owne workes Farther Paul semeth of purpose 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 stipeÌ„d to set Grace or a gifte and by that meanes he excedinglye stirreth vs vp to the study of eternall life sithen it is a thing so excellent that vnles it be geuen by God it can not be gotten by any of our workes He taketh this greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the stipeÌ„d or wages of a souldier and he continueth still in his metaphore of a king and of a Lord which he a little before vsed For they vse to geue stipendes vnto theyr The maner of the elders towardes souldiers seruauÌ„ts And the Greke word sauoreth much of the maner of the elders where by they were wont to geue vnto theyr souldiers vittayles to eate when they were one warfare And at Rome it was the maner a long time that the souldiers with theyr owne meate but afterward were vittayles geuen them of the common treasory And it well appeareth by the etimology of the word that it was first instituted only for yâ— releauing of necessity and to signify some honour Vnto laborers is geuâ—n a rewarde Vnto warriours is geuen a stipende not as though they semed stipendes of such worthines for which men should put theyr life in danger Wherefore as to laborers was geuen a reward so vnto warriors was geuen a stipend But now let vs especially consider in what sort grace and workes are as touching eternall life And as much as may be gathered ether out of the holy scriptures or out of those thinges which Augustine hath left in writing as touching this matter we will playnly declare so that it shall be made manifest how much our aduersaries dissagree from vs in thys poynt As touching the first if by Grace we vnderstand the fauour and mercy of God then is it the only cause thoroughe Iesus Christe why we obteyne eternall life For our workes can by no meanes be the causes of our felicity Howbeit they are certayne meanes by which God bringeth vs vnto felicity As the way is not the cause of the end thereof nor the runninge place the cause of the gole or The difference betwenâ— the cause and meanes marke and yet by them men are led both vnto the end of the way and vnto the marke So God by good workes bringeth vs to eternall life when as yet the only cause thereof is the election of God as Paul most manifestly teacheth in thys epistle Whome he hath predestinate sayth he those also hath he called whome he Againste merite hath called those also hath he iustefied whoÌ„ he hath iustefied those also will he glorifie Thys declareth that all these thinges do so come from the Grace of God that they consequently follow the one the other and God which geueth the one will also liberally and freely geue the other Wherefore the whole consideratioÌ„ and nature of merite ought vtterly to be taken away For that which properly meriteth The nature of merite any thing must of necessity haue in it a free geuing vp nether ought it by any other meanes to be due Wherefore forasmuche as we owe of dewty vnto God all thinges that we haue vndoubtedly whatsoeuer we do it can merite nothing Farther those things by which we will merite any thing ought to be our owne But good workes are not our own but are of God Besides this also all imperfection and vncleanes must of necessity be remoued awaye otherwise our workes are contaminated nether can they be leueled to the rule which is prescribed by God wherefore we ought rather to craue pardon then once to thinke vpon price or reward Farther betwene merite and reward there ought to be some proportion But there can be no proportion betwene our workes and eternall felicity Wherefore they can not properly be called merites Moreouer God will that there should be taken froÌ„ vs all matter of glorying which thing were not possible if by our workes we should deserue eternall life And forasmuch as Paul in this place describeth eternall life by yâ— name of grace vndoubtedly it can not be of workes Let this suffice as touching the first Now will I briefely declare what Augustine hath written as touching this place In his Enchiridion to Laurentius the 107. chapter A stipend sayth he is payd in warfare as a debt and not geuen as a gift therefore Paul sayth the stipend of sinne is death to declare that death is rendred vnto sinne not wythout desert but as due But grace vnles it be free it When eternall 〈…〉 is gâ—â—en after 〈…〉 a it iâ— grace for grace is not grace Wherefore as touching the good workes of man forasmuch as they are the giftes of God in that vnto them eternall life is rendred grace is recompensed for grace The same Augustâ—â—e in his booke De gratia Libero arbitrio the ix chapter In the Gospell of Iohn sayth he it is written that we all haue receaued of hys fulnes and grace for grace euery man as God hath deuided vnto him the measure of fayth For euery man hath receaued a proper gift from God one thus and an other thus Wherefore when eternall life is rendred grace is rendred for grace But so is it not of death because it is rendred as due vnto the warfare of the deuill Wherefore whereas the Apostle mought haue sayd and that rightly the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life he would rather say But the grace of God is eternall life that therby we myght vnderstand that The Apostle 〈◊〉 hâ—â—e sayâ— and that iust 〈…〉 that eter 〈…〉 〈…〉 God bringeth vs vnto eternall life not for our owne merites but for hys mercy Wherefore it is written in the 103. Psalme Which crowneth thee in mercy and compassions Because it is he which worketh in vs both to wyll and also to performe The Apostle had sayde before worke your saluation wyth feare and trembling Afterward least we should attribute thys thyng vnto our selues he sayth that God worketh these thy 〈◊〉 vs and that not for our merites but according to his good pleasure And in the same booke the 8. chapter he sayth that there is no small ambiguity how eternall life is â—â—ndred vnto good workes For the scripture sayth that euery man shall haue according to his works And yet on the other side Paul
any worke we shall of 〈…〉 ty graunte that it commeth of the grace of God and that we muste noâ— lea 〈…〉 our selues any prayse thereof though it be neuer so smal But bycause God 〈…〉 th â—s to worke Why our workes are alwayes vnperfect who so long as we liue here are not fullye cleansed thereof it commeth that our workes are alwayes vnperfect Moreouer it they were thâ— causes and merites of eternall life we might with security put confidence in them But that the holy scriptures playnely forbid For Paule in thys epistle sayth I iudge that the suffringes of thys time are not worthy the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. In thys place Paul considereth good worke in that they are of God For We haue it not of our selues to suffer for Christe we haue not of our selues to suffer aduersities for Christes sake For it is God which worketh in vs that suffring And yet though it be neuer so greate Paul sayth that it is not be compared vnto the glory to come But these men appoynt in a merite as they vse to speake de Condigno that is of worthines Thirdly the aduersaries contend that good workes are the cause of eternall lyfe Workes ar not the causes of eternall lyfe sine qua non Good workes are a beginning of Eternall life Howe good workes are said to be meanes by which God lendeth hys vnto eternall life This word merite vsed among the fathers It is the safest way to abstaine froÌ„ this worde merite This word merite is not vsed in the holy scriptures A place vnto the Hebrues A place of Ecclesiastes sine qua non that is without which it cannot be obteyned Which sentence how ridiculous it is young infantes whom we know are saued without workes can testifie For although they by reason of age can do nothing that is good yet do they obteine eternall lyfe Therfore this cause is not of so great waight that without it no man can be saued And in those that are of full age to speake properlye good workes can not haue the nature of a cause For in them those are nothing els but a beginning of eternall lyfe Wherfore seyng they are a certaine part of eternall life they cannot be counted causes therof Nether ment I any other thing els wheÌ„ before I said that good workes are meanes and as it were certaine steps by which God leadeth his vnto eternal lyfe I graunt in dede yâ— among the fathers is oftentimes found yâ— name of merite which word I would to God they had more seldom with greter consideration vsed For that word hath engendred most vile errors Although the fathers themselues in many places mitigate and leuiste that worde by expositions to the end we should vnderstand that they ment not the iust and proper nature of merite For they alwayes admonish that eternall life is geuen fréelye and that the saintes are crowned by the mercye and compassion of God and that we oughte not to truste vnto merites bicause they canne not consiste before the iudgemente seate of God and other suche like Whiche sentences if our aduersaries would earnestly weigh and ponder they would not so malepertly and stubbernly defend those merites which they call ex Condigno But as I haue said it is yâ— safest way vtterly to abstain froÌ„ this word especially seing it is neuer once vsed through out the whole Scriptures But they vse to obiect a place out of the 13. chap. of the epistle vnto the Hebrewes Talibus hostis promeretur deus which after the Latine is thus englished with such sacrifices is God wonne as by merite But in the Greke in the place of this word promeretur that is is wonne or merited is written this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth is delighted or accepteth theÌ„ They obiect also a place out of the 16. chap. of Ecclesiasticus Omnis misericordia faciet locum vnicuique secundum meritum operum fuorú whiche accordyng to the Latine is thus englished All mercy shall make place vnto euery one accordyng to the merite of his workes But first that booke is not in the Canon Of that that Augustine said howe Paul might haue sayde eternall life is the stipend of righteousnes ArgumeÌ„ts ought to be taken of that which is written in the holye scriptures and not of that which mought haue bene written Paul could not write otherwise then he wrote farther the place is not wel cited For in Greke it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is all mercy shall make place euery one shal finde according to his dedes In which wordes is nâ— meÌ„tioÌ„ at all made of merite Now let vs examine that which before we said Augustine writeth namely that the Apostle mought truely haue sayd eternall lyfe is the stipeÌ„d of righteousnes but he would not Here first I say that argumentes ought to be taken of that which we are faught in the holy scriptures and not of that which mought otherwise be written in the scriptures Wherfore it is a weake argumeÌ„t for a maÌ„ to say yâ— apostle mought haue said eternal life is yâ— stipend of righteousnes wherfore righteousnes deserueth eternal life Bicause yâ— argumeÌ„t ought to be takeÌ„ of yâ— words of Paul For if it were lawful to reason after this maner theÌ„ sound arguments which leane vnto the worde of GOD should be weakened For there mought be alwayes obiected althoughe the Scripture so haue it yet it moughte haue ben spoken otherwise And by that meanes we should haue nothing certain And although I haue declared what Augustine ment by these wordes yet I can not therfore be easily persuaded to thinke that the Apostle could haue writteÌ„ otherwise then he wrote For if the other kinde of speach should haue geuen occasion of hautines and pride then could it not edeffe it behoued him also to follow the sayinges of the holy ghost And although that sentence mought peraduenture be spoken of righteousnes taken by it selfe yet can it by no meanes be spoken of vs of our righteousnes Wherfore seing that sentence could neither edifie nor make any thing to the purpose I sée not how Paul could so haue writen Howbeit in this matter I will not contend more then is mete with Augustine The seuenth Chapter KNow ye not brethern for I speake to them that know the lawe that the law hath dominion ouer a man so long as he liueth For the woman which is in subiectioÌ„ vnto a man is bound by the law to the man while he liueth but if the man be dead she is deliuered from the law of the man So then if while the man liueth she take an other man she shall be called an adultresse but if the man be dead she is free from the law so that she is not an adulteresse though she take an other man Wherfore ye my bretherne are dead also to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be
ought to haue bene stirred vp to the workes whiche he did And that he erred he hymselfe testifieth of himself in many places Vnto the Eph. the. 2. cha he sayth And you that wer dead in sins wherin in times past the walked according to the course of this world after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirite that now worketh in the children of distrust Among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our fleshe in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of affections and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But GOD which is rich in mercye thorough hys greate loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ And vnto Titus For we also were once fooles disobedient straying out of the way seruing the desires and pleasures in maliciousnes and enuy one of vs hating an other Such a one was Paul before he was conuerted vnto Christ although he mought not vnworthely make great boast of his outward righteousnes And that thou shouldest not say that he was changed and deliuered frō these sinnes when he began earnestly to apply himselfe vnto the doctrine of the lawe wherein he so much profited that he coulde now be neither accused nor slayne of it he hymselfe in the selfe same epistle to Titus auoutcheth that he was Paul affirmeth that he was iustified by Christ only by Christ only iustified and by the benefite of the holy ghost acquited Wherefore before he was come to Christe the knowledge of the lawe coulde do nothing but kill him For thus he sayth but when the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of regeneration and of the renuing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs most aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we might be made heyres according to the hope of eternall life But vnto that which he writeth vnto Timothe that he had from his elders serued God with a pure conscience answere may thus be made That although he had not in him his conscience accusing him yet this acquited him not from sinne For there are many and haue bene many Scribes and Pharises which being instructed with an ill conscience had an ill iudgement of the law of God They which are not well instructed in the lawe ar not sometimes reproued of their conscience whome yet Christ manifestly reproueth Wherefore when as afterward came a more sounder knowledge of the lawe by it by reason of sinne now known were they slayne Farther we must see what it is that Paul goeth about in that place to perswade vnto Timothe he sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God that without ceassing he maketh mencion of him in his prayers and desireth to see him And that he should not think that he spake this after any common maner as though he did it only to flatter him but spake not from the hart he sayth that he had neuer bene accustomed to lye And although his conscience could not reproue hym of lying yet were there a greater many other thinges which the lawe being truely knowen mought reproue in him And that he had not the perfect knowledge of the lawe hereby it is manifest for that he persecuted Christ in hys Paul before his cōuersion knew not the law perfectly church who is the ende of the lawe In which thing he did nothing agaynst his conscience for it was then in no other sort enstructed And therfore he sayth be did it through ignorance and infidelity Neither hath the law of God that power to kill through sinne but when it is perfectly known And these thinges are spoken of Paul when he was yet of the Iewishe religion And how these thinges pertayned vnto him after he knew Christ and how they pertayne to vs shall afterward be declared Howbeit in the meane time these things ought to moue vs to detest the naturall sinne grafted in vs. That sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commaundement Here the Apostle declareth that he entreateth not only of the knowledge of sinne which is perceaued by the lawe but also of the comming of that wickednes which is wrought by taking an occasion of the law For by y◠figure Hyperbole Why the Apostle vseth the figure Prosopopeia he saith that sinne is made sinfull aboue measure And vnto sinne by a figure he fayneth a person which sinneth deceaueth and slayeth Which he therefore did for that he considered that we are slow and blockishe and vnderstand not the pernicious blot of our originall sinne But because the lattin translatiō hath aboue measure sinfull Ambrose demaundeth whether paraduenture there be any measure of sinne granted by the lawe And he answereth that there is none for the lawe condemneth all sinnes vniuersally although he confesse that there is The law cōdemneth all sinnes a certayne measure as touching the seuerity of God aboue which measure God differreth not his punishements and vengeance As it may be sayd of the Chananites There is with God a certaine measure of sinnes aboue which they are not suffered to escape vnpunished Sodoma Gomorrha and other nations whome God suffered a longe while to escape vnpunished But afterward when they exceded that measure whiche God coulde no longer suffer to excede he vtterly ertinguished and destroyed them Although some say that sinne aboue measure encreased after the law was geuen if it be compared with that tyme wherein the lawe was not For then mought haue bene pretended some ignorance but that ignorance so soone as the lawe was geuen and published was taken away But I would rather expound this by the figure Hyperbole that is vnmeasurably For when lust waxeth of force we fall into all kindes of sinnes But the kindes of sinnes can not be expressed For euen as archers but one only way hit the marke but yet infinite wayes mysse it A similitude so vertue consisting in the middest as a marke we may infinite wayes erre from it but there is but one only way to attaine vnto it That which is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may thus be turned in Lattin Peccatum peccator that is sinne a sinner But because that soundeth not so well it may be turned sinne out of measure vicious Aristotle in his 3. of Ethikes sayth that of extreames the one is more vitious and the other lesse The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne Here is rendred a reason why it is not to be imputed vnto the lawe that of the knowledge thereof followeth death For saith he the lawe is spirituall but the propriety of the spirite is to geue life And this thing experience well teacheth vs. For we sée that bodyes do so long liue how long there is in
pertakers of the resurrection namely when by mortification we are Howe we are pertakers of the resurrection The spirite of God will do the selfe same thinge in vs that it hath done in Christ made like vnto his death The reason of Paul leueth vnto this foundation that the spirite of God will worke the selfe same effecte in vs that it did in Christ For of one the selfe same cause are to be looked for yâ— selfe same effectes And God forasmuch as he is euery where like vnto himselfe by the selfe same meanes bringeth forth the selfe same workes Wherefore the consequence followeth well And seing when Christ was raysed from the dead ther was rendred vnto him a pure eternall and diuine life such a life also shall one day be rendred vnto vs which life we wayte for in the blessed resurrection when our bodyes shal be raysed vp being perfectly renued and now also we beginne the same when as by new motions Our resurrection is now begon of the spirite we are stirred vp to good workes Wherefore by these wordes are we admonished to mortefie the affectes of the flesh as Paul in an other place saide They which are of Christ haue crucified their fleshe with all the lustes thereof And vnto the Colossians Mortefie saith he your members which are vpon the earth and thys is the body to be deade Neither is it to be meruailed at that by the name of the body is vnderstand sine for sinne is named of that part whereby it had entrance into vs. For the soule saith Ambrose is not traduced from the parentes but only the body Now to dye vnto the body or vnto sinne is nothing els then to do nothing at the commaundement of lustes This is all one with that which we had What to dy vnto the body or vnto sinne signifieth before in the 6. chapter That we are now in baptisme dead with Christ and are buried together wyth hym And the Apostle commonly when he writeth of mortification and newnes of life taketh argumentes of the resurrection of the Lord by which Christ layd away mortality and did put on eternall life Which selfe thing shall also come to passe in our resurrection For in it shall we lay a side all oldenes of error and of corruption Which although before that tyme we shall not perfectly haue yet nowe also in this life we beginne to possesse in some sorte alreadye Wherefore Paul saith in the 2. epistle to the Corrinthyans Euen as our olde man is dayly destroyed so on the other side is our new man dayly renewed And vnto the Collossians If ye haue risen together whith Christ seeke the thynges that are aboue And vnto the Phillippians Paul saith That he alwayes endeuoreth himselfe to the thinges that are before neglecting and setting aside those thynges which are behynde that he mought by any meanes attayne vnto the resurrection of the Lord beyng already made pertaker of hys suffrynges And thus much as touching the first interpretacioÌ„ which Chrisostome followeth which if we more narrowly consider we shall sée that it containeth that which we a litle before spake namely that it is the proper duty of Christians not to liue according to the fleshe but according to the spirite For what other thinge is this but to mortify the body of sinne and to rise againe vnto a new life with Christ as though eueÌ„ now beginneth to shine forth in vs the resurrectioÌ„ which we hope shall in the last time be made perfect The second interpretation which Augustine foloweth is to vnderstand the body properly that is for this our outward substaunce And this body he saith is through sinne dead for that vppon it by reason of sinne was sentence long since geuen And he teacheth that by Christ By Christ we haue recouered a better nature then we lâ—st hy by Adam we haue recouered a better nature then we lost by Adam For he had a body not obnoxious vnto the necessity of death howbeit mortall for if he sinned he shoulde die But we by the resurrection of Christ shall receiue a body so frée from the necessitie of dying that it can not any more dye So according to this interpretatioÌ„ Paul declareth that we besides the benefite of the death of Christ haue an other benefit also of the spirite of Christ so that we are now by him pertakers of immortality Wherfore as touching the resurrection of the bodies eche interpretation is agreable But about this particle The body is dead they agrée not for Augustine taketh the body properly but Chrisostome by it vnderstandeth the vice and corruption of nature Wherfore according to this second interpretation Paul semeth to aunswer vnto a priuy obiection For against those thinges which haue hitherto bene spoken mought some man make this obiection This spirit whome thou so highly commendest as though it deliuereth vs from sinne and froÌ„ death doth yet stil leue vs in death and obnoxious vnto many aduersities diseases and calamities Paul aunswereth that this is true only as touching the body by reason of sinne which is still left in it For there hence come those euils Howbeit he willeth vs to be of good cheare for that spirite of God which is in vs hath now taken away condemnatioÌ„ that sinne which is remainyng in vs should not be imputed vnto vs vnto eternal death and will also bring to passe that euen as Christ which was dead was by him raised vp againe from the dead so also our bodies which are yet mortall shall be repayred vnto true immortalitie This sence is easy and plain and very wel agreing with those things which haue bene spoken therfore I allow it although in yâ— other exposition I know there is no absurditie or discoÌ„moditie Here are two things to be noted first that yâ— lust which is remayning in vs is of Paul called sinne and such a sinne also that after it followeth death Which cannot be denied The luste which remayneth in vs is sinne after which followeth death Why God sendeth aduersities vpon his elect in infants that are baptised and yet die for if in them sinne were vtterly taken away death could haue no place Although in the elect which are nowe reconciled vnto God death and such other afflictions are not inflicted as paines but rather as a crosse sanctified of God and that by a fatherly chastisement we should vnderstaÌ„d how highly God is displeased with sinne and should be more and more called back vnto repentaunce and that death mought be in vs a way wherby should be extinguished whatsoeuer sinne is remainyng in vs. Wherfore although by reason of sinne death be said to haue place in vs for vnles it were death could by no meanes be yet followeth it not that it is inflicted vpon the godly and elect as a payne And God retayneth not anger againste those whoÌ„â— he receiueth into fauour An example of Dauid It lieth not in the sacrifisinge priestes
afflict The purpose of God noteth firmnes themselues or to take it in ill part if they haue tribulations layd vpon them for that it shall turne vnto them vnto good especially to theÌ„ that be predestinate vnto euerlasting saluation Wherfore it is very plaine both by the wordes which follow by the entent of Paul that purpose is in this place to be referred vnto God not vnto those which are called Ambrose in dede denieth not but that it is yâ— purpose Ambrose flieth vnto workes â—oresent of God Howbeit being moued as I thinke with the same reasoÌ„ yâ— Chrisostom was he saith yâ— God calleth predestinateth whoÌ„ he knoweth shal beleue shal be apt for him and deuoute But we ought not to thinke that the election and predestination of God depend of workes forsene It is in déede certaine neither can we deny it that those whom God hath predestinate shall one day if age permitte beleue and be deuoute and apt For God shall geue it vnto them for he predestinateth God predestinateth not onely the end but also the meanes A similitude Foure thinges to be noâ—ed also the meanes whereby we shall at the length come vnto the ende So we also after that we haue determined to vse any pece of timber to some vse of an house do fashion and hew it to that forme which may best serue for the accomplishing of the worke which we haue to do But here are fower things diligently to be noted of vs first that the will of beleuing and the purpose and counsell of liuing holily which shall at the length be in those which are elected neither springeth of themselues nor also naturally is cleauing vnto them For they are the giftes of God and not the endowmentes of nature Neither can any man of his owne accord attaine vnto them For what hast thou saith Paul that thou hast not receaued But if thou haue receaued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it But if they be geuen of God as vndoubtedly they are then followeth The good meanes are not geuen of God by 〈…〉 ce but bâ— predestination it of necessity that they are not done by chaunce or rashely but by the counsel and predestination of God Wherfore these thinges also are pertaining vnto predestination For euen as God predestinateth his to eternall life so also predestinateth he them to good counsels vnto holy workes and vnto the right vse of the giftes of God And hereof followeth that which is secondly to be noted that our good purpose or faith or good workes forsene can not be the causes of predestination for so should we neuer come to an end For sithen those thinges as we haue sayd are of predestination and not of our selues it may againe be demaunded why God would geue them vnto this man rather then to that man Where if thou answere as many do because God foreséeth that this man will vse those good giftes well and the other not againe will arise as waighty a question touching the selfe same Good workes foreseene are not causes of predestination good vse For seing that also is a gift of God why should it by the predestinatioÌ„ of God more be geuen to this man then to that And by this meanes there shal be no end of enquiring vnles we will at the last fayne that there is some good thing found in vs which we haue not of God which thing to affirme is not only absurd but also impious Thirdly of this thing we ought to be fully perswaded that euen as good workes forsene can not be the causes of predestination so also are they by Good workes are not causes of eternall felicitie predestination not geuen vnto men to be causes of the chiefe good thing that is of the felicity whereunto we are predestinate they are in déede meanes whereby God bringeth vs vnto eternall life but therefore are they not causes for that blessednes is geuen fréely and we are by the mere mercy of God predestinate vnto it Lastly we ought to hold that these works are not alwayes forsene in the predestination Good works cannot alwayes be foreseene of God in them that shal be saued The foreknowledge of good workes cannot be the cause of predestination of God For many infants being taken away before they come to ripe age by the predestination of God attaine vnto eternall life who yet should neuer haue had any good workes For God foresaw that they should dye being infants Which thing very euidently proueth that the foreknowledge of good workes is not to be put as the cause of predestinatioÌ„ for a iust and sure effect can neuer want his true cause Augustine entreating of this place expressedly sayth that purpose in thys place is not to be referred vnto the elect but vnto God And which is more diligently to be noted writing against the two epistles of the Pelagians in his 2. booke to Bonifacius towardes the ende he saith That the Pelagians at the length confessed that the grace of God is necessary whereby may be holpen our good purpose but they denied The Pelagians at the length confessed that our purpose is holpen by grace Whether grace be geuen vnto theÌ„ that resist it The Pelagians tooke this word purpose as Chrisostome did Chrisostome defended froÌ„ suspition of the heresâ—e of the Pelagians Good endeuors and purposes are sent vnto vs of God that the helpe of that grace is geuen vnto them that resist which is farre wyde from the truth For at the beginnyng euery one of vs resist the pleasure wyll of God neither should we euer assent to hym when he calleth vs vnles he should come and helpe vs wyth hys grace And he addeth that the Pelagians in thys place which we haue now in hand referred not Purpose vnto God but vnto those which are called Howbeit I dare not therefore accuse Chrisostome to be a Pelagian for he at other times as Iohn sayd ascribed whatsoeuer good thing we haue vnto the grace of God and plainly confesseth originall sinne both which things the Pelagians denied Howbeit it is manifest by the wordes of Augustine that the Pelagians and Chrisostome agréed in the exposition of this place Augustine in the selfe same booke confesseth that our purpose is holpen by the grace of God But yet not in such sort as though it were of our selues and not geuen of God And for confirmation of this sentence he citeth that which is written in the latter to the Corrinthyans the 8. chapter I geue thankes vnto God which hath geuen the same endeuour for you in the harte of Titus These wordes sufficiently declare that the good endeuors and purposes which we fele in our mynds are sent of God He citeth also the 77. Psalme I sayd I haue now begonne and thys chaunging commeth of the ryght hande of the hyghest But I do not much trust vnto this testimony for out of the Hebrew
then to predestinate in nature For God no lesse séeth those things also which are not then if they wer now extant Therfore Chrisostome very wel saith That men in things present take councell but vnto God those thinges towardes vs were long since approued and despised It semeth y◠foreknowledge is here no amplier nor largelier thē takē predestination For Paul in descending from the generall word to the speciall should not haue sayd Whome he foreknew those also hath he predestinate neither whom he predestinated those also hath he called neither whome he called those also hath he iustified For by this meanes some may be foreknown which ar not predestinate and some predestinate which are not called and some also called which are not iustified and last of all some iustified which shall not be glorified which thing yet is not so For the Apostles intent is to persuade that al things shall turne vnto vs to Here to cal extendeth no farther then to iustifie and to glorify A fayned deuise of the Schole men good and that we shall without all doubt be glorified This he proueth by y◠that we are called But if to be called should extend farther then to be glorified his argument should conclude nothing And if we may of calling rightly inferre iustification and glorification we may also of foreknowledge inferre predestination Wherfore by this place can not be proued that fond deuise of the scholemen which say y◠only the damned and reprobate are foreknowen For say they forasmuch as they are not predestinate neither haue any title proper vnto them they must nedes be left vnder the common name of foreknowledge and God only foreknoweth their euill workes and damnation and doth not predestinate them vnto those thynges but of this matter we wil more at large speake in an other place But as Origene in this place hath noted the Scripture in no place maketh mencion y◠wicked men are foreknown of God Wherfore sithen the scripture so speaketh not foreknowledge in this place is not taken more largely then predestination let vs leaue vnto them their fond deuise especially seing Peter in his first chap. of his first epistle This word foreknown agreeth with Christ and therfore it pertayneth not onely to the reprobate A similitude saith of Christ that he was foreknowen Hereby it is manifest that that word forasmuch as it is attributed vnto Christ pertaineth not only vnto the reprobate For Christ is the hed of all the elect Now the Apostle semeth to speake after the maner of men For they first chuse vnto themselues those things which please them and then do they appoint them to some certaine and assured endes and beyng so determined they prepare and adorne them and make them méete vnto the end apointed As if a man light vpon faire goodly stones first he chuseth them out appointeth them for some buildyng when he hath so done he causeth them to bée polished and hewed of some workeman and to be brought to some beautifull forme But how the holy scriptures vse these words predestination and foreknowledge How the scripture vseth these wordes it is not hard to gathe◠out of other places In the Acts of the Apostles the 7 chap it is written Him when ye had receaued by the handes of the wicked ye crucified and slew being deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Here the scripture ioyneth together determinate counsell and foreknowledge And in the 4. chap. Herode and Pilate gathered thēselues together to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had predestinate before to be done Here also predestination is ioyned together with the counsell of God And Peter in hys first epistle and first chapiter Vnto the dispersed thorough Pontus Galatia Asia and Bithinia being elect according to foreknowledge Here also foreknowledge is ioyned with electiō And in the same chapiter it is written that of Christe whiche I before alledged namelye That we are redemed with the most precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe immaculate which was foreknowen before the foundacions of the world were layd Nether is this to be omitted that foreknowledge and foredetermination pertayneth not only vnto men but also vnto things and vnto works Paul in his first to the Corinthians Foreknowledge and foredetermination comprehēde not onely men but also thinges workes Predestination consisteth not in time but frō eternity The end of predestination is that we should be vnto like Christ By what meanes we are made firmable vnto Christ We speake sayth he wisedome amongest the perfect which wisedome God hath predestinated to our glory And vnto the Ephesians We are created in Christ to good works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them And such good workes hath God prepared by hys foreknowledge and predestination But there can be no time assigned of hys predestination for it as we haue sayd was before the foūdaciōs of the world were layd and before all eternity of time But to what end we are predestinate the Apostle expresseth in these wordes To be made conformable to the image of his sonne To be conformable vnto hys image is to be like vnto it Wherefore sithen Christ is the perfect image of the father when we are made conformable vnto him we approch vnto the similitude of God But in what thing consisteth this conformity vnto Christ I thinke is thus to be vnderstand Christ is now in glorye and sitteth at the right hand of the father and is happy blessed and immortal vnto the selfe same felicity are we also predestinate Farther God hath so ordeyned that that thinge is now in this life after a sort begonne in vs whiche shall afterward in an other life be accomplished Wherefore we are also made conformable vnto Christ by good works holy maners innocēcy of life Farther euē as he whilest he liued in thys world was alwayes conuersant in the crosse and in tribulations so also must we for his sake suffer crosses and tormentes And as these things wrought in Christ to felicity and glory so also shall they worke in vs. For so Paul writeth of him vnto the Phillippians For which cause also God hath exalted him geuē vnto him a name which is aboue al names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe And of vs Paul sayth in thys place Vnto them that loue God that is to them that are predestinate and called according to purpose all thinges turne to good Of thys conformity vnto Christ by purenes of life it is spokē in an other place Be not ye made like vnto this world but be renewed in newnes of your minde And to the end we should be made like vnto Christ he would by incarnation be made like vnto vs. Wherefore we must endeuour our selues as Paul sayth to the Ephesians That in vnitye of fayth and in knowledge of the truth of God we maye meete him into a perfect man and into the measure
the creator of the world and also the distributer of all good thinges and that all things which men commonly desire are in his pleasure which thinge when he had sufficientlye declared by aduersities also he made them so valiant that with a stoute courage and an inuincible constancy they testified the doctrine of God to be true In which thing God likewise declared that he is the distributer of all the good thinges of the minde and of heroicall vertues and that his power is so great that of thinges God of thinges contrary worketh the selfe same effectes contrary also he can bring forth the selfe same effect And that which the lattin interpreter turneth We are mortified should haue bene turned we are slayne For the Hebrew word is Hodignu although the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifye sometymes to mortefy For in that sence Paul vsed it in this selfe same chapiter when he sayd And if by the spirit ye mortefy the deedes of the fleshe ye shall lyue But here as we sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to be slayne and to be deliuered vnto the death But that which followeth All the day long signifieth that death continually hangeth ouer them and that they are neuer sure but that they thinke to be euen by and by drawen vnto death Although Chrisostome amplifieth it an other way It is of necessity saith he that men dye at the least once but sithen they are redy in mynde euery day to dye if nede require they haue euery day the fruite of martirdome as if they should euery day be killed And their cause much relieueth and comforteth them For they are not slayne as wycked men and malefactors but only for religion and piety sake And therfore they say For thy sake And for that cause some â—â—inke that that Psalme ought not to be vnderstand of the first captiâ—ity For then the Iewes were not punished for Gods cause or for religion sake but because they were idolatrers and so wicked that God would no longer suffer them For they had now vtterly fallen away from God the booke of the lawe was now in a manner cleane blotted out the temple was shut vp the city of Ierusalem ouerflowed with the bloud of the Prophetes Wherefore this is a prophesy of the latter calamity which happened in the time of the Machabes vnder Antiochus and the Macedonians For then the Vnder Antiochus and the Mace donians the Iewes suffred many thinges for the law Iewes suffred most gréeuous tormentes for that they endeuored themselues to defend the lawes of God And therefore they say For thy sake are we slayne And in an other verse is added And yet by reason of these thinges haue not we forgotten thee or done vnfaythfully against thy couenant This is not so spoken as though men do at any time suffer more gréeuous thinges then they haue deserued For none of all the martyrs liued so purely and innocently but that he was obnoxious vnto some sinnes And those sinnes deserued not only the death of the body but also if the death of Christ had not holpen eternall paynes But these paynes and vexations God sendeth not vpon them as being angry but to set forth his truth and glory Howbeit in the meane tyme according to his promise he repayeth vnto them not God vnto them which for hâ—â— name sake are vexed rendreth in thys life an hundreth fold only eternall life but also in this life rendreth vnto them an hundreth fold For oftentimes are most aboundantly repayed those thinges whiche were for his sake lost Sometimes also in the middest of tribulations and euen in the very crosse and death he geueth vnto them so much strength and consolation that in very déede it is more then an hundreth fold if it be compared with those thinges which they haue lost And because the misteries of our faith are secret and hidden God will haue them to be testefied not only by oracles of the scriptures but also by the tormentes and slaughters of the elect And therefore Christ sayd vnto the Apostles when he sent them into the whole world to preach Ye shal be witnesses vnto me in Iewry and in Samaria and vnto the endes of the earth But it is no hard matter by wordes to testefy the truth But those testemonies are most waighty which are sealed with bloud and with death Howbeit this is to be knowen as Augustine putteth vs in minde that the paynes and punishementes and death make not Those testimonies are most waighty which are sealed with blood Not the punishmeÌ„ts but the cause maketh Martyrs Three â—thinges required to martyrdome martyrs but the cause for otherwise many suffer many gréeuous thinges which yet are not martyrs For the same Augustine to Bonefacius of the correction of the Donatists and in many other places testefieth that there were in his tyme Circumcelliones a furious kind of men which if they could fynde none that would kill them oftentimes threw themselues downe hedlong and killed themselues These men sayth he are not to be counted for Martyrs Wherfore there séeme to be thrée thynges required to cause a man to be indéede a Martyre First that the doctrine which he defendeth be true and agréeable with the holy scriptures The second is that there be adioyned integrity and innocency of life that he not onely by his death but also by hys lyfe and manners do edefie the churche The thirde is that they seeke not to dye for boastinge sake or for desire of name fame Paul saith to the Corrinthyans If I deliuer my body to The Anabaptistes Libertines are not Martyrs be burnt and haue not charity it nothyng profiteth me Wherefore no man ought to count the Anabaptists Libertines and other like kinde of pestileÌ„ces for martyrs For these men in stubbernly defending their errors vnto the death are not moued with charity neither towards God nor meÌ„ And forasmuch as they are haters Two kinds of testimonies profitable but yet not firme of al theÌ„ that be good they ar the martirs rather of SathaÌ„ of their errors theÌ„ of Christ Two kinds of testemonies we haue which very much conduce vnto the knowledge of the truth but yet are not altogether so firme that we ought streight way to geue place vnto them Miracles and the tormentes which are suffered for the defence sake of any opinioÌ„ In either of them is to be had great warines that the doctrine which is set forth be examined by the holy scriptures Paul out What thinges are to be considered in this similitude of flesh of Dauid compareth the godly with shepe appoynted vnto the slaughter In thye similitude are two thinges to be considered First that they are called shepe for that they are simple as it is mete that the flocke of Christ should beâ— secondly for that in theyr punishmentes they make no resistance following the example of Christ of whome it is written That when be
if they should be receaued he saith Grace can no more be grace And thus much touching Chrisostome Now let vs sée what Ieromes minde is touching this matter He in his 10. question to Hedibia The opinioÌ„ of Ierome beginneth doubtles in my iudgement not very souÌ„dly For he saith that this is a most obscure place when as otherwise in the wordes of the Apostle as touching the question there is no ambiguity at all But he and other such like make the thing obscure whilest they labour to eschew more theÌ„ is nedeful the offence of humane We must not pretend any obscurenes in this chapter reason For Paul if a man haue a regard to the grammaticall sence if in any other place then moste of all in this place obserued both in his interrogation and answere and prospiâ—uous placing of his wordes whatsoeuer mought seme requisite And should be not a litle contumelius against the holy ghost if he would of purpose haue so obscured the doctrine concerning the principall ground of our saluation so that we should not be able to vnderstand it For in this place is entreated Here is entreated of the chiefe promise of our saluatioÌ„ of a matter which is of all other of most waight namely to what thing we ought to attribute our saluation and election whether to our workes foresens or to the frée mercy of God Ierome vsing this for his preface turneth himselfe afterward to reproue Origen howbeit he leueth his name vnexpressed For Origen labouring to iustify God as touching the loue of Iacob and hatred of Esau which as yet had done neither good nor euil sayth yâ— that came to passe by reason of those Plato Pithagoras things which their soules had done before they came into their bodies For of those merites it coÌ„meth yâ— meÌ„ in this life are of diuers estates These things Ierome worthely reproueth For they pertain not to Christian piety but to the doctrine of Plato and of Pithagoras For they fayned sondry courses departures returnes of the soules Why do we not rather saith Ierome confesse our own ignorance This sentence as I commend so also se I that it is not alwayes kept of him which spake it For if he would haue bene content with a godly ignorance he had not fained imagined those questions and suppositioÌ„s of Paul which in very déede are none at all But he would not that the Apostle should seme to haue tought these thinges contrary to common sence For when Paul had said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated and afterward had added What is there iniquity wyth God and had made answere Ieromes discourse vpon this place God forbid proued by testemonies of the scriptures that God tempereth and moderateth his election according to his wil mercy and power Ierome sought to bow and to wrest those thinges which Paul had most simply spoken as if they were importunatly obiected vnto Paul by way of interrogation as though when Paul had answered God forbid the importunate caueler should go on and say If God sayd vnto Moses I wyll haue mercy on whome I wyll haue mercy and wyll shew compassion on whome I wyll shew compassion then shall it not now be neither of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath mercy And if he to thys ende raysed vp Pharao to declare in him hys power what could he then do wythall And if we be as clay in the hand of the potter why do we yet complayne Who can resist hys wyll Shall there be nothing remayning of free wyll Let Paul make answere to these impudent obiections what art thou o man which thus reasonest wyth God Euen by thyne owne malepertnes thou mayst sufficiently vnderstand that thou art not as clay in the hand of the potter For the clay complayneth not of hys maker but thou I wyll not say greuously complaynest but also powrest out blasphemy agaynst the creator and callest hym vniust and euen in thys thou declarest that thou hast free wyll when as thou speakest what thou list yea euen agaynst God himselfe And if God woulde by his greate patience long suffer Pharao and declare his mercy towardes others he is not therefore to be accused of thee the faulte is rather to be layde vppon the sinnes of men For euen as by one and the selfe same heate of the sunne clay is made hard and waxe made soft so by one and the selfe same goodnes of God some are made more obstinate and other some returne to health And therefore were the Gentles admitted into saluation for that they receaued the fayth of Christ and the Iewes were for saken and reiected for that they resisted that fayth Wherefore not the men themselues but theyr wylles are elected Wherfore by these thinges it is euident that Ierome also was of that mynde that the election of God dependeth of the wyll and workes of men And toward the An interpretation of an author not named end of this tenth question he sayth that he had red in a certaine author whose name yet he kepeth in silence that the Apostle doth not only not dissolue the question but also maketh it more intricate by testimonies of the scriptures and reproueth the curious inquisitor after this maner O man what art thou forsoth clay in the hand of the potter Wherefore kepe downe this thy malepertnes with eternall silence and be mindfull of the infirmity which is in man As touching This question caÌ„ not so be dissolued to satisfie humane reason Ierome vpon Malachy yâ— dissolution of the question if Ierome meane of that wherin humane wisdome may be satisfied we also do graunt that the question is not dissolued but if he speake of that kind of solution which ought to be sufficient vnto Christian piety and which may be had in this life there is nothing wanting to this dissolution Of the selfe same matter Ierome vpon Malachy expounding the place which we are now in hand with writeth after this maner The loue and hatred of God is either of foreknowledge or of workes For those God loueth whome he seeth to be haters of sinne and those he hateth whome he seeth wyll build vp those thynges which he wyll haue to be ouerthrowen Finally he saith that God is sayde to loue or to hate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª that is after the maner of men euen as he is sayde to be angry to be sory to reioyce and therefore is he sayd to hate the wicked that we shoulde eschew those thinges whiche we know he hateth I know also that the Rabines of the Hebrues and especially Chimhi when they expound this place of Malachy do runne vnto workes But although in properties phrases of wordes I iudge those men worthy som what to be estemed yet as touching the sence of scripture and doctrine I do not geue much credit vnto them For they are vtterly blinded neither will they
difference is only in the men and not in God The goodnes of God is equally geuen vnto all men In the nature of men is equality All men are not by one â–ª and the selfe same force drawen Against the similitude of the clay and of the wâ—xe A place to the Hebrues declared For some embrace his goodnes when it is offred but others reiecte it and are hardned For rather contrariwise in men we must put equality and likenes as which comming of one and the selfe same masse haue like condition of free wil and they by themselues can do nothing that is vpright Wherefore seing that this infirmity or rather vnablenes is a like in all men the differeÌ„ce must nedes be put in grace as in the mouing and efficient cause for that all men are not after one the selfe same maner drawen For vocation is of two sortes the one is of â—fficacy the other common And that similitude of the clay and of the waxe is vayne and trifling For after the fall of Adam this distinction hath no place in frée will For in maÌ„kinde now are not some like waxe and other some like clay For god as Paul saith maketh his vessels of one yâ— selfe same clay according to his conning geueth to one the self same clay sondry formes Neither doth yâ— place to the Hebreues make any thing to this purpose For there the scripture exhorteth men which ofteÌ„times heare the word of God to endeuour themselues by holy life to be fruitful which if they do they shall obtain the blessing of God but if they liue wickedly and suffer the sede of God to be corrupted and made vnprofitable in them they shal be obnoxious vnto the curse For the declaration whereof he vsed an excellent similitude taken of the earth Wherefore in that place is nothing spoken of fre wil and grace but of the word of God of men which professe Christ in the church whome God exhorteth yâ— they should not be such as dure but for a time and are only in name Christians Whereunto also The parable of Christ of the seede Christ had a respect in the parable of the sede cast partly vpon good earth and partly vpon stony ground and partly amongest thornes and partly in the high way Wherfore the condition of the shoure of the word of God is described yâ— it always lâ—ghteth not vpon good men and vpon such as are reformed by the grace The good earth are those which are elected spirit of God Wherfore we may say yâ— yâ— good earth are those which are elected and yâ— barren earth are yâ— reprobate And the earth as it hath showers froÌ„ heaueÌ„ so therehence also hath it fertility bareÌ„nes So it is god which ministreth vnto vs both his word also yâ— grace of faith wherby we with profit receiue yâ— same word But whereas Pigghius saith that it is a phrase of speach much vsed that a good and gentle master will say vnto his seruauntes abusing his lenity I my selfe haue marred you I my selfe haue spilt you that doubtles I deny not But he should haue proued that Paul in this place spake in this sort For seing that God is otherwise This figure of Pighius agreeth not with the wordes of Paul vnderstanded to harden the harts of men this figure will not agrée with the words of Paul For first it is an hard inuersion of speach if whereas Paul saith God hardeneth the hart of Pharao we should say vtterly excluding God Pharao hardeneth his hart for that he abuseth the goodnes of God Moreouer if as Pigghius thinketh to harden should be all one with to do good to haue mercy to shew clemency it should not then be the part of a father which gouerneth well and with clemency to forgeue sinnes to adopt into children and to geue sondry giftes but to chasten and to punishe And by that meanes shall follow many absurdities For when God deliuered the children of Israell into captiuity we must say that he had mercy on them because he punished them And when he brought them home againe from captiuity for that he did good vnto them we must say that he hardened them By this meanes to send his sonne into the worlde which was a token of incredible clemency was to harden the worlde and by Titus and Vespasian to destroy and ouerthrow Ierusalem was to haue mercy on the Iâ—wes So shall the glorification of the saintes pertaine to hardening and the punishemente of hell fyre to mercye And forasmuch as God doth good vnto all men rayneth vpon the iust and vpon the vniust and maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the good and vpon the euil if we follow Pigghius opinion we must say that God hardeneth them all Further who can deny but that Pharao was smitten of the Lord and chastised especially when as there are reckoned vp so many plagues wherewith God smote him But euen then most of all as Pigghius dreameth God should haue mercy vpon him not haue â—ad hardened hym yea rather although God be sayde sometymes to haue hardened the hart of Pharao when he tooke away those plagues yet if a man diligently reade of the history of Exodus he shall fynde that the selfe same was spoken when Pharao was smitten and when the plagues were layde vpon hym For when the lice were sent and the sorcerers coulde not do the like when the cattayle were slayne with the pestilence and when euery where men were so troubled with botches that neither the sorcerers themselues coulde escape them it is by expresse wordes written that the hart of Pharao was hardened Lastly Paul sayth that vnto them that loue God all thinges turne to good Wherefore whether he send vpon them prosperity or aduersity he alwayes hath mercy vpon Pighius in vaine excuseth God them neither can he by any maner of meanes be sayd to harden them Neither doth it any thing profite Pigghius when as though he would excuse God he sayth that he hardeneth when he will not punishe those which deserue punishmentâ—s For neither by this meanes doubtles if a man loke vpon humane reason can God eschew the suspicion of cruelty and of iniustice For if that He may be callâ—d an vniust father which punisheth not his children in tyme. â—enity be hurtfull and God is not ignorant thereof why then vseth he it Should not he be counted an vniust father which chastiseth not his children in tyme God indede tollerateth many things and that not agaynst his wyll but with hys wyl And if he tolerateth and willeth that which is agaynst our saluation how shall he not seme to be against our saluation But he hath geuen vs thâ—u wilt say free will But reason will say O God whatsoeuer thou dost either A false imagination of Pighius of certayne others in chastising or in fauoring me it is nothing vnles thou shalt first change me and in stede of
much contende wyth hym For fewe are elected as the Lord sayth neither was any of vs the cause of his owne election And therefore in the scriptures the iust are called the lot of God And when I consider of this matter I call to mynde a sentence of Plutarch which he bringeth out of Plato namely that y◠life of men is like to those A similitude which play at dise For first it is required that they haue good happe or lucke in their casting thē whatsoeuer shal chāce to vse it warely So vnto vs for y◠obtainmēt of eternall life is first necessary felicity that we be in the roule and nomber of the elect and that we be called and iustified by grace and by the spirit of Christ And after that we haue obtayned these things we must with great industry care fulnes and warines excercise our selues and wisely worke together with God Origene addeth that he wondreth at in what maner God will declare his wrath when as wrath is farre straunge from him goodnes is most nigh vnto his nature For Dauid saith how great is the multitude of thy sweetnes O Lord Which thou hast hidden in them that feare thee Howbeit touching this matter he bringeth this reason for that it is expedient for vs to be vnder the feare of wrath least through our frailenes we should decline to synne and through hope of the bountefulnes of God we should be made In what sence wrath is not strange frō God loose and become negligente But if by the wrath of God we vnderstand his power whereby he ministreth iustice auengeth sinnes I do not thinke y◠that wrath is strange frō God but y◠which he citeth out of Dauid I do not so take as though he ment that God hideth all his goodnes for we féele a great part therof yea also euen whilest we liue here But I thinke that Dauid speaketh of that goodnes whiche abideth vs in an other life And after this manner as the goodnes of God is hidden so are also the last punishments of the dāned hiddē so that in this thing there is no Faith profiteth more then feare An answer of a philosopher difference at all I confesse indéede y◠in the elect is the feare of God but I deny that that feare is more profitable then faith which herein consisteth that we embrace the goodnes of God offred in the promises of God A certaine philosopher when it was laid vnto him as a fault that he was fearefull For that cause sayd he sinne I the lesse Which saying we may inuert and say the more faith and hope we haue so much the lesse we sinne Origen also thinketh that the riches of the glory of God are made known when those which are contemned of men are taken of God For so in the olde time the nation of the Iewes was abiect and vile so that it was oppressed with a most gréeuous kinde of seruitude So the Ethnikes althoughe they were ouer whelmed with idolatry and infinite other vices yet were they called vnto Christ But we ought to consider that here is not entreated onely of some vniuersall people but those thinges which are here spoken may be applied vnto euery particuler man Moreouer Paul meaneth that by the vengeaunce which is taken vpon the vessels of wrath are declared the riches of his glorye vpon the vessels of mercy Neither séemeth he at this present to entreat of that assumption or taking whiche is made by election but of the execution of predestination The Gréeke Scholies say that of God are made vessels of wrath thorough faith which he foreséeth and vertues which shall follow But we haue at large declared that none of those thinges are the causes of the mercye of God but rather the effectes thereof Ambrose in this place first weigheth what this signifieth to be vessels prepared to destruction And this he saith God doth When with lenity and long suffring he differreth The patience of God which profiteth not the wicked profiteth the elect punishmentes for by that meanes men are made the les excusable And God in this wayting is sayd to vse patience for that he foreseeth that they shall not be conuerted And it seemeth a great patience if thou wayte for that a long time which thou knowest shall not come to passe And yet doth not God this in vaine For that space whiche is geuen although it profite not the wicked yet it profiteth the elect For they by their example come to amendement Hereby it is manifest that those wordes Prepared to destructiō Ambrose referreth vnto God when as yet in very déede they may be applied vnto mē which through theyr vitiate nature corrupt inclination are of their own accorde apte inough to destruction Although as I haue before taughte the selfe same thinge may be attributed vnto God Farther Ambrose interpretateth the riches of glory to be that dignity which we shall haue in eternall felicity Which dignity although I know right well shal be a most full declaration of the mercy of God yet I do not thinke that this sentence of Paul is to be contracted vnto it For the mercy of God towardes the elect is aboundantly declared both when they are called and when they are iustified and when they lead an holy life Moreouer to prepare he thinketh is to foreknowe what manner one euery man shal be But if he plucke away this foreknowledge from the good pleasure and purpose of God frō that mercy which God in electing followeth I can by no meanes assent vnto hym For preparation signifieth the gifts which are bestowed vpon the elect Chrisostom also at large entreateth of this place by the exāple of Pharao declareth who are y◠vessels of wrath For he thinketh y◠Pharao was through his owne default called a vessell of wrath for that through his hardenes of harte and obstinacy he alwayes more and more kindled the wrathe of God againste himselfe If by the wrath of God we vnderstand the last effect thereof namely the punishment of eternall dānation that is true whiche Chrisostome saith For euerye wicked man kindleth against himselfe continually by committing of sinne But if we thus interpretate the wrath of God that God euen from the beginninge woulde not on some haue mercy and that he preseruing some he would ouerhip Pharao with many others that doubtles came not of themselues For this is done by the méere purpose and frée will of God namely not of workes but of him that calleth to the ende election might abide according to purpose Therfore was it said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Again He hath mercy on whō he will whō he will he hardeneth as Paul before taught Chrisostome addeth Euē as Pharao omitted nothing which might serue to his owne destruction so God left nothing vndone which mighte serue to his correction The first part I confesse namely that all thinges which Pharao did
efficacye whiche they call the will of the consequent by whiche is brought to passe that the predestination of GOD is not made frustrate Thys purpose we call moste wise because God doth nothing rashely or by chaunce but doth all thinges with moste The mighty will of God great wisedome Therfore the Apostle before ioyned predestinatioÌ„ together with foreknowledge saying Whome he hath foreknowne those hath he predestinate By which purpose God hath from eternally This is therfore added because predestination is no new thing neither such whiche as manye fayne goeth not before thinges or euer they are done Paul sayth in his latter Epistle to Timothy Predestination is no new thing Which hath called vs with his holy vocation not by our workes but according to his purpose and grace which we haue receaued before the times of the world in Christ Iesus Here we manifestly sée that with the predestinatioÌ„ of God is ioyned the eternity of times And vnto the Ephesians we are sayd to be electe before the foundations of the world were laide Whereby he hath constantly decreed By these woordes we are toughte The predestination of God is immutable that the predestination of God is vnmutable For Paul sayth in the latter Epistle vnto Timothy The foundatioÌ„ standeth firme The Lord knoweth who are his And before in the 8. chapter when the Apostle woulde teache that hope maketh not ashamed and that they that had an assured hope should be saued he bringeth a profe of the same by predestination saying Whome he hath foreknowne those also hath he predestinate And he addeth who shall seperate vs from the loue of God Shall tribulation Shall anguish c And Iames sayth that with God is no chaunging or varietie of courses of times And in Esay God crieth I am God and am not changed And in this Epistle the 11. chapter where is entreated of predestination Paul sayth The giftes and calling of God are without repentance But whereas God in Ieremy the. 18. chapter Somtimes the promises threatninges of God are chaunged sayth that he would change the sentence which he had threatned vnto any natioÌ„ so that they would repent the same is not to be vnderstand of predestination but of those thinges which are foretolde shall come to passe by that will of God which they call the will of the signe namely when by his Prophets he declareth vnto meÌ„ eyther what theyr sinnes haue deserued or what hangeth ouer theyr hedes by reason of naturall causes Whome he hath loued in Christ This we adde because whatsoeuer God The giftes of God come vnto vs by Christ Christ is the hed of al the predestinate geueth or decréeth to geue that geueth he and will geue throughe Christe And as we haue oftentimes alleadged Paul vnto the Ephesians saith that we are elected predestinate in Christ. For he is the Prince and heade of all the predestinate yea none is predestinate but onely to this ende to be made a member of Christ To call into the adoption of children So Paul in a maner euery where speaketh and especially in the first chapter vnto the Ephesians For there he saith that we are predestinate to the adoption of children And that vocation followeth straight way after predestination those woordes which we haue before alleadged declare Whome he hath predestinate those also hath he called To iustification by faith That vnto vocation is adioyned iustification Paul by these selfe same wordes teacheth Whome he called those also hath he iustified But that we are iustified by fayth it hath ben so manifestly declared that here we shall not néede any playner declaracion Vnto glory by good workes This thing also Paul teacheth in the selfe same place Whome he hath iustified saith he those also hath he glorified And that glory followeth good woorkes and that we are predestinate vnto those good woorks that place vnto the Ephesians which we haue already often cited manifestlye proueth For first he saith that we are predestinate that we shoulde be holye and blameles before God Afterwarde he sayth that God hath prepared good woorkes in which we should walke That they might be made like vnto the image of the sonne of God This Image indéede is begonne in vs by regeneration when we are iustified and in theÌ„ that are of full age groweth dayly to perfection by good workes is fully finished in the eternall glory But in infantes this likenes hath place when it is begonne by regeneration and is finished in that last glory Howbeit in them for want of age are not required good workes That in them might be declared the mercy and goodnes of the creator This is the laste ende of predestination shadowed vnto vs by Paul in the similitude of the potter which hath power to make one vessell to honor and an other to contumely So God hath prepared his vessels to glory that in them he mighte declare his glory By this definition we gather that God hath predestinate vnto the elect not only glory but also good works that is meanes by which he will haue his elect come vnto glory By this we may sée how fowly they are deceaued which liue wickedly and yet in the meane time boast that they are predestinate For the He that liueth wickedly caÌ„not boast oâ— predestination scriptures teach yâ— men according vnto the predestination of God are not brought vnto glory by wicked factes and noughty deedes but by vertuous life and manners Neither are they to be harkened vnto whiche crye out howsoeuer I liue the predestination of God shall haue his effect For this is vtterly to be ignorant what predestination is and impudently to goe about to abuse it Now that we haue seuerally after this maner examined this definition by Predestination is â—ot in the thinges but â—â— the minde of God his partes let vs gather thereout certayne things not vnprofitable First thys that predestination is a woorke of GOD and is to bee placed in the minde of God For although men are sayd to be predestinate yet must we not appoint predestination in them So also things are sayd to be perceaued and known when as yet in them is neither knowledge nor perceauure but onely in the man that knoweth them Wherefore euen as we can foresee either rayne or colde or fruite before they come so God predestinateth men which as yet haue no beyng For of relatines some are such that of necessity the one can not be but together with the other as a father and a sonne and some there are whereof the one may be although the other be not together with it as before and after and science and Predestination is before the predestinate â— he endes of predestination are in the predestinate Why the of feâ—tes are put in this definition that which is known by science Predestination therefore is referred vnto the latter kind of relatiues Which predestination yet forasmuch as it is as we haue
necessitie hâ—tteth the will that it should will anye thing vnwillinglye But this latter is nothing at all agaynst the nature of the will The life and foreknowledg of God although they are necessarily attributed vnto him yet they nothing hurt his nature nor will He can not neyther be deceaued nor dy and yet suffreth he not any thing which he willeth not So also we say yâ— when we will any thing by will we necessarily wil it and yet do we not thinke that hereby our choyce is violated And how the What thinges wicked men wishe for in this question foreknowledge of God hurteth not our will Augustine in his 3. booke de libero arbitrio in the 2. and 3. chapiters very well declareth And first he sayth that by this question are excedingly set a worke a greate many wicked men which eyther would that if the will be free God had no prouidence nor care of thinges pertayning to men that they might with the more licentiousnes geue theÌ„selues vnto lustes in denying the iudgments both of God and of man and to the vtter most of theyr power auodyng them or if it can not be auoyded but that it must nedes be graunted that God prouideth and vnderstandeth the things which are done of vs yet at the least they would obteyne this that his prouidence should so compell the willes of men that they may be excused from blame of theyr wicked factes But how these mens deuises are deceaued he easely declareth in setting forth how the forknowledge of God may stand with will and that a free will He demaundeth of him with whome he reasoneth whither he knew that he should haue to morrow a wil vpright or corrupt He maketh aunswere that he could not tel Doost thou thinke sayth Augustine that God knoweth thys The other confesseth that he thinketh that God knoweth this â–ª Wherefore sayth Augustine forasmuch as God foreknoweth this he also foreknoweth what he will doâ— with thee that is whither he will glorifie thee at the end of thy life and if he foreknowe and can not be deceaued then of necessity will he glorifie thee But in the meane time tell thou me Shalt thou be glorified agaynst thy will or with thy will Verely sayth he nâ—ot agaynst my will for I most earnestly desire the same And hereby is concluded that that which God wil of necessity do in vs hindreth not the wil. He sheweth also that this shal be more plaine if we coÌ„sider of foreknowledge as though it were ours Suppose that I foreknowe that a certayne man shal come vnto me to morrow shal this my foreknowledge take away from him wil but that if he Our memory coÌ„pelleth not thinges past to be past â–ª come he commeth thorough his owne election Doubtles we can not so say for he willingly commeth neyther shal my foreknowledge diminish any thing of his liberty And as our memory compelleth not thinges past to be past so foreknowledge compelleth not those thinges which shall come to passe to come to passe This thing also may an other way be declared If a maÌ„ should se Plato disputing with Socrates or the Sunne or Moone to be eclipsed the sight of the beholder causeth not that they which dispute together should of necessity or agaynst theyr willes dispute together neyther also causeth it that the Sunne or Moone should be eclipsed by chance when as those eclipses of the heauenly lights haue theyr necessary causes Wherefore he which seeth both maketh not by his sight that which is contingent necessary neyther maketh he that which is necessary contingent Neyther ought we to imagine that the foreknowledge of God obteyneth his certaynty of the necessity of thinges for so greate is the perspicuity of the minde of God that it can also most certaynly vnderstand thinges contingent Neyther is thys reason any thing hindred by that which we before ofteÌ„ admonished namely that the foreknowledge of God hath alwayes will ioyned with it when as nothing can be foreknowen of God to be which he him selfe will not to be But yet this will wherby God worketh all in all applieth it selfe How the wil of God bringeth not necessitie to thinges to the natures of thinges For in meate it norisheth in the Sunne it shineth in the vine it bringeth forth wine and in the will of men it causeth that they of theyr owne accord and freely wil those thinges which they wil. Paul as we rede in the Actes cited that sentence of Aratus In him we liue are moued and haue our being Whereof it followeth that the wil of man hath his motions of God But if a maÌ„ wil say that it receaueth of God such motions as it selfe before willeth then shal he speake things absurd for theÌ„ should our wil measure and gouerne the influences of God which thing is far from the truth But rather let vs say The wil receueth such motions of God as he will Second causes may be doubtfull wheÌ„ yet the will of God is certaine that it receaueth of God such impulsions and motions as he will geue And let vs in yâ— meane time marke that God so worketh in our will that it gladly willingly and of his owne accord receaueth the motions which God putteth into vs. But how it commeth so passe that God moste certainly foreseeth thinges to come when yet the willes of men and many naturall causes are doubtfull and worke contingently it may thus be declared It is true in dede that those which consider thinges onely in theyr causes are oftentymes deceaued for that all causes doo not necessarilye produce theyr effectes for sometimes they are letted and enclyne an other way then they were supposed Wherefore men are not deceaued when they now behold the effect brought forth but they are deceaued when they iudge of effectes lying hid in their causes But the foreknowledge of God not only knoweth what thinges shall come to passe in their causes but also thorowly seeth theÌ„ as if they were alredy brought forth and of their causes made perfect and hereof it commeth that we may of the foreknowledge of God infer necessity of certainety and of infalliblenes and so can we not do of the second and niest cause For when we say that God foreknew that this or that thing shal come to passe to morrow we wel conclude All thinges are necessary whilest they are yâ— therefore it shal of necessity be Necessity is not applied vnto a thing known but as it is foreknoweÌ„ of God as present and alcedy brought forth which maketh not onely to perspicuity but also to necessity For euery thing whilest it is is of necessity neither must we afterward graunt that yâ— thing is of necessity for that it is not taken in such sort as it was foreknowen of God Hetherto We do not defend free will haue we defended the power of mans will whiche yet we wil not should be taken vniuersally but only as touching foreknowledge and
God no man knoweth but only the spirite of God And if we vnderstand How we may vnderstand some secretes of God any thing of them that commeth as it is there sayd for that God hath reueled vnto vs his spirite And we haue the mind of Christ which we haue drawē chiefely out of the holy scriptures spiritually vnderstanded as it is mete Augustine entreateth of this place towardes the end of his booke de gratia libero arbi trio and sayth That Paul before sayd That God hath shut vp all vnder infidelity that he might haue mercy of all And shewed also that so long as the Iewes beleued the Gētiles were vnbeleuers but when the Iewes were made blind the Gentiles came vnto the true fayth and from the serching out of these secretes mē are iustly forbidden for that they are not able to perse into them yea oftentimes they haue thereby hurt and they fall into absurd Reason ought not to persuade vs to do euill thinges that good may ensue By these sayinges is nothing taken away frō the certainty of fayth opinions For when mē heare that God hath shut vp all vnder beliefe that he might haue mercy of all streight way they adde therefore are euill thinges to be committed that good thinges may ensew when as rather they ought to say We haue done euill thinges and the lord hath thereout thorough his mercy brought forth good thinges let vs therfore doo good thinges that better may ensew No man hath bene Gods counseller for he is the chiefe wisedome Howbeit by these sayinges is nothing taken away from the certainty of fayth for that it commeth not vnto vs by humane strength or by our owne vnderstanding but by the breathing of the spirite of God And whosoeuer do rightly and diligently weighe those thinges they shall neuer be able any maner of way to complayne of God as though he should deale with them vniustly when as he as it is manifest is in debt to no man Neyther can this be true that predestination is of workes foresene when as it is sayd that no man hath Predestination is not of workes foresene geuen vnto him first that he should be recompensed For what ells is this God to predestinate according to woorkes foresene then to render vnto them his appointing to eternal life Merites also are herby most manifestly excluded which can not properly consist vnles we affirme that we geue somthing that is our Merites at excluded owne which thing this sentence which we now entreate of suffreth not Wherfore let no man cry out that he hath done many thinges and therfore many and greate thinges are dew vnto him when as no man hath any thing that is hys owne And although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his Our good workes are the workes of God workes yet is that so to be vnderstanded that if they be good workes they are for no other cause called any mans workes but for that they are wrought in hym namely by the power of the spirite of God whereby they are in very dede the workes of God And Augustine most truly sayth that God crowneth in vs his gifts For as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Finally let vs hereout gather that forasmuch as no man can by hys owne wisedome or strengths attayne vnto thinges diuine the best remedy is that we all suffer our selues to be led by the spirite and word of God For of him and thorough him and for him are all thinges to him be glory for euer Amen That we can in no wise be Gods counsellers hereby it is euident for that all thinges depend of him as it manifestly appeareth in the creation of all thinges and also in regeneration whereby we are iustified where all whole is attributed vnto him and finally we are no otherwise in his handes then the vessell is in the hand of the potter Wherefore we may conclude that he hath ful right to do with vs whatsoeuer he wil and it is our part not to be to much inquisitiue but to geue the glory vnto him and to direct all our doinges vnto him Frō which thing both idolatrers and also they which attribute iustification vnto theyr workes are most farre distant Origen noteth as also he before When it is said that no man can be Gods counseller the sonne nor y◠holy ghost are not excluded for the whole blessed Trinitie knoweth all thinges Origens exposition vpon this epistle suspected The things which are created consist not of the nature of God How God created all thinges by the sonne Instrumentes are not to be made equal vnto hym that worketh with them Why God created all thinges for himselfe did that this sentence None can be Gods counseller ought to be vnderstanded of thinges created and not of the sonne or of the holy ghost And to proue that the holy ghost knoweth the father he bringeth this sentence No man knoweth the thinges which are of God but the spirite of God Wherefore he admonisheth that from this proposition is to be exempted the blessed trinity which thing I therefore mencion for that it is thought that he was of this opinion that the sonne knoweth not the father and that the holy ghost knoweth not the sonne Wherfore this commentary of Origen vpon the epistle to the Romanes is not without iust cause suspected The Apostle when he sayth Of him meaneth not that the thinges which are created doo consist of the nature of God as of a certayne mater but they are of God as of the efficient beginning neyther neded there any matter in theyr creation for they were made of nothing And all thinges are therefore thorough him for that God neded not an helper for he is endewed with a full power of his own he is sufficiēt of himselfe And he created all things by the sonne not as by an instrumente but as an artificer by wisedome excerciseth his arte For instrumentes haue not any such force that they are to be counted equall to the artificer But the sonne is in all poyntes equall vnto the father And all thinges were created of God for him for that he hath nothing more perfecter then himselfe and therefore for him selfe he created all thinges for he is the end of all thinges Augustine in his booke de Natura boni agaynst the Maniches in the 27. and 28. chapiters at large intreateth how these thinges are to be vnderstanded neither varieth be from the exposition now brought I omit to speake of them which referre these thinges vnto the father the sonne and the holye ghoste for as it is not of anye greate wayght so semeth it to be to muche constrayned Amen is a word of confirmation For the maner of the Apostle is so often as he hath made an end of entreating of those thinges which pertayne vnto the glory of God to burst forth into this affirmation which thing we also ought to
oftener expressed hope confidence but in the new testameÌ„t fayth both to fayth and to trust For euen as it is sayd The iust man liueth by fayth Also He which beleueth in him shall not be confounded And in the new Testament He which beleueth in the sonne hath eternall lyfe Agayne We thinke that a man is iustified by fayth So also is it written in the Psalme Blessed are all they which put their trust in him And in Esay the 26. chapiter He shall keepe peace because they hoped in him And in the new Testament Hope confoundeth not To Titus also the 3. chap. That we may be heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Althoughe in the old Testament we finde the promises are oftener made vnto hope then to fayth yet in the new Testament it is contrariwyse whereof this may be the reason because in the old tyme the Hebrues erred not in the beliefe that there was but one God yea they professed the worshippinge of hym onely but this was not well amongst them that they had not a liuely fayth which draweth with it a trust but onely by education had conceaued eyther a certayne opinion or els a certayne knowledge and therfore vnto this the Scripture exhorteth them to beleue truly and with efficacy which is expressed by the affecte vnder the name of trust But in the new Testament they erred in the meaning both the GeÌ„tiles which were worshippers of Idoles and of many goddes and also the Iewes as touching the conditions of Messias for they looked that he should come in glorious pompe like a kinge and magnifical in worldly gouernement wherfore faith was oftentymes beaten into them whereby they myght obteyne the promises of God For it was very necessary that they should rightly be instructed of the chief point of the thing that they should beleue And of this Hebrue verbe A man is deriued this nowne Emunah Faith signâ—fieth firmenes which signifieth fayth And it sometymes signifieth certaynty and constauncy of wordes and promises Wherfore God is in the holy scriptures oftentymes called faythfull and his workes are called faythful because they are firme and constantly coÌ„tinue And we read before in this Epistle What if some of them haue not beleued hath their incredulity made vayne the fayth of God Yea and this latten word Fides that is fayth if we may beleue Cicero is deriued of Fio because that thing is done in dede which was spoken And sometymes it signifieth the assent of our mynd whereby we receaue words which are set forth vnto vs as it is sayd of Abraham How fayth is taken in this disputation He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes And forasmuch as is this disputation nowe we take fayth after this maner it shall not be from the purpose to define what fayth is wherefore fayth is a firme and an assured assent of the mynd vnto the words of God which assent is inspired by the holy ghost The definitioÌ„ of fayth vnto the saluation of the beleuers And therfore it consisteth in the mynd and is occupied about the words of God from whence we haue the matter thereof Of the forme also we neede not to doubt because it is defined to be an assent The efficient cause is here to be the inspiration of the holy ghost And the ende is declared in the last place when as we say that this assent is inspired of the holy ghost The definition of faith which is written in the 11. to the Hebrues is declared What hypostasis signifieth to the saluation of the beleuers Not much vnlike vnto this definition are those thinges which are written concerning fayth vnto the Hebrues the 11 chapiter namely that fayth is a substance of thinges to be hoped for and an argument of thinges that appeare not Where that which the Latine interpretor hath turned substantia â–ª that is substance in Greke is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Budeus most lernedly turneth in his commentaries boldnes strength or valiantnes of mynd And it is deriued of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to susteyne to receaue not to geue place to one that rusheth vpon a man Hereof a souldier is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is trusty and turneth not his backe vnto his enemies but goeth agaynst them and resisteth them And vndoubtedly in beleuing we haue neede of this strength and patience by reason of the greate fyght of which there we haue In beleuyng we haue nede of strength experience For we must resist the fleshe reason must be ouercome whiche very much striueth agaynst fayth we must also resist the condemnation of our owne conscience synne and the anger of God and there are many thinges besydes by which a faythfull assent is both letted and resisted Very well are compared together betweene them selues these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a substance and those thinges that are hoped for For God promiseth resurrection but yet vnto the dead he promiseth eternal lyfe but yet to them that are rotten He calleth men blessed but yet those which aboundantly thyrst and hunger and are on euery side oppressed He pronounceth men to be iustified but yet such as ar couered with sinnes and filthines Wherefore seing these thinges seeme to be so farre of from vs it is needfull that we haue boldenes strength and the assuraunce of a most firme assent which may make these thinges to abide and to consiste vnto vs as thinges most assured With such a shield of defence ought we to be armed whereby we may quenche all the fyrie dartes of the deuill when they are cast agaynst vs that we may also ouercome euen the world For as Iohn testifieth This is the victorye which ouercommeth the world euen our fayth Further we must note that this word Argumentum that is argument which in Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned of some demonstratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a declaration because by fayth are shewed and declared those thinges which appeare not but me thinketh Augustine althoughe peraduenture not so Latine like yet very faithfully turned it conuictio that is an ouercoming For by fayth our mynd is ouercome to graunt that those thinges are true whiche God eyther speaketh or promiseth But Hostiensis in his booke De summa Trinitate fide Catholica laboureth by two reasons to shewe that fayth is not by these wordes of the apostle defined because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or substance agreeth also with hope Wherfore forasmuch as it is not proper to fayth it can not be applied to the definition therof Further because fayth hath not a regard onely to thinges to come and those thinges which are hoped for but also is referred vnto things past For we beleue that GOD created heauen and earth that Christ was borne of a Virgin that he suffred for vs and was raysed from the dead but all these
ceassed whose shadowes are now at the light of the truthe taken away And there withall also the ciuil commaundements are abrogated wheÌ„ as that publike wealth is now no more of necessity vpon the earth The righteousnes also of those lawes which they call Morall although it can not perfectly be fulfilled of vs yet partly through the holines of Christ which he communicateth vnto vs it is performed and accomplished and partly through the power of the holy Ghost which he distributeth to the beleuers it is with great endeuor according to that which is geuen vnto euery man expressed and that which wanteth is through the grace of Christ not imputed Finally he gaue his life for his which was the last worke of his ministery But whereas Origen noteth that the Apostle ment here to gather an argument against the Ethnikes yâ— they should not despise the Iewes although they abode still in the obseruations of the law when as Christ himself was bothe the minister of the law and obserued all these things diligently this in my iudgement semeth wide from the purpose For here rather we learne that the strength and foundation of the promises made vnto the fathers was that saluation should be attained vnto for mankinde through Christ although otherwise there were extant many other promises of the possession of the land of Canaan and of the kingdome of the worlde Which things forasmuche as Christ performed not as which What is the streÌ„gth summe of all the promises made vnto the fathers pertained not to his ministery we ought to vnderstande that they were rather things annexed then the sinewes and summe and strengthe and iuyce of the promises of God And hereunto not a little serueth that which Paule wryteth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter All the promises of God are through him yea and through him Amen And let the Gentiles praise God for his mercy Vnto the Gentiles he attributeth Mercy and truth are ioyned together mercy and to the Iewes truthe not that these two can be seperated the one from the other for there is no worke of God which hath either mercye without truth or truth without mercy but Paul ment to distinguish these things euen as they were in more force and as they were more declared in the saluation either of the Iewes or of the Gentiles Christ as touching that coÌ„uersation which he had The promâ—sâ—s of God leane onely to mercy In the graftyng in of the Gentles truth had place vpon the earth was geuen to the Iewes that the truthe of the promises shold not be made frustrate But if thou wilt descend to the very roote and foundation euen those promises leane only to the mercy of God For what thing els but euen his mere goodnes and mercy could haue moued him to promise vnto the fathers that Christ should come of theyr stocke And although the Gentiles are sayd to be grafted in by mercy yet here also truth hath place For God knew euen from eternally that the Gentiles shold be called to saluation Wherfore it was true for things false can not be knowne And therefore it was necessary that that truth should attaine to his effecte Moreouer the scriptures kept not in silence that the Gentiles should at the length be called as those Prophesies testifye which are a little afterward alleaged But the Prophesies of the holy scriptures ought without all manner of doubt to be true Wherefore the grafting in of the Gentiles pertayneth to truthe But this ought not to be ouerhipped that Paul when he entreated of the Iewes spake not only of the truth but also straight way after it made mention Whether the calling in of the Gentiles was peculiarly promised to any man of the promisses as if he should haue sayd that Christ was geuen vnto the Iewes a minister of saluation to confirme the truthe of the promises But the calling of the Gentiles was in déede foretold but as it shold séeme it was promised to none vnles peraduenture any man will contende that vnto Abraham were promised the Gentiles when it was sayd vnto him In thy sede shall all nations be blessed but as we haue already sayd this may séeme to be spoken rather in the way of foretelling then in the way of promise And if a man think this reason somwhat weak he may follow that which we before sayd that the Apostle had a regarde to that which is most frequent in the holy scriptures For in them is euery where promised that the Messias should come of the séede of the Iewes but not in so many places nor so often is mention made in them of the callynge of the Gentiles And to speake briefly these distributions of Paul are not so to be vnderstanded as though one part can by no meanes be ioyned with an other And this may plainely be proued by these two places with the harte we beleue to righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made to saluation Againe Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification As it is written For this cause will I confesse thee amongst the gentiles and wil sing to thy name This propheste is written in the 18. Psalme wherein is affirmed yâ— the prayses of God should be celebrated amongst the Gentiles which also is shewed by these other testimonies which are here added And this can not be vnderstanded but of the redeÌ„ption purchased vnto vs through Christ The last testimony maketh mencion only of the hope and fayth of the Gentiles that the kingdoÌ„ What to confesse signifieth of Christ should be spred abrode euen amongst them also In the 18. Psalme Dauid speaketh vnder the persoÌ„ of the body of Christ that is of the Church I will confesse thee amongst the Gentitles Here to confesse signifieth nothing ells but with feruâ—t prayers â—o set forth the prayses of God And by those thinges which went a litle be fore in that Psalme is gathered that that should be verified of the victory gotten and of the ouerthrow of the enemies And agayne Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people This is written in the 32. chapiter of Deut Ye Gentiles stirre vp his people to reioysing And the cause of this common ioye is before recited namely for that God had set at liberty his froÌ„ their enemies and from those that hated them Howbeit there are some which thinkâ— rather that this testimony is taken out of the 67. Psalme where we thus rede A câ—uillation of the Hebrues Let the Gentiles be glad and reioyce bicause thou iudgest the people in equity and directest the Gentiles vpon the earth Howbeit from whence so euer this place be taken it maketh no great skill for in ech place the sence is in a maner one and the same I thinke rather that it is taken out of Deutro â–ª for that in the Psalme this particle vvith my people â–ª or my people wanteth Howbeit this we ought not to
are thorough Christ receaued of God therefore Paul sayd the God of hope He sayth he the author of so great a gifte fill you with ioy and peace in beleuing that is thorough fayth He putteth fayth first and out of it springeth hope and thereout are deriued peace and ioy For when we beleue and hope we obteyne righteousnes And after that followeth peace and ioy And in these thrée thinges as we haue before declared consisteth chifely the kingdome of God And as before he made mencion of the holy ghost saying Righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy ghost so here also maketh he mencion of him For he addeth That ye may abound in hope thorough the power of the holy ghost Neither They whiche trust 〈…〉 in God are heauy is this lightly to be passed ouer that he sayth That ye may abound For hope engendereth not peace and ioy vnles it be ample and plentifull For those which haue but litle fayth we sée when aduersities come are heauy and sore troubled For euen as theyr harte is ouer runne with feare so theyr speach yea and theyr contenance is ouerwhelmed with heauines Peace and ioy although they may be referred vnto the mynde for they which beleue and which are cōfirmed in hope do reioyce in the Lord and haue peace both in their conscience and also towards God yet notwithstanding by reason of the consent and vnity whereunto Paul exhorteth the church of Rame I encline rather to this sentence to vnderstand that ioy whereby euery man reioyseth for the commodities and giftes of his brother and likewise that peace whereby the faithfull with an entier affect of loue embrace one an other and are knitte together with an indissoluble bond of mutuall loue Neither sayth Paul only thorough the holy ghost but also expresseth his power For forasmuch as he wished that those giftes might be in the Romanes ful perfect and aboundant he by the way signifieth that it is requisite to implore a great force of the spirite that they might attayne to those giftes And I my selfe also am perswaded of you brethren that ye also are full of goodnes and filled with all knowledge Forasmuch as Paul hath hetherto at large discoursed as touching doctrines to teach that man is iustified without workes by faith only in Christ and also hath as touching maners exhorted them to be obedient to the publique power to loue one an other to receaue the weake and that the weake should not iudge the stronger and that they should agrée amongst thēselues now least the Romanes should be displeased with him as though he had attributed vnto them that they had very litle profited in the religion of Christ and had taken vpon himselfe more then was méete by this conclusion he warely remedieth that affect which otherwise mought casely haue séemed to haue sprong of What is done ◠◠this conclusion It is profitable for vs to prayse our brethren the fleshe And as Ambrose noteth whilest he prayseth them he more feruently inflameth them to those things which he had admonished them of For when a man perceaueth that he is praysed especially of excellent men he commonly more diligently applieth hys study and endeuor least he might séeme to haue ben adorned with a false commendation And by this meanes Paul bringeth himselfe out of the daunger of ill suspition in that he sayth that he is fully persuaded of theyr excellēt goodnes and singular knowledge but for that he was the generall minister of the Gentiles it had not bene his parte to haue pretermitted his duety towards them Goodnes in this place which in Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Erasmus noteth signifieth all kinde of vertues and is opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which on the contrary side comprehendeth all kinde of vices But how coulde Paule without a lye pronounce these things of the Romaines When as in that Church were many weake ones and they were enfected with greuous dissensions and brawlings amongst themselues Whether Paul could truly thus prayse the Romanes Is it lawfull for the minister of the worde of God to lye to beare with the wicked affects of the people which paraduenture would take it in ill parte eyther to be taught or to be stirred vp to doe well or to be accused Doubtles I thinke that in y◠Churche were many very weake members which were infected with those vices which haue bene reproued of the Apostle Wherefore the thinges which are here written nothing pertaine to those members But it is likely that amongste them were many most perfect and most holy men which were aboundantly adorned of the holy Ghost both with muche knowledge and with honest maners To these men the Apostle referreth this parte of his talke Neither here only doth he after this maner write but also in the first to the Corinthiās For he saith through him ye are enriched in all thinges in all kinde of speache and in all knowledge so that ye are not destitute of any gift These things was not Paul afeard to pronounce of the Corinthians who yet did néede to be taught what giftes of God were more excellent then others and to be confirmed touching the resurrection and to be admonished to abstaine from fornication to excommunicate the incestuous person to vse the supper of the Lorde rightly not to prefer themselues before others because of theyr institutions and a great many such like things which vndoubtedly he ought not to haue written if all the members of that Church had bene by the holy ghost so adorned with the gifts of God and with knowledge that they wanted nothing And if the case were so then what shold we now at this day loke for that our people should in all poynts be perfect Which yet I would not that any man shoulde thinke I speake as thoughe I were of this mind that the slouthfulnes and negligence of pastors is to be borne withall For euen as at that time they which were of the excellenter sorte mought by very good right be adorned with great praises for that they cōtinually labored in admonishing teaching and enstructing others for Paul and the rest of the Apostles omitted nothing which was to be done for the common saluation so ought these men to behaue themselues to the ende these Apostolicall prayses might iustly be applied vnto them also Origen somewhat curiously Whether any may be truly sayd to be full of al goodnes The apostle with that that he beganne this epistle with the same I◠say enbeth it enquireth how they are sayd to be ful of all goodnes and knowledge when as there is none in this life which is without all maner of faulte and we nowe sée through a glasse only in a riddle And to contract al his sayings into a few words he sayth that these things are to be expounded according to the small measure of this life and according to the degrée and time of euery mannes conuersion
accordinge to theyr woorkes and deedes In deede the mercy of God is now large but yet in such sort that the seueritie of iustice is not wantinge Moses although he had heard manye proprieties of God whiche serued to expresse his goodnes and clemency that is that he is mercifull gentle slow vnto anger riche in mercy and truth whiche reserueth goodnes or mercye for a thousande generacions yet at the end added that God wil not pronounce the wicked man an innocent that he visiteth the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generacion But because they whiche attribute ouermuche vnto woorkes and trust that by them to obteyne eternall life are wont very often to alledge thys place I haue thought it good briefely to declare what is to be thoughte concerning Of works workes But we shal afterward more at large set foorth and declare this thing when we shall haue occasion to entreat of iustification And those things whiche shall now be briefely spoken we will afterward more largely discourse by partes seuerally First this is to be knowen that we deny not that whych is Betwene our good workes eternall felicitye there is no iust proportion There are no good woorkes without fayth Those thinges which are promised vnto works we obteyne by fayth The causes of our saluation Why God attributeth honor vnto woorkes The words of the last iudgement are diligently examined here written that vnto euery man shal be rendred accordinge to hys woorkes But there is not so muche good in good woorkes as eternall felicitie is good Yea ther is betwene these a greater difference then betwene heauē and earth Moreouer there are no woorkes to be counted good which lene not vnto faith and haue not it for the roote from whence they should spring foorth Therfore that which seemeth to be promised vnto workes the same in very deede we obtaine by fayth which is garnished with those workes And because fayth taketh hold of the mercy of God and promises in Christ therfore throughe mercy and Christ whiche are the obiectes of faith shall we be made blessed These are the true and chiefest causes of eternall life the clemency I say of God election predestinacion and the merites of Christe But God in the holye scriptures oftentimes addeth woorkes thereby to stirre vs vp beinge otherwise sluggishe and slouthfull to lyue vprightly And he adorneth woorkes with this kinde of honor that he promiseth vnto them excellent rewardes Whiche thing if we will more narrowly consider let vs wyth diligence weigh what the most high iudge shal in the last iudgemente saye For he will make examination of good workes will say that he was fed with meate and drinke and visited c. But after thys commendation of woorkes when he iudgeth vnto the sayntes the kingdome and eternall life he expresseth the principallest cause that maketh vs happy blessed For he sayth Come ye blessed of my Father and possesse the kingdome whiche was prepared for you before the beginning of the worlde These he pronounceth to be the causes of our blessednes namely that we are deare vnto God and haue geuen vnto vs the blessinge of predestination and election And therfore sayth he that the kyngdome was prepared for vs from the beginninge of the worlde Woorkes in deede are to be had but not as causes Therefore Christ admonished Works are not the causes of our felicity A place of Luke How we are called vnprofitable seruāts vs saying When ye haue done all these thinges say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but those thinges which we ought to do Neither passe wee any thynge vpon theyr caueling which say that therfore we are vnprofitable seruantes because out good woorkes do bringe no commoditie vnto God Forasmuche as God needeth none of our good workes But say they it ought not to be denied but that we are by good workes profitable vnto our selues We graunt indede that it is profitable vnto vs that we liue well But that vtility is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be causes of our blessednes to come For we haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstricte and bounde vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we do the same do we wholy owe vnto God and a We cannot by workes binde God vnto vs. great deale more then we are able to performe Wherefore as Christ admonisheth The Lord geueth not thankes vnto his seruant when he hath done his duety And if the seruaunt by well doing cannot binde his Lord to geue him thankes how shall he binde him to render vnto him great rewardes Therefore the name of The name of merits ought to be abolished merite if we will speake properlye oughte vtterlye to be banished out of our mouthes I know that the Fathers sometimes vsed that word but yet not properly But that woord is not found at al in the holy scriptures For the nature of merite is that there be a iust proportion and equall consideration betweene The nature of merite that which is geuen and that which is taken But betwene the good thinges which we looke for and those thinges which we eyther suffer or do there is no proportion or agreemente For Paule sayth That the passions of thys time are not woorthy the glory to come whiche shal be reueled in vs. Farther merite hath ioyned vnto it debt whych thynge Paule testifyeth when he sayth That vnto hym whych woorketh rewarde is rendred accordinge to debte and is not imputed accordyng to grace Which selfe same Paul yet writeth expressedly that the grace of God is eternall life Lastlye vnto the nature of merite there is required that that whiche is geuen pertayne vnto the geuer and be not due vnto hym whyche receaueth it But woorkes are not of our selues for they are called the giftes of God whiche he woorketh in vs. Wherefore Augustine very wisely sayth That God doth crowne his giftes in vs. Now if our woorkes be due vnto him whiche thinge we cannot deny then vndoubtedly the nature of merite is vtterly taken awaye Eternall life is sometimes in the holy scriptures called a reward But then is it not that How eternall lyfe is sometymes called a reward How blessednes followeth good woorkes reward which Paule writeth to be geuen according to debte but is all one as if it shoulde be called a recompensation Gods will and pleasure was that there shoulde be this connexion that after good woorkes shoulde follow blessednes but yet not as the effecte followeth the cause but as a thinge ioyned with them by the appointmente of God Therefore we may not truste vnto woorkes for they are feeble and weake and do alwayes wauer and stagger Wherfore the promises of God depende not of them neither haue they in themselues as they come from vs that they can moue God to make vs blessed We say therefore that God iudgeth according to woorkes because accordinge as they are eyther
good or euill we shall obtayne eyther eternall life or eternall damnation But thereby it followeth not that woorkes are the causes of our saluation Our sense iudgeth that these two thinges are repugnant the one to the other that a thinge shoulde be geuen freely and yet neuertheles workes should be required These thinges are not repugnant that blessednes is geuen frely and yet goodworks required But yet is not this iudgement true For they most aptlye agree together as it shall afterward in hys place be declared We haue nowe sufficiently spoken as touchyng this kynde of speache vsed of Paule and of the Scripture And those thinges which we haue nowe alleaged shall in their places be more diligently examined euery one by themselues Vnto them which by patience in well doyng seke glory and honour and immortality eternall lyfe But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish vppon the soule of euery man that doth euill of the Iewe first and also of the Grecian But vnto euery one that doth good glory honour and peace vnto the Iewe first and also vnto the Grecian For there is no respect of persons before God Vnto those which by patiēce in wel doing seke glory honor immortality lyfe eternall Ambrose readeth that glory honour immortality shal be rendered vnto them which seke for eternall lyfe Which thyng wycked men do not who rather labour by all meanes to aduaunce themselues vnto the honours riches and pleasures of this world which is to liue wickedly But godly and holy men do seke eternall lyfe that they may redely moue themselues to knowe and to loue God to worship hym and to deserne well of their neighboures Whiche selfe thing is eternall lyfe but yet as now begon and shal be accomplished in an other world The scripture vseth by eternall life to signify the blessednes which Life is a thing excellent we loke for For among other thinges life as Aristotle writeth in hys Politikes hath in it selfe many commodities And therfore men suffer many and greuous thinges to retayne it still vnlesse peraduenture beyng ouercome with the burthen of miseries they wishe for death But this is the playner readyng to say that God geueth eternall lyfe vnto those whiche by patience in well doyng doo seke glory honour and immortality Vndoubtedly the saintes in liuyng well do seke to be renewed vnto the image of God after which followeth glory honour and immortality And immortality is set in the last place lest they should be thought to seke the glory and honor of this world For those things do quickly perish and are offred by those men which are easely chaunged and we which receaue them here haue but a short tyme to lyue here But those thinges which we seke for are euerlastyng and immortall By patience in well doyng This he therefore saith because as he writeth in an other place They which will liue godly in Christ shall suffer persecution And not Why patience is required in wel doyng only the deuill our flesh but also wicked men do withstand good workes And forasmuch as among good workes these are the principallest wherby we helpe our neighbours to the obteynement of true sound and firme good thinges by teachyng admonishing and correctyng them therfore vnto them aboue other thinges we apply our selues But they on the other side doe sometimes take it greuously and do stirre vp persecutions agaynst vs as it happened vnto that Prophetes Apostles and Martyrs But we ought not for all that to cease Augustine in his 50. epistle willed that the Donatistes although they wickedly and cruelly raged against the Catholikes should yet not be forsaken And he bringeth a similitude A similitut◠of horses and mules which kicke and bite when their sores are in curing and yet men cease not from healyng them Which duety if it be performed vnto beastes vndoubtedly much more ought it to be performed vnto men It is assuredly a thing very hard with a valiaunt mynde to suffer lettes and impediments which hinder good workes But all thynges whiche are excellent are harde And forasmuch as we all in a maner desire eternall lyfe we ought to take vpō vs this patience in well doyng And it is not from the purpose to consider howe What is suffering the saintes may clayme vnto themselues this patience forasmuch as we dayly sinne and if we shall say that we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues We aunswere Two kinds of fallinge that there are two kinds of fallings There are certain which are in a manner dayly comming from a wicked lust which is grafted in vs by reasō of original sinne which also therfore is yet of force in the regenerate because they are not yet fully restored neyther do they alwayes behaue themselues according to the principle and ground of regeneration They are by reason of infirmity and vndiscretenes rapt and violently drawen by the enticements of this worlde but it alwayes greeueth them they resiste and desire to be rid therof Therefore they say together with Paul Now not I woorke it but sinne which dwelleth in me Wherfore so longe as they be so affected and that they cease not of from endeuouring themselues to fullfyll the will of God they are sayde to perseuer and to excercise pacience in well doynge But when they fall into more heynouser sinnes as did Dauid and Peter then thys longe sufferynge is somewhat interrupted but because forasmuch as they pertayne vnto the elect they are called backe to repentance they are forgeuen that which they haue committed and God no more imputeth it vnto them Therefore they are iudged according to the good workes which they haue done before the fall and do after the fall so that that cutting of of the perseuerance which is now blotted out by repentance remayneth no more Now we will also entreate of those whiche in the last tyme of Whether they which when they dye do repent shal be iudged according to their workes The thife wanted not good workes their life repent which as it should seeme cannot be iudged according to their good workes whereof before they had none neyther vnto them can be attributed patience and long suffering in well doing But it is to be noted that fayth can neuer be without good workes Therfore these men if they beleue although they repent in the last houre yet vndoubtedly shall they not be without good workes Which thinge the example of the thiefe declareth who repented in a maner at the very poynt of death and was saued For he being conuerted vnto God confessed Christ acknowledged hys sinnes exhorted his neighbour and ernestly prayed for the obteynement of hys owne saluation By all which thinges we may see how diligently ernestly if he had had space to liue he would haue applied himselfe vnto good works What shall we say to infantes which dye in Christ They
calleth grace eternall life But the propriety of grace is to he reÌ„dred freely Paul also sayth vnto hym which worketh not the reward is not imputed according to debt but accordyng to grace And saith moreouer that grace if it be of workes is not grace Also that the renantes shall through the electioÌ„ of grace be saued Agayne vnto the Ephesians Grace hath made vs safe throughe fayth and that not of our selues Agayne Not of workes least peraduenture any man shoulde glory This doubt Augustine sayth can not otherwise be dissolued vnles we grâ—unt A that an vpright and holy life is grace For so ether sentence may take place For eternall life is rendred vnto workes But because workes are freely geuen vs of God therâ—fâ—re also is eternall lyfe called gracee And in his booke De correctione Gratia the 13. chapter he sayth that Iames writeth that iudgemente shal be wythout mercy vnto hym which sheweth not mercy By which wordes saith he appeareth that they which lyue well shall in the last iudgement be iudged wyth mercy and they which haue 〈◊〉 wickedly shal be iudged wythout mercy And if that in iudgement we haue nede of mercy theÌ„ is it not now done for merites And in the same sence he alleageth the mother of the Machabees who as it is written in the 2. booke and 7. chapter thus speak 〈…〉 vnto her son That in that mercy I may receaue the wyth thy brethâ—rn In which place she calleth the day of iudgement mercy And vndoubtedly when we shall come before the iudgement seate of God who shall boast that he hath a chast hart Or who shall boast that he is cleane from sinne Wherefore there also mercy is nedefull whereby he may be made blessed vnto whome the Lord hath not imputed sinne The same father in hys 105. epistle to Sistus When the Apostle had sayd The stipend of sinne is death who Paul mightâ— haue 〈◊〉 righteousnes would not iudge that he should most aptly and consequently haue added but the stipend of righteousnes is eternall lyfe And it is true Because euen as vnto the merite of sinne is death rendred as a stipend so also vnto the merite of righteousnes is eternall lyfe rendred as a stipend But the blessed Apostle most vigylantly warryng agaynst pride when hee â—ad sayde that the stipend of sinne is death least humane ryghteousnes should extoll it sâ—lfe sayd not contrariwyse that the stipend of ryghteousnes is eternall lyfe but the grace of God sayth he is eternall lyfe But it is not sufficient to thynke that thesâ— things are spo 〈…〉 for humility moderation sake For the matter is so in very dede For our workâ— receaue not eternall life for a iust and deserued stipend And therefore he sayth that humane righteousnes is pride and which in name only is called righteousnes But that ought Eternall 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 vnto 〈…〉 ousneâ— but vnto 〈…〉 it is gracâ— If righteousnes were of our selues 〈…〉 should haue eternall life as a 〈…〉 When God shall reward 〈…〉 be 〈…〉 it selfe to be a true righteousnes vnto which eternall life is due which righteousnes if it be not of thy felfe then is it from aboue discending from the father of lightes Wherefore O man if thou shalt receaue eternall life it is â—n dede the stipend of righteousnes but vnto thee it is grace vnto whome also euen righteousnes is grace For it should be rendred vnto thee as a debt if the righteousnes vnto whome it is due were of thy selfe By all these thinges is gathered that with Augustine eternall life is therefore called grace because the workes which go before it are geuen fréely Farther he confesseth that in the last iudgement when God shall reward them we shall haue nede of mercy and compassion And that also we haue alwayes néede of mercy that our sinnes should not be imputed vnto vs. Lastly that eternall life although it may be the stipend of righteousnes being taken by it selfe yet vnto vs it is grace partly because it is not of our selues and partly also because it is vnperfite Hilâ—â—ius also writeth vpon the 50. Psalme My hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer world without ende For the workes of ryghteousnes are not sufficient vnto the merite of perfect blessednes Vnto vs it is gâ—ace because good workes are not of our selues and because they are vnperfect That good workes are geuen by grace both we and our aduersaries graunt but with a difference vnles in thys wyll of ryghteousnes the mercy of God impute not the faultes of humane changynges and motions Also Ierome vpon Esay the 46. chapter If we should consider our owne merites we shoulde dispayre Our aduersaries and we contende not whether by the grace of God good workes are geuen vnto the regenerate Although neither herein also do we vtterly agrée with them For they thinke that it lieth in our power to receaue good workes when they are offred But we say that it is néedefull that our will bée changed by the grace and spirit of God otherwise as touching in this point also we abhorre from the giftes of God But of this matter we haue before sufficiently spoken when we entreated of grace Wherfore I will now stand no longer about it But there is an other thing about which there is at this day a more waighty controuersye They which defend merites do thinke that the good workes which are geuen of God vnto men are sufficient They whiche defend merites do say that good workes are sufficient to attaine vnto eternall lifâ— which thinge we deny vnto eternall life Which thinge we do vtterly deny And this maketh very much on our side which a litell before we alleged out of August That in the last iudgemeÌ„t we shall nede the mercy of God not only because good works were geuen of hym freely but also because when the iust iudge shall sit in hys throne no man can boast that he hath a chast hart or that he is cleane from sinne Wherefore it is nedefull that sinnes as sayth Dauid be not imputed vnto hym which shall come vnto felicity Wherefore seyng we haue nede of mercy it is manifest that our good workes are not sufficient The same Augustine writeth in an other place that the perfection of the sayntes herein consisteth to acknowledge how much they want still of perfection And that sentence of Paul I haue fought a good battayle I haue finished my course I haue kepte fayth he so expoundeth that he thinketh that the Apostle sayth not that he is vtterly Augustine saith not that Paul was without sinne but affirmeth the contrary Note what Augustine thinketh of this place vnto the PhillipiaÌ„s wythout sinne but that he leaning vnto fayth and vnto hope did wholy appoynte wyth hymselfe that it shoulde come to passe in the laste houre of hys death whiche was euen then at hand that whatsoeuer sinne or wickednes had crept into hym the same should