not payde And as touching that place we first desire that our sinnes should be forgeuen vs. And because that by benefites receaued men are encouraged to hope that they shall receaue other and greater benefites therefore is this the meaning of that sentence O father which hast of thy goodnes geuen vs grace to forgeue iniuries vnto our trespassers forgeue vnto vs also our sinnes by these wordes also is not signified a cause but a similitude although that similitude be not perfect and absolute For there is none that is wise that will haue his sinnes so forgeuen him of God as he hath forgeuen his neighbour the iniuries that he hath done vnto him For euerye one by reason of the fleshe and that infirmity whiche it carieth about forgeueth much les vnto his brother then he ought For there alwayes sticketh in his minde some offence which although it burst not forth yet his owne conscience is a sufficient witnes vnto himselfe that his minde is not very perfect towardes him by whome he hath ben hurte But the former exposition teacheth that the similitude is to be referred not vnto remission but vnto the liberality of God that euen as he hath geuen the one so also he will vouchsafe to geue the other But whereas it is sayd Forgeue and it shal be forgeuen that is a commaundement and therfore pertaineth vnto the lawe But thou wilt obiect that that sentence is written in the Gospell and not in the lawe That is no thing at all for the lawe and the Gospell are not seperated The law the Gospell are not seperated by volumes or bookes In what maner we ought to forgeue iniuries a sonder by volumes or bookes For bothe in the olde Testamente are contayned the promises of the Gospell and also in the Gospell the lawe is not only comprehended but also most perfectly by Christ expounded Wherfore by those words we are coÌ„maunded to forgeue iniuries done vnto vs. And forasmuch as we are bound to do yâ— according to the prescript of the law that law dependdeth of this great precept Thou shalt loue the lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strengthes according to yâ— forme therfore we ought to forgeue our enemies which thing because no man hath at any time performed neither can performe it followeth that we ought to flye vnto Christ by whome we may be iustified by faith and afterward being iustified may after a sort accomplishe that which is commaunded Which although we do not perfectly performe yet it pleaseth God and he fréely geueth vnto vs the promise annexed vnto it not Redeme thy sinnes with almes is expounded because of our workes or for our merites but only for Christes sake They go about also to blind our eyes with the wordes of Daniell wherein he exhorted the king to redeme his sinnes by almes But in that place by sinnes we may vnderstand the paynes and punishementes due vnto sinne For the scripture vseth oftentimes such phrases of speach Which thing we neuer denyed Yea rather we willingly graunt that to workes which procéede from faith God is wont to geue many thinges specially as touching the mitigation of plagues and punishements They obiect also this sentence out of the first chapiter of Iohn God gaue them power He hath geuen them power to be made the sonnes of God how it is to be vnderstand to be made the sonnes of God Wherefore they say that those which haue already receaued Christ that is haue beleued in him are not yet iustified and regenerate and made the children of God but only haue receaued power to be made the children of God namely as they thinke by good workes And in this argument Pigghius the great champion and Achilles of the Papistes putteth great affiance but yet in vayne For he thinketh that of necessity he to whome power to haue any thing is geuen hath not as yet the same thing As though we should here deale philosophically that power excludeth acte which yet euen amongest the Philosophers also is not vniuersallye true For when they defyne the soule they say that it is an acte of a body naturall hauing members or instrumentes and also hauing life in power By which definition appeareth that our body hath life in power when as yet it hath life in acte and in very déede But that worde power here signifieth that the body hath not of it selfe life but of an other namely of the soule Which thing we in this matter at this present may also affirme namely that those which haue receaued the Lord and haue beleued in him are regenerate and made the children of God and yet not of themselues but from some other waye namely of the spirite and grace of God For so signifieth this word power Although the Euangelist in that place spake not peripatetically but simply and most plainely For a little before he sayd His receaued him not By this word his he ment the Iewes which peculiarly professed the knowledge of the true God But when they had refused the truth offred vnto them God would not be without a people but appointed theÌ„ to be his peculiar people which should beleue and receaue Christ Wherefore he gaue vnto them power that is This power is adoption grace a right and a prerogatiue that when they had receaued the Lorde by faith they should be made and be indéede the sonnes of God And therefore Cirillus expounding that place saith that this power signifieth adoption and grace Farther Pigghius although he thinke himselfe very sharpe of witte yet séeth not that when he thus reasoneth he speaketh thinges repugnant For how is it possible that any man should haue life in himselfe and yet not lyue Assuredly if they in beleuing haue receaued Christ it must néedes be that straight way they haue righteousnes For as Paul writeth in the first epistle vnto the Cor. He is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes holynes and redemptioÌ„ But what nede we so long a discourse The Euangelist himself declareth vnto vs who those be which haue receiued such a power namely which are not borne of bloud nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the wil of maÌ„ but of God And if they be borne of God then followeth it of necessity that they are iustified and regenerate They obiect also vnto vs a seruile feare which goeth before charity as though by it we should be prepared vnto iustification and the more easely to receaue charity Vnto whom we aunswere that such a feare without charity is sinne they replye agayne and say that Christ commaunded that feare But God commaundeth not sinne And he commaunded such a feare say they when he sayd I will shew vnto you whome ye ought to feare feare him whiche when he hath killed the body can also cast the soule into hell fire And that this feare prepareth vnto iustification they thinke may hereby be proued for yâ—
striue and to wrastle agaynst that at the last they might cary away the victories and triumphes But thou wilt say God mought by some other meanes haue saued maÌ„kind that it should not be abolished if he had ereated an other man pure and perfect that Adam being dead without issue all that other mans posterity should be procreated without corruption There is no doubt but that God could haue done this if he had would But this had not bene to erect one that had falen to saue that which was spilled and to redeme him which had vtterly perished God would shew forme of his goodnes that notwithstanding the corruption of nature he might saue from destruction as many as he had chosen For he would not vtterlye breake the brused reede nor quench the smoking flaxe For he would bring forth Christ as it were an other Adam which mought in such sort saue his as the other had destroyed them These and such like thinges led Gregorius to crye out O happy fault which deserued to haue such a redemer Which wordes I would not gladly pronouÌ„ce forasmuch as I se nothing in yâ— matter which is not miserable to be lamented For in yâ— so great saluatioÌ„ folowed yâ— same is to be ascribed to the goodnes of God and not to the sinne of Adam For of it is deriued not so greate a good thing but only by accidens that is by chanse These thinges although they can not satisfie the obiections whiche we haue put so much as humane The contraction of originall sin condeÌ„neth not the elect The order of nature requireth that a soule should be ioyned to such a body lest the body should be left without life If we cocker our owne reasoÌ„ there wil be no end of expostulating with God The goodnes of procreation ought to be considered by the effect which is of it selfe reason woulde require yet by them we haue somewhat after a sorte to answere them The coniunction of the soule with the corrupt body maketh nothing to the destruction of the elect For in Christ as well the body as the soule is renued And as by the body the soule is infected so by fayth in Christ which is in the mynde the soule together with the body is repayred The order of nature requireth that an innocent soule whiche hath done nether good nor euyll shoulde be ioyned with a corrupte body except the body shoulde be left without a soule and the worlde depriued of the kinde of man And if we go aboute to expostulate with God there shal be no measure or ende For an infinite number of soules would complayne for that they were created and were not predestinate to be saued which yet neuer deserued it Many would complaine for that they were borne of vngodlye vnbeleuinge and barbarous parentes and died in their tender ago whereby they coulde come to no knowledge of God And a man might inuent a thousand such kinde of complayntes As touching procreation we say that it is laudable forasmuch as it consisteth of lawfull matrimony In it is to be considered the man whiche is begotten that is as they call it the effect proper and naturall But man is a good creature of God and sinne or corruption is added per accidens that is by chanse And this euill hath a remedy which thinge happeneth not in the leprosy and other vncurable diseases We graunt also that man is created to the ende to attayne to eternall felicity And whereas it is sayde that he is by the sinne of the body called backe from this ende we on the contrary say that he is by the selfe same stirred vp to Christ Lastly we grauÌ„t that it may seme a thing vnworthy yâ— the innocent soule should haue his place in hell for yâ— there there is no redemption The elect are by thys euell stirred vp vnto Christ Reasons to proue that this sinne is spread abroade by seede and generation We depend of Adam by generation to be hoped for But being put in a body though it be neuer so corrupt yet it may attayne both redemption and also saluation Now let vs bringe reasons firmely and surely to proue that originall sinne is spred abrode into men by séede and generation And we will therefore declare it by the holy scriptures because many are agaynst it and thinke it to be a thinge altogether fayned First Paul sayth that sinne by one man entred into the world Wherefore let vs consider how men depend of Adam thereby to be pertakers of his sinne And there can no other way be found then sede and generation Farthermore forasmuch as the Apostle to the Ephesians sayth that we are by nature the children of wrath and nature as the naturall philosophers affirme is the beginning of mocion we must nedes haue recourse vnto sede and generation for they are the ground of our motioÌ„ and beginning But Dauid more expressedly declareth this thing when he sayth Behold I was conceaued in iniquyties and in sinnes hath my mother coÌ„ceaued me By which wordes he apertly teacheth that this sinne is traduced by generatioÌ„ But that is farre more manifest whiche Iob saith who can make that cleane which is borne of vncleane seede By this place the infected seede of our elders is reproued as vncleane how much soeuer Pigghius cryeth out against it But now let vs on the contrary side diligently consider by what meanes this sinne may be taken away Euen as it was brought in by one man so also is it How thys sin may be taken away remoued away by one man And euen as the sinne is powred in from Adam by seede and generation so agayne on the other side there are some thinges in that multitude which pertayneth vnto Christ which may haue the consideration of seede and those are election or predestination grace the holy ghost the worde of God and baptisme These two last instrumentes God vseth for the regenerating of his But if a man aske whether the outward word or visible signe The inward word is required of necessitye â—n them that be of full age The outward word is an ordinary instrument wherby they that are of full age are called Baptism is not to be contemned Baptisme is threefold Of the infantes of Christians which dye without baptisme Some children of the Saintes pertaine not to predestination The reliques of this sinne which remaine after regeneratioÌ„ are not unputed vnto death of baptisme be altogether necessary we answere that indede the inward word whereby men are moued vnto Christ and are reformed is vtterly required if we speake of them that be of perfect age but in children neither the inward word hath place nor the outward word is an ordinary instrument But doubtles the outward worde is an ordinary instrument whereby God calleth those that be of full age vnto saluation although in some he doth by an extraordinary way vse only the inward word For so he called Abraham out of his countrye and
or vnto death But it is after one maner in vs and after an other maner in Christ For his death as Augustine saith in his booke de Trinitate The death of Christ was simple but ours is double was simple and but of one sort but ours is double or of two sortes For in him only the body dyed for his soule was neuer without the eternall and true life forasmuch as sinne had neuer place in him But in vs both body and soule were deade by reason of sinne Wherefore euen as Christ dyeth not agayne as touching the body so also ought not we by sin to dye ether in body or in soule Otherwise yâ— onely one death of Christ should not as he saith bring remedy vnto our double death Neither wanteth this an emphasis that the Apostle in this place doubleth one Christ was not compelled to dye and the selfe same sentence when he sayth He dieth no more also death hath no more dominion ouer him For he would haue vs fully to vnderstand that death is cleane remoued away from Christ Neither yet ought we by these wordes to inferre that death sometimes so bare dominion ouer Christ that he was compelled to dye For he sayth that no man coulde take away his life from him but that he himselfe had power both to lay away his life and also to take it agayne Christ fréely and willingly became subiect vnto death wherefore we also forasmuch as we are his members and misticall body ought fréely and of our owne accord to dye together with Christ and that in such sort that we will no more dye that is we will no more be subiect vnto the guiltines death and damnatioÌ„ oâ— our sinnes It also sufficient for vs that we die once vnto sinne For as touching that he died he died vnto sinne once and aâ—â—ouching that he liueth he liueth vnto God That Christ died vnto sinne 〈◊〉 once only is declared by that which is written vnto the Hebrues that he by one only oblation made perfect all thinges so that he referreth this Once and vnity vnto the fulnes and perfection of the thing done It was sufficieÌ„t that Christ died but once Wherefore it ought also to be sufficient vnto vs that we dye but once vnto sinne neither ought we so to deale that we shoulde alwayes haue new causes to dye agayne We and Christ dye not after one and the selfe sâ—me manner It is not possible that Christ should dayly be sacrificed The sacrificing priestes do not by their Masses apply the death of Christ vnto others Baptisme ought not to be repeated But this is to be noted that Christ and we are diuersly sayde to dye vnto sinne For Christ had no sinne in hym whereunto he shoulde dye For he died for the sinne which was in vs. But we ought to dye vnto that sinne which we still cary aboute in our selues Farther out of this place are inferred two thinges first if Christ died but once and that that was sufficient then is there no nede that he shoulde agayne be dayly sacrificed in Masses For his one only death was sufficient for the satisfaction of all sinnes For the sacrificing priestes can not performe that thing which they vse so much to boast of namely to applye the death of Christ at their pleasure vnto this man or to that man For euery man by his owne fayth taketh hold of it and applieth it vnto himselfe Moreouer out of this place is inferred that baptisme ought not to be ministred vnto one man any more then once only forasmuch as in it we dye together with Christ And sithen he dyed but once only we therefore ought in no case to repete it any oftener Which thing the epistle vnto the Hebrues manifestly teacheth for there it is written that that is nothing els then again to crucifie the sonne of God and to make him a gazing stock The sealing of the promise of God which we receaue in baptisme neuer loseth his force and strength For whilest we call to memory that we are baptised so that fayth be present by the remembrance of that sealing we are both confirmed touching the promise and also are admonished touching the leading of the lyfe of Christ But we before haue alleaged many mo reasons why baptisme ought not to be repeted In that Christ is sayd to liue vnto God it signifieth not only that he liueth blessedly but also that he cleaueth vnseperably vnto God Which thing we also ought to do if we will be true Christians And therefore he concludeth the whole reason in these wordes So also consider ye that ye are dead as touching sin but are on liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. These words signifie as much as if he should haue sayde That which was done in Christ ought also to be done in vs. Wherefore seing he died only once and now liueth perpetually vnto God we ought to haue a care that the selfe same thing should be performed in vs. Hereby appeareth how vniustly the doctrine of Paul was accused as though he shoulde Paul teacheth that we ought to liue vnto God not to abide in sinne teach that we should abide in sinne that grace might abound And that we should commit euill that good might thereof ensue For he teacheth clene contraryly that euen as Christ euer liueth vnto God so ought we also euer to liue in Christ thorough innocency of life Which selfe doctrine the Lord taught in Iohn saying As the liuing father hath sent me and I liue for the father euen so he that eateth me shall liue for me Iudge and consider sayth he that ye are dead vnto sinne but liue vnto God For as sayth Chrisostome this thing is not done by nature neither can it be shewed by the outward sence but is perceaued by fayth only Therefore consider saith he and dayly pouder this in your mynde Through Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we shoulde knowe that all these thinges are receaued onely by his benefite and not by humane strengths or naturall reason Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodye that ye should thereunto obey by the lustes of it Neither geue ye your meÌ„bers as instrumentes of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but geue ouer your selues vnto God as they that of dead are on liue And geue ouer your members as instrumentes of righteousnes vnto God For sinne shall not haue power ouer you Because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Let not sinne raigne therefore in your mortall body His reason now finished he addeth an exhortation which is indede short but yet of great waight What felicity is For it stirreth vs vp vnto that thing wherein consisteth the chiefe felicity which herein is contained yâ— we should be most far remoued froÌ„ all euils and continually being well occupied leade a most vertuous lyfe Wherefore Paules meanynge is that wée shoulde caste awaye synne Whiche is to remoue from vs the
to moderate the paines inflicted of God althoughe the bodye be sayde to be deade bicause of sinne yet ought we not therfore to thinke that God retayneth hatred or anger against his whose sins he hath forgeuē For death and aduersities which afflict the godly ought not to be counted amongest paynes or punishments God is wont in déede to exercise the faythfull with aduersities as we rede of Dauid who although he heard that his sinne was forgeuen hym yet he both lost hys sonne and also in his family suffred wonderfull hard chaunces Wherefore the sacrifising priestes ought not hereof to conclude that it is lawfull for them at their pleasures to impose paynes and satisfactions vpon them whome they haue absolued from sinnes For only Christ when he died vpon the crosse hath aboundantly made satisfaction for vs all Neither did Christ impose any paynes ether vnto the thiefe or to the sinfull woman or vnto the man sicke of the palsey vnto whome he sayd Sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee Neither haue these men one word in the holy scripturs of their satisfactions Howbeit we both may and ought to exhort as many as returne vnto Christ and do repent by good workes to approue themselues to shew worthy fruites of repentance and whome they haue before by their euil workes offended him now to reconcile and edefie by their maners being changed Although these men ought not The kayes of the churche can not moderate the scourges of God vnder this pretence to clayme or chalenge vnto thēselues their kayes as though they could at their pleasure moderate the scourges of God whether they are to be suffred in this life or as they fayne in an other For it lieth in Gods hand only ether to send or to release warres disseases hunger persecutions and such other like kinde of calamities Neither hath God when he afflicteth the Saints alwayes a regard vnto this by a fatherly chastisement to correct their sinnes For oftentimes An other end of the scourges of God it commeth to passe that he will haue his Saintes geue a testemony of his doctrine and make manifest vnto the worlde how much his mighty and strong power is of efficacy in them So was Iohn Baptist behedded so were Esay Ieremy and al the Martyrs slayn This matter is clearely entreated of in the booke of Iobe Howbeit it is profitable that the godly be oftentimes admonished of repentance The spirite of Christ is the ground of our resurrection The flesh of Christ really eaten is not the cause of our resurrectiō and of good workes that God may lenefye and mitigate those scourges and calamities which he vseth to inflict vpon sinners Wherefore this place seemeth nothing to confirme either purgatory or satisfactions Howbeit by these wordes we are manifestly taught what is the ground or beginning of our resurrection namely the spirit of Christ which first dwelt in him and afterward also dwelleth in vs. Wherfore they are deceiued which thinke that vnto our resurrection is necessary either transubstantiation or the presence of Christ in the Eucharist as though out of his flesh which they will haue to be eaten of vs really we shal draw eternall life as out of a true fountaine and a certaine ground For here they make a false argument from that which is not the cause as the cause Here Paul writeth that the beginning of a new life is that we haue the selfe same spirite which was in Christ which is the whole and perfect cause of our resurrection But how the spirit of Christ can haue place in the supper of the Lord we may easely vnderstand In the holy supper we are indued with the spirite of Christ How the fleshe and bloud of Christ are a helpe vnto the reresurrectiō Wherefore the fathers sometimes attribute this thing vnto the sacraments A place of Iohn in the vi chapt for there we renue the memorye of the death of Christ of which if by faith we take hold in the communion we are more plentifully endued with the spirite of Christ wherby not only the minde is quickned but also the bodye is so renued that it is made pertaker of the blessed resurrection Hereby it is manifest how the flesh and bloud of Christ conduce to the bringing forth of the resurrectiō in vs. For by faith we take hold that they were deliuered for vs vnto the death by this faith we obteine the spirite to be made both in minde and in body pertakers of eternall lyfe And if the fathers at any time seme to attribute this vnto the sacramentes y◠hereof commeth for that they ascribe vnto the signes the thinges which are proper vnto the thinges signified This may we perceiue by the 6. chapiter of Iohn for there Christ promiseth life vnto them that eate his flesh and drinke his bloud And it is not harde for any man to sée that in that place is spoken of the spirituall eatinge whyche consisteth of fayth and the spirite For the signes were not as yet geuen of Christe And whereas hee sayth The breade whiche I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the life of the worlde is to bee vnderstande of the fleshe of Christe fastened vpon the crosse whiche beinge by faith comprehended of vs shall so strengthen and confirme vs as if it were our bread and our meate And that Christ sayd in the future tempse I vvil geue it is not to be meruayled at for he was not yet dead But hys death which afterward followed brought to passe that y◠body of Christ was offred vnto vs not only in words but also in outward signes in that last time when he was at the poynt to be deliuered Augustine in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn defendeth this doctrine For he sayth To beleue is To eate And he sayth moreouer That the old Fathers vnder the law did eate the selfe same thing that we doo For theyr sacraments and ours were all one and though their signes were diuers yet the things signified are one and the selfe same And in his epistle vnto Marcellinus he sayth That the sacramentes of the elders and ours were herein diuers for that they ▪ beleued in Christ to come and we beleue in him being now alredy come And Leo bishoppe of Rome in his epistle vnto them of Constantinoble sayth that we receauing the vertue or power of the heauēly meate do passe into the flesh of Christ which is made ours Ireneus oftentimes sayth that our flesh and our bodies are norished with the flesh and bloud of Christ which so it be rightly vnderstand we deny not For euen as by naturall meates is made bloud whereby we are naturally fed so by the flesh and bloud of Christ being taken holde of by fayth we draw vnto vs the spirite whereby the soule is norished and the body made pertakers of eternall life which we shall haue in the resurrectiō Farther we doubt not but that our flesh and body doo
could not only not be by any meanes remoued from the loue of Christ but also that he was chiefely for that cause excedingly vexed bycause in time past he had wished to be a straunger from Christ Which interpretation when I more diligently consider I sée that it agreth nether with the wordes nor with the intent of the Apostle For this is his scope that by reason of those thinges whereof he will afterward speake he might perswade the Iewes of his loue towardes them lest he should seme of hatred to say that they are not now the people of God but are vtterly strange froÌ„ the promise Which thing he could not haue obteyned by rehersing his sinne wherein he had persecuted the Church of God For the Iewes mought haue sayd Although hitherto thou hast loued vs when thou heldest on our side yet afterwarde when thou wentest vnto Christ thou didst change thy minde and because thou hast begone to hate vs therfore doest thou now speake these euill thinges agaynst vs. But if these thinges be vnderstand of the present state wherein he wrote this epistle vnto them and that by these wordes is signified yâ— he would euen theÌ„ also be Anathema from Christ for them then can there be no doubt put of his good will towardes them Wherefore these thinges serue nothing to the purpose of Paul if they be wrested vnto that time wherein he was as yet an vnbeleuer And that he was grieued for theyr distruction and not for his sinne this playnly declareth Paul was sory for the destruction of the Hebrued and not for his sinne which is afterwarde added Not as though the vvord of God hath fallen avvay For therefore he was grieued when he saw them perish bycause the promises of God semed to be infringed and violated And as he denieth that the promises of God are infringed so also desireth he to redeme euen with his owne distruction that it should not be thought so to come to passe and thereby the name of God should be euill spoken of Herehence come those teares and disires and not bycause he had persecuted the Church of God which yet I doubt not but it was a greate and continuall griefe vnto him But why he should make mencion of that griefe at this presenâ—e there is no reason doubtles as far as I can see Farther what neded he to contend about thys thyng wyth an othe For it was fresh in euerye mans memorye what an enemy he had bene in timâ—s past vnto Christe For hys persecution was not done in corners but publikelye and in the sight of all But thou wilt saye he therefore sweareth to make men beleue that he was excedyngelye sorye for that matter For that was secret neyther coulde it be knowen of all men but suche suspicions as are obscure are confirmed by an oth But I thinke no man doubted but that Paul was sory for the hatred which he had borne against Christ when as all men sawe with how great a feruentnes he preached his Gospell throughout the whole world Wherefore these thinges were not so doubtfull that they should nede to be confirmed by an oth Moreouer what great thinges should he thereby speake of himselfe or how should he by this meanes commend himselfe vnto his brethren by swearing But now let vs heare what the true Ierome iudged as touching this matter For that is a counterfeated Ierome which is ascribed vnto those commentaries But that is Ierome ad AlgasiaÌ„â— the true Ierome which writeth vnto Algasia in the 9. question For he asked hys counsell touching this place of Paul And he answereth that it is a question of great waight and not rashely to be passed ouer especially for as much as the Apostle wyth an oth confirmeth those thynges which he speaketh And with great admiratioÌ„ he addeth that it is a prudence vnheard of that a man should for Christes sake wishe to be seperated from Christ Straight way he compareth Paul with Moses and contendeth that either of them were endued with one and the selfe same spirite For they were both pastors of the people of God And as Christ sayth It is the part of a good shepherd to geue hys lyfe for hys shepe For to flye when the woolfe assayleth is the parts of a hired seruaunt and not of a shepherd Wherefore his iudgement is that Paul desired to dye for the saluation of his brethren For he knew that he which would saue his soule should lose it and he which would lose it shoulde finde it And to this end tendeth that which is before spoken For thy sake are we put to death all the day long and are appointed as shepe to be slayne Paul saith he desired to geue hys body and lyfe that their spirite myght be saued Farther he addeth that it may be proued by mo places thâ—n one that Haram that is Anathema in the old testament is taken for slaughter or killing We confesse that in déede the Apostle woulde and wished to geue his life for the shepe committed to his charge and for all those which might be brought vnto Christ that in him might be fulfilled those thinges which wanted of the passion of Christ But many thinges declare vnto vs that there can be no mencion made of that thing in this place For first they which so dye testifiing the fayth of Christ for the health of their neighbours are not Anathemata that is men seperated from Christ but are most nighly ioyned vnto him They are rather Anathemata that is seperated from Christ which persecute and kyll them Farthermore Haram which he saith sometimes in the olde testament signifieth killing could neuer be redemed nor be applied vnto other vses For beasts which after that maner were bound vnto God were destroyed by slaughter and thinges without life could neuer be put to publike vse or vse of common life But Martyrs which dye for the name of Christ are not made Anathemata What Moses desired of God Sepharadi The opinioÌ„ of an other Rabbins martyres which by preaching the truth dyed for the saluation of their brethren were not for that cause seperated from Christ but rather passed from this life as men which should euermore abyde with him Moreouer what will â—e answere of Moses For he desired to be slaine vnles God would spare the people but put me out saith he of the booke which thou hast written that is if we follow the common opinion blot me out of the booke of the elect For I allow not the cold fayned deuises of the Rabbines among whom Sepharadi saith If thou sparest not the people put my name out of the booke of the lawe that it be not red there What more fond exposition can there be deuised then this An other of the Rabbines thinketh that to be blotted out of the booke which God had written is nothing els then to be remoued from the office of a magistrate that he should not be the head of the people
that they had God fauorable vnto them And God as touching those whose God he will peculiarly be prouideth for thē not only commodities in this life for he is the God of the whole man and hath no les care ouer the soule then he hath ouer the body that not only in this life but also in this life to come but let vs peise the entent of Malachy He reproueth God prouideth for his not onely things erthly but also eternall the people of ingratitude towardes God God saith he is your father and Lorde Howbeit ye neither loue him nor reuerence him when yet he hath loued you And that loue he proueth by a double benefite of God towards them first for that he loued Iacob and preferred him before Esau when yet notwithstanding they were brethern and twines secondly for that he gaue vnto the one a sertile and plentifull land to inhabite but vnto the other he gaue an vnfruitful and barren land and for that he deliuered the one from theyr captiuity but would haue the captiuity of the other to be perpetuall So the loue of God is proued by the effectes but of that loue is alledged no cause I graunt indede that the posterity of Esau were alwayes wicked men and enemies vnto the people of Israell although by affinity they were ioyned vnto them yet they were alwaies aduersaries and enemies vnto them Some say also that Mahumet came of that natiō although there are others which referre his stock to the Ismalites Farther the earth also The earth is by reason of sinnes made barrē is by reason of sinnes made barren Therfore Dauid sayth That for the sins of the people the earth is turned into a wildernes and is made of God vnfruit full But neither Paul nor the prophet describe these thinges as causes of the loue of God Yea rather if we should fayne any such exposition vnto Malachie his reprehension should somewhat be extenuated For when he vpbraydeth vnto the people ingratitude for that God had loued thē they mought in one word haue made answere Therefore hath he loued vs bycause we deserued it for he foresaw that our workes should be good and for that cause he loued vs. Wherefore much wayght is taken away from this reprehension if we admitte this opinion Many trouble theyr heddes about the hatred and loue of God and say that he neither loueth nor hateth as we vse to doo Which thing in dede I graunt for God loueth with out all maner of troubled affection and loueth perpetually for he is not changed he hateth also without perturbation and for that he is not mutable he perpetually hateth those whom he hateth They say moreouer that these thinges are to be considered by the effectes so that God is sayd to loue him to whome he doth good and to hate him whome he ouerpasseth and leueth in sinnes and for his sinnes which he hath committed afterward greuously punisheth Herein I will not contend with them although in graunting thys God in dede loueth and in dede hateth I also affirme wyth the holy scripture that God truly and in dede loueth and hateth and that thereof followe those effectes which we haue now mencioned And bycause we can not by it selfe vnderstand the force and might of the loue hatred of God therfore we consider thē by the effects namely ether by his gifts or by his punishmēts But the ground of y◠question is whither y◠loue come of our merites or fréely The Apostle excludeth merites other some fayne woorkes Whether God loue or hate in respect of works fore sene foreséene Wherefore it shall not be amisse to recite theyr opinions that we maye see how this is to be vnderstanded that God either hateth or loueth Chrisostome thinketh that God therefore loued Iacob because he was good and reiected Esau because he was euill And if thou saye that they forasmuche as they were not yet horne had done neither good nor euill he maketh aunswere that vnto God if is not needefull to waite for the euent of thinges For he by the most sharpe sighte of his foreknowledge seeth before all eternitie what thinges shal afterward come to passe and he alone knoweth truly who shall be woorthy of his election who vnworthy But here Chrisostome somewhat strayeth from the truth when hee saith God findeth not in men an◠worthines for which they should be elected that God findeth in men any woorthinesse for which they ought to be elected For what thing els is that but not onely to diminishe but also vtterly to take awaye euen the grounde of grace For if of our selues we be worthy to be elected verely the grace of GOD is not geuen vnto vs freely Howbeit he confesseth that the Apostle speaketh not this for if he had made aunswere that Iacob was therefore elected for that he was good and Esau reiected for that he was euil he saith that the Iewes mought straightway haue replied if we be reiected for our wickednes what were the Gentiles whiche are now receaued any better then we This thinge also woulde they vtterly haue denied For the Gentiles were infected with most gréeuous sinnes howbeit he sayth it moughte be graunted that the Gentiles which were nowe called were good for that they had receiued the saith of Christe which the Iewes by all maner of meanes withstoode But Paul would not in such sorte make aunswer but referred the whole matter to the foreknowledge of God against which doubtles saith he none that hath his righte wittes will stande For Paul resolueth not the question into the fore knowledgeof God but into his wil by it God foreseeth who shal be good and who euill But here againe he is far out of the waye For Paul resolueth not the question into the foreknowledge of God but into his will mercy and power For he sayth that it is not of hym that willeth nor of him that rūneth but of God that hath mercy that he hath mercy on whom he will and hardeneth whome he wyll and lastly that the potter maye of one and the selfe same masse or lompe make one vessell to honor and an other to contumely And to the Ephesians he saith that we are elected accordinge to the good pleasure of his will Chrisostome addeth that when it is sayd that the elder shall serue the younger thereby is shewed that the right and dignity of the first birth should nothing profite hym which came first out of the wombe but the vertue which God foresaw before workes Here it is a harde matter to vnderstand what manner a thinge that vertue is whiche should goe before works For what doth he peraduēture thinke y◠these men are borne endued with vertue But there cā no such thing be foūd in the scriptures for they testifie y◠mē are borne the children of wrath obnoxious vnto sinne But as far as we can coniecture A mynde prone to good things is not in
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
repentance Augustine The long suffering of God is profitable vnto the elect and predestinate noteth that this taketh place as touching the elect and predestinate whiche by this long suffring of God do at the length obtayne saluation although so long as they sinne and do not spedely repent as touching their owne part they heape vnto themselues the wrath of God But he forsaketh them not without whose impulsion spirite and grace his lenity and patience shoulde be in vayne And that the repentance of them that fall is to be ascribed vnto God the Epistle The repeÌ„tance of theÌ„ that fall is of God written vnto Timothe very euidently teacheth For there he instructeth a Bishop to obserue such a trade of teaching that without contention he enstruct them with whome he hath to do if paradueÌ„ture God geue them grace to repeÌ„t Howbeit the differring of punishementes semeth of his owne nature to drawe men to returne vnto God although in all men it hath not like efficacye Wherefore when we see some punished and we our selues in the meane time spared it is expedient that we shoulde diligently waye thys goodnes of God whereby he beareth with vs to the ende we should correct our selues Whiche thing Christ admonished vs of when he sayde when worde was brought him of some which were killed with the fall of the tower of Syloa Do ye thinke that Why God punisheth some and not all they alone haue sinned As though he woulde haue sayd Not they alone haue deserued that punishement but many others ought to haue suffred the like but God will shew forth certayne particular examples of hys iudgement whiche one day shal be generall In deede the punishement of the vngodly is differred but it shall most certaynely come to passe at the tyme appoynted The parable of the figge tree which the goodman of the houshold commaunded to be cut downe when it bare no fruite admonisheth vs of this selfe same thing The husbandman obtayned that the cutting downe thereof should be a litle while differred or that he would donge it and pruine it if so paraduenture it would bring forth fruite Whiâ—h thing if it did not then should it not only be digged vp by the rootes but also be throwen into the fyre Here are we taught not What is to be done toward our brethren when they sinne strayght way to forsake our bretherne when they offend but patiently for a tyme to abyde and that euen as God himselfe doth so should we by benefytes prouoke them vnto repentance not omitting in the meane tyme brotherly admonitions But this is worthy of noting that in thys place is mencion made that God punisheth the vngodly noâ— once but with a double punishement the selfe same men which before he sayd were punished when they were delyuered vp to the lustes of their owne hart and vnto shamefull affections and also vnto a reprobate mynde shall agayne be punished Whiche therefore is done for that that fyrst kinde of punishement drew them vnto voluptuousnes and pleasures For he sheweth that it shall one day happen that vengeaunce shall be taken vpon them and that both great and also most paynefull But A place of Nahum declared how agreeth this with that which Nahum the Prophet writeth in his first chapter That iudgement is not geuen or punishement taken twise vpon one and the selfe same thing Seing these men were punished once why are they agayne punished Vndoubtly that sentence whiche is so common that God punisheth not twise is not so written in the Prophet although it be so reade in the 70. Interpreters The wordes are thus what do ye thinke against the Lord He will make an ende neyther shall tribulatioÌ„ arise vp the second tyme Which words some of the Hebrues as Hierome telleth interpret of the AssiriaÌ„s who wheÌ„ they had it the first tyme gotten the victory against the kingdome of the tenne tribes thought that they could in like maner preuaile against the kingdome of Iuda But that it should so come to passe the Prophet denieth and sayth that after the first tribulation the secoÌ„d should not follow This expositioÌ„ may in dede be borne withall But there is an other which is more playne namely to say that these thinges are spoken agaynst Sinnecharib which besieged Ierusalem vnto whome God threatened a fall and through ouerthrow I will sayth he so blot thee out that I shall not neede to rise vp the second tyme agaynst thee One plague shal be sufficient thou Vnto God is not prescribed a measure of punishemeÌ„ts as though it were not lawfull for him to punishe but once shalt be so vehemently afflicted with it Neither dreamed the Prophet as many meÌ„ fayne that vnto God is prescribed a measure in punishmeÌ„ts as though it were not lawfull for him to punishe one and the selfe same man any more then once Which thing if we should grauÌ„t we should say that the EgiptiaÌ„s forasmuch as they were punished in the red sea are now free froÌ„ hell fire And that they which wickedly perished in Sodome in the floud are now at the length at rest Which The punishmentes of the vngodly begin oftentimes in this life they shall be more greuously afflicted in the world to come The saints are afflicted with the punishmentes of this lyfe onely thinges without doubt are most absurd For as certein in this life receaue the holy ghost and grace as an earnest peny of the felicity to come as which shall receiue reward both here in the world to come so may it be contrariwise that the punishments of some begin in this life which shal be increased in an other world as it is to be thought that Herode Nero and Saule do now fele punishmentes far more greuous then those which they here tasted of And yet in the meane tyme I deny not but that God as touching his elect is content with these paynes and punishmentes which he inflicteth vppon them in this life As Paule sayd vnto the Corinthians that one among them shoulde be deliuered vp vnto Sathan that his spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord. And agayne he saith that some are here corrected of the Lord lest they should be condemned with this worlde But when God will deale after this sorte or when he wil vse that seuerity to punish both here afterward it lyeth not in vs to know Wherfore according to the commaundement of Christ he is alwayes to be feared forasmuch as he hath power both to kill the body and also to cast the soule into hell fire Howbeit this we may assuredly affirme that they which beyng afflicted do perish and repent not shal be againe more greuously tormented those on the other side which being admonished with afflictioÌ„s do returne vnto Christ shall being sufficiently chastised with the punishmentes of this life obteyne eternall saluation Wherfore accordyng to that whiche we haue sayde Paule admonisheth these
iudgement they either aggrauate or extenuate the person then of necessity there must be a respect had vnto the person Because accordyng to the saying of the Gospell That seruaunt shall be more greuously punished whiche knoweth the wyll of his Lord and transgresseth it then he which sinneth ignorauntly Wherfore there remaineth that this place of the Apostle be vnderstanded of such persons as are seioyned from causes Farther there is to be put great difference Persons free from causes Besides iudgemente somethinge may be geuen vnto one man freely and an other of the same state and condition omitted betwene to accept a person in iudgemeÌ„t besides iudgement to geue vnto som one man any thing freely and not geuing to an other For this latter parte no man can iustlye accuse As if a man hauyng two debters shoulde requyre his debte of the one and forgeue the other he of whome the debte is required hath no cause iustly to complaine of his creditour So likewise God althoughe he cal one and calleth not an other because no merites went before in neyther of them cannot be called an accepter of persons Neither if in rewarding those which labored but one houre in the vineyard he would geue as great a reward vnto those and to them which had labored in it all the whole day ought he to be reproued Because he defrauded not these men of the hire for whiche he agreed with them And vnto the other he would geue freely that whiche they deserue not But then should there be iust cause to complayne if a thing should be geueÌ„ vnto one man and an other vnto whome the selfe same thing is due should be defrauded And after the selfe same manner forasmuch as God is bounde vnto God is bound to no man no man when he destributeth sondry giftes it is lawfull for him to do with his owne what pleaseth him For that in geuinge vnto some freely he defraudeth not them of any thing due whome he omitteth These thinges hath Augustine against the two Epistles of the Pelagians in his seconde booke and. 7. chap vnto Bonifacius where he thus writeth Acception of persons is there rightlye sayde to be where he which iudgeth leauinge the deserte of the cause whereof he iudgeth geeueth iudgemente with the one against the other because he findeth some thinge in the person which is woorthy either of honor or of compassion And straight way he bringeth the similitude of the two debters and the parable of the vineyard whereof we haue alredy spoken and addeth Euen as therfore here is no acception of persons because one is in such manner freely honored that an other is not defrauded of that his due so also wheÌ„ according to the purpose of God one is called and an other is not called vnto him that is called a good gift is frely geueÌ„ of which good gift the calling is the cause vnto him that is not called is rendred euill because all men are guilty for that by one man sinne entred into the world These are Augustines woordes vnto which to the ende we may ouerthrow the argumentes which we haue before recited this is to be added That Those thinges which God geueth vnto men he geueth of hys mercy whatsoeuer good thing God of his liberality geueth vnto menne the same vndoubtedly proceedeth of his mercy and clemencye And althoughe sometimes he pronounceth that he will do good vnto some eyther for theyr progenitors sake or els for theyr prayers these thinges he therfore speaketh to stirre vs vp to liue well Neither are these promises to be vnderstanded of the whole kinred of the posterity or vniuersally For God accordinge to his secret predestination hath his choyce in he seede of the saintes and in hearing of prayers which are made out of other men Which thing may be sufficiently confirmed by examples For althoughe the seede of Abraham were blessed yet that blessing had place in Isaac and not in Ismael The same promise was made vnto Isaac but it was performed in Iacob and not in Esau The common wealth of the Iewes had a promes that it shoulde be preserued but that promes was performed in the kingdome of the house of Dauid and not in the kingdome of the ten tribes Wherfore forasmuch as this choice which is according to predestination is vtterly vnknowne vnto The choyce which consisteth in predâ—stination is both vnknowne vnto vs also leaneth not vnto persons Two kinds of the benefites of God vs we oughte not to lene vnto the person And it commeth to passe perpetually that they which are so chosen of God are also adorned with good works Wherfore God hath not a respect vnto the person but as we haue sayd iudgeth according to the woorkes And how little a respect of persons he sometimes hath the place in the. 14. chap of Ezechiell declareth where it is saide That the earth shal be destroyed forasmuch as it hath bene altogether viciate and corrupte And thoughe there stoode vp in it Noah Iob Daniell vndoubtedly they shall not deliuer it but shall deliuer theyr owne soules onely Farther the benefites of God are eyther but for a time whiche pertaine vnto this life or els they are eternall whiche belong vnto the chief felicity of which Paule now intreateth Who affirmeth that without respecte of persoÌ„s it shal by the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God be either rendred or denied But as touchinge commodities whiche dure but for a time we doubt not but that God vseth sometimes either to hasten or to slacken them at the prayers of holy men which selfe thinge he attributeth also vnto the seede of the saints But in this doing he eyther prouoketh men to repentaunce or els by his lenitye they bringe vnto theÌ„selues greater punishment But as touching the eternal chief felicitie we haue now declared yâ— God hath made no promise generally for the sauing of any posteritie Therefore the Iewes deserued woorthely to be reproued for that they promised vnto themselues onely so greate a thinge as thoughe for that they were of the seede of Abraham they coulde not perishe paule in thys There is no generall promes for the sauinge of any posterity as touching eternall life selfe same Epistle the. 9. chap most manifestly declareth That not all they whyche are of Israell are Israelites neyther because they were the sede of Abraham therfore they were straight way all sons But by Isaac sayth he shall thy seede be called That is Not they whiche are the children of the fleshe are the children of God but the children of the promes are counted for the seede This sentence of the Apostle testefieth that whiche we haue sayd namely that the promises of God in this kinde were singuler and not vniuersal And it is for certaine that in those which are chosen to saluacion are vndoubtedly found good workes if they come vnto ful age Wherfore these The elect if they come to full age shall vndoubtedly
after the seuenth day there commeth vnto the infant newly borne so much strength that he is able easely to abyde the payne of circumcision But let vs leaue vnto them these The eyght day betokeneth the resurrection of Christ fayned toyes and let vs rather thus thinke that in the eight day was betokened the resurrection of Christ and therewith all ours which thing may easely be perceaued by Paule for he sayth that in circumcision was signified the cutting of of the sinnes of the flesh But the sinnes of the flesh can neuer be perfectly cut of from vs vntill we are come to the holy resurrection All the whole tyme of this world and the tyme of this whole life representeth a weeke of dayes But the eight day signifieth the resurrection There is moreouer an other reason The tyme of thys life is a weeke not worthy to be contemned namely that a childe being so newely borne is able to do nothing of hymselfe as touching the attaynement of righteousnes Wherfore hereby we be admonished y◠iustification cōmeth not of our workes And although it were so in the rite of Circumcisiō yet are not we in Baptisme bound to any certayn nomber of dayes For Christ hath made vs fre from this In baptisme we are not compelled to an◠certayne nomber of dayes Circumcisiō mought in the primitiue church be retayned for a time kinde of obseruation Howbeit there haue bene some which haue gone aboute in Baptisme also to compell Christians vnto the eyght day But those the Counsell held by Cypriam hath condemned In the primitiue Church Circumcision was for a tyme obserued Augustine also vpon the epistle vnto the Galathians saith that not euery circumcision after Christ was condemned but only that circumcision wherin was put hope of saluation but that circumcisiō which was receaued for this cause only to retaine peace in the Church and the more to aduaunce the preaching of the Gospel mought well be borne with all For this cause Paul suffred Timothe to be circumcised But if it be required to be done as necessary vnto saluation it is by no meanes to be permitted And therfore Paule ernestly resisted and would not suffer Titus to be circumcised as it is written in the epistle to the Galathians They say that euē now very many Churches Many churches of the christians retaine still circumcisiō in the East or in the South retayn still to this day Circumcision together with Baptisme How rightly they do it let them see vnto that Doubtles it is most likely that forasmuch as they haue retayned it so long and that so stifly they put some hope of theyr saluation in it Wherefore they should do much better if they would vtterly omitte it But it shal be good in the meane time to declare Why circumcision bound men to obserue the law how Paul to y◠Galathians sayth that he which is circumcised is debter to obserue the whole law For when Abraham receaued Circumcision the law was not yet geuen Wherefore it semeth that Circumcision had not that of his owne force and nature to binde men to obserue the law But we ought to remember that that whiche the Apostle sayth proceedeth out of an other principle namelye that Circumcision represented Christ as which should come and geue himselfe vpon the crosse and the law should so long be of force vntil Christ came Wherfore seing by Circumcision they testified that he was not as yet come it must nedes follow that they were kept still vnder the law when as the law could only by the comming of Christ be abrogated And with how greate an obseruation God would haue that sacrament to be kept hereby it is manifest for that in the booke of Genesis the 17. chapter he testefieth That the soule which is not circumcised the 8. day should be cut of from his people Ambrose in his booke of Abraham the Patriarch semeth to wonder at this so greate seuerity For God sayth he appoynted How it is sayd that the soule of the vncircumcised should be cut of cities of refuge that if any had by chance or vnwares killed a mā he mought haue a place whether to go that the frendes and kinsfolke of the party slayne should not kill hym so that he had not of set purpose and willingly but by chaunce and vnawares committed the murther Wherfore seing infants did not by their owne will refuse circumcision what reason was there they should bee cut of He answereth that therefore peraduenture God would haue the children depriued of theyr corporall life that in them the parentes might be punished for theyr impiety But he sayth that there were other which were of the opinion that this sentence pertayned not vnto the infants but vnto those in whose power they were as if it had bene sayd that they should be cut of But the very words of the scripture are agaynst this sentence wherefore he turneth himselfe to an allegoricall exposition as though that threatning should pertayn to those which circūcise not the mind which is the strongest most excellentest portion of the soule But suche allegories satisfie not this question Wherfore I thinke that two thinges are necessary to the absoluinge of this doubte The firste is that that threatning pertayned vnto him when he came to full age if he should then allow the negligence of his parents not receaue Circumcision vnto which he was by the law bound The second is that God is not to be accused of iniustice if somtimes he killed the infant being so brought vp vncircumcised For such seuerity mought be of force to admonish mē in how il part God taketh it to haue his sacramentes contemned And if paraduenture thou demaund what is to be What is to be iudged of children that perished without circumcision iudged of the soule of a child so killed hauing not as yet receaued the sacramēt I answer that we ether as touching his saluation or condemnatiō can affirm nothing on neither side For if he pertayned to the number of the elect so that he was predestinate to eternall life there is no cause but that he may be saued forasmuch as grace is not bound vnto the sacraments But if he were a vessell to that end made of God to shew forth in him his wrath and so to be condemned what can we complayne of the seuerity of God especially seing we are all borne the children of wrath and of condemnatiō Howbeit in my iudgmēt we ought to hope well of him for that forasmuch as the promise was geuen vnto the sede of Abraham and he being an infant hath not by any actuall sinne of his owne withdrawen himselfe from the promise it is most likely that he is admitted vnto the kingdome of God Neither oughte we to thincke that he was slayne of God to eternall condemnation but rather to saluation that he shoulde not by mallice change his hart and that by hys death he mought testifye
vnder the law And that is it which condemneth and killeth For it vnder the payne of damnation commaundeth that we should beleue in Christ. Wherefore they which beleue not by the condemnation of the law do perishe But the propriety of the Gospell is only to make safe It mought also be somewhat more plainly aunswered The Gospell as it onely outwardly maketh a souÌ„d â–ª differreth little from the law that the Gospell so long as it doth but outwardly only make a sound neither is the holy ghost inwardly in the hartes of the hearers to moue and bowe them to beleue so long I say the Gospell hath the nature of the killyng letter neyther differeth it any thyng from the Lawe as touchyng efficacye vnto saluation For althoughe it conteyne other thynges then the Lawe dothe yet it canne neyther geue Grace nor remission of synnes vnto the hearers But after that the holy ghost hath once moued yâ— harâ—s of the hearers to beleue then at the length the Gospell obtayneth his power to make safe Wherefore the lawe of sinne â–ª and of death from which we are deliuered is it whereof before it was sayd that it leadeth vs captiâ—â—s and rebelleth against the lawe of the minde In this fight saith Chrisostome the holy ghost is present with vs and helpeth and deliuereth vs that we runne not into dammation He crâ—wneth vs saith he and furnishing vs on euery side with stayes and â—elpes bringeth vs into the battayle Which I thus vnderstand that we are counted crowned through the forgeuenes of our sinnes and holpen with succors when we are so holpen with free and gracious giftes and with the strength of the spirite and instrumente of heauenly giftes that we suffer not this lawe of naturall corruption to raigne in vs. And let this suffice as touching that euill from which we are by the spirite of Christ deliuered Now let vs declare what is the nature of this deliuery This deliuery may indede be compared with that deliuery whereby the children Our deliuery is compared with that deliuery whereby the Israelites escaped out of Egipt of Israell were deliuered out of Egipt But they were not 〈…〉 at liberty but yâ— they were with greeuous perils greate teÌ„ptacions excercised in the desert and when they were come to the land of Canaan they had alwayes remnants of the Amoritres Chittits Heuites and Cetites with whome they had continuall strife We also are so deliuered from death and sinne that yet there still remayneth no small portion of these euils But yet as Paul saith they can not hurt vs. For although it be sinne yet is it not imputed But by death our body shall so be losed and the soule shall so be seperated from it that by meanes of the holy resurrection it shall neuertheles returne againe vnto life And for that cause Paul said not simply that we are deliuered from sinne and from death but from the lawe and power of them Augustine also in his first booke and 32. chapter De Nuptijs concupisceÌ„ntia saith that this deliuery consisteth of the forgeuenes of sinnes which thing also we see happeneth in ciuill affaires For if a man being A similitude cast into prison knowing himselfe to be guilty doth waite for nothing but for yâ— sentence of death and yet through the liberallity and mercy of the king he is not only deliuered from punishment but also the king geueth vnto him greate landes and aboundance of riches and honors if we should consider in him the principall ground and cause of his deliuery we shall finde that it consisteth in the forgeuenes of his crime and offence For what had it profited him so to be enriched if he should straight way haue bene put to death So although by the benefite of the spirite we haue our strengthes renewed and the power or faculty to beginne an obedience forasmuch as by all these thinges the lawe of God can not be satisfied we could neuer be iustified vnles we had first remission of our sinnes For we should still be vnder condemnation and should be vnder the power of sinne and of death And when Paul vseth this word law he speaketh metaphorically For by the lawe he vnderstandeth force and efficacy And he attributeth it vnto sundry This word law is here taken Metaphoricallye thinges vnto sinne vnto death and vnto the spirite and if there be any other thing which hath the authority of ruling and gouerning the same may be called the lawe of him whome it gouerneth and ruleth But as we haue already sufficiently tought when we heare of this word lawe no man ought to thinke that here is spoken of the lawe of Moses And thus much as touching the maner of this deliuery But in this place therecommeth to my remembrance a sentence of Chrisostome in his homely de sancto adorando spiritu wherein he admonisheth that this is an apt place to proue the deuinity of the holy ghost For if the holy ghost be the author of our liberty then it behoueth him to be most frée And that A place to proue the diuinitye of the holy Ghost he is the author of our liberty not only this place declareth but also that place wherein it is written Where the spirite of the Lord is there is liberty But Arrius Eunomius and other such like pestiferous men would haue the holy ghost to be a seruaunt For they in the holy Trinity put a greate difference of persones for the sonne they sayde was a creature and for that cause farre inferior vnto the father but the holye Ghoste they affirmed to bée the minister and seruaunte of the sonne But if he bée a seruaunte howe then can hée bée vnto others the author of libertye He hath indéede other argumentes out of the holy scriptures whereby he confuteth the Arryans but it sufficeth me to haue rehearsed thys one argumente onely because it serueth somewhat for this place Now let vs se who they be that are partakers of this deliuery For Paul doth not superfluously entreate thereof For when he had taught that this libertye commeth of the spirite of Christe althoughe it be the true and principall cause yet bycause it is oftentimes hid nether can it be seene of other men therefore Paul turneth himselfe vnto the effects as vnto thinges more euident For there are many oftentimes which boast of the spirite and of faith which yet are most farre from them and remayne vnder damnation This selfe same maner shall Christ obserue in the last iudgement He shall first say Come ye blessed of my Father receaue ye the kingdome prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world By these wordes is expressed the chiefe and principall cause of our saluatioÌ„ namely yâ— we are elected of God predestinate But bycause this cause is hiddeÌ„ from the eyes The proue by the effectes declareth who are the elect of God of men to the end they might seme true heyres of the
power of God Wherfore some are so agaynst all talke of predestination that straight way as soone as any mencion is made of it they are gone But this they can not do without great iniury vnto the holy ghost as though he would teach any thing which should either be vnprofitable or hurtful But we ought to geue eare vnto Paul They do â—â— which abhorre from the talke of of predestination â–ª who with much profite reasoneth of it And that we may do this without danger we ought to beware of fonde imaginations neither ought we to adde any thyng to that which the holy scripture hath deliuered vnto vs. If we kepe our selues within these bondes we shal runne into no danger at al. Paul did generally put forth that the hatred and loue of God depende only of his will and not of the workes of men Which sentence he now proueth as touching eche part and that by a double testimony of the scripture But before he bringeth forth those testimonyes he obiecteth vnto himselfe that which vnto humane wisedome mought seme vniust What sayth he shall we say Is there iniquity with God if he do thus as pleaseth hym He maketh answere and curseth such a suspicion saying God forbid But the cause why humane reason is so offended if WhereheÌ„ce springeth the offence of humane reason both predestination and reprobation should depend of the mere will of God commeth of this because that men thinke that thereby iustice distributiue which requireth that vnto like be rendred thinges like should thereby be empaired And forasmuch as all men are in the stocke of Adam of like condition they thinke it not iust that one should be predestinated to eternall saluation and an other reiected to eternall destruction Origen to defend this iustice in God tought that the soules of men haue before they come to this life workes ether good or euill for which they are predestinated eyther to destruction or to felicity Pelagius thought that the iustice of God is to be defended by workes foresene A peruerse carefulnes of men which opinion not only he but also many others of the fathers embraced Neither can I inough meruayle that men were so carefull for the iustice of God when as it can come into no daunger at all For the will of God is the first rule of iustice But these selfe same men haue a remisse and negligent care ouer their own iustice which is not only endangered but also ofteÌ„times violated and broken Paul to answere to this error of mans imagination proueth yâ— the election of God is not as these men imagine deriued of iustice distributiue for that God is by no law bound to geue vnto any man those thynges â–ª which he hath decréed to geue but God of his mere mercy liberality taketh some and adorneth them In the parable which the Lord put forth Vnto euery one of the workemen was geuen a peny for their dayes worke vnto those in dede which had labored all the whole day it was geuen of couenant but vnto others which had bene but an houre in the worke it was geuen of mercy And when those yâ— came first were displeased the good man of the house answered Is it not lawfull for me to do with myne owne what I wyll Verely it was lawfull and especially seing the same pertayned to mere mercy But as touching iustice distributiue DistributioÌ„ comming of iustice is one thing â–ª geuing comming of mercy is an other thyng ElectioÌ„ pertaineth not to iustice but vnto mercy Take vp saith he that which is thine and go thy wayes Wherefore he did put a distinction betwene that distribution which is done of iustice and that geuyng which procedeth of mercy So Paul in thys place teacheth that the election of God pertayneth not as these men imagine vnto iustice but vnto mercy And thys he confirmeth by an oracle of the scripture saying For he sayth to Moses I will haue mercy on whome I will haue mercy will shew compassion on whome I will haue compassion By these words God teacheth that there is no other cause of his mercy which he sheweth towardes some but euen his very mercy Wherfore I somewhat meruaile how Pigghius a manne otherwise as he him selfe thinketh ful of wit amongst his principall reasons wherebye he contendeth that God predestinateth by woorkes foreséene putteth this also for one as though if it were not so the iustice of God wherby he distributeth his giftes could by no meanes consist For how séeth he not that the Apostle obiecteth vnto himself the selfe same thinge and dissolueth the same by no other reason but for that God herein dealeth not with vs by law or by duety but by mercy For this doth the oracle which is here cited most plainely declare But it is woorthy to be laughed at to ascribe vnto Paul that which he by all meanes auoyded to speake To go aboute God is not to be broght into an order to deale with God by law is to séeke to bring God to an order whiche thing as no man can do so is it not mete that any endued with reason should attempt to do it And Paul when he saith What shall we say then Is there iniquity with God by these woordes declareth that he knewe right well what commonlye commeth into the mindes of men when they heare this matter reasoned of This also is to be noted that although Paul could haue excused his doctrine that these absurde thinges followed not of that which he had toughte yet was he moued with a feruente desire of piety to repell this blasphemy and to aunswere God forbid â–ª As though he woulde haue said it is no vpright dealing to thinke any such thinge of God And he addeth a reason for that that can not be vniuste whiche God testifieth of himselfe and acknowledgeth to be his â–ª Now God himselfe sayd vnto Moses I will haue mercy on whome I will haue mercy and will shew compassion on whom I will shew compassion In this sentence are two thinges to be noted first that those good thinges which God The cause of yâ— gifts of God which he geueth vs is not to be sought for without his goodnes hath decreed vnto vs depend onely of his mercy secondly that the cause of them is not to be sought for without the beneuolence of God For he saith vnto Moses that he will shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy Now if God do prescribe these limits vnto our knowledge they ought to be counted to much presumptious which will séeke to go further I before noted that Origen and Ierome to Hedibia thought that these woordes vnto this place O man what art thou which aunswerest vnto God are put vnder the person of the aduersary which is farre straunge from the due order of the text For Paul did put his owne aunswere when he answered his aduersaries God forbid Wherefore it is méete that those thinges which
mercy for that they haue purged themselues from filthines But what the verye meaning of that place is we haue before declared And that the Gentiles performed by nature those thinges which are of the law we thus expounded that they did many things in outward discipline which were coÌ„maunded in the law of Moses as in yâ— they eschued thefts whordomes adulteries other such like sins Wherfore Paul coÌ„cluded yâ— they waÌ„ted not the knowledge of vice vertue of right and wrong so yâ— when in many things they fell sinned they could not be excused by reason of ignoraunce There are others which vnderstand those wordes of the Gentiles now conuerted vnto Christ which being endewed with the holy ghost executed the commaundementes of God and declared both in life and in maners yâ— righteousnes consisteth not of the law of Moses of which thing yâ— Iewes continually boasted of But the first interpretacioÌ„ more agreeth with the words of the Apostle But whether soeuer interpretacion be admitted Origen hath therby no defence to proue that men attayne vnto righteousnes by the worthines True righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor of men but of the goodnes of God The Iews did not rightly follow righteousnes of workes Yea rather the very wordes of the Apostle most plainly declare that true righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor or worthines of men but of the goodnes and mercy of God For he sayth that the Israelites following the law of righteousnes attained not vnto righteousnes But this semeth vnto humane reason very absurd namely that those which followed not should obteyne and those which followed should be frustrated Howbeit this we ought to consider that the Israelites did not vprightly and lawfully seke it For if they had sought it according to the meaning of the law for as much as Christ is the end of the law they had doubtles beleued in him and so should haue bene iustified But by cause Paul in this place twise repeteth the righteousnes of the law some thinke yâ— those wordes are not in either place to be a like vnderstanded For in the first place by the law of rightousnes they thinke is to be vnderstanded the outward law and in the second place the true righteousnes as though Paul should saye that the Iewes applied themselues vnto the outward obseruation of the law but could not attayne vnto the true righteousnes in Christ Which interpretation I indede dislike not howebeit I thinke that these wordes may in eyther place be taken in one and the same sence so that the meaning is although that Wherfore the law of God is called the law of righteousnes the Iewes had purposed in theyr minde to kepe the law geuen them of God which law is called the law of righteousnes for that in it is contayned moste perfect righteousnes yet being voyde of fayth and of the spirite of Christ they could not kepe the law and therfore they were frustrated of theyr purpose and of that which they had determined in theyr minde so that they neyther had the true righteousnes which the Gentiles had obteyned and also were frustrated of that righteousnes which they sought for And the ground of that error was The grouÌ„d of the error of the Iewes in folowing of righteousnes Faith the soule of the commaundementes of God for that they being destitute of fayth and in the meane time supposing that they mought be iustified by workes applied themselues vnto workes only But without fayth these thinges are in vayne enterprised For fayth is the soule and life of all those thinges which are commaunded in the law Seing therfore that they fayled of the prescript of the law they had not Christ by whome their transgression of the law mought be forgeuen and by whome that which wanted mought be supplied And these workes whereof Paul speaketh the Fathers referre vnto the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses but that as we haue declared is straÌ„ge from the very methode and doctrine which Paul vseth in thys epistle The contencion indede at the first beganne as we haue oftentimes said aboute ceremonies But Paul to proue that they can not iustify added a generall What Paul in this place vnderstandeth by workes In the obteinyng of rightousnes workes are as contrary opposed vnto fayth They which ascribe righteousnes vnto workes are not iustified proposition namely that no workes of what kinde soeuer they be in as much as they are workes haue power to iustify wherefore Paul in this place by workes vnderstandeth not only ceremonies but also all dewties of life This moreouer is worthy to be noted that Paul in this place in such sort affirmeth that righteousnes is taken hold of by fayth that vnto it he opposeth workes as contrary For when he had said that the Gentiles attayned vnto righteousnes by fayth streight way he addeth that the Iewes fell away from the law of righteousnes although they endeuored themselues thereunto namely for that they sought it not by fayth But why they sought it not by fayth he geueth a reason for that they sought it by workes Whereof it followeth that they are not iustified which abscribe righteousnes vnto workes For to put conâ—idence in them and to attribute righteousnes vnto them is an assured and euident let that thou canst not attayne vnto the true righteousnes Chrisostome noteth that these wordes of Paul which eyther pertayne vnto the Gentiles or which pertayne vnto the Iewes may be reduced to thrée wonderful principal poynts For first of the Gentiles he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes which Three things here out gathered against the meaning of the Iewes How the righteousnes of faith is greater then the righteousnes of workes thing the Iewes could in no case abide to heare for they would haue had none but themselues counted to pertayne to the kingdome of Christ SecoÌ„dly which is also more wonderfull he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes when as they gaue not themselues vnto righteousnes And which is most wonderfull of all he sayth that the righteousnes of fayth which the Gentiles tooke hold of is farre greater then the righteousnes of workes And therefore Paul before in this selfe same epistle thus wrote If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath glory but he hath not whereof to glory before God But how the righteousnes of fayth is greater and ercellenter then the righteousnes of workes is thus to be vnderstanded that although the workes of men not regenerate seme to be honest and notable and bring with them a certayne ciuill righteousnes yet notwithstanding is that righteousnes of so small valew that before God it is none at all yea rather it is counted for sinne Farther the holines and vprightnes of works which are done of men regenerate although it please God yet can it not abide to be examined tried by his exacte iudgmeÌ„t For our righteousnesses are like a cloth stayned with the naturall course of
the second part he left out the name of stipend and of righteousnes and in stéede of them put in the name of grace Neither do I greatly passe that Augustine in an other place writeth that Paul mought haue sayd the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life and yet he would not say so least he should haue geuen occasion of erring For how Augustine thought that Paul mought haue sayd it vndoubtedly I sée not vnles paraduenture by righteousnes he vnderstand the workes of men regenerate forasmuch as with those workes the merites of Christ are ioyned For so it might be true that eternall life is the stipend of such a righteousnes Farther Origen goeth on and sheweth that men are so iustified fréely How eternall lyfe may be called the 〈…〉 pend of righteousnes that good workes are not required to go before For expounding this sentence Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen The soule saith he whose sinnes are forgeuen must needes now be in good state for it is called blessed Wherefore it hath righteousnes which God imputeth vnto it although it haue not yet done any workes of righteousnes but only for that it hath beleued in him whiche iustifieth the vngodly Out of these words we gather many thinges First that God for works sake is not made debtor vnto any man Secondly that not only iustification but also eternall life is geuen fréely Lastly that righteousnes is imputed vnto the mindes of the beleuers although no good workes went before in them Basilius vpon these wordes of the 114. Psalme Be thou conuerted my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath done good vnto thee For saith he eternall rest is set forthe vnto them which in this life haue wrestled lawfully which yet is not rendered accordyng to the merite of workes but is geuen according to the grace of the most liberall God vnto them which haue hoped in him Seyng these thinges are spoken of the workes of men already iustified as touching eternall felicity then are they to be counted much more true if they be referred vnto the workes of them which are yet strangers frō Christ Wherfore euen as those merite not an eternall reward no more also can these merite iustification For both these thinges are geuen fréely Augustine in his booke De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis chap. 48. If by the law saith he commeth righteousnes then dyed Christ in vayne So also may we say if by nature come righteousnes Christ dyed in vayne This spake he against the Pelagians who affirmed that the liberty of man was so great that by nature onely it could do thynges acceptable vnto God And Augustine warely transferreth vnto nature that which Paul spake of the law and sheweth that the selfe same absurditie followeth either namely that the death of Christ is made in vayne For in very dede there is no other cause why the law bringeth not righteousnes but onely because nature is vitiate and weake Wherfore that which is spokē of the one may rightly agrée with the other The same Augustine vpon the first chapter of Iohn expoūding these wordes Grace for grace what saith he is grace He aunswereth That which is frely geuen What is grace frely geuen That which is not rendred saith he as due For if it were due vnto thee then it is a reward rendred If it were due thou wast before good And in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum the 7. chap. Let no man extoll himselfe as it is customably said Therfore deserued he to beleue because he was a good man and that before he beleued which thyng semeth to be written of Cornelius when as yet he had fayth when he did good workes These wordes are so playne that they haue no néede of declaration Chrisostome in his 2. homely vpon the first epistle Chrisostom vnto the Cor. Where grace saith he is there are not workes and where works are there is not grace Wherfore if it be grace why are ye proude by what meanes are ye puffed vp Chrisostome according to the maner of Paul so opposeth grace against workes that the one excludeth the other so far is it of that he will haue grace to be geuen for workes Ierome vpon the epistle to Philemon Grace saith he is whereby ye are saued and Ierome that by no merite or worke The same Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Ephes expoūding these wordes By grace ye are made safe through fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God Paul saith he therefore spake this least some hidden thought should crepe into vs if by our workes we be not saued vndoubtedly yet by faith we are saued so that in an other kinde it commeth of vs that we are saued All these testimonies sufficiently declare that iustification is geuē fréely neither can it be gotten by any merites or workes goyng before Now resteth to declare out of the fathers how good workes are to be estemed Vndoubtedly they follow iustification as the fruites therof which spring and burgē forth out of true faith Wherfore Origene sayth in that place which we haue before cited expounding these wordes vnto the Romanes But vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherfore saith he not out of workes commeth the roote of righteousnes but out of the roote of righteousnes encreaseth the fruite of workes Whiche selfe thing Augustine affirmeth vnto Honoratus saying Hereout spring good works for that we are iustified and not because good workes went before therfore are we iustified And in his first booke second question ad Simplicianum Yea and workes saith he if there be any that be good do follow as it is said that grace and go not before it And therfore he addeth If there be any good because euen the workes of the regenerate haue in thē much imperfection and vnles the righteousnes of Christ which is imputed vnto the beleuers were ioyned with those workes they should not in very dede be good The same father in his 26. chapter de spiritu Litera at large entreateth this place vnto the Romanes Not the herers of the law shal be iustified but the doers and by many reasons he proueth that good workes follow iustification and go not before To this also tendeth that which Basilius writeth in his second booke De spiritu sancto the 7. chap. of the wordes of the Lord that first it behoueth that the trée be good then his fruites to be good that the Phariseis were reproued which in theyr dishes cups made cleane y◠which was without Make cleane sayth he that which is within and that which is without shal be cleane otherwise ye shal be compared vnto painted sepulchers which in dede without seme beautiful but with in are vncleane and full of dead mens bones What counsels are to be harkned vnto Now let vs come vnto the Counsells which yet are not without choyce and iudgement
place and as here the gift of healinges and of miracles followeth fayth so doth there the remouing of mountaines wherfore those thinges which Paul hath spoken of a perticular fayth ought not to be wrested to the vniuersal and iustifieng fayth For that is to make a false argument A secunduÌ„ quid ad simpliciter As if a man should say this fayth may be seperated from iustification which is called fayth secundum quid ergo the true fayth and the iustifieng faith which is called fayth simpliciter that is to say absolutely may be seperated from iustification If a man should so compare two seuerall kindes that he will ascribe one and the selfe same propriety vnto either of them he shall soone be deceaued But Pigghius saw that by this easy and playne exposition all his reasoning may be ouerthrowen and therfore went he about by violence to take it from vs forgetting in the meane time that the author and patrone therof is Chrisostome And to infring it he vseth this argument Vniuersall propositioÌ„s are to be drawen vnto thâ— matter wherof is at that tyme entrâ—ated Paul manifestly sayth All fayth Wherfore we may not vnderstand it of any singular faith For the Apostle maketh an vniuersall propositioÌ„ But this man ought to remember that vniuersall propositions are to be contracted or draweÌ„ vnto that matter wherof is at that time entreated And although this might be declared by many examples yet at this present only one shall suffice vs. Paul in that selfe same epistle vnto the Corrinthians the first chapiter sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God for them for that they were enriched in all kind of speach and in all knowledge And yet it is not very likely that they were by the spirite of Christ endewed with naturall philosophy with Metaphisicall and Mathemathematicall knowledge with knowledge of the law and with other liberall sciences but only with all knowledge which perttayned vnto piety and vnto the Gospell Neyther is it likely that they by the power of the holy ghost were adorned with all kind of Rhetorical Logicall Poeticall and historicall speaches but onely with those which pertayned vnto the edification of the church with sounde doctrine and godly admonitions Wherfore propositions although they be vniuersall yet are not alwayes to be vnderstanded simply but ought sometimes to be drawen vnto the matter wherof is at that time entreated Wherfore that which Paul sayth If I haue all faith we vnderstand of all that faith which serueth vnto the working of miracles And that this contraction is of necessitie the wordes which followe do declare For Paul straight way addeth So that I can remoue mountaynes Chrisostome also saith that he in that vniuersalitie saw that this perticuler sentence is of necessity to be vnderstand For he saith that it may be doubted how Christ saith that to remoue mouÌ„taines a little faith is sufficient which in his smalnes of quantitie resembleth a grain of mustard sede wheÌ„ as Paul saith If I haue all faith so that I caÌ„ remoue mountains as though to bring that to passe is required a woÌ„derful great faith He thus dissolueth the question and saith that Christ spake of the truth nature of the thing for the gift of faith though it be neuer so small is sufficient to worke miracles be they neuer so great but Paul had a respect vnto the common opinion and iudgement of men for they when they looke vpon the greatnes and hugenes of a mountaine thinke that it cannot be remoued without a certaine incredible efficacy and greatnes of faith Neither helpeth it much Pighius cause that Erasmus makyng Erasmus opinion aunswer vnto the Sorbonicall doctors reiecteth this our interpretation For first his reason is very weake and secondly false for he saith that the purpose of the Apostle was to prayse charity by comparison But what prayse should that be saith he if it should be compared with faith which is one of the frée giftes of the holy ghost and may light as wel vpon the wicked as vpon the godly For he should but coldly prayse a man which should say that he is better theÌ„ a dogge or a beare First this is false that Paul compareth not charity with frée gifts of God For he maketh mencion of prophesâ—eng of knowledge and of the gifte of tounges and preferreth Charity before them Secondly it is weake that he sayth that if our interpretation be receaued the Apostle shoulde compare Charity onely with frée gifts For we confesse that toward the end he coÌ„pareth it with the true fayth For Paule saith there are thre things faith hope and charitie but the chiefest is charitie And he bringeth a reason why for it abideth and the other shall cease Farther it is a full comparison if as we haue sayd we begin at the frée gifts and so afterwarde come in order to the vertues Theological yea rather by that that Paule towarde the ende of the chapiter compareth charitie with true faith it is most likely that he did not so before But if we should fully graunt this vnto Pighius that that faith wherof Paul speaketh is yâ— vniuersal faith wherby men are iustified yet neither so vndoubtedly should he obtain his purpose For yâ— Apostle going about by al maner Figurâ— fictionis â–ª of meanes to set forthe charitie thought to amplifie yâ— same by a fiction or faining which is a figure of Rhetorike knowen euen vnto children And yet doth not Paul therfore bring a false proposition for he vseth a conditional proposition which we may not resolue into a categoricall proposition yet notwithstanding is the truth in the meane time kept As if I should say vnto a man if thou haddest the life or vse of the reasonable soule without the life or vse of the sensible soule thou shouldest not be affected with pertâ—rbations of minde no man coulde reproue this kinde of speache to be false And yet it is not possible that in a man the reasonable life should be seperated from the animall life Such kinde of speaches also are fouÌ„d in the holy scriptures As for example If I shall ascend vp into heauen thou art there if I shall desceÌ„d down into hell thou art present And if I take the fethers of the morning and dwell in the vttermost endes of the sea thither shall thy right hand leade me These sentences are true and yet is it not possible that a man should take vnto him the fethers of the morning After the same manner we say if a man should seperate faith from charitie he should make it vnprofitable although in very déede it can not be seperated from charitie And that Paule in that place vsed suche an Hyperbole or fiction that manifestly declareth which he a little before spake Though I should speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and haue not charitie I am made as a sounding brasse or a tingling cimball But we knowe that Angels haue neyther bodyes nor
it is in very déede the body of a man I vtterly deny For death taketh away from the body of a man the proper forme which he had before but it leaueth the generall word so that it can only be called a body So true and iustifying fayth when it is lost ceasseth to be the true and proper fayth it may indéede as touching the generall word be called a certayne cold assent sprong of humane perswasion and not such as commeth of the holy ghost and which hath the selfe same strength and efficacy that it had before Wherefore if on either side be kept the selfe same proportion of the similitude this wonderfull strong buttresse shal make nothing against vs. For as we confesse that a dead body is a body so also do we graunt that a dead fayth is fayth so that by fayth we vnderstand the generall word of fayth and not that liuely and true fayth whereby we are iustified It is paralogismus aequiuocationis that is a false argument comming of diuers significations of a word He addeth moreouer that fayth can not iustify because of his owne nature it True fayth is not a dead fayth is a thing dead and receaueth life of an other thing namely of charity and of good workes These obiections are vayne and triflyng For none that is in hys right wit will graunt that true fayth is a dead thing For the iust man is sayde to liue by his faith And if out of fayth we draw life how can it then vnto any man seme dead But that it taketh life of an other thing we deny not for it hath it partly Frō whēce faith hath life of those things which it beleueth namely of Christ and of the promises of God and partly of the holy ghost by whose breathing it is inspired In this sort we will graunt that it hath life of an other thing but not in that sort that this man wyll namely that it hath it either of charity or of good workes For what man that is well in his wits will euer say that either the stocke of a trée or the branches or A similitude the fruites or the flowers geue life vnto the rootes And fayth is before either hope or charity Therefore of them it receaueth not life for in very déede fayth can not be the matter of these vertues And euen as that faculty or power which they call vegetatiue geueth life vnto the body and receaueth not life of the faculty or powere sensitiue or rational which foloweth so faith geueth life vnto the soule but How fayth is encreased by good workes taketh not that life either of charity or of good works Howbeit I graunt that that life of fayth is made so much the greater ampler as it hath mo better works and more feruenter charity bursting forth out of it and not that it is increased of many and often repeticion of actions as it is sayd of vertues which they cal moral but because God of his grace and mercy multiplieth the talent for that it was not idle and because God by his power bringeth to passe that fayth when it worketh through loue is stronger then it selfe when it is remisse in working But omitting these things let vs returne agayne to Pighius He as much as lieth in hym contendeth that a man can not be iustified by that fayth whiche is in Christ and in the remission of sinnes For that fayth sayth he whereby Abraham was iustified was not applyed vnto these thinges For God promised vnto hym onely a plentifull séede and possession of a countrey And straight way it is added that Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes In this argument Pighius triumpheth and is violent agaynst the truth and vtterly derideth our sentence But this is nothing ells then to deride Paul himselfe For he by most expresse wordes affirmeth that we are iustified by fayth in Christ and by the remission of sinnes Neyther is there any thing ells in Pighius then a mere madnes and a wicked desire to contēd But let Paul come forth and answere for him selfe what he thought is to be vnderstand by the séede promised vnto Abraham Vndoubtedly in his epistle vnto the Galathiās the third chapiter he calleth that séede Christ Vnto Abraham sayth he were made the promises and vnto his seede He sayth not and vnto the seedes as speaking of many but as is were of one and in thy seede whiche is Christ. And this testament I say was confirmed by God towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beleue Paul that in that seede which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and declared neither let him euer from hence forth with such malepertnes and desire of victory take vppon him to say that y◠fayth wherby Abraham was iustified was not fayth in Christe But as touching the remission of sinnes forasmuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall poynt therof herein consisteth that we should be receaued of God into fauour and that our sins should be forgeuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestly to oppunge y◠doctrine of the apostle touching y◠iustification of Abraham For he sayth y◠before Abraham was circumcised had a testimony of the scripture that his fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes he beleued God as it is manifest by the 12. chapiter of Genesis Wherfore sayth he according to this your sentēce he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that history which is had in the 15. chapter It is wonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were takē away from vs al possibility to answer what I besech you letted but that Abraham At what tyme Abraham was iustified mought be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrey and from his kindred For euen in the selfe place at the beginning of the 12. chapiter are had the selfe same promises which are had in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great naciō and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I wil also blesse those that blesse thee wil curse those that curse thee and in the shall all thee families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedly in these words is conteyned the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therfore there shal be no absurdity if we say that Abrahā by beleuing of those wordes also was iustified But bycause the scripture in that chapiter did not playnly set forth this therfore Paul with great wisdome hath cited those wordes which are had in the 15. chapter where it is expressedly written that fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes which sentence was most necessary to confirme the sentence of the Apostle namely that a man is iustified by Why God
abideth in death and therby he concludeth that of loue is had iustification life This is al one as if a man should say he which can not laugh is not a man Ergo by the power of laughing a man obtaineth to be a man But how absurd this is euery man may easely perceiue For to be men we haue it of the soule endued with reason Vnto which soule for as muche as the power of laughing is of necessitie ioyned this proposition which we haue brought is euer true He which can not laughe is not a man So is that most certaine which Iohn saith That he which loueth not abideth in deathe although he haue not life of loue but of faith wherewith loue is of necessity ioyned He citeth also those wordes of Christ If ye had God to your father doubtlesse ye should loue me Therfore sayth he of loue we haue the adoption whereby we are made the childrē of God But here also he vseth the self same forme of reasoning For they which loue not Christ are not the children of God and yet haue we not of loue to be the children of God but of faith out of which loue springeth After the selfe same maner a man mought say if thou wert liberall thou shouldest also be prudent And this in déede is a true proposition And yet it foloweth not that a mā is by liberalitie made prudent Yea much rather of prudence springeth liberalitie To be brief these arguments and such other like conclude nothing else then that iustification can not consist without loue and other christian vertues And yet cā not thereof be rightly gathered that a man is iustified for these vertues sake Pighius addeth moreouer this sentence of Christ If any man loue me he will keepe my commaundementes and I and my father will come to him and make ou◠abiding with him By these words it appeareth saith he that iustification foloweth of loue and the obseruing of the commaundements of God For those being obserued Christ promiseth that he will come with his father and abide with vs. For he thinketh that to receiue and to retaine Christ is nothing ells then to be iustified We confesse that when Christians being now regenerate and iustified doo liue vprightly and by good workes doo shew forth theyr fayth God commeth vnto them and heapeth them vp with greater giftes and a more ample grace For God although otherwise he be euery where yet is expressedly sayd to come vnto them in whome he beginneth to worke new workes And sithen he dayly encreaseth and adorneth his which behaue themselues vprightly and godly and faythfully excercise the talents committed vnto them it is very well sayd that he dayly cōmeth vnto them by reason of new giftes And this is that kind of visiting wherof Christ speaketh in the Gospell of Iohn But if we will know the first accesse of God comming of Christ vnto our hartes to dwell in them Paul teacheth it vs to the Ephesians For thus he writeth That Christ may thorough fayth dwell in your hartes Wherfore this sentence of Christ teacheth not that iustification commeth of loue For iustification goeth before it although not in time yet in order Pighius procedeth and maketh such a distinction of testaments that some he sayth are absolute and fre by which the heyre may streight way enter vpō the inheritance other some are conditionall which make no heyre but vpon certayne conditions And to this latter kind referreth he the testamēt of God And therfore contendeth he y◠except those conditions be performed none can be iustified Here we deny his assumpt namely that the testament of God touching the remission The promise concerning iustification hath not a condition ioyned of sinnes in Christ hath any condition ioyned with it Which thing Paul testifieth in his 3. chapiter to the Galathians when he thus writeth ▪ Brethern I speake accorto the maner of men Though it be but a mans testament yet when it is confirmed no mā doth abrogate it or adde any thing therunto Now to Abraham were made the promises and to his sede he sayd not To the sedes as speaking of many but as of one and in thy sede which is Christ. And this I say that the law whiche began 430. yeares after can not disanul the testament before approued of God towards Christ that it should make the promises of none effect These wordes most manifestly declare that the testament which God made with Abraham was pure and absolute without any condition of y◠law Which thing the words of Genesis declare For God once promised vnto Abraham the blessing Afterward was geuen the law which vnto those promises should adde conditions of precepts so that if men would be iustified and obteyne them they should know that they must performe accomplish all the commaundementes of God But this latter way of iustification although it can by no meanes be accomplished can not let or make voyd the first way But that first way was nothing ells but the Gospell thorough Christ And that men should the more willingly come vnto it there was set forth also the latter way of iustificatiō by works that men when they vnderstode that they were not able to performe them should fly vnto Christ of whome when as being iustified they endeuored themselues to liue vprightly they might fréely receaue the promises set forth in the law Now let vs sée what be those conditions which this man ascribeth vnto the Testament of God In the. 103. Psalme it is written The mercy of the Lord is from generation vnto generation vpon them that feare him and his righteousnesse vpon childrens children vpon those which kepe his testament and are mindfull of his commaundements to doe them Of these words Pighius gathereth that the feare of God the mindefulnes of the Testament of God the endeuor to performe his commaundements are the conditions of the promises of God But here I do not a litle meruail y◠Pighius would affirme that a man is iustified by loue whē as he confesseth that the holy scripture attributeth the same vnto feare But we wil not stick with Pighius y◠he be contrary vnto himselfe But if we wil harken vnto the scriptures in y◠33. Psalme Mercy is promised vnto thē that hope For thus it is written And him that hopeth in God mercy shall compasse about Also in an other place it is written he which beleueth shall not be confounded and he which calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be made safe But who séeth not that all these vertues are in a man already iustified and that God hath mercy vpon him But here lay all the controuersie vnto which of these vertues chiefly iustification is to be ascribed Vndoubtedly by the testimony of the scriptures the same is to be attributed vnto faith Pighius saith moreouer that in that condition which he alleaged is sayde that they should be mindfull of the commaundements of God
the fayth of the sonne of God And Abacuch the Prophet sayth The iust man liueth by his fayth Paul mought aptly commaund these thinges when as he had before aboundantly reasoned of Iustification and of the life of the soule which is to be obteyned by fayth Wherfore by this place we are taught that men not yet iustified can not be such sacrifices For they want that life which the holy ghost aboue all other things requireth Holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Etymologye of which word Plato thus describeth in Cratylo Men not yet iustified cannot be sacrifices vnto God What holy is as though it were composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a particle priuatiue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is earth wherfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are thinges impolluted and chused from all earthly filthines and dregges And with the Latines this word sanctum that is holy signifieth yâ— which is consecrated with bloud as Seruius sayth writing vppon these wordes in the 12. booke of Aeneidos Qui foedera numine sancit And his opinion is that sancire amongst the elders was to coÌ„secrate with bloud Martian the Lawyer in the Title De rerum diuisione sayth Sanctum is a thing vnuiolated and which is defended and guarded from the iniury of men And he thinketh that the name is deriued of the Herbes called * Sagmen is a kind of grasse plucked vp with earth sagmina which the Legates of Romanes caried with them to the end their enemies should do them no violence But Vlpian De significatione verborum sayth that Sanctum signifieth all one with firme fixed stable And that sancire is all one with to appoint constantly to decre All these significations agree very wel with that thing whereof we now entreate For our sacrifice ought to be consecrated with the bloud of Christe Further it ought to be certayne and stable which ought neuer to be reuoked or to be chaunged and finally it ought to be purged from the filthines of sinnes Acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable worshipping Plato in Eutiphrone when he had appointed to entreate of holines confuted this definition wherein that was sayd to be holy which is beloued of God For he thinketh that Thinges holy haue this property to be beloued of god this is rather a property of holines then the definition thereof For thinges holy séeme to haue this propriety to be beloued of God Therfore the Apostle aptly vnto holines of life addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is acceptable vnto God And it is all one as if he should haue sayd If your sacrifice be holy it shall also be acceptable vnto GOD. And in the meane tyme he séemeth to haue alluded to that which is written in the law namely that God accepted as a most swéete smelling sauour those sacrifices whiche are done as they shoulde be done The Hebrues saye Richan Iehouah Your reasonable worshipping This oblation is called reasonable by an Why our worshipping is called reasonable Antithesis to the sacrifices of the Iewes and of the Gentiles For they consisted of brute beastes or els as Origen interpreteth it for that our sacrifice is such that we therof can render a reason to them that require it Such doubtles were not the sacrifices of the elders For the Iewes could geue no reason why God chose out for his sacrifices rather these beastes then other or why he would be worshipped rather after this maner then after that That which we in Latine reade Cultum that is worshipping is in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche woord as the Latine Fathers write and especially Augustine in his 10. boke De ciuitate Dei the 1. chapiter properly signifieth the worshipping of GOD. For although sayth he manye other things are worshipped yet this worship called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belongeth not vnto them As touching the substance of the thing we deny not but that vnto God is dewe a certayne worshippinge whiche is not to be communicated vnto thinges created Howbeit that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth with the Grecians always so signifie I am not able to affirme for as Suidas sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to serue for a reward or hire And in the holy Scriptures where we reade that the festiuall dayes ought so to be kept that in them should be done no seruile worke yâ— Greke edition hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also that is to serue doth not so properly belong vnto creatures that it is not also attributed vnto God For the Apostle many tymes calleth him self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the seruaunt of Iesus Christ as also with the Hebrues this word Abad which signifieth to serue signifieth yâ— obeysance which we geue both vnto God and also vnto yâ— creatures By these wordes we may gather that all Christians are now sacrificers as which ought not only to sacrifice themselues but also others which thing they chiefly accomplish All christians are sacrificers The ministers of the worde of God aboue all other do sacrifice which preach teach exhort and admonishe their neighbours to returne vnto Christ yâ— when they fal they should repent and returne againe into the right waye This thing Paul pronounceth of himselfe in the 15. chapiter of this epistle By the grace sayth he which is geuen vnto me that I should be the Minister of God amongest the Gentiles In that place sayth that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he should say that he sacrificed the Gospel that the oblation of the Gentiles might be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is acceptable sanctified in spirite c. But in my iudgement it séemeth most likely that Paul ment in these wordes to comfort those which were newly conuerted vnto Christ aswell Iewes as Gentiles For our religion mought séeme vnto them at the first sight very slender and bare as which wanted that goodly shew and outward decking of sacrifices But Our religion wantâ—th not conuenient sacrifices the matter sayth Paul is farre otherwise then ye thinke it is For we also haue our sacrifices but they be liuing holy reasonable and acceptable vnto GOD. What more sharper spurres can be put to our sydes to cause vs to leade a godly and holy life then to be taught that we ought all to be such sacrifices the offrers vp also of those oblations He that is not moued with theie reasons to liue holily and innocently I sée not doubtles by what other meanes he can be moued And apply not your selues to the figure of this world but be ye transformed in newnes of your minde that ye may allow what is the will of God good acceptable and perfect And applye not your selues to the figure of this world but be ye transformed in newnes of your mind They which teache Musicke do
not onely teache how The order of teachyng vsed of Mâ—sicions men should singe but also do therewithall inculcate how men should not sing that the scholers may perceaue both what thy ought to follow and what to auoyde So Paul here teacheth what is to be done in this sacrifice what is to be eschewed Imitate not sayth he this world He vseth the figure Metonomia by the worlde to vnderstand men not yet regenerate For they are rightly sayd to be of this world for that their affectes and maners are vile and filthy For men nowe regenerate Worlde what it here signifieth although they liue in the world yet as Christ sayd vnto the Apostles they are not of the world for they are continually conuersant in heauen as Paul sayth to the Philippians And that which the Apostle in this place requireth at our handes the self same requireth he in the 4. chapiter to the Ephesians This sayth he I say and testifie in the Lord that henceforth ye walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanity of their mind hauing their reason darkened and being straungers from the life of God through the ignoraÌ„ce that is in them and the blindnes of their hart which being past all felâ—â—g haue geuen themselues to wantoÌ„nes to worke all vncleanes eueÌ„ with gredines These are yâ— chiefest faults sinnes of the childreÌ„ of this world froÌ„ which Paul calleth vs backe Chrisostome expounding thys place waigheth these two wordes What difference betwene a forme and a figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is if I may so terme it be ye configured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is be ye transformed And he putteth a great differeÌ„ce betwene this word forme this word figure For the good things of this world as they are weake transitory haue rather as he thinketh the nature of a figure then of a forme For so sayth Paul writing to the Corrinthians the figure of thys world is gone For riches honours and pleasures are thynges sayth he most vncertayne For they haue not a sound forme but are beholden and séene onely as a person playing in a stage play so yâ— they are rather a spectacle or shew vnto vs then that we can in very déede haue the fruition of them And forasmuch as such thinges are crooked and oblique they ought not to be vnto vs a rule of life and especially seing that we are made to the Image of God whereunto only we ought perpetually to applye our selues vnles we will fall away from our natiue dignity These things which Chrisostome thus mencioneth are both true and godly although I can scarse thinke that Paul had any consideration of any such thing For with hym there is not so great a differeÌ„ce betwene a forme and a figure Yea rather eche worde is oftentimes vsed for one and the selfe same ihing For vnto the Phillippians he sayth that the sonne of God tooke vppon him the forme of a seruaunte and was founde in figure as a man Although whether so euer exposition be receaued I thinke it skilleth not much In renewing of your mynde Vnles our mynde had ben corrupted and now Iâ— the renuing of the mynde be commaunded then was it corrupt enfected with some oldnes Paul would neuer haue added this particle For we renew not but onely those thinges which now through oldnes are worne and corrupted And seing that the Apostle as before by the body so here by the minde vnderstandeth the whole man it may séeme straunge why he before vsed the name of the body and afterward the name of the mynde But the aunswere is not hard He before entreated of yâ— sacrifice wherin are to be slayne corrupt affects sinnes which affectes and sinnes forasmuch as they haue crept in through the body the fleshe which we haue by propagation drawen from Adam therefore the Apostle in that place vsed this word body rather then the name of mynde But here where is entreated of renewing which beginneth at the minde and is afterward spred abroad into the affectes and grosser partes of the soule that it commeth also Whether the mind be incorrupt in them that are not regenerate vnto the body and vnto the members thereof he would first make mencion of the mynde which ought first to be renewed Many contend that this part of our soule is yet whole and vncorrupt For as Aristotle sayth in his Ethikes it séemeth alwayes to encline to good thinges Which thing I confesse and know that amongst the philosophers were Socrates and certaine others endewed with a wonderfull innocency of life and vpright maners for that reason alwayes stirred theÌ„ vp to notable and excellent factes But these thinges they did not neither after an vpright maner nor to a dew ende nor with a sound entent For they had not a regard vnto the honor of God nor to his will nor the true and pure worshipping of him This thing onely they followed which they had set before them to rest themselues in thereby to make themselues perfect for that they had chosen vnto themselues such orders of life This was that spot and corruption wherewith their mynde was excedingly contaminated Yea we also although we be regenerate yet haue not as yet our mynde in all thinges clensed Wherefore this admonition was néedefull eueÌ„ for the Romanes which were conuerted vnto Christ And that our mynde ought so to be renewed Paul admonisheth also vnto the The minde of the regenerate is not in all pointes cleansed Ephesians Be ye renewed sayth he in the spirit of your mynde And in what estate our minde was when we liued without Christ we are taught in the selfe same epistle Amongst whome sayth he we also were conuersaunt doing the will of the fleshe and of reason And in the first chapiter to yâ— Collossians he sayth that we were alienated from God in euill works and were enemyes in mynde The Apostle exhorteth to this renewing by a reason taken of the end namely that we should allow what is the will of God Neither doth he here require a common allowing but such an What approbation of his wil god requireth allowing whereby we in very déede follow and embrace the commaundementes of God For otherwise as touching the common allowing we know that saying of the Poet concerning Medea Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor that is I sée good thinges and I allow them but I follow the worse And in this epistle in the 2. chapiter Behold thou art a Iew and restest in the law and gloriest in God and knowest his will and allowest thinges that are profitable Howbeit straight way he writeth of the selfe same Iew Thou whiche teachest an other teachest not thy selfe thou that preachest a man should not sheale stealest If this be the nature of a minde renewed to acknowledge the wil of God that is with a sound iudgement The philosophers had not a minde renued vprightly to thinke
peraduenture séeme straunge vnto some as sayth Origen that the Apostle when as in the spirite of God he know that he should come to Rome wold yet notwithstanding implore those mennes prayers This in my iudgement no man shoulde call in question But we should rather learne that holy men althoughe they certainly know that God will geue vnto them whatsoeuer is expedient yet they also knowe that he will oftentimes geue it them throughe the prayers of his The We pray for those thinges which we know shal be geuen vnto vs. Lord also knew that the father would deliuer vnto him all things yet notwithstanding he continually prayed vnto him and so prayed that he sayde Father into thine hands I commend my spirite And as he knewe that his spirite should without all doubt be receiued of God so doubted he not but that the same was to be obtayned by his prayers Moreouer by those wordes we gather that the force of prayers consisteth not of our workes and merites For Paul so greate an Apostle desireth Prayers consist not of the worthines of them that pray to be holpen by theyr prayers who were far inferior vnto him although Ambrose sayth that many little ones if they be gathered together into one make great ones This saying I mislike not for Christ sayd where so euer shall be two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Againe touching what thing so euer two or three shall agree together it shal be done vnto them as they desire And how much the prayers of the Church profited it is plainly declared in Peter For he was deliuered by the Angel when as continual prayer was made for him And seing now that publique prayers are so profitable they ought without all doubte most often How we ought to praâ— for other to be celebrated Wherfore godly men so often as they are either sicke or are in any great daunger ought to require the publike prayers of the Churche and afterwarde when they haue obtained theyr request they ought also to require yâ— church publikely to geue thanks to God for theyr sakes That ye helpe me in my busines In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This doubtles is more then to helpe a man in his busines For that word signifieth properly a man to take vpon him one and the selfe same labor one and the selfe same trauail one and the self same striuing and conflicte with him for whome he prayeth And by this phrase of speache Paul doubtles instructeth vs with what affecte we ought to pray for others that is to transfer vpon our selues as much as is possible the miseries afflictions and sorowes of him for whome we pray That he vvould deliuer me from the vnbeleuers in Iury. The first thing that he desireth them to pray for him is that he might be deliuered from the vnbeleuing Iewes whome he knewe deadly hated him For they although they wished that all the Christians might vtterly be destroyed yet they hated Paule aboue all others for that no man more vehemently then he vrged that the ceremonyes oâ— Why Paâ—â— was aboâ—â—â— all the other Apostles odious to the Iewes Moses should be taken away And in this iorney as it is set forthe in the â–ª 2â— and â–ª 21. chapiters of the Actes Agabus and other Prophets foretolde vnto him greuous chaunces which should happen vnto him at Ierusalem wherefore both by that history and by this prayer it is manifest that the minde of Paul was troubled with no small perplexity Which perplexity yet God so restrained within certaine limites that it nothing letted him from the worke of the Lord For the Apostolical history most plainely testifieth that he most constantly answered vnto the Prophets and brethren which dissuaded him from this iorney I count not my soule and life so precious sayd he that I will delay to runne my course and to fulfil my ministery which the Lord Iesus Christ hath deliuered vnto me And I am redy sayd he not only to be bound but also to dye for our Lord Jesus Christes sake Wherefore Paule was not afeard to die but he therefore desired to be deliuered that he might minister vnto the saintes and that he might come to Rome and so goe into Spaine For it had bene muche better for Paul to haue died then so to haue bene vexed with perpetuall contumelies and to liue as one layd forth to all iniuries This he himselfe signifieth to the Phillippians saying To dye is to me a gaine How be it to abide in the fleshe is profitable for your sakes and I hope that I shall abide Paule after this manner maketh request to the Romaines not in dede for his owne commoditye but for theirs And doubtles if they had a desire to sée Paul it was theyr parts withal maner of prayers earnestly to contend that according to his desire he might be deliuered from the vnbeleuing Iewes And that this my ministery vvhich I haue to doe at Ierusalem may be acceptable to the saintes The other parte of his request is that the saintes might gently The sâ—ate of the godly is miserable as touching this world accept his trauaile and paines The condition and state of the godly is doubtles miserable as touching this world They take most grieuous paines for the saluation of others not only to prouide for theyr soules but also for theyr bodyes And yet oftentimes they doubt whether they shall be well accepted of them whome they séeke to profit Neither dothe Paul without cause suspect that this might happen also as touching them which fauoured Christ For in those first times there was in the Churche of Ierusalem a certaine great zeale to obserue the law From which when they hearde that Paule was fallen away they bare but small good Some of the Iewes that were Christians bare no great good effection towardes â–ª Paul wil towards him Wherfore Paul feared least his duety towards them shold haue bene reiected and least he should haue bene frustrated of that consent agrement which he saw was nedeful for him to the preaching of the gospell Wherefore the preachers of our time ought to comforte themselues if they sée that theyr paynes which they take in teaching are not accepted of the people Neyther ought they which faythfully handle the distribution of almes to be grieued if they can not please all men Christ himselfe the more paynes he tooke for our sakes so much the more incurred he the displeasure of the Iewes Wherfore it ought not to seme vnto vs any great iniury if we be coÌ„pelled to suffer yâ— which we se he hath suffred What is to be sâ—ne vnto in geuyng of almes Hereby also let vs vnderstand that we ought not only to helpe the poore but also we must haue a care that our oblations may be acceptable and pleasant vnto theÌ„ which thing they litle consider which when they geue any thing geue it with
offred And God hath symplye and without condition promysed vnto vs remission of sinnes and eternall lyfe and The promes of the forgeuenes of sinnes and of eternall life is simple and without coÌ„dition We haue no absolute promise touching the perils of this life hath commaunded that we shoulde wythout all doubting both beleue and hope for them Wherfore in these thinges nether fayth nor hope can deceaue vs But touching the perilles and aduersity of this life we haue no plaine and absolute promise but as they vse to speake vnder distunction For God hath promised that he will ether deliuer vs or ells comfort vs in the dangers that we shall not fall away but constantly confesse his name or if we chaunce to fall he hath promised to restore vs againe yâ— we may attaine vnto eternall life Wherfore it is not mete that the certainty of hope should be fixed in one of these parts only Which thing if sometimes good men do yâ— springeth of humane affection and not of Christian hope and therfore it is no meruayle if they sometimes be deceaued But nowe to returne vnto Paul he of a certaine greate loue hoped to abide longer with the Phillippians to edefie them And for that he had not Why Paul was sometimes deceaued in his hope this oute of the woorde of God it easely came to passe that he was deceaued But the summe of the piety belonging to the Gospel is that we assuredly settle our selues that God loueth vs and will at the length make vs blessed And if somtimes the mindes of the saintes are disturbed as though they doubted of the promises of God or of theyr saluation this happneth not through the default ether of fayth or of hope but bycause so long as we liue here we are not perfectly In the saints arise certaine doubtes of saluation furnished wherfore this doubting springeth of the flesh of humane wisdoÌ„e we agree indede with our aduersaries in this that certaine doubts aryse somtimes of saluation euen in the godly But herein we disagree from theÌ„ for that they attribute this vnto hope but we say that it commeth of humane infirmity only and that it is daily to be corrected so that let a man thinke that he hath so much profited in fayth and hope how much he feleth himselfe the more constant and firme But how these euills spring not of fayth or of hope but of our owne corruption we haue before declared by an apte similitude and will now repete the same againe No man can deny but that the mathematicall scieÌ„ces ar most certaine Wherfore he which hath learned them exactly boldly pronounceth nothing doubteth of theyr conclusions But he which is but meanely instructed in this faculty oftentimes doubteth and standeth in a perplexity for that he hath not yet perfectly attained vnto those sciences So also are we tossed with doubts not through faith or hope but by reasoÌ„ we hope not nor beleue so much as is nedfull But some man will say that we are paraduenture hereby deceaued for that in the steade of the true faith or hope we haue only their shadowes For we can not easely discern the true hope and faith from the counterfeat and fained hope and faith I answere that by this instance can not be taken away the properties of fayth or of hope for although one or two can not discerne theÌ„ Howe the true fayth and hope are discerned from the counter fayt The holy ghost is not knowen by â—ay other thinge then by it selfe yet they remaine stil firme in their owne nature As we se it is in liberality and prodigality For there are many which can not distinguishe one from the other and yet are not therefore theyr proprieties and conditions taken away Paul in this place entreateth of the nature propriety of hope If thou wilt afterward demaund how these faculties or powers are discerned froÌ„ the counterfeate we answere that they are declared by the force and power of the holy ghost which holy ghost hath in all spirituall things no other light more clere theÌ„ it selfe wherby to be illustrated which thing we se also true in the Sonne For it is not declared to be the Sonne but by his owne light Wherefore Paul vnto yâ— Romanes very aptly sayd It is the spirite which heareth witnes vnto our spirite that we are the children of God But besides this light of the holy ghost is required also the examination of our selues whereof Paul thus speaketh in the latter epistle to the Our examination also is required to yâ— trial of our fayth and hope Corrinthians Try your selues whither ye be in fayth In which triall we must make a distinctioÌ„ of hope For there is one hope which hath alwaies ioyned with it repentance and a desire of amendment of life of which kinde of hope the Apostle speaketh when he sayth that it confoundeth not For it hath alwayes these companions ioyned with it namely fayth and charity Wherfore when we teach the certainty therof we open not a window vnto vices as our aduersaris slaunder Our certainety openeth not a way to sins Our certainety is not security of the the flesh vs nether doo we stirre vp men to lose life For this true hope stirreth not vs vp to these things but rather impelleth vs to liue accordingly to that hope There is an other hope which may rather be called security of the flesh wherof Augustine thus rightly speaketh Suche as cleaue vnto it by hopinge perishe And those are they which say God is good loueth vs Christ died for our saluatioÌ„ howsoeuer we lead our life we shall obteyne saluation Of this hope we must diligently beware for it is far distant from repentance a desire to liue wel being of yâ— nature it vterly driueth away from it faith and charity This hope miserably deceaueth men Wherefore of it Paul here speaketh not Now remayneth to se whither the blessed spirites or soules may in heauen haue this true hope wherwith the godly are now adorned For on the one side we knowe that they wayte for the resurrection of the bodies and the last iudgment which shall be vnto them very wel come wherefore in that behalfe they seeme not to be vtterly voyde of hope Agayne one the other side the Apostle vnto the Corrin describeth fayth hope and charitye but of these three he sayth that only charity falleth not away By which woordes he manifestly teacheth that true hope can haue no place when Whether Christ and the saynteâ— haue still hope we be in heauen And yâ— whiche we haue sayd of the godly may also be called in question touching Christ for he also semeth to haue hoped that he should rise agayne and that he should cary vp his humane nature into heauen To these things we answere that it ought not to be denied but that both Christ hoped and also the soules of the blessed doo yet after a
sort hope But we deny that it is such a hope as is ours which we haue in this life Bicause as we haue before declared out of the woordes of the Apostle our hope hath ioyned with it as companions sighing and sorrowe which thinges vndoubtedly in the eternall felicity which the blessed haue fruition of in heauen can haue no place Farther our hope cleaueth fast vnto fayth which engendereth an vnperfect and an obscure knowledge For as Paul sayth vnto the Corrint We se now by a glasse in a ridle we know but by a part But the saints in heauē know most perfectly most clearly Moreouer forasmuch as fayth hath chiefely a respect vnto the last chiefe good thing there ought not to be ascribed vnto the blessed which now hold possesse that good thing such a hope as is ours For the true proper hope cā haue Hope is in life as an anker no place in eternall felicity It is only so longe as we liue here geuen vnto vs as an anker for so the epistle which is written vnto the Hebrues calleth it For so long as we are tossed with the waues and tempests of this world vnles our minde be confirmed and stablished by the anker of hope our shippe will easely dashe agaynst the sandes and rockes Chrisostome calleth it a golden chayne let downe from heauen which chayne if we take holde of we shal be drawen vp Hope is in a chaine into heauen Wherefore we must diligently prouide that this hope be dayly more and more confirmed in vs which thinge shal then chiefely come to passe if as Paul straight way declareth we diligently wayght the singular benefites of God Which benefites forasmuch as they are most playnly contayned in the Hope is confirmed by the consideration of Gods benefites holy scriptues by reading of them our hope shal be very much cōfirmed Which thing Paul most clearely taught in this epistle when he sayd Whatsoeuer thinges are written are written for our learning that through patience and consolation of the scriptures we should haue hope Which selfe same thing Dauid also sayth They hope in thee which haue knowen thy name Wherefore seing the nature and nam◠of God is no where better vnderstand then in the holy scriptures it followeth that by thē we ought to confirm our hope which thing if we diligently obserue our mynde shall not be discouraged when God as oftentymes his maner is permitteth our doinges to come euen to shame which thing we sée happened in God semeth sometimes to forsake his Christ our sauior For he was so vtterly forsaken of God that he was put vpon the crosse and died a most ignominious death betwéene two thieues Dauid also was brought to that poynt that not only being expelled out of the kingdome of Israell he was fayne to wander in desert places but also was in a maner fast holden and closed in the handes of Saule The selfe same thing we sée very oftentymes to haue happened in other of the Saints that they were iudged in a maner to haue bene deceaued and to haue fallen from their hope But the spirite of Christ geueth strength that men are able in the middest of their calamityes to reioyce and to say These thinges shoulde haue no power in vs if it were not geuen thē frō aboue Which sētence Christ layd agaynst Pilate when he boasted of his power The 42. Psalme also hath excellently wel tought vs how we ought to comfort our selues and with a good hope to erect our mynde For thus it is written Why art thou deiected oh my soule Why art thou Why God spoyleth his of outward helpes so discouraged Hope in God for I will yet make my confession vnto him My health is in his countenance Nether doth God for any other cause commonly depriue his of outward helpes and aydes of this world but to gather together their dispersed hope not to suffer it to leane vnto too many aydes And these sondry and manifolde aydes he changeth for one principall ayde and the same most firme to the ende we should wholy depend of him By this difference of a firme hope Christians much differ from Epicures and Ethnikes For if there come any great calamity vnto them straight way they exclame and cry out If there The Ethnikes howe they are destitute of hope be a God that hath a care ouer these thinges If there be a God that séeth these thinges So they call not vpon God but being in dispayre vtterly discourage themselues But contrariwise godly men most constantly crye vnto God nether doubt they but that their prayers reach vp euen vnto heauē and that God hath a care both ouer them and all theirs But because humane wisedome continually wrastleth and faineth that it doubteth not indede of the power of God but only doubteth of hys will therefore let vs sée how of this thinge Paul hath made vs certayne Because the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes by the holy ghost which is geuen vnto vs. These wordes signify all one as if he had sayd hereby thou mayst gather that thy hope shall not be made frustrate for that God loueth thee Which loue the holy ghost hereby perswadeth thée of for that the only sonne of God was for thy sake deliuered vnto the death Wherefore now oughest thou not any more to be in doubt of the will of God It is geuen vnto the fréely and that as it is afterward sayd when thou wast an enemy weake wicked and a sinner All which things declare that God loued thee not meanely but most aboundantly Nether hath he only geuen thee these thinges but also hath geuen thee the holy ghost that thou mightest throughly féele them And this is done in regeneration for there whilest by fayth thou takest holde that Christ died for thee thou art borne agayne and made partaker of the nature of God For euen as the spirite of man maketh a man so the spirit of God By the holy Ghost we are adopted by adoption maketh vs the children of God whiche spirite if it were geuen vs as sayth Chrisostome euen now from the beginning before we lauboured vndoubtedly many more thinges shall be geuen vnto vs seing that we go aboute continually to frame our selues to the will of God Now we take holde of the roote and fountayne of all good thinges From this spirite commeth that glorious resurrection as we are taught by this epistle For he which raysed vp Christ Of the holy Ghost is the resurrection from the dead sayth Paul shall rayse vp also your mortall bodies because of his spirite which dwelleth in you Nether is this life which we liue in Christ coūted to come from any els where then from the holy ghost For the wisedome of the flesh saith Paul is enmity agaynst God But the wisedome of the spirite is life and peace God would that we should in this life haue a pledge and
as they are now in blessed state and do beholde the face of the father it can not be doubtles that they should for our sakes mourne and lament â–ª vnles peraduenture they seme to be in woorser estate then was Lazarus in the bosome of AbrahaÌ„ And moreouer Paul sayth that euery creature is subiect vnto vanity doth not only sigh grone but also shal be deliuered froÌ„ the bondage of corruptioÌ„ all which things can not fall vpoÌ„ the nature of Angels But saith Augustine nothing is rashely to be pronounced it is inough so that we beware of the absurd and fond opinions of heretiques which touching the groning and mourning of creatures haue fondly and vndiscreatly set forth many thinges In which wordes I thinke amongst others are noted the Maniches But now to speake somewhat of the sentence of Augustine whereby he thought that by euery creature are to be vnderstand men This is certaine that all mankind is to be deuided into two partes for some men are godly and some vngodly TheÌ„ is it to be demaunded whether of these with so feruent a desire waight for the reuelation of the sonnes of God I thinke no man wil say yâ— the vngodly do waite for it for they haue no care at all what shall happen in an other world Wherefore there remaine only the godly who forasmuch as they are such they are The vngodly are not carefull for the glory to come Onely the godly and the sonnes of God desire the glory to come without all doubt to be called the sonnes of God Wherefore it followeth that only the sonnes of God be they whiche waite for the reuelation of the sonnes of God and so they shal be one and the selfe same which both desire and also are desired But it semeth that Augustine was not hereof ignorant For he sayth that the sonnes of God forasmuch as they are now oppressed with sondry cares and troubles do desire a better estate which they hope shall one day be reuealed And this oftentimes happeneth that they which are in a carefull and hard estate do ernestly desire that they may once at the length attayne to a quieter condition But if we consider those thinges which Paul straight way addeth And not only it but we also which haue the first fruites of the spirite c. We shall see that godly men and such as are endued with the spirite of God are distinguished from the multitude of other creatures For so meaneth this particle Not only Although I know that there are some which by those which are saide to haue the first fruites of the spirite vnderstand not all Christians vniuersally but only those which at that tyme had great plenty of the spirite such as were the Apostles and Paul himselfe a few certaine others which were endued with the spirite of the Apostles as if it should haue bene sayde The reuelation of the glory of the sonnes of God is waited for not only of all the godly but also of vs likewise which are endued most aboundantly with the spirite of Christ so that the argument is taken An argument taken of the iudgement of the excellentest men of the iudgemente of the exellentest and wisest men which is of great force other to confirme or to amplify a thing But the Apostle seemeth not in thys place to vse that distinction For before he pronounced vniuersally that we which are of Christ haue his spirite dwelling in vs. Neither in that he maketh mencion of the first fruites of the spirite meaneth he to put a difference betwene the common sort of Christians and the Apostles but he calleth the first fruites The first fruites of the spirite of the spirite that spirite which we haue now for that in an other life we shall haue the full fruites and plentifull profites thereof And Ambrose when he interpreteth that place Not only it but also we which haue the first fruites of the spirite straight way addeth when as he had already spoken of euery creature now he speaketh of men The argumentes also which moued Augustine to fly the common interpretacion are not so waightie and firme that we shoulde attribute much vnto them For in that Paul maketh thinges insensible to desire our saluation and for that cause to grone and trauaile he therein vseth the figure * Prosopopaeia or Anthropopatheia They which are of this opinion are not Prosopopoâ—iâ— is a faining of persons farre out of the way to be found with heritiques and to beleue thinges absurd of the Sunne moone and the starres Here we are in doubt betwene two figures for Augustine followeth this figure to thinke that euerye creature signifieth man We thinke it rather to be the figure Prosopopaeia The controuersy That figure is rather to be vsed whiche maketh the argument of more waâ—ghte and most agreâ—th with the words of the Apostle is which of these two figures is here to be vsed In mine opinion that figure is to be admitted which best agreeth with the wordes of the Apostle and which maketh his reason of more waight and of more vehemency And forasmuch as our sence bringeth to passe ether I thinke it rather is to be admitted First the Apostle as we noted sayth Not only it but also we which haue the first fruites of the spirite c. Which wordes sufficiently declare that he before entreated not of men but of other creatures Farther this reason is of great force to the amplification of our redemption which we waite for when we see that it is wayted for of all kind of creatures Touching the Angels only this exposition seemeth not to be so playne for that they mought seeme pertakers of misery if they should for our sake ether grone or frauaile whome yet we must beleue to be The aungels although they be blessed are not to be spoyled of all manner of affectes holy and in blessed estate But their felicity is no let but that they may be touched with some kinde of affections Peter in his first epistle and 1. chapter sayth that they desire to looke vpon the promises of the Prophetes which pertayne vnto the Gospell For that place is not so to be red as our interpreter hath turned it In queÌ„ desiderant Angeli prospicere that is Vpon whome the Angels desire to looke but in quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vpon which the Angels desire to looke Wherefore they In quae in the plurall nomber haue in them a desire to sée these promises performed In Zachary we rede that they amongst the Mirtle trées like a troupe of horsemen with feruent desire prayed for the holy city that it might be builte againe I will not speake how in the Gospell we reade that they haue great ioy when they sée sinners conuerted to repentance Wherefore it followeth by an argument of the contrary yâ— of necessity they are gréeued at the stubbernes and obstinatenes of the wicked Touching the soules
of the godly which are now departed this life there is no man that doubteth but that they are in most blessed estate And yet we reade in the Apocalipse The soules also of the saintes although they be blessed desire many thinges that they crye and pray vnto God to auenge the bloud which hath beneshed and with great feruētnes desire that the stole of their body being now corrupted may at the length be restored vnto them Wherefore both vnto angels and vnto blessed soules is such a felicity to be ascribed which excludeth not these kindes of affectiōs which the scripture signifieth to appartaine vnto them Which ought so much the les to be meruailed at when as we read in the scriptures that God himselfe the fountaine and beginning of all felicity is touched with repentaunce chaungeth his sentence and suffreth many other thinges which séeme not to be agréeable with his diuine nature But how those thinges are to be vnderstand neither entende we now to declare neither doth this place here require any such thing at our hands But it shal be sufficiēt briefely to say that vpon y◠Angels also may lyght such an effect as Paul here mencioneth in this place And although we as yet can not vnderstand how this should be no let vnto their felicitie yet is there no cause why we should deny but that it may be so But then at the length shall it be playne vnto vs when we our selues shal attayne vnto the selfe same felicitie In the meane tyme let vs beleue the holy Scriptures whiche testifie that the holy aungels haue in them such affections But how shall we vnderstād that How the Angels may be sayd to be subiect vnto vanity they are subiect vnto vanitie Easely ynough not in dede accordyng to the substaunce as they say of theyr owne nature but as touchyng those workes which God hath appoynted to be done by thē They are set ouer Cities kyngdomes prouinces as Daniell expressedly writeth yea also they are set ouer euery priuate man For Christ sayth Theyr Aungels alwayes see the face of my father And the Disciples in the Actes of the Apostles aunswered of Peter when he knocked at the doore It is his Aungell although some interpretate this place of the messenger of Peter And in Genesis the 48. chapter His aungell hath deliuered me from all euill These thinges proue that Aungels at the commaundement of God do seruice What is the ende whych the angels set before them in their gouernments also vnto priuate men But if we wil enquyre to what end the aungels gouerne kyngdomes prouinces cities and euery particular man and what they meane by their so great care and diligence we shall finde that theyr entent is nothyng els but that all men should obey their God and kyng and acknowledge worship and reuerēce him as their God Which thyng not takyng place and many forsakyng the true worshippyng of God and giuyng them selues to superstition and idolatry and contaminatyng them selues with sundry wicked factes the labour and diligence of the Angels is depriued of his end at the least way the secondary The endeuor or labor of the Angels is trustrated of his secondarye ende How the Aungels ar sayd to be deliuered from corruption The benefite of Christ after a sort pertaineth vnto the angels end and so they are after a sorte subiect vnto vanitie Whiche yet shall thē haue an ende when they shall be discharged of their gouernmentes But now let vs sée how the Aungels at that tyme shal be deliuered from the seruitude of corruption Althoughe their nature or as they vse to speake theyr substaunce be incorruptible and immortall yet haue they continually to do in matters transitory and mortall those thinges do they euermore renew and vphold or by the cōmaundement of God cause thē to be taken away and to be destroyed Farther y◠the benefite of Christ pertaineth also vnto the Angels Paul declareth vnto the Ephesiās and vnto the Coloss Vnto the Ephesians the. 1. chapter he sayth Accordyng to the good pleasure whiche he had purposed in hym selfe euen vnto the dispensation of the fulnes of tymes through Christ to make new agayne all thynges both whiche are in heauen and whiche are in earth And to the Colossians the. 1. chap. It hath well pleased the father that in hym should dwell all fulnes and by hym to reconcile all thinges to himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of hys crosse both the thynges in heauen and the thynges in earth Chrisostome interpretatyng these wordes sayth That without Christ the Angels were offended with vs so that these two natures namely of Angels and of men were seioyned and alienated the one from the other For the celestiall spirites could not but hate the enemyes of theyr God But when Christ came as a mediatour men were now agayne gathered together so that they had one and the selfe same head with the Aungels and were made the members of one and the self same body with them Wherfore Christ is rightly sayd to be he by whō is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our recapitulation or renewyng Farther it is possible that other commodities also haue by the death of Christ come vnto y◠Angels whiche yet we easely perceaue not by the Scriptures neither entende we here to searche them out Wherfore we say y◠Paul with great wayght and vehemency of speach applieth Paul with great vehemency of speach applieth seuce or feeling vnto creatures sense and féelyng vnto all creatures as if they felt grief and sorrow for that they are in such sorte obnoxious vnto the abuses of vngodly men For the cōfusion of thyngs in thys estate is not so darke For the godly are euery wher in euill case and vnworthely entreated But the vngodly aboūd in all maner of prosperitye and all thinges frame vnto them as they would them selues In this great confusion godly men ought to be of a valiaunt courage and patiently to wayte for the end of these matters The Epycures and Atheistes when they sée all things done The opinion of the Atheists touching God so cōfusedly straight way reason that God hath no care at all of mortal affaires as whiche is neither moued with fauour nor with hatred and doth to no man either good or euill But contrarywise the godly thus recken with them selues that for asmuch as God by his prouidence gouerneth moderateth all thinges it will one day come to passe that thinges shall come to a better stay the world as it was instituted to the honour of God shall after a better maner be corrected Contrary opinion of the godly and brought to that forme wherby God shall be more and more illustrated And hereof springeth an incredible consolation that for asmuch as we sée all the creatures of God subiect to so many discommodities we also after their example confirme In aduersities the godly are comforted by the