ALthogh I be very glad of this your comming to the Citie, right deare Paule, yet should I be much gladder of it, if I saw you discharged of these bondes.

Sir I thanke you right hartily for it. But yet must not these bondes of mine abate or put away your gladnes, forasmuch as they be the sure records and as it were certen badges of mine office or calling. But what is the cause that you haue vouchsaued to come to mee?

Surely nothing else but a certen incredible desire of vnderstanding the Epistle whiche ye sent not long agoe to our Citizens. Of whome although many be growen into the one Christian Churche: yet notwithstanding I can not tell how some of them take singu­lar pleasure of it, and other some eyther of wilfulnesse, or of ignorance, or of a certayne suttle dissimulation, can ney­ther abide to see it nor to heare of it. Wherefore if you haue any leysure from your businesse, I pray you, and beseech you, let vs sifte out all the places of it diligently betwixt vs, that where any things shall seeme darksome vnto me, You may make them easie to me, by answering my demaundes according to the true Copie of it layde afore vs.

Nothing could haue happened to me more acceptable and pleasant than this exercise, forasmuch as I ap­ply my selfe wholly with all my power and strēgth to the executing of mine office. Now therefore begin whereat you wil, and I will answere to al things orderly and playnly.

Then let vs begin at the very in­ [...]ling of the Epistle. What teache you [...]ere?

I professe my selfe to be the same 1 [...] aule whiche was once a most deadly [...] nemie to Christes Gospell, Acts. 9.1. Gal. 13. Act. 13.2 and to all [...] hristians, and is now a seruaunt of the [...] me Iesus Christ: and not that onely, [...] ut also (which is more excellent) sho­led out, chosen, and called to be his A­postle, that is to say, his Ambassadour, messenger, or Interpreter, not to deale [...] ith worldly affayres, but to publishe [...] nd spred abrode the Gospell or the [...] appie and healthfull tidings from al­ [...] ightie God: which thing I say for this [...] urpose, least any man mighte thinke [...] e to haue stepped rashly into this of­ [...] ce or function, whereas I protest no [...] esse truly than playnly to all men, that [...] his charge was layde vppon me of [...] od.

Very well. But how is this a glad [...]dings or happie message, sithe many [...]en doe note it of a certayne newfan­ [...]lenesse?

So small cause is there that the [Page] 2 Gospell should bee reckened among new thinges, that in verie deede it is the performance, fulfilling, and fi­nishing vp of Gods promises that haue bin giuen before al remēbrāce of man.

What witnesses & interpreters of them haue you?

Euen the Lords prophetes them­selues which are worthy to be beleued, bothe bycause they were many, and most assured mainteiners of the truthe.

Out of what records of writing, or out of what Presidents were these pro­mises deliuered vnto you?

Out of the holy Scriptures, which the Lord reueled vnto his seruaunts, to the intent that all men might conceiue a sure persuation and beleefe of his will in their minds.

What is the substance or ground­worke of this Gospell.

The sonne of God, who was made of the seede of Dauid, only as pertey­ning 4 to the fleshe, and in respect of his manhod: and therwithall was shewed to be the sonne of God, with singular power through the sanctifying spirite.

Wherin appeared this Godhead of Gods sonne, or by what meanes?

In the raysing vp of the dead from their graues, or by the rising agayne of our Lord Iesus Christ, who both rose a­gayne himselfe from the dead, and also called other men agayne vnto life.

I acknowledge here a wonderfull description of the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ, who is bothe very man and the very sonne of God. Now I pray you shew who called you to this office of preaching the Gospell.

The very same Christ our sauiour, 5 by whose goodnesse I obteyned the of­fice of Apostle.

I pray you what is the end of this function.

To cause the people of all coun­treys 6 to submit themselues, and to be obedient to the faith which we preach eueriwher in the name of our said lord. Into the which number & cōpany you Romanes also are admitted, & called by Iesus christ. Therfore vnto you al which 7 dwel at Rome, & which ar both derebe loued of god, & chosē to liue in godlines [Page] and holynesse, I wishe peace and euer­lasting happinesse from God him selfe the heauenly father, and from our lord Iesus Christ his only begotten sonne.

¶ The entraunce into the Epistle.

Hitherto ye haue layde foorth the title of your Epistle, wherein you haue shewed vs, who you are, to whome you write, and finally what you intende to set downe vnto vs, namely the Gospell concerning the sonne of God. Nowe remayneth that we come to she whole body of the Epistle, and first, if it please you, set downe the state and grounde of the whole Epistle in fewe words, that I may the easlyer conceiue the whole mat­ter, and beare it in remembraunce.

To be shorte, the drifte of the whole Epistle is this: to shewe all men indifferently the two cheefe poynts of Religiō, namely the doctrine of fayth, and the doctrine of good conuersation proceeding out of fayth, bycause that all the thinges which are conteyned in the holie scriptures may easly be refer­red [Page 4] too those two. And furthermore I take him not to be the worst learned man, which hath learned the true ma­ner bothe of beleeuing rightly, and of dooing well.

In what order handle you these thinges.

First I teache what is to be belee­ued, and afterwarde by what deedes godlinesse is to be shewed and exerci­sed. For the works that are called good beeing destitute & voyde of true faith, notwithstanding that to outward shew they be excellent and prayseworthie, haue nothing in them but a fading glosse of glittering brightnesse. But God the sercher of the inward though­tes, laugheth them to scorne, & setteth light by them, as things that proceede not of fayth.

What order keepe you afterwarde in laying foorth the fayth?

Euen this, that I deuide it as it were into two places. Whereof, the one sheweth the way whereby men knowing themselues to bee giltie and enemies to God, may neuerthelesse re­couer [Page] his fauour and repayre his good will as it were after banishment: which place, if you thinke good, we will call the place of Iustificatiō. And afterward I shew that all mankinde may without difference inioy this benefite of attone­ment and Gods fauor, by the force of faith which the Lorde bestowed vpon men from heauē, whether they be Gē ­tiles or Iewes. Whiche place let vs call the treatise of Gods election, or of the calling of the Gentiles.

I like very well of this kind of tea­ching. Therfore it is to be wished, that all the professers of true religion should set aside the manifolde intanglings and great windlasses of curious questions, and specially the great number of mens forgeries and inuentions, and imploy their whole minde about these so neede­full things. But now let vs come to the entraunce of the first treatise.

In this entraunce I giue thankes to my God through Iesus Christe for you all, vvhose fayth is blazed abrode ouer all the vvorlde vvith so greate 9 prayse. For God vvhome I serue in [Page 5] preaching the Gospell of his sonne, is my witnesse that I make mention of [...]ou without ceassing, and haue alwayes mynded you in my prayers, that by 10 Gods leaue I myght one tyme or other happen to haue a prosperous iourney vnto you.

All men for the most part are wont to visite this Citie, eyther to beholde the greatnesse of it, and the beautie of our buildings, or else to seeke gayne. But I hope that some other honest cause brought you hither.

Yea in deede. For mine onely de­sire 11 was to see you, that I might impart some spiritual gifts vnto you to streng­then you withall.

As who should say, Paul, that you knowe not how there are no smal num­ber heere indewed with Gods spirite, which were able (though you were a­way) not onely to lay the foundation of oure faythe by their exhortations, but also to increase it, and to buylde it vppe too the roofe by their tea­ching.

I know that welinough. Therfore my meaning was not more to streng­then you, than to take comfort among you, through mutual fayth both yours and mine.

But the necessitie of these bondes seemeth rather to haue brought you hi­ther by force, than your owne good wil, specially forasmuche as ye coulde finde in your harte to trauell so long in other places

Nay rather, my brother, I would yee shoulde be well assured, that I of­tentymes purposed vpon this iourney vnto you, that I might, I say, reape some frute among you as well as I haue done among the rest of the Gentyles, but stayed by reason of lettes and hinde­rances vnto this day.

But wheruppon springeth this your so greate earnestnesse and desyre to publish the Gospell.

Euen of myne office. For inas­muche as I am appoynted to be an A­postle, it is my duetie to think my selfe a detter of all that I can doo, bothe to 15 the Greekes and to the Barbarous, [Page 6] and both to the wise and to the vnwise alike. For this cause I was desirous and still am desirous with all my harte to preache the Gospell with a readie and cherefull minde to you also that dwell at Rome.

Yet am I wont to maruell that you will teache the Gospell in these bondes and forlorne prison, seeing that euery man of power and wisdome dothe so stifly gaynsay it, and cheefly seeing that so fewe followers of this learning are to be found in this most renowmed citie.

Other men may for mee through 16 vnskilfulnesse & ignorance set lesse by the Gospell than they ought to doo. But I who am well acquainted with the excellencie of so great a thing, am no whit at all ashamed of it. For out of all doubt, the Gospel is the power of God that bringeth saluation to all beleuers, first to the Iewes, & after to the grekes.

If the case stande so, what can be sayde to be more worthy and excellent than the Gospell? For thereby mankind returneth into Gods fauour, and is quit or iustified at his iudgement seate, and [Page] moreouer (by your saying) obteyneth euerlasting life. But in what things is the power of the Gospell seene.

Chiefly in two, namely in the ef­fects, and in the contraries. For first, it is not only shewed by the Gospell, what innocencie, righteousnesse, and holy­nesse of lyfe God requireth of men, that they might so be iustified, regene­rated, and saued: but also God vseth it as a certaine touchwoode. Whereby he kindleth the fire and light of fayth in mens minds by his holy spirite. And that fayth groweth vp by little and lit­tle, and as it were by certayne degrees, and becommeth dayly greater & grea­ter, and also imbraceth and applieth to it selfe the righteousnesse that is she­wed in the Gospell. Which is the very spiritual life of the beleuers, according as that godly Prophet saith: Aba. 2.4 Gal. 3.11 He. 10. 39 The righ­teous mā liueth, thriueth, & is saued by faith. Contrariwise, where this Gospell of God is not, the vengeāce & wrath of 18 that soueraigne & dreadfull God she­weth it selfe openly from heauen, & is vttered against al maner of vngodlines [Page 7] and vnrighteousnes of al mē, as who do holde downe the truth of the naturall light and lawe buried in their vices, ini­quities, and wicked deedes, and do not so much as performe their owne lawes.

But no man is able to looke suffi­ciently vpon this truthe, by reason of vnskil and ignorance.

How can they excuse their igno­rance, 19 seeing that God hath opened to them whatsoeuer may be knowen of him? For he hath giuen and ingrauen the law of nature into their minde by a certen secret power, whereby he hath imprinted the fotsteps of his wil in thē.

Is this the onely meane and waye wherby God hath made himselfe kno­wen to mankinde?

No: but by another also as mani­fest as that.

Which is that?

Euen the creating & gouerning of 20 all things. For his inuisible power and godhead shine forth in the things that are created, so as no mā may seme wor­thy of excuse, but rather all men are come in daunger of Gods iudgement, [Page] as many as pretende the not knowing of God.

Then remayneth there no starting-hole, nor couert of ignorance to the for­rein Nations.

No: but they be rather worthy of so much the sorer punishment, bicause that whereas they knowe God suffici­ently by the inwarde light, and by the things that are created, Eph. 4.17 as I sayd afore: they yeelded not God his due honor, nor were thankfull for so great bene­fites, but for a punishment of their sin, imployed all the sharpnesse of their wit about vayne and trifling imaginations & deuises (a iust punishment of sinne) and their hartes were hemmed in with fondnesse and darknesse.

This perchaunce may seeme true vniuersally, but yet doth it most pecu­liarly belong to the ignorant and rude multitude of common people, who for lacke of skill are wont to run headlong into all lustes. But it is most certayne, that in the noble and famous vniuersi­ties of the world, there is a great breede and store of excellent learned men, yea [Page 8] and euen among the common sorte yee shall finde diuers that are not vtterly vnlearned.

So muche the more then is their 22 case the worser, seeing that euen the wisest of them haue cast themselues in­to vtter madnesse, and became starke fooles, and that after suche a fashion, that euen where they boasted moste of wisdome, there they shewed themselues moste fooles. Which thing appeareth 23 easly by this, in that they turned the glory of the incorruptible and immor­tall God into shapes fashioned like to a mortall man, yea & of birdes, of wilde beastes, of fowerfooted cattell, and of things that creepe vpon the earth.

As touching the worshipping of God I can not deny but they did greatly ouershoote them selues in it, by reason of their manifest Idolatries and super­stitions. But as concerning the precepts of the seconde table, many of them did (in my iudgement) leade a very com­mendable life.

No, but cleane contrarie. For in 24 as muche as God doth oftentimes pu­nishe [Page] sin by sin, they suffered horrible punishment for offending Gods maie­stie. For God to punish their sin, willed and suffered them to bee harried tho­rough all the puddles of vice, insomuch that they defiled euen their owne bo­dies with all manner of filthinesse: e­uen for this cause (I saye) that they bur­ned the deuine truth of the natural and invvard light into lyes and dreames, & preferred the worshipping of the crea­tures before their maker, who is to be praysed for euer.

O incredible thing. Doth God pu­nish Idolatrie with so horrible vices?

Surely that is the very cause why God deliuered and cast them vp into most shamefull and filthy lustes, in so much that their women despising the natural vse of their bodies, folowed the 27 vse that nature abhorreth. And on the other side the men themselues refusing the vse of women, burned in vnlawfull lustes one towards another, and defi­led thē selues with all filthinesse: which is a worthy payment for their error and levvdnesse.

My whole mind and body shudde­reth at so many and terrible iudgements of the soueraine God, to heere howe the despisers of the deuine maiestie do slide so wretchedly from small vices, still to greater and greater, and finally into e­euerlasting destruction.

Good reason. For when they had 28 once despised the knovving of God, God did thrust them dovvne into a levvde minde, to committe vnseemely things against themselues, and to be fil­led 29 with al maner of vnrighteousnes, as whordome, frovvardnesse, couetous­nesse, levvdnesse, enuie, murther, strife, 30 deceipt, malice, whispering, backbiting hatred of God, wrongdealing, pride, bosting, desire of the worst things, con­tempt & disobedience of Parents, foo­lishnesse, 31 trecherie, vnkindnesse, vnap­peasablenesse, and finally crueltie that is touched with no incling of pitie or compassion.

I can not deny but that the moste part of the Grekes & Gentiles are infe­cted with al those vices, euen for despi­sing the maiestie of God. But yet [Page] dare I say also that there are a number, which by folowing the precepts of their Philosophie, doo leade an vprighte and honest life, and in no wise defile them­selues with suche maner of vices. For who knoweth not that Solon, Socrates, Pithagoras, Aristides, and many others not onely Greekes but also Romanes, did alwayes abhorre all maner of vnho­nestie and wickednesse, and stablished Lawes, and wrote iudgements and or­dinances agaynst offenders? And ther­fore it seemeth not in any wise agreable to reason, I say not to condemne, but e­uen to blame or accuse suche and so great persons. Wherefore let vs suppose we hard some one of thē speaking after this maner: I beeing a Heathen man, haue by the power of the law of nature graf­ted in our minds, drawen out and taken to me the doctrine of worshipping God obediently: and for the stablishing of the same worship rightly and orderly, I haue set down Lawes in writing, and appoynted penalties and punishments for all suche as offende agaynst them. Doth not this saying seeme worthy of [Page 11] commendation?

I graunt there haue bin, and still are many, that haue not defiled them selues with common vices: but vvhat their minds were, and how far off from the purenesse which God requireth by the Lawe of nature, euen the wiser sort themselues vvere not ignorant, and as for vs we know well inough. For wher­as 32 these men knew Gods Lawe by the helpe of the inwarde light, and by be­holding the things that were created, namely that they vvhich commit suche wickednesse were worthy of death: not only they themselues committed them oftentimes, but also seemed to fauour and bolster the dooers thereof by their levved example, I will not say by their wicked Lawes. And therefore agaynst the wise man so standing in contentiō, I would reply in this wise. Chap. 2.1 But thou ô man whosoeuer thou art, vvhich by thy Lavves condemnest other men, as one that is indevved with the knovvledge of Gods lavve, art vnexcusable, euen in that behalfe.

Why so? will the Philosopher an­swere?

Bicause that thou thy selfe whiche takest vpon thee as a iudge & controller of other men, giuest sentence agaynst thy selfe, in as much as thou doest the same things. And althogh the couert of thy hart be so thick, that thy vyces doo easly scape vnespied of other men: yet thine owne conscience bewrayeth thy wickednesse. Mat. 7.1. For Gods law is not satis­fied by bearing the countenance and report of goodmen, but by being good men in deede. For it requireth not so much the outwarde shew of vertue cō ­mendable to the worldward: as the true vertue of the minde moste acceptable vnto God.

But perhaps y^e Philosopher might answere, who can cal to accoūt y^e secret & priuie thoughts & intents of mās mind?

In this case we site not men to the iudgement seates of men, but to the streit & vncorrupt iudgement of God himselfe, who sifteth & discerneth not only the outward doings, but also euen the inward conceipts. Now then, in a matter of so great weight as is our sal­uation, [Page 11] the false and counterfeit colour of feigned honesty is not so much to be regarded as the sound and substantiall vertue that shall haue setled deepe rote in our minds.

What is that iudgement of God which you tell me of? Surely there ne­uer came any glaunce of it in my minde vnto this houre?

O the blindnesse of men. For al­though 3 Gods wrath procede with slow pace: yet notwithstanding, how canst thou hope to scape scotfree with the same offences which thou condemnest in other men? Knovvest thou not that the slownesse of Gods vengeance is re­quited with the greuousnes of it? Thin­kest thou thy selfe able to make God the more mercifull and fauourable to thee through thine owne holynesse & innocencie? Or doest thou not rather 4 despise the vnmesurable riches of Gods sufferance and forbearing? Ought not his so great mildnesse, kindnesse, and patience to prouoke thee rather to re­pentance and amendment?

The Philosopher will not yeelde [Page] or giue place to thee in this case, to shrink a heare bredth from his accustomed and wonted Religion, or to giue ouer his Philosophie. For he is in loue with the outwarde shewe of vertue, taking no care at all for the purenesse of his mind. Peraduenture also he beleeueth, that it is in mens owne power to ridde their mindes of the vices that are bredde in them, or else weeneth that God is not greatly offended at them as slight errors of mens minds, and thinketh moreouer that he is fauourable and friendly to mankinde, and will not punishe mens misdooings with so sore and greeuous punishments: or at leastwise he trusteth that he him selfe is free from them, and that they be not yet come vpon him.

Surely he is farre ouerseene which is of that minde, and I will not sticke to vse suche words as these against him. 5 Whosoeuer thou art which art of that opinion, thou knowest nother god nor thy selfe. Iames. 5.3 And for this stubbornesse of thy minde voyde of al repentance, thou procurest and heapest vp wrath & de­struction to thy selfe, hoording it vp a­gaynst [Page 14] the time when God shall shewe foorth his wrath and moste iust iudge­ment to punishe wickednesse.

O wretched mankinde. But vtter thou vnto mee the maner and descrip­tion, or fashion of that iudgement.

At that time God almightie whi­che 6 knoweth all things, shall bring too light the secret and hidden thoughtes and purposes of mens harts, Psa. 62.3 Math. 16.27. and there­after giue sentence on eyther side, and then shall it appeare moreouer, hovve cold the excellencie of outward things and dooings is, euen in them that are counted vvisest, if their consciences be not pure and cleane therwithall.

I quake both in body and minde at the rehearsall of so terrible iudgemēt. For if God list to deale with men accor­ding to extremitie of Lawe, howe can they euer hope to escape? Nay rather what shoulde it auayle men to liue ho­nestly, or to trust to Gods promises, if their offences committed through the infirmity and feblenesse of mind, should be sifted and punished so seuerely?

I haue not set downe this iudge­ment [Page] of God to discorage the mindes of the godly, but rather to cheere them vp, and to comfort them with a certein 7 singular hope. For like as God will pu­nish men of vnrecouerable wickednes with sore punishments: so also will he shew singular mercy and louing kind­nesse to such as stand in awe of him and worship him, and giue euerlasting lyfe to such as seke honor and immortalitie by continuing and holding out in wel­doing, and despise all these vayne and flightfull things for loue of the soue­raine & euerlasting good things.

And what shall become of the stub­borne, wicked, and froward men?

Surely as for the froward sort and such as withstande the truth, & follovv iniquitie, the wrathfull vengeaunce of God is certenly prepared for them.

Happie then are the Iewes or Is­raelites, whome God taketh for hys owne. And contrariwise vnhappie are the Gentiles, which are out of his co­uenant. For they shall feele Gods mer­cie, wheras wee Gentiles shall feele his sharpnesse.

No, not so. But sorrow & anguish [Page 13] shall light sore vpon the soule of euery man that dothe euill, as well Iewe as Gentile: vvhereas glory and honour, 10 and all maner of felicitie shall happen to euery one that doth good, first to the Iew and after to the Gentile. For God hath no respect of persons, but of the very works and dedes done. Insomuch that as the Iewes excell the Greekes in order and dignitie: so shall they first, and these after, receiue eyther sorowe and vexation for their euill doings, or glory, honor, and prosperitie for their good doings at Gods hande.

My mind is gretly cheared & refre­shed by this your saying, which sheweth Gods singular vprightnes towards all men without any diuersitie. For other­wise the pride of the Iewish people is so gret by reson of gods anciēt & as it were peculiar louingnes towards thē, that be­sides their despising & disdaining of all other men in respect of themselues, they for the same cause kepe the residue of the Gentiles from the true religion of God.

And yet notwithstanding let this 11 stick always fast in thy remēbrance, that [Page] there is (as I sayde) no respect of per­sons before God. De. 10.17 2. Pa. 19.7. Iob. 37.19 The Iew and Gen­tyle, Greeke and Barbarian, Riche and Poore, are placed all in one ranke be­fore God. God looketh with sharper­sighted eyes than Lyncenssis vpon mēs mindes, according wherunto he estee­meth all their sayings & dooings.

It can not be spoken howe great dignitie and priuiledge the Iewes cha­lenge to them selues, by reason of the law giuen them of God.

That bragging is but like a smoke. 12 For what auayle Lavves without refor­mation of maners? For this is a certen­tie, that as many as haue sinned and committed wickednesse, whether they had the Law vvritten or no, shall all in­differently suffer punishment for their sinnes.

What? Is it possible that the peo­ple of Israell should fare neuer the bet­ter for their Law, nor for the execution, exercising and practising of their Lawe, vnlesse their lyfe agree with their doc­trine?

That is very true. For not the hea­rers [Page 14] or preachers of the lawe, but the 13 keepers & performers of it are counted ryghteous in Gods syght. Ma. 7.22 In somuche that he which will get Gods fauour, Ja. 1.22. & bee partaker of his righteousnesse, must in any wyse indeuor, not only to beare Gods word about him, and to spread it abrod with his mouth, but also to lead a lyfe agreable to his talke, and to ex­presse Gods law in his deedes.

May not the Gentiles seeme to be happier then the Iewes, in that for as much as they had no law to bewray and to punnishe their sinnes, they might also seeme worthie of lesse punishment?

Not a whit. For although they wanted the law written, yet were they not without the law of nature, where­by they were very well taught what things were to be done, & what things were to be left vndoone. And further­more 14 although they haue no lawe set foorth in writing: yet are they in sted of a law to themselues through a certen reason bred and borne in them. And that appeareth sufficiently by the deeds that spring out of that lawe of nature. [Page] For thence flowed the gret number of those graue sentences of the Philoso­phers most fit for al trades of life, wher­by both they themselues perceiue, and also teach others what is right & wrōg.

I graunt this without gainsaying, howbeit that mans reason doo not tho­roughly perceiue by what meanes or in­struments that Law is printed in mens mindes.

what needeth any ouer curious serching therof, sith all nations shewe as clere as daylight, that the very worke of the lawe is rightly ingrauen in their hartes, insomuch that their owne con­sciences beare moste euident witnesse, on eyther parte, while that euen the thoughtes of men doo eyther accuse or excuse them. Hereby it is sufficiently perceyued, that in the mindes of all the Gentiles there is a certeine law of God throughly printed and set fast, from whence the great number of the excel­lent lawes ordeyned by nations, cities, and peoples haue flowed, and also the seedes of Religion sovven euerywhere abrode, haue at length sprung vp and [Page 15] florished.

Certesse it semeth a great wonder, that wheras they carie that souereine lawe about with them planted in their hartes, yet they be (I wote not how) blynd in their owne vyces, and do flat­ter thēselues, and haue no feeling at all of their owne infirmitie and weaknesse.

It semeth so cōmonly to outward apparance, bicause one of vs cannot en­ter into anothers hart. But if that they would tell the truth, they should playn­ly acknowledge and confesse, that their owne conscience is as a certein seuere & vncorrupted iudgmentseat, where they be arreigned & foūd giltie of their own wicked deeds as oft as they be cited & drawē vnto it. And there also are all mēs thoughts, intēts, deeds, & sayings arre­sted, that whē al things are throughly & aduisedly cōsidered & weyed on eyther sides, they may be ether quit or cōdēned

Then if we search & wey through­ly how many wayes our minds are tos­sed & turmoyled in themselues, we must nedes graunt ourselues to be most mise­rable. Yea & not only they y^t liue amōg y^e Gentiles [Page] tyles in ignorance of all things doo run in daunger of Gods seuere iustice, but also euen they y^t excell others in the stu­die of wisedome, notwithstandinge that they pretend a certein singular soundnes of lyfe. For if their doings be tryed by the rule of Gods righteousnesse, as gold is wont to be tryed in the fyre: I pray you what a nomber of vices and filthie things will be found in them? But whē shall that day come wherein God will lay open the secretes of mens harts, and search out all the workes of them? when shal the vices that are ouergrowen with scarres be brought to light?

At that day (say I) when God shall bewray mens priuities, and lay before all eyes the things that were concealed as buryed, and sunken deepe into the bottomes of their harts: and this shall God performe and bring to passe by his owne sonne our Lord Iesus Christ, as I declare in my Gospell.

Then must we pray earnestly vnto God, to shew himselfe mercifull to vs at that time, of his owne infinite good­nes, forasmuch as it appeareth that none [Page 16] of all the Philosophers is indewed with so greate wisedome and innocency, that he is able to escape Gods iudgement, vnlesse he giue ouer the trusting to hys owne vertues, and yeld himselfe wholly to the goodnesse and mercy of God. But heere let vs breake of our talke concer­ning the Gentyles, who not onely haue had a will to serue false Gods & Idolls rather then the true God: but also haue inuented infinite (and those also altogi­ther fond) superstitions: and henceforth speake of Gods people, that is to wit of the people of Israell. Therefore let vs now imagin some one, not an ignorant persone of the Gentyles, but some one of Gods chosen people, a man of great knowledge and countenance, as Gama­liel or some other like him, speakinge thus, I am a Iew (will he say) and a par­taker of gods law, by the keeping wher­of I trust to obtaine euerlasting saluati­on without your Gospell or any other learning. What wold you answere him?

I would reply vppon him in these woords, thou verely art called a Iew, & surely that is an honorable and excel­lent [Page] name. But to what purpose serues it, vnlesse excellent doings accompany so excellent a stile?

What? Settest thou so light by the lawe which was giuen of God as a pre­rogatiue to this people?

Nay rather I make great account of it, and thinke you to haue a prefer­ment aboue others euen in that respect. But what booteth the lawe, except yee keepe it both with an earnest mind, & in excellent deedes?

But the hope and saluation of the Iewes is grounded vpon many other thinges.

Who knoweth not that the Iewes are wont to hunt for glory by (as yee would say) the proprietie & peculiarity of god? But that is altogither vayne ex­cept a man imbrace the same God with 18 al his hart & mind by liuely faith. Agein I know they are wōt to professe & brag of a certen wonderfull knowledge of Gods will: but that knowledge neuer doth a man any good, except he frame all his doings according to Gods will.

But the law of God is of gret force [Page 17] in working choyce of good and euill.

In deed it is certen that the diffe­rence of things is very vvell perceiued and discerned by that lavv. But that is not the only thing that Gods word re­quireth: it will also haue men to learne the true vvorshipping of God by the same. Therfore although I graunt that the Ievves are able to discerne good frō bad by the helpe of the lavve: yet doo they not in all points obserue Gods cō ­maundementes.

I pray you Paule suffer me to take the person of the Iews vpon me, and to mainteine their cace. Thus do I reason with you. I bestow my labour lustely in opening of gods laws, & in teaching thē, & in persuading men to frame their ma­ners & life according to the appointment therof I shew my self a strait ouerseer in corecting of other mēs vices, & let slip no part of my duty. What desire you more?

Me think I do now see either some Doctor or Gamaliel himselfe, at vvhose hand I lerned the lavv of Moses vvhen I vvas a yong man. Whom I intende to talke vnto in these vvordes. Thou most [Page] 19 excellent doctor of the Lavv puttest thy trust in this, that thou art able to be a 20 guide to the blinde, that thou sheadest forth light to other mens darknes, that thou teachest the ignorant, and finally 21 that thou art a perfect wise man. Hovv then cōmeth it to passe that thou tea­chest others, and teachest not thy selfe? That thou counselest other men not to steale, wheras notwithstanding thou in­tanglest 22 thy self with theft? Again, that wheras thou tellest men that they must not commit adultrie, thou thy selfe not only hauntest common harlots & bro­thels, but also comittest adultrie? And finally as though it were a light crime to offende thy neibour, doest also pro­uoke God with thy wickednes? For thou criest out against the worshipping of Idols, and in the meane while defi­lest thy selfe vvith most shamefull tre­cherie 23 to Godvvarde. Novve vvhat a shame or pride is this, that you should professe your selues to be al on fire with vnmeasurable zeale of gods law, when as notwithstending, ye breake the law so shamefully and vnshamefastly?

If any of them should heare these wordes, he woulde out of doubt cracke and burst a sunder in the middest. How­beit that perchance so great naughtines and dishonestie be scarse to be founde in those Doctors and Phariseis. For al­though they liue not so chastly as would become them, yet they offende more warely than yee would wishe: and their cloking of things is so clenly, that they can not be taken tardie with their faults if any be in them.

That is true in deede, but the eyes 24 of gods minde are sharpersighted than Linceus, neither is any thing so hidden or secrete, whiche is not open and vn­couered vnto him. Let them pretende as great a countenance of godlinesse & honestie as they list, and yet if there be any vncleanesse, God seeth into it, not­withstāding that euen their very dedes if you loke wisely vpon them, are seene to be defiled vvith moste filthy vices. Therevpon spring those complayntes and accusations of the Prophetes, vvhen they crye oute that Gods most holy name is flaundered and diffamed [Page] diffamed amonge the forrein nations through the wicked dooinges of the Iewes, as Ezechiel and Esay and other of Gods prophets do witnesse.

I yeeld to the truth, and I confesse that all sorts of men are subiect to very greeuouse errors, and that not euen the Iewes are to bee exempted oute of the same number, but are rather woorthie of sore blame, if they will needs be counted holie in shew onely, and not be holie in very deede. But what thinke you of cir­cumcision? Do ye dout whether it be of sufficient ability to skoure awaye all spots of sin, as the Iewes auowch? For it was ordeyned of God himselfe as a certeine peculiar badge of Gods people, and it wanteth not most greeuous paine of letting blud, & finally it is the expresse seale wherby it may appeare y^t the maker of the whole woorlde is the father of the Iewes, & that the Iewes likewise are his children. Otherwise circumcision were too no purpose, vnlesse the Iewes were to be preferred before all other nations by that prerogatiue, and that it were a most sure pledge of their saluation.

I am glad that we be come by little [...]nd little, & as it were by degrees to his [...]oynt, of shewing that the circumcised [...]ewes shoote farie wide from the true [...]arke of circumcision, whereof we will [...]peake more largely heereafter, when [...]e treat of the iustifying of Abraham. But if it be so, that circumcision be the couenaunt whereby God couenanteth to become the God of the Iewes, for e­uer, indentinge with the circumcised that they shall yelde him such obedi­ence as it becometh children to yelde: then doth it folow of consequence that circumcision was of greate valewe in Moyses lawe so farre foorth as Gods law and ordinance were obeyed, speci­ally seeing that the sayde cutting off of the peece of fleshe or foreskin, was a 25 signe of Gods foresaid couenaūt. Con­trariwise it foloweth also that circūcisiō boted those nothing at all which brake the cōmaūdemēts of the law: but rather that their circūcisiō was turned into vn­circumcisiō, that is to say, that the Iewes the whiche were but pared in the flesh onlye were reckened in the same state [Page] and degree that the Greekes or Gen­tiles were vvhich are vnpared. Yet not­vvithstāding, I denie not but that they which held the true vse of circumcisio [...] did also reape most plēteous fruit ther­by, as vvho had both kept the Lavv, and also conceyued in their minde a sure trust of Gods mercy, for the which on­ly they beleeued that their sinnes vvere forgiuen them, and thervpon tooke to them the seale and warrant of circum­cision, wherby the forgiuenesse of their sinnes vvas sealed vp. And let these things bee spoken, not to imbace the dignitie of circumcision ordeyned of god, but to beate dovvne the pride of the Ievves, vvho euen for the bare cir­cūcisions sake, thought thēselues wor­thy to be adopted to be gods children.

Welneare the same errour seemeth to haue caught holde vpon the Christi­ans, among whom there are many to be found nowadayes, whiche trust no lesse to the outward baptim of the ele­mentall water, without true fayth, and without any keeping of Gods law, than the Israelites trusted to Circumcision. [Page 20] But hereof we will speake more an o­ [...]er time. Now go you through, & shew [...]hether you thinke circumcision to be [...] value at all, or no.

Surely I thinke of little, or rather 26 [...] f none at all, vnlesse the bonde be per­ [...] ormed, vvhereof Circumcision is the [...] ale. For vvho seeth not that if a hea­ [...] en man keepe gods lavve and trust in [...] od vvith all his hart, so as he looketh [...] ot for saluation elsewhere than at his [...] ande, he shalbe in as good case as the [...] ircumcised Iew, although he bee still [...] ncircumcised, and haue not his fore­ [...] kin pared off at al? And not only that, 27 [...] ut also that he shall euen by true and vnreprouable iudgement condēne the very Iewes that are circūcised. Bicause that these trusting to the signe of cir­cumcision, do despise the keping of the law, wherein the force of circumcision cōsisteth, wheras the other being with­out the signe, dothn [...] i his deedes fulfill and shew forth the thing signified.

Then shewe wherein the true vse and fruite both of the name of Israelite and of circumcision consisteth.

He is not, vndoutedly he is not [...] Iew, that is cōmonly taken for a Iew, & poynted at openly with the finger: neither is that the true circumcisiō, whic [...] nippeth of the visible part of the body. But he, he (I saye) is a true Iew, which beareth a ryght Iewish mind in deede, that is to say, which feareth God, and keepeth his law. Also that is the excel­lent circumcision, wherthrough, not the fleshe is cut off by the ceremony of the law, but the sinfulnesse of mans harte is cut off by the spirit. And the prayse of this inwarde circumcision, is not to be sought for at the hands of men, that is, of most corrupt iudges, but at the hād of God himselfe.

As I may well agree to your say­inges Paule:Chap. 3.1 yet me thinkes that the Israelites do not without cause glory in the greate nomber of priuiledges giuen them of God. Therfore you shall doo a good turne, if ye shewe in what prero­gatiue they excell other men, and conse­quently declare the worthinesse and pro­fit of circumcision.

I will doo it with a good will, so [Page 21] you graunt mee first that you wyll not [...]udge of the whole matter, before you [...]aue throughly and aduisedly weyed [...]t. For I graunt and acknowledge that 2 [...] he priuiledges of the people of Israell [...] re notable, but yet so as they take not [...] ccasion to wex proude of them. For [...] f they seeme in better cace than other [...] en in that respect, they must not ther­ [...] ore beare themselues in hand, that they [...] aue purchased Gods fauour, election, [...] nd good wyll, by their owne desertes, weldoings, ceremonies and sacrifices. Nay rather in that cace they are to bee made fellowlyke with the Gentyles, that is to wit in the iustification and e­uerlasting saluation, bycause that both of them doo fynde themselues to haue their cōsciēces gylty of sin. And yet for all that (as I saide afore) the priuiledges of this people aboue all other are right notable, among which this is euen the greatest, that almighty God voutsafed to cōmit his word vnto thē, and to giue thē most large promises, vpō assurance wherof they neuer neded to haue dou­ted gods singular good wil towards thē.

Very well. But yet I am afraide, least as it is wont to fall out in mennes bargaines and couenaunts, that eyther partie standeth in like and equall state vnto other, so as eyther bothe of them must stand to their couenaunts, or els if any of them both breake couenaunt, the other is at liberty: euen so also by reason of the distrust and disobedience of some of the Iewes, God takinge his aduan­tage will neyther keepe his couenaunts nor performe his promises to them. And if it shoulde come so to passe, I cannot coniecture to what ende those stately co­uenaunts and promises will come.

But it is vnseemely to thinke, that God can by any meanes alter his mind and determination, or that his cōstan­cie can bee ouercome and compelled by mens vnthankfulnesse, that he shuld not performe his promises. For it is to be considered, Psa 15.3. that God will neuer faile the godly and good men, though they seeme neuer so fewe by reason of the wicked multitude of vnbeleuers.

It is meete to thinke so of Gods maiestie, as the which doth vtterly shun [Page 22] and abhorre the righteousnesse and vn­constancie of men, wherthrough they of­tentymes breake their promises.

Euen so is it: Psa 15.3. accordinge as the Prophet sayeth, all men are lyers and vaine, but God is true, yea & euen the very truth it selfe. As euen the princely prophet had sayd, although there was no let in me and in my wickednesse, but that God might haue deemed me vn­worthy of his promises, and haue disa­pointed me of them? yet is his faithful­nesse, righteousnesse, vprightnesse, and truth so great, that he neither can nor wil swarue one inch aside frō his say­ings & determinations. In somuch that not euen the extremest naughtipackes and spitefullest persones in the worlde, which thinke woorst of him, can re­proue him of vnconstancy or lightnesse for he is most constant.

Of this your answere ryseth a no­ther question. Seemeth it not by that reason, that God increaseth his owne glory by mens sinnes? for truly his con­stancie becommeth the cleerer and brigh­ter, when his diuine goodnsse in keeping [Page] towch with men vnworthie, surmoun­teth mans distrust and stubbornes. And if it be so, I feare me it will seeme to fol­low, that God doth wrongfully punishe those that haue done any wickednes, bi­cause Gods praise floweth oute of the same, & moreouer that the wicked haue very good cause to blame God, for pun­nishing ther offences wherby they beau­tified his glory.

To speake after the maner of men no dout but it may seme so to the man, which is ignorant & vnskilful of things belonging to God. But yet is that sur­mise vnmeete to come in any mans head, for nothing but holinesse, pure­nesse, & vndefilednesse ought to come in any mans mynd concerning the ma­iesty of God, specially for as muche as vngodly folke nother can nor will re­ferre their owne lustes to Gods glory, but only to their owne pleasure, and to their owne priuate profit and praise.

I neuer perceiued the fault of this kynde of reasoning, till now. For Gods goodnes and faithfulnesse get not their praise by mens wicked deeds: but euen [Page 23] of this, that they breake not their course no not euen for those wicked deedes, which thing I gather euen of the exam­ple which you vsed ryghte nowe.Psa. 51. For wheras God performeth the mercy that he had promised to Dauid, that came not to passe through Dauids wicked deede: but the promised mercy shyneth foorth so muche the bryghter, in that so great a wickednesse was not able to disapoint it.

Yea, and adde further, that God could not be the competent iudge of all men, if he shoulde punnish offenders vniustly, forasmuch as the vertue of a iudge consisteth most in vprightnesse.

Now do I percyue mens errour. And yet notwithstanding there want not some, whiche soothinge themselues in their owne vyces, dare lessen the hey­nowsnesse of them, yea and ad wicked­nesse to wickednesse, as who should say that Gods glory shone foorth the more by their lying. And they be not afrayde to quarrell with God for punnishinge their offences, which do rather beawti­fie than deface his glory.

That is the very thinge which dy­uerse persones doo falslye laye to oure charge, shamefully belying vs that wee by our doctrine doo prouoke & entice men to sinne, that Gods glory myghte grow the greater by it, & finally say that euill is to be don that good may spring thereof: vpon whom shall come assured damnation as they haue iustly deser­ued.

Truely to my seeming, you haue in good season preuented the false slaun­ders and accusations of most wicked vn­thrifts, whom the inticement of sinning holdeth snarled in such snares, that their 16 desperate mindes dare neuerthelesse hope that God will let them scape cleere with their lawlesse and lustfull sinning. But let vs let these things alone, and re­turne frō whence we digressed, namely to the prerogatiue of the Iewish people, who boast themselues to be farre better then other men, as to whom the miste­ries of mans saluation were cōmitted, and therefore they will needes chalenge to themselues the forehand of iustificati­on and of Gods fauour.

If you beate still in minde what I 9 haue sayde afore, I haue proued with most substantial reasons, that all men of all sortes as well Iewes as Gentyles are fast tyed to the thraldome of sin, and therefore cannot obtayne saluation by any deserts of their owne: which thing is the cheefe poynt and ground worke of this Epistle.

No man will lyghtly graunt you that, vnlesse it be confirmed by authority of holy writte. For God, and not men, is too bee beleued in so weighty a matter. For why? Seeinge that the powers of mans wit, namely ryght reason, and the ability of vnderstanding and reasoning, are so greate, and that he hath moreouer a free will, purpose, and indeuer to doo the goodlyest things: can any man deny but most excellent and altogither diuine vertues flow out of that welspring?

Surely I graunt and agree to you, but yet so as I will proue by textes of scripture, that no man is furnished with so greate giftes of nature, as that he can be faultlesse or attaine saluation by him selfe, except he be indewed and inlygh­tened [Page] with the heauenly gyft of fayth. 10 Therfore heare Gods saying set downe in his holie scriptures. Ga. 3.2. There is not one 11 ryghtuous man (sayth he) to be founde in all the woorlde, Psa. 13.2 no not one. There is 12 none indewed with vnderstanding, ther is none that seeketh after God all are strayed from the ryght way, Act. 25.2 all are be­come naught & vnprofitable, and at one woord, there is not one that doth good at all.

Surely nothinge can be sayde or thought more cleere, myghtie, and strong than this authoritie, to beate backe and throw downe mans pryde.

Lo heere another diuine and hea­uenly saying no lesse lyghtsome than the other. Mans throte is lyke a deepe and stinking graue, mens tungs are sea­soned with hony of decit & guile, their lippes are steeped and steyned with the poyson of Aspes.

Certesse the Prophet vseth a sin­gular similitude. For lyke as graues of deade folkes doo sende foorth a moost filthie and stinkyng sent, and also pesti­lent [Page 25] too lyuing bodyes: so also there commeth nothing but vnclennesse and filthinesse oute of the vncleane breast of a corrupt man. And besydes thys, Ser­pents doo not woorser or sorer harme with their poyson, than men doo wyth the wickednes of their tungs.

You say truthe. Psa. 9.7. But the Pro­phet addeth further, that men spitte foorth fyrebrandes burninge wythe 14 cursinge and bitternesse oute at their mouthes.

Verely euen so is mans nature vtterly voyde of Godlie lyghte and fayth.

And I cannot let passe the say­inge 15 of a certeyne moost excellent Pro­phet to the same effect. Esa. 19.7 Pro. 2.16 Psal. 13.1 They be fro­vvarde (sayeth he) booth with hande and foote too sheade mans bloud. And they be so farre of from keeping peace wyth men, that as folke vtterly vnac­quaynted 16 wyth the way of peace, they set all their whole mynds to destroy all 17 other men, and to tread them downe, & to afflict them most miserably.

Alas wyth howe manie suche [Page] and with how sorowfull examples doo these our most vngracious times swarne wherein warres, manslaughters, robbe­ries, and all kyndes of wickednesse doo abound.

Lastly when the prophet hath rec­kened vp the particulars, he poynteth out the fountaine and welspring of all euills, Psal. 35.2 namely a certeine sluggish rech­lesnesse vtterly voyde of all the feare of God.

Soothly you haue set before mine eyes a wonderfull and not ashadowed, but an expresse and lyuely image and shape of a man that wanteth Gods spi­rit, or rather you haue cunningly payn­ted out euery part and limbe of him. For by these woordes Gods spirite sheweth that man of himselfe is destitute of righ­teousnes. Againe it bereueth him of true vnderstanding and knowledge. Lastly it bewrayeth his foreward and ready incli­nation bent to all dishonestie and alure­ment of sinning. And he teacheth y^t thys description belongeth to al mankind, all prerogatiues set aside. Now is it not a maruell to see mans ofspring so aduised­ly [Page 26] peinted out with so liuely, so apparāt, and so naturall colours? Moreouer if ye take the feare and reuerence of God, not of mens minde, I beseech you what can be so holy, which they shal not staine and defile with the filth of their vyces: yet notwithstanding so gret is the wil­fulnesse and pride of the Iewish people, that they bothe vaunt themselues to be cleare from all offence, and also thinke that only the Gentiles are defamed and steined with those kyndes of wickednes.

But they must needes confesse (& 19 that doo they know well ynough) that the commaundements and thretnings of the law belong properly vnto them, which haue put their neckes vnder the yoke of the lawe. Now if it be so: then are they themselues the first of all men that are bound with the condemnation of the lawe.

So it semeth. For reason requireth, that like as y^e rewards are set downe for them if they keepe the law: so they shuld be demed to haue deserued most greuous punishment, if they breake the law. But to what end were those things forspokē [Page] so plenteously by Gods Prophets.

That not so much as one of al mā ­kind might presume to mutter, & much lesse to boast himself stoutly, but that al men, aswel Iewes as Gentiles should (as they say) lay their hād vpō their mouth, and euery of thē acknowledge his owne fault & filthines, & so vpon remorse of their owne cōsciences, at length submit them selues eueriwhere to gods power, & yeelde themselues wholly vnto him.

Why so?

Bicause that of al men there is not one, be he neuer so well fraught & fur­nished with al vvorks, either of the lavv of nature, or of the lavv vvritten, that cā beare avvay the prayse of righteousnes at Gods iudgement, so as he ought to be coūted righteous for his weldoings, if he want faith, which alonely imbra­ceth the fauour of God.

Al this discourse then ameth at this poynt, that we should beleeue that no­ther the Iewes by the power & works of the law written, nor the Gentiles by the power & works of the law bred in them by nature, can passe for righteousnes be­fore [Page 27] the iudgementseate of Gods maie­stie. So greatly is nature in all pointes corrupted and marred, vnlesse it be re­stored agayne as yee would saye, to hir birthright by the operation and benefite of the heauenly spirit. For what clennes can spring out of vnclennes, or perfectiō out of vnperfectiō? But teach me I pray you, to what vse the law now serueth.

Out of all doubt, to very great and plenteous vses. Wherof this is the chefe and most excellent, that whereas men ar otherwise blind, the law setteth their vices before their eies, so as they be cō ­pelled to acknovvledge them vvhether they will or no. For it serueth vs for a most cleare looking glasse to spie out our spots in.

Euen so is it: and that haue I lear­ned by the examples both of other men, and also of my selfe, namely that vnlesse we looke vpon the law as vpon a glasse, all of vs shall become blinder than be­tles in our owne vices. But I pray you, when we haue founde out our er­rours & sinnes by the bewraying of the law, whence shall we seeke remission, [Page] or where shall we finde Phisicke for the diseases of our soules?

Out of the gospell or glad tidings of eternall saluation, whereby God vt­tereth his good wil and mercy towards vs. For by that, without the helpe or furtherance of the lawe, Ro. 2.17. God sheweth his owne righteousnesse, I say not the righteousnesse of the Law, but his owne righteousnesse, to be receiued and im­braced by the hand of fayth, and he in­graffeth and ingraueth the same in our mindes by the power of his spirite, to­gether with al the companie of vertues, as innocencie, holinesse, clennesse, mild­nesse, honestie, godlinesse, louingnesse, and hope. For all these things are drai­ned from him as from a spring that can not be dried, into mens mindes. And althoughe this rightuousnes of Gods whereof we speake, haue hitherto beene wrested aside to the Law alone, throgh the ignorance of the Ievves, hovvbeit not of all, but of most parte of them: yet hath it alwayes beene confirmed and proued by most euident records, not onely of the Prophets, but also of [Page 28] Moises & of the lavv it selfe, & therfore this righteousnes was not in any vvyse inuented by the vvitte and cunning of men.

What can be spoken more playne, more profitable, or more plentifull, than this saying of yours? For heereby it is manifest, that all hope of saluation, both for Iew and Gentile, must be reposed in the righteousnesse of fayth, and not in the workes of the Lawe. For inasmuche as that righteousnesse is Gods righte­ousnesse, and therefore God him selfe is the author of it: no doubte but it shall most of all, yea and alonely auayle at the iudgement seate of almightie God, spe­cially forasmuche as it is not deuized by man, but springeth of God himselfe, and is set foorth by his worde. But what is the meane to inioy this so precious and healthfull righteousnes throughly?

The vvhole atteinement of that 22 righteousnes, cōsisteth in faith towards Christ, and in the sincere and inwarde feeling and trust of Gods goodnes offe­red vs in Christ, & by Christ. This fayth beeing brought vs down from heauen [Page] by Christ imbraceth the true & substan­tiall holines, innocencie, or righteous­nes vvhich is set foorth in the Gospell. 23 And moreouer that righteousnes of the Gospel or of God, belongeth to al men without any difference, bicause that all without exception haue sinned & made themselues thrals to the tyrannie of sin. And for that cause they haue exceding great neede of the helpe and fauour of the glorious and immortall God, from vvhose good vvil they of themselues are as far of, as there is oddes betweene the ovvgliest sinne of man, and the brigh­test glory of God.

Nothing is or can seeme more pro­fitable, nothing is or can seeme more pleasant than this doctrine, specially to mindes that are cumbered with the ty­rannie of sinne, or with the accusation of the lawe. For it sheweth bothe that the Phisicke of our diseases cōmeth frō god, and that the order & meanes how to vse it is rased vs by his hande, all whiche things are receiued by faith and assured beleefe of Gods good will towards vs: and also that the same benefite is cōmon [Page 29] to all people, least any man conceyuing an vntoward opiniō of Gods goodnes, should set out him selfe frō the function of so gret a benefite. Howbeit forasmuch as God hathe determined to make vs righteous, holy, and his children by the sayd fayth as by an instrument: whiche thinke you to bee the neerest for vs to attaine to this fayth? Or by what de­serts may we wind our selues into gods fauour, to earne the same?

I wish you to be better learned in 24 this poynt. For no deserts or weldoings of ours (which in deede are none at all) can leade god to brede faith in vs, or to make vs holy & righteous, & to adopt vs to his children: but his bestovving of that so great and incredible benefite vpon al men, is of his owne mere grace, goodnes, and liberalitie.

So much the better comfort & hope ought wretched men to haue which are in thraldome to sin, sith they be sure that their saluation is layde vp in the keping of so faythfull and friendly a creator and father. But in what thing resteth this good will and friendship of God?

Euen in the redemption of man­kinde wrought by Iesus Christ, Eph. 1.4. Gen. 3.16 whom the euerlasting father had before the creating of all things, and before all time, appointed to be the reconciler of all things, for their sakes which should repose their trust in his bloud.

O saying worthy to be had in euer­lasting remembrance, that mens mynds may alwayes be cheered vp to giue God continuall thanks, in that for their sakes he is a most mercifull father, hath vout­safed that his eternall worde should be­come fleshe, to the intent that the trea­sures of Gods vnmeasurable goodnes, should be discouered and laide foorth to the children of Adam. Now doo I per­ceiue that the sayde euerlasting worde beeing become fleshe,Iohn. 1.18 is the raunsome of our redemption, and the very counter­pane of the olde merciseate wherewith the Arke and the Lawe inclosed therin, were couered: howbeit after such a sort that Gods glory was shed from them into Gods people, as from a most plen­tifull storehouse. For so doth that worde of God by taking fleshe vpon him not [Page 30] onely shrewd vs from the curse of the law, but also sheeld vs & defend vs from it, and giueth vs most certeine assurance of Gods louing kyndnes, if we put our trust in his blud. For he is succeeded as our souerein king and euerlasting preest in sted of Moyses and Aaron. But shew me wherfore God did cast so great good will to mankind.

Doubtlesse euen for this cause, that hee had determined to shew his ryghtuousnesse more bryght than the daylight to mortall men in tyme too come, both in forgyuing all mens of­fences, 26 which almightie God hath of his owne incredible mercifulnesse ey­ther discountenanced or borne wyth vnto this day: and also in pardoning & wyping away of their sinnes which are still yet alyue, or shall heereafter draw this common breth, that therby it may appeare openly to all men that God is ryghtuous, not onelye bycause hee himselfe is indewed with rightuousnes but also bycause he sheadeth oute his ryghtuousnesse into the minds of them that put and settle their whole trust in [Page] his Christ.

I beleeue it to be verely so. There­fore it behoueth that so great a benefite to be borne alwaies in remembrance; of those too whome Gods goodnesse hath graunted to inioy Christ, as their pro­phet to teache them the wyll of the hea­uenly father: as their high preest which hath with his owne bloud sealed vp the couenant made betweene the father and vs: and as their moost mighty King, to sit in our mynds and to gouerne vs by his spirit.

You see then what are the causes of mans saluation. Now therefore if a man shoulde aske a Iew whether he thought that there were any thing left him wherein he eyther could or should glorie: what myght he answere? Nay rather (if it please you) answere you for him, and vtter what you thinke.

Nothing so God help me, I se no­thing why he should be loftyminded or boast himself or his prerogatiue. For all cause of boasting is shut out.

Againe, if I shoulde aske him whe­ther the Israelites haue any such vaun­tage [Page 31] by the law it selfe the rule of good deedes, that they shoulde thinke them­selues better than all other nations: or whether the glittering woorkes of the Iewes can haue so great force, as iustly to set them in such a iollitie: I pray you what would he say to it?

I beleeue he woulde be more dum than a fishe: as the prouerbe sayth. For how can any doinges of men eyther he or seeme to be so muche worthie before God?

Therefore it is meete that all man­kinde should be ridde of all selfe wee­ning, pryde, stubbornesse, and boasting, by the doctrine of fayth, and be driuen of necssitie to yeeld the whole glory of all things vnto God alone.

Doubtlesse, I thinke that to be out of all controuersie.

Therefore it is too be belee­ued 82 (than the whiche nothinge can be sayde or deuised more holie or true) that menne are counted and made ryghtuous, and adopted of the heauenly father into the number of his children by fayth without the [Page] woorks of the law or without desertes that spring of mens deeds.

If the way to ryghtuousnesse, too saluation, and to euerlasting lyfe, be ope­ned vnto men by fayth, and not by the law: there is no cause why the Iewes should repyne at the Gentyles, or enuy them.

None at all. For which of them is so blockishe or ignorant of things be­longing to God, as to imagin in his mind that God is the God of the Iewes onely, and not of all other nations also? Out of doubt god is the god of al peo­ple and nations, and will haue all men to be saued and to come to the know­ing of him. 1. Ti. 2.4

Then doth it follow that there is no odds betweene circumcision and vn­circūcision as in respect of saluation.

Surely they be both in one cace, or 30 both alyke, bycause that for asmuch as God is but one and the onely creator of all men alyke, he doth also kepe one selfe same maner of sauyng mankynde. For he iustifieth the circumcised by fayth, and accepteth the vncircumcised [Page 32] for rightuous by fayth, & taketh them for his owne.

But heere is a doubt greeueth me, 31 that you seeme to pull downe vtterly the law and the dignitie thereof by the doc­trine of fayth.

It is nothing so. For we be so far of from purposing to ouerthrow the law by fayth: that we indeuer to streng­then, vphold, and stablish it most of all thereby: which thing I will shew moost euidently in conuenient place. For see­ing that Christ is the ende, the perfor­ming, and the vtmost poynt of the law, and that the law is as a certeine scholing and trayning of men vnto Christ, (as the which yeeldeth not wherewith to fulfill Gods commaundements, but on­ly sheweth the necessitie of fulfilling them): I beseech you how greatly is the law beautified and aduanced by fayth, when by the doctrine of faith, we shew the way to performe the lawe by the spirit of Christ.

Syr,Cha. 4.1. you haue spoken ynough of the law, more truely (in myne opynion) than men will well lyke of. But we will [Page] say more of this heereafter. You knowe of how greate authoritie Abraham was alwayes among the Israelites for his good workes sakes. And yet notwith­standing, all that dignitie shall seeme to fall to the ground, if he obteined no righ­tuousnesse and innocencie by his owne procurement. Or else poynt you me oute some fruite of those good workes wher­with he was adorned.

I graunt that Abraham had got­ten no small glorie and commendaci­on of ryghtuousnesse to himselfe by hys good, Godly, and well ordered do­inges, if he had become ryghtuous by his woorkes. But yet, then shoulde this prayse haue rested eyther in him selfe, or haue taken place alonely amonge men, but not at all before God.

I pray you shew by what meanes that came to passe.

Truely the holie scriptures shew it inough and more than inough. Ge. 15.9. Gal. 3.6. Ja. 2.23. For thus is it written: Abraham be­leeued God, and that true fayth of hys vvas reckened to hym for rygh­tuousnesse.

I acknowledge the recorde of the old testament, and imbrace it with both my handes. But whereto tendeth it?

You shal heare. Consider the state and circumstance of that tyme. For as yet the lawe was not, whiche was after­warde gyuen by Moyses, in somuche that what soeuer Abraham dyd at that tyme, he ought not to father it vppon the law written. Therfore he could not glorie of the performyng of the lawe. And for that cause, God by that saying 3 of hys, affirmeth that Abraham was iu­stified at his hand by fayth.

Thinke you the whole matter to be dispatched with this one argument?

No: But you shall vnderstande 4 the whole cace the better, if we com­pare the wages wyth the gyfte. For vnto hym that woorketh, wages is gy­uen of duetie and not of revvarde. But too hym that woorketh not, but 5 beleeueth in hym that maketh the offender gyltlesse: hys firme and sted­faste fayth is imputed for innocen­cie. For if a manne haue deserued [Page] and earned a thing by his owne labour, trauell and paynes taking: his obtey­ning of it is not a rewarde or free gyfte, but a ryght and duety. But if a man do not the things wherby he may deserue, (which is most truely verefied of man) but doth so perceiue, tast, & feele Gods goodnesse and louing kindnesse, that he beleeueth himselfe to be taken for giltlesse before him through his meere mercy, without any worke of his owne: vnto him is innocency gyuen freely as a rewarde and not as a duety, and hys stedfast trusting to the iustifier is recke­ned to him for ryghtuousnesse and in­nocency.

I agree fully to this reason. For the thing that is freely, bestowed vppon any man, is not to be taken for a wages or desert, but must be ascribed to Gods goodnesse. Moreouer the same fayth, for the which God rewardeth vs with righ­tuousnesse, is sheaded into our harts by God himselfe, and that of his owne mere free liberallitie and good wyll, withoute respect of any desert at all, whereof the wretched sinners might by any meanes [Page 34] brag or boast. But haue you any more to say yet of the same matter?

Behold moreouer the euident au­thoritie 6 of the kingly Prophet, whiche shevveth the blessednesse of the man whose sinnes God forgiueth, & giueth him his owne righteousnes. Psa. 32.1 Blessed are they (saith he) whose iniquities are re­leased, and the filthines of whose sinnes 7 are couered. Blessed (I say) is he to whō God imputeth not his sinnes. As for 8 the residue conteyned in that Psalme, you your selfe shall wey it aduisedly, and apply it to this matter.

How fowlly then are they ouersene which surmise so many kindes of happi­nesse and blessednesse, and write so sun­drie sawes of it? And to let passe the Phi­losophers, how wicked ought those god­ly, and how foolish ought those wise mē to seeme, who vpon a conceite of I wot not what a kind of blessednesse, refuse no paynes too make satisfacion for their sinnes, whereas notwithstanding, the said diuine Prophet protesteth that they be released & forgiuen men, of gods only meere goodnesse? And not onely that, [Page] but also to the intēt that mens drooping harts should be chered vp more & more, he affirmeth that they be after a sort con­cealed and hidden and ouerpassed, least they myght at any tyme come into the sight of the angry iudge. And how farre doth this maner of hyding sinnes differ from the maner that Adam vsed,Gen. 3.2. when he would haue hidden his wickednesse from God with fig leaues if it had bene possible. For he would haue hidden him self with things that grew in the fields: But God clotheth his with Christes rightuousnesse,Rom. 13.14. which is a most glorious garment, or rather with Christ him self. And if your leysure would suffer you to open all the other parts of that Psalme, O how great comfort would it bring to mens minds? For they that are to be re­gistred in the number of those blessed men, must be voide of al guile & disceite, and flee to Gods mercy, whereby they hauing the filthinesse of their sinnes wi­ped away, and hauing gotten the righte­ousnes of faith, must apply al their inde­uer to leade a godly & righteous conuer­sation among men. I let passe the residue [Page 35] of the notable things there. Nowe that our talke may returne to our purpose, 9 this is to be cōsidered, whether the saide blessednes befel vnto Abrahā before cir­cumcisiō. And againe whether this bles­sednes belong only to the circumcised, or may be offered to the vncircumcised also, seing you haue auouched that Abrahams faith was accepted for righteousnes? Tel also plainly whether the said imputation and iustification were done in vncircum­cision, or in circumcision.

Surely he receiued not that bene­fite 10 in circūcision, but when he was yet vncircūcised, then did the moste deere father vtter his good will, mercy, & fa­uor towards him, & bestowed righteousnes vpō him. Gen. 17.11. For so doo the holy scrip­tures most plainly shewe, which tell vs that circūcisiō was appointed to Abra­ham in stede of a cognisance or badge, 11 & as a pledge of the righteousnesse of faith, wherewith he was indued euen at such time as he was yet vncircumcised: that he might be counted the father of all beleeuers, and euery vncircumcised person might by his example hope that [Page] his owne faith shall be reckened to him for righteousnesse.

Forasmuche then as Abraham was iustified fowrteene yeeres before he was circumcised, it appereth that circumcision was not the cause of his iustifying (for it followed his iustifying) but rather the seale of it, so that the Israelites may ea­sely espie their owne errour, in attribu­ting so muche to the cutting off of a little peece of fleshe,Esa. 1. Psal. 50. as who should say, that God did set so muche store by the Cere­monies (though he him selfe ordeyned them) when they be voyde of true and liuely fayth. And yet notwithstanding me thinks that some Christians do fond­ly follow the same errour, who haue no Christianitie in them, sauing that they were dipped in the clenzing water in the name of Christ. Furthermore, if Abra­ham, when he was yet vncircumcised was so dearely beloued and accepted of God for his only faith: howe cheerefull mindes, and how assured hope ought all the vncircumcised Gentiles to haue, if almightie God voutchsafe of his infinite mercie to bestowe the most excellent gift [Page 36] of righteousnesse vpon them? Nay ra­ther, euen heereby it appeareth that the pride of the Iewes is in no wise blera­ble, who standing vpon the reputation of their onely circumcision, disdaine the poore Gentiles, and would keepe them off from entring into euerlasting salua­tion. For it is nowe more euident than the daylight, that saluation belongeth no lesse to the Gentiles than to the Iewes, inasmuche as Abraham was iustified (that is to say, was taken into the number of Gods children) when he was yet a Gentile.

But by the way you must remem­ber, 12 that Abraham is the father of all beleuers. And forasmuch as he is so, he is to be counted the father of the Israe­lites also, yea of the circūcised, howbeit but of those which not only are borne of him by fleshly discent, but also do fol­lowe the footesteps of his fayth which he had before he was circumcized.

Hereby doth gods wōderful good­nes & louingkindnes towards all man­kinde shine forth most of al, in that it im­braceth both Iewes & Gentiles, setting [Page] all, as a certen pattern for eyther of them to fashyon their mynds vnto, by follo­wing both his beliefe giuen to gods pro­mises,, and also his singular awfulnesse and obedience, togither with his con­tempt of all worldly things, and all o­ther his excellent vertues betokened by the signe of circumcision. But yet me thinkes I sticke in the mire, forasmuche as I am fully persuaded that God gaue not his lawe to the Iewes for naught, but rather that it might be a certen sure way to saluation, and a certaine gaine way vnto righteousnesse.

As for Abraham himself the nota­ble Patriark of the Iews what promises soeuer he obtened of possessing the he­ritage of the world, nother he nor his ofspring obteyned it for anie lawe, or for anie works of the lawe, but for the same faith wherby he was iustified, or for the righteousnesse of fayth, if you had leuer so to terme it. For bee you sure that Abraham was taken into gods fauour, and adorned with the prayse of righteousnesse, not for that he had de­serued it by his singular vertues, but bi­cause [Page 37] he had beleeued Gods vvordes stedfastly.

I beleue it to be so. But by the way I would fayne be taught at your hande, whether you thinke it to be a discommo­ditie or hinderaunce to vs to seeke righ­teousnesse, saluation, and fauour at gods hande, by keping the commaundements of his Lawe, as the thing wherein his will is expressed?

Vndoubtedly very much. For if the 14 right of inheritance should belong to none but the folowers & keepers of the law, then there were no vse nor profit of faith: and so might the promises iustly be counted vaine and of none effect.

It were rather to be wished that beleefe should be giuen still to the promi­ses, and that we should go right foorth to saluation by the guiding thereof. But what if we should adde the law as a cō ­panion vnto faith, so as our righteous­nesse might consist of both?

Nothing were more to be wished 15 on mans behalfe, if he eyther would or could fulfill Gods lawe. Howbeit foras­muche as mans nature is of suche a [Page] mould, that it is loth to bee bownd to anie lawe, insomuche that it stryueth ageinst the thing that is forbidden, and foloweth the worser things: what other thing can the law worke in a man, but the flinging of Gods wrath vppon him for his despising of god? Verely euen by certifying thē that a sure plague is pre­pared for thē that shal haue brokē gods comaundements, & not obeyed his wil.

Then like as gods fauour is seene by his promises, so also his vengeance vseth the law as a weapō agaynst mens sinnes. For euen so doo I my selfe feele in my conscience when I looke vpon the Law. Wretch that I am, me thinkes I am set at gods iudgementseate, where my sinnes are set afore me as in a glasse, whereat I am wholly both body and soule striken in feare, by reason of the most greeuous and deadly wrath of the Iudge kindled agaynst me. Heerevpon there is kindled a wonderfull hatred of the law in my hart, notwithstāding that euen spite of my teeth I acknowledge my sinnes to be iustly punished, bicause I haue not obeyed god.

Surely the lawe is so farre of from giuing any rightuousnesse, that there woulde scarsly be any feeling of sin, but for the law. For sin is then committed when the lusts or bownds of ryghtful­nes are passed: and those bownds doth the law appoint. Therefore take away the law, & the bounds of the law, and there shalbe nothing to transgresse. But contrariwise set me downe the law, and publishe it: and by and by there is trans­gressiō through the wilfulnesse of men.

Surely this seemeth worthie of carefull loking too. For by this saying you shew the infirmitie of mans dispo­sition, or rather the corruptnesse (I wyll not saye the vtter marrednesse) of the whole man, whiche is full contrarie to the innocencie that God requireth. By meanes whereof it cōmes to passe, that whereas Gods law requyreth such per­fection and soundnesse of vs, as no man eyther will or can performe: wee being priuy to our owne weakenesse and fro­wardnesse, can hardly by any meanes put our trust in the meeldnesse and mer­cie of God, who is the author of the [Page] lawe. For the law maketh none ende of vrging, compelling, threatening, & tor­menting.

Therefore euerlasting thanks are to be giuen vnto God, that he woulde haue all such as are nūbred in the seede of Abraham, to attaine to the eternall inheritāce, not by the law but by faith, that the same fayth resting vpō the foū ­dacion of Gods grace & free fauour, myght neuer be moued, but continew stedfast, substantiall, and euerlasting.

What mean you by this word sede?

As many mē of al natiōs & all pla­ces as are by true faith become the chil­drē of Abrahā the father of al beleuers & not onely thē that haue receiued the words of the law, and are called the dis­ciples of Moyses: For it is left in writing that God himself named the said Abra­hā the father of many natiōs & people.

Nowe I perceiue whereto these thinges tende. For that is the cause why he was called Abraham, whereas hys name was Abram before: to the intent that he might from tyme to tyme be put in mynd of Gods promise, as oft as that [Page 41] name was rehersed. And that custome was conueied ouer to his posterity from their forefather, who were wont to giue their children their names at the circūci­sing of them, that they might remember the couenaunt when they hearde their owne names that were giuen them at that tyme. But to let this matter passe, me thinkes you teache scarce agreeable things, in referring promises which (as it shoulde seeme) were but transitorie & worldly, yea and alredy performed, vnto spirituall matters, as namely to the a­doption that is made by faith, & to suche other thinges. For the scriptures beare witnesse that God performed his promi­ses abundantly vnto Abraham, whom he so appoynted to be the father of many nations, first when he raysed vp twelue noble and mightie tribes of his sonne Ismael whom he begat of Agar: and se­cōdly whē he incresed other twelue most florishing houses out of Iacob the son of Isaac. Besids these, what an infinite of­spring was ther of y^e Edomits? & more­ouer what a nūber of successors begat he of Choetura? Thus it seemeth not neede­full [Page] to extend the bownds of Gods pro­mise any wider or further out, vnlesse ye meane perchance to ad some secreter and sutle [...] allegories.

Not so. But the eyes of mēs minds must be lifted vp to heauen, or rather vnto God himselfe, and not be fastned only vppon this earth. For when I say that Abraham was appointed of God to be the father of many nations and people: I loke not vpon the world, but vppon God, I say vppon the almightie God, whome Abraham beleeued in all things, and which is able to raise vp the dead from their graues, & which dooth as certeinly and by name set before him selfe the things that haue not yet bin, as the things that are already present. In so much that as there cannot be any thing which commeth not of him: so is there not any thing which may not come of him.

If I be not deceaued, you seeme to betoken two things vnto mee. The one is, how great difference there is be­tweene the children of Abrahā, of whom the one sorte being puffed vp with the [Page 42] noblenesse of their birth, do boast them­selues and will needes be counted Abra­hams seede: and the other sort are adop­ted to be his children by fayth. For as the former sorte vaunt themselues to the worldward: so these are knowen and ap­parant only to God. Those are begotten of the flesh: & these are taken in by faith. Those knowe Abraham for their father but as touching the flesh: and these are counted his children in spirit and fayth. Againe I marke how wonderfull Gods power shone forth in that cace: where­vpon Abraham resting, dyd by fayth vn­derstand and comprehend in mynde and fayth, things wonderfull and aboue na­tures reach. For what is it that Gods power is not able to doo? Therefore if we settle our trust vppon that, it can ne­uer swarue, it can neuer be remoued, it can neuer quayle. But to the intent I may call to minde the thinges that you haue sayd heere before: first you haue she­wed that y^e Iews as well as the Greeks (in whiche two names all mankinde is conteyned) are so in thraldome vnto sin, that they can neuer returne into Gods [Page] fauour for any deedes or deserts of their owne: and therefore that there remay­neth but onely one way to saluation, namely euen fayth, which is ingreffed and inspired into our mynds by the spi­rit of God, by the help whereof he pluc­keth vp the rootes of naturall sin out of our mynds, and dryueth distrust or vn­beleefe a great way from our harts, and thrusteth out of our brests the doubting of Gods mercie and the feare of his wrath, which Satan had thrust in by his false persuasions. Secondly it is shewed that the strength of fayth is so great, that the man which of himselfe is hedged in with all kynd of wickednesse, is adorned with Gods ryghtuousnes and holines, whereby he may becomme acceptable & welcome vnto God. Neuerthelesse, in these days I see very many ouerseene in the cace of fayth. Of whom some surmise fayth to be but a worldly opinion and perswasiō gotten by reading of the scrip­tures or by hearing of mens sermons. Othersome are proud of this counterfet and imaginatiue fayth, and do brag of it beyond all measure: & bicause it is barren [Page 43] and vtterly frutelesse, it is comonly dee­med to be but a certen deuice and cōceit of men. Wherefore I pray you hartely to peynt it out to me in lyuely colours, & to set as it were an expresse image of it before myne eyes, that may sink so deep­ly in my mind, as I may not surmise a­ny feyned and counterfet, or anie vaine thing to my selfe. And to the intent we may not departe from oure purpose, set foorth that image of a faythfull man in the person of Abraham, and shew what he did when he was once inlyghtened with that heauenly lyght of fayth. 18

The strength of that Godly mans fayth was so great and so throughly fast setled in his mynde, Ge. 15.5. that he trusted to Gods sayings and promises, without a­ny doubting at all. And although all things seemed to be ioyned the reache of all hope, after the cōmon course of mens affayres: yet notwitstanding, he through hope ouercame all hardnesse of hoping, and beleeued that he should be the father of very many nations.

Euen in this poynt me thinkes I beholde the strength of fayth verie [Page] neerely as in a most cleare loking glasse. For I perceiue it to be, not a certeine historicall knowledge, or a vaine opini­on and slight in sighte of the truthe, but as it were a certeine heauenly sunbeame and most cleare burning fyre, whereby both mans wisdome is consumed, & the faithfull mind betaks it selfe wholly vn­to God, and aduanceth it selfe aboue all worldly things euen into heauen. Inso­muche that it imbraceth with vnwaue­ring, beleefe, not onely things inuisible, but also thinges to it owne iudgement repugnant. But if it please you, shew at what marke it bendeth hir eyes.

At the manifestation and heauen­ly oracles of the euerlasting God. And specially at that prophesie wherin God spake to him in this wyse: Thy seed shal be as the starres of the skye, Ge. 15.5. and as the sand of the sea, that is to say vnmeasu­rable and almost without number.

Away therefore with mens imagi­nacions and deuyces, & let fayth rest on­ly vppon Gods promise. Whereof we receiue then most frute, when Gods ma­iestie plainteth the feeling and record of [Page 24] his goodnesse and mercy in our hartes, whence al other vertues do easly spring. But what haue you to say more of A­brahams fayth?

Verely this is to bee considered 19 aduisedly, that he gaue so greate and so stedfaste credite vnto God, that he doubted not at all of his promises, al­beit that bothe the vveaknesse of hys ovvne body forworne and forespent with age, (for he vvas a hundred yeere olde) and also the barrein and vvithe­red vvombe of Sara, seemed (as yee vvoulde saye) to bee as an inuincible battelram too vveaken any fayth, spe­cially considering the nature of mans infirmitie. For vvhat hope coulde there be of begetting children in those yeeres?

Surely you tell a wonderfull, and welneare a monstruous thing. The thing that you desire to conclude (as I take it) is this: that we must lift vp our eyes from the beholding of worldlye things into heauen, and that fayth must consider not so muche the wisdome of men as the mightie power of god. For [Page] in thinges that are aboue nature, there is no roome for mans wisdome, whiche if Abraham had followed for his guide, peraduenture he might haue doubted of Gods promises, whereas by setting light by it, and by passing it ouer, he a­bode alwayes like him self, constant and vnouercome.

Adde further, that this most ex­cellent Patriarke bowed neither to doubting, nor to curious debating and searching, ne opened the gappe to any distrust at all.

You tell me of a stout and inuinci­ble minde. For how great troubles and turmoyles doth distrust stir vp in mens minds? For whan men begin once to distrust, or to be thoughtfull, specially in matters perteining to God: they make none ende of their debating, questioning and searching, in so muche that we can scarsly persuade our selues that God is able to bring any great thing to passe, except we perceiue the reason howe he should do it.

Yea: but he not only neither stum­bled nor tripped any whit at al through [Page 45] vnbeleefe, but also confirmed and in­ [...]reased the power of his faith, or rather [...]ecame the cheerefuller, lustier, and [...]ronger through the heauenly power [...]f fayth.

Doubtlesse I am fully persuaded, [...]hat it is scarse possible that a mā should [...]iue any credite at all to Gods promises without some battell first fought against [...]umaine doubting & vnbelefe, & that all men ought to inforce thē selues with all [...]iligence, to beat back al the weapons of worldly wit, & to rid thē quite away: bi­cause that if a man once suffer him selfe to be assaulted, & his mind to be woūded by thē, he is in peril to be throwē downe frō the highest step of his faith. For after that maner did Abrahā triumph gloriou­sly ouer his owne flesh, by subduing and ouerthrowing the wisdome thereof, that it durst not attēpt any thing at al against Gods promises. But I pray you, ascri­bed he the glory of this his victorie to him selfe, or to God?

He yeelded all the whole glory vn­to God. For he that abateth any whit of Gods power, abateth also his glory. [Page] Therefore he gaue the glory to God, both bicause he acknowledged the vic­torie to come from God, & also bicause he beleeued that God bothe can and colde doo all things.

It is a most euident token and re­cord of a very true faith, when we ascribe the happy falling out, & the luckie succes of things to Gods prouidence. Other­wise the faith (if it be to be called faith) which chalengeth ought to a mans own power, & glorieth in his owne strength, is scarsely pure and voide of suspition of light beliefe and vnconstancie.

But wey you throughly how light­ly it was to be estemed, that he through vnwauering fayth, beleeued that God was vtterly able to performe whatsoe­uer he had promised.

Two things are chiefly to be consi­dered in God his good will, whiche is seene in his promises: and his power of performing & bringing things to passe. Vpon which two I see that Abrahams fayth was grounded and setled. But I long to heare what he obteyned by this so great fayth.

That fayth of his (say I) vvas im­ [...]ted 22 to him for righteousnesse: or if [...] u will haue it more playne, he was [...] unted righteous for his faithes sake: [...] that from thencefoorth he assured [...] m selfe throughly that God was mer­ [...] full, louing, & friendly towards him, [...] d all humaine doubting and distrust [...] f it was dispatched away.

It is a wonderfull force of faythe [...]hich you shew me, wherwith if a man [...] fenced and furnished, he may certen­ [...] warrant him selfe that God is louing [...]d mercifull to him, and be bolde to ap­ [...]eare before his iudgement seate. But [...]hinke you that God will voutsafe the [...]me benefite vpon all other men, which [...]e bestowed vpon Abraham?

Yea verily. For it is not for his sake 23 [...] nly that the holy Scripture sayth that [...] is faith was reckened to him for righ­ [...] uousnesse, but it is for our sakes also, 24 [...] hat by his example wee also may be­ [...] eeue that the like shall bee reckened [...] nto vs, if we beleeue in him that raised 25 [...] p our Lorde Iesus from the dead, who [...] as both deliuered for the clēsing away [Page] of our sinnes, and raysed agein for the iustifying of vs, that the sinne of distru [...] might be dispatched out of our hartes by the minding of his death, and the in­deuer of righteosnes and newnesse of life be stablished and increaced in vs by the mynding of his resurrection.

O treble and tentimes happy man­kind, if at leastwise he happen to hau [...] some desire to inioy so great a benifyte. For to what purpose were this example, vnlesse we might fare somewhat the bet­ter by it? that is to say, vnlesse Abrahā example incouraged vs to settle assured trust in Gods goodnesse? Seeing the [...] that that is the amingpoynt of those s [...] notable promises, and that they belon [...] to all men: who can now dispaire? Spe­cially seeing that our fayth hath Christ [...] set afore it as a visible marke to ame at who by his death hath reconciled vs t [...] God, and takē away sin, & the welsprin [...] of sin, that is to say, the naturall stub­bornesse and wickednesse of our harte [...] matched with distrust, and by his resur­rection hath called vs agayne to life, that vppon assurance of Gods fauou [...] [Page 47] through faith, we might become righte­ous and acceptable in Gods sight, and giue our selues to newnes of life. But to rehearse in few words, what hath bene saide afore, you haue sufficiently shewed and declared what righteousnes god re­quireth at mens hands, and also whiche is the right way therunto, and finally what is the power of faith which taketh holde of that righteousnes. And I can not maruell inough how those so great things should be so lightly esteemed a­mong men. Therfore I demaunde nowe what profite and fruit he that is indued with faith reapeth of al y^e foresaid things at the time that he becōmeth righteous?

First of all, Chap. 5.1 as soone as we be iusti­fied by faith, by and by we be at peace with god through our lord Iesus Christ.

O most pleasant and precious fruit of so noble a tree. For once take away sinne, and the welspring of sinne, and distrust, which stinketh before God, and is a deadly enimie to him, & hath an euill opinion of his goodnes, & there remai­neth no more grudge nor enmity betwen god & vs mortall wretches, but rather a [Page] certein incredible assurednesse of good will, insomuch that mans minde beeing indewed with faith, may bee frre from all vnquietnesse, and inioy safely conti­nuall peace. For (as you sayde) of sin­ners wee be made righteous throughe fayth, and by that righteousnes wee be accepted into Gods fauour, and conse­quently rest in his frendship. Otherwise if we be bereft of this fayth, and of the trust of Gods good will, we be hatefull to God, and subiect to damnation, and our mindes are alwayes troubled and vnquiet.

The seconde fruite of faith beeing linked with a very straite bande vnto the former, is, that by the same Iesus Christ, Eph. 2.23 and by faith in him, we haue an entrance set open for vs, into the grace wherein wee stande without quayling in our hartes.

Who woulde not bee amased and wonder at gods so great mercifulnesse towards men, that he can not finde in his harte to forbid them his presence as vnholy, but rather of his owne accorde allureth them to him, that they shoulde [Page 48] come freely and boldly vnto him. For we haue free passage vnto God, and it is lawfull for all beleeuers to goo vnto God, that is to say, to serue him, to wor­ship him, and to call vpon him in the bot­tome of their harts without ceasing.

Lo heere one other frute of faith: that we also being so iustified, notwith­standing that we be but sillie wretched soules doo glory in the hope and lon­ging for Gods glorie.

What a word is that? Thinke you it to be the point of a christiā to glory so? Vnlesse you meane perchance that by­cause this lyfe is accloyed with so many misteries, trubles, and aduersities, ther­fore mens mindes are to be cheered vp with a most sure hope of the quietnes & felicitie to come, which who so hopeth to obtaine, may iustly glory in that behalfe. But is there any more?

Yea. For we not only receiue the 3 foremencioned commodities: but also (which you may wonder more at) we glorie & reioyce euen in the very trou­bles & aduersities themselues, Jam. 1.3. & there­fore much rather do beare them oute [Page] with a cheerefull and glad hart.

What can be said more wonderfull, sith that eyther the infirmitie or else the frowardnesse of men is so greate, that they hate nothing worse than the mise­ries and aduersities of this world, & the crosse which Christ hath layd vppon his seruantes to beare dayly? And yet not­withstanding it cōmeth to passe through Gods singular goodnes towardes hys rightuous ones, and through his power sheaded into their mindes from hea­uen, that they be no whit at all discora­ged with aduersitie, but doo conceaue e­uen a speciall pleasure and cheerefulnes at it in their harts. Nother is the bur­thē of the crosse not greuous to our sen­ses. But yet is it eased by the softnes of his fatherly loue and tender hartednes, which layd y^e crosse vpon our shoulders & cōforteth our minds with his power.

But there is yet one thing more to quicken you vp withall. For we sustain and swallowe vp all troubbles cheere­fully, bycause we are sure, that of tri­bulatiō is engendred patience, of pati­ence experience or triall, of experience [Page 49] hope, and hope hath suche power of it self & giueth such power to a man, that neuer deceaueth him ne disapoynteth him of the things that he looketh for.

I like very wel of this witty moū ­ting by degrees, specially for asmuch as it concludeth & confirmeth oure present matter: namely y^t afflictions are not only not bitter or slaūdrouse to y^e faithfull, but also are matched with great praise & glo­ry. But by your saying, no mā is vtterly ignorant of afflictions. As for tryall or experience, I referre it eyther to our sel­ues or to God. For there our constancie, corage, & strength are tryed, & good men shew a warrāt of a noble mind. Heere y^e softnes, y^e louing kyndns, & (most of all) the faithfulnes of our most mercifull fa­ther are felt, in y^t he neuer faileth his childrē in their aduersities. Therout issueth & springeth hope which resteth vpō the goodnes of our most gracious & almigh­ty God. But by what reason proue you that y^e ende of hope is alwaies happie.

I auovve that hope can neuer drope nor be ouerthrowē, euen in this respecte, for that Gods loue is sheade [Page] into our harts from heauen by the ho­ly Ghost, whome he hathe gyuen vnto vs.

To my seeming, you place hope in the strongest hold that can be, namely in the spirit of God. For inasmuchas he is the strength, power, and myghte, of the most high God, and communicateth his helthfull force to the man that is indued with rightuousnesse, & finally breatheth and sheadeth Gods fauour, loue, & good lyking into his hart, so as he cannot by any meanes doubt of Gods good wyll: it is impossible that hope being walled in with so great strength should be bea­ten out, shaken downe, thrust out, or dis­apoynted of his expectation. But seeing that man is such a louer of him selfe, and that he esteemeth and measureth God by his owne nature: howe can he per­swade himselfe that he is deere and wel­beloued of God, and that freely and for no deserts of his owne?

You shall easely vnderstande the meane and reason thereof, if you often and throughly consider in your mind, the tyme when Christ vndertoke to die [Page 50] for vs moost forlorne sinners, Heb. 9.5. 1. Pe 3.18 yea euen then cheefly when wee were moost vn­worthie of so greate a benefite. For in very deede, I thinke there is scarcely a­ny that wil die for an honest mā, scarce­ly I say, for I deny not vtterly but it may be so. For heere may be some one per­chance 7 that will finde in his hart to die for a good mans sake. But to die for a lewd man, for an vnthankfull man, for an vniust man: vndoubtedly no man will do that. And yet Christ did it, who sustayned the whipping of his bodie, the terrour of his mynde, and the shea­ding of his bloud, for vs vnrightuous and vnkynde persones, yea and euen his enemies.

Heereby it appeareth sufficiently howe muche Gods loue is excellenter than mans loue. For men loue their lo­uers and praysers. But God (a wonder­full thing to be spoken, and right harde to be beleeued) did cast so great a fauour to his enemies defyled with all sinful­nesse, that he gaue his most dearely belo­ued sonne to death for them. Than the which I see not that there can be desired [Page] any greater or surer warrant of loue.

Now then if God shewed his loue in such wise towardes vs vvhen we were yet at deadly food with him, how much more boldly becommeth it vs to hope, that we shalbe saued frō his wrath, now that wee be reconcyled too him by the 10 bloude of Christ, and iustifyed by hys goodnesse? For seeing that when vve were enemies vnto God, wee were brought into his fauour againe by the death of his son, therefore muche more shall we be preserued by his lyfe, novve that we be beloued and saued of God.

Surely my hart hoppeth for ioy at the cheerefull reporte of so many and so great benefits.

And now being so broughte into Gods fauour (as I saide) and inriched vvith so great riches, vve haue moreo­uer certen boldnesse to glory, howbeit onely in God, and that by our Lord Ie­sus Christ, by vvhome that attonement of ours is made most stedfast & certen.

As though it were a small thing too reioyce in oure hartes for the hope of Gods glorie conceaued in our minds: [Page 51] you add also that it is lawfull for vs too do it with boldnes, and with any dow­ting: by the lord (say you) who is the on­lye foundacion of true hope. Therefore henceforth I will comfort my mind with these musings & studyings, as oft as it shalbe put to incounter with aduersitie, as one that knoweth certenly by y^e great nomber of examples of his vnmeasura­ble goodnes shewed vppon me, that my most mercifull Lord is on my syde and fauoureth me. And to knit vp the things in short roome which you haue hitherto sayde, I do nowe vnderstande by what meanes mens sins are forgiuen thē, & al­so how they conceiue hope of eternal life. But yet for all y^t, I am vtterly ignorant why it commeth to passe that men are clothed with Christs rightuousnes, and how it is communicated to them.

By a cōparison the matter will be made very playn. For like as by one mā that is to wit by our first forefather A­dam, sin entred into the woorld, and death by the same sin, so as it reigned ouer all mankind, in asmuch as al men haue sinned: so also the manne Christ [Page] or the second Adam, doth by sheading fayth into vs, make vs sure and certen of the forgiuenesse of oure sinnes, power ryghtuousnesse into vs, and gyue vs the spirituall and euerlasting lyfe the ad­uersarie and vanquisher of death.

How proue you that sinne entred into the worlde, sith it seemeth to be a­gainst reason, that there could be any sin without a law, as is saide afore?

But you must vnderstand that sin was longe ago, and that it vttered hys force among men, euen before the lawe was set foorth and published.

I scarcely beleeue that. For if sinne be the breaking of the law, then without the law there is no sinne.

No: but death is the hyre or wa­ges of sinne: and deathe executed hys power aforetymes from Adam vnto Moyses the minister of the lawe, euen vppon those that had not yet sinned after the maner of Adam: which mis­cheefe God remedied by sending the heauenly Adam, of whome the former earthly Adam was a tipe and figure, that like as the first Adā had brought in sin [Page 52] and death, so this latter Adā shuld bring in forgiuenes of sinnes & rightuousnes, and consequently also euerlasting lyfe.

It may seeme scarse cōuenient that the olde Adam should be a figure of the new. For he did hurt both him selfe by his sinne, and his posteritie by his ex­ample, and by the spreading forth of his sinne by discent of birth, and all men doo euen yet still to this day feele the markes of that old offence, that is to wit, natural leawdnesse, distrust, feare, hatred of god, and other suche thinges. But Christe is the fountaine and welspring of all good thinges, and chaseth al terrour, douting, and naughtinesse out of our mindes, and procureth vs Gods good fauour and welspring. Furthermore what iust com­parison can there be betweene the sin of Adam, and the fauour of God recouered for vs againe by our Lord Iesus Christ?

Truly you haue hit the matter as 15 it is in deede. Howbeit, although the similitude seme to disagree in the other parts, and to match things repugnant togither: yet is it not only like, but also far greater in this point, that as by that [Page] one mans fall very manye fell into the tyranny of death: so the gyft and grace of God did ouerflovv & sheade forth it selfe more abundantly vppon many through Iesus Christ.

Now I perceiue the matter more plainly & lyghtsumly. For eyther of thē (as I see) did conuey ouer a certen heri­table right of his into mankind. The old Adam conueyed ouer sin and death: & the second Adam Christ conueyed ouer righ­tuousnes, lyfe, grace, & attonement. Or if it be lawful to match the greatest things with the smallest, God seemeth to haue incoūtered as it were hand to hand with Satan, and to haue vtterly cut vp and ouerthrowen his kingdome, that is too wit sinne and death, and moreouer to haue deliuered Adā frō his tiranny, & to haue tryumphed and set vp a monu­ment of victorie, in grace, ryghtuous­nesse, and euerlasting lyfe, by his owne most deare beloued son.

After that you haue moost fitly noted vvhat is peculiar too be eyther of the Adams, & vvhat is common to them both, novv it seemeth meete to [Page 53] be considered, that there is great oddes betweene the afterdeele which the first Adam brought mankinde vnto by his fault, and the vnmeasurable grace that is broughte vs by the heauenly Adam Christ. For by the one sinne of the first 16 Adam al men fell in danger of damna­tion. But now the release of many sinnes is befalne vnto men by the benifyte of Christ, who pardoneth the misdooings of thē that beleue, and giueth them the spirite of true ryghtuousnesse.

Truly I am throughly perswaded of these things. For albeit that all the vyces that euer were, are, or shall be, doo spring out of that one offence as out of the verie well head: yet notwithstan­ding there is offered vs so great and so vnconsumable a treasure of all good­nesse and vertue in Christe, that wee be no more in any perill, eyther of that ori­ginall sinne, or of any of all the fruites thereof. For all that fountayne of sin­fulnesse shalbe drawen dry by the diuine power of Christ, and by the presence of his spirite. But what remedie shewe you for death?

Verily euen a readie one. Death reigned ouer all men, & subdued them to his tyrannie, by one mans most hei­nous offence. But they that receiue the full measure of Gods grace, and the gift of righteousnes, shall much more reigne in life, thrugh one, namely Iesus Christ.

O noble victorie whereby Satan & his kingdome, and death it selfe, and all the rest of our enemies are ouercome by the heauenly Adam our Captayne and Emperour.

But to the intent we may at length make an ende of the comparing of the two Adams togither: thus standeth the case. Like as by one mans fault and of­fence, condemnation was spred ouer all men: so also by one mans righte­ousnes, wherthrough we be made righ­tuous, the benefite and gift also was be­stowed vpon all men, to iustifie them, and to restore them to the spiritual life. 19 For like as by one mans disobedience many became gyltie of disobedience: so also by one mans obedience many shall be made rightuous.

Surely Paule I am maruelously [Page 54] delighted with these your trim compa­risons, wherin (to my seming) you haue comprehended the whole state of christiā religion. Which order of dealing, would God that all such as will iustly be coun­ted Christes disciples would follow, and leaue all curious disputations. To bee short, I beare this in minde & euer shall, that all euils are to be fathered vpon the first Adam, and all good things vppon the last. But I can not tell what a bone you leaue me to gnawe vpon. For see­ing you attribute all thinges to Gods grace and mercy set foorth to vs in his Christe: I see not to what purpose or vse the Lawe shoulde any more serue, but to accuse vs, and to bewray our sin, and to prouoke vs to sin more & more.

Of the lawe and of his offices wee will speake more at length heereafter. 20 For this present thinke you it inough, that the law stepped in, to thintent that sinne might abound & be more plainly discerned of men, who were so blinde, that they coulde scarse perceiue the shamefulnes of their sinnes. And yet notwithstāding it came to passe thrugh [Page] Gods grace, that the more that sinne a­bounded and grew strōg, the more also did Gods goodnes and mercy ouer a­bound: that like as sin had reigned to the death & destruction of mankind: so also grace might reigne through righ­teousnes vnto eternal life, & that by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe the purchaser of mans saluation.

Sir you haue hitherto discoursed many thinges notably well, concerning the free righteousnes wherwith god in­dued the beleuers. Howbeit forasmuche as many men (as I said at y^e beginning) do take libertie & occasion of sinning, bi­cause the Lord doth lay forth the treasure of his grace to all men by his Gospell, & not only not imputeth not their sins to the beleeuers, but also poureth the spirit of righteousnes into them, as though the praise of gods mercy grew out of y^e mul­titude of sinnes: therfore (if I may be so bold as to take their person vpon me) I demaund of you whether it be lawfull for y^e iustified sort to continue licētiously in sinning,Chapter. 6.1 either bicause men are frayle and subiect to corruption, or to the in­tent [Page 55] that Gods grace may appeare more and more.

God forbid. For seeing we be dead 2 vnto sin through the spirite of righte­ousnes: how is it possible that we shuld continue and liue in sinne, after wee be once iustified?

I scarse vnderstand this geere.

What, know ye not that as many 3 of vs as are baptised & made cleane in Iesus Christ, are baptised & washed into his deth, & that by the same baptim we be after such a sort as it wer dead & bu­ried with him, that contrariwise lyke as 4 Christ was raised from the dead for the glory of his father, so we also must walk in newnesse of life, to the glory of him, who hath shevved the spirite of righte­ousnesse into vs, to worke righteous­nesse therewith.

I am glad that you haue vttred vn­to me both the true signification of bap­time, and also the bond of righteousnes. For by this meane the manifolde errour of many may be spied out. First there are which full lewdly doo make more ac­count of the signe, than of the thing that [Page] is signified by it: and there are very fewe whiche thinke that baptim betokeneth the mortifying and wasshing of the olde Adam, and of all vnrightuousnesse and and vnhonestie, and consequently the re­newing & restoring againe of our soules and of oure whole lyfe to their first state. Againe, there are othersome, which be­ing vtterly ignorāt of y^e power of Christs spirit, and of the workfulnes of his righ­teousnes, do still leaue opē y^e gate to sin, pretending I wote not what excuses of mās fraylty, as who should say y^t Christ were not strōger than y^e diuel, nor Gods grace able to confound the power of sin.

Truely you haue hit the pricke. But you shall vnderstande the contrary doctrine if you aduisedly wey the si­militude of greffing, which I vse heere? For if we be planted and greffed into the lykenesse of Christes death: then must we needs also be made partakers of his resurrection.

By this trym & most properA meta­phor is an apt cōuey­ing of a worde or spech from his owne proper sig­nification, to the be­tokening or setting foorth of some other thing. me­taphor you meane that we must be lyke braunches y^t are greffed into other trees: that being greffed into Christ, & hauing [Page 56] Christ greffed into vs, wee may bring forth new fruits of lyfe, namely ryghtu­ousnes, innocencie and holinesse.

Verely euen so must we perswade 6 our selues that our olde man is nayled to the crosse with Christ as in respect of iustification and regeneration, to the intent that the bodie of sin may be o­uerthrowen 7 & destroyed, so as we may no more follow after sinne and serue it. For he that is deade by the deathe of Christ, and obteyneth ryghtuousnes by his spirit, is thereby free from the bon­dage of sinne. And if we beleeue that 8 we haue obteyned forgyuenesse of sins and are deade with Christ, we must also most assuredly beleue, that we shall liue with him in suche newnesse of lyfe, as maye beare recorde that wee be rysen wyth him.

O the miserable frowardnesse of men, who at the report of Gods fauour purchased to vs by the benefit of Christs death, do wondrously leape and skip for ioy, verely bycause they be certefied ther­by of the remission of their sinnes past. But when mencion is made of his re­surrection, [Page] to the intent that after his ex­ample, we shoulde begin a new lyfe, fa­shyoned and framed according to his in­nocene, yrightuousnes, & other vertues, and by that meanes labour and trauell with earnest desire to heauenward, des­pising all worldly pleasures: there, there our harts faynt, & we be euen at y^e poynt to quayle. So greatly are we delighted & foaded w^t the inticemēts of our sins past.

Yet notvvithstanding, they that are iustified of god, must nedes renoūce & giue ouer ther sins, vvicked deedes, pleasures, and to be short, all vnhonest things, after the exāples of Christ, vvho being once rysen from death dyeth not any more, nother hath death any more 10 povver ouer him. Therfore like as hys once dying, vvas to die vnto sin, so that 11 as novv he liueth vnto god: so you also for asmuche as you haue obteined the spirit of righteousnes, think your selues to be dead vnto sin as true members of Christ, participating of his death, resur­rection, & lyfe, & to be alyue vnto God through our Lord Iesus Christ.

O excellent exhortation. But alas for sorrow, & O miserable nature of man [Page 57] vtterly awk from it, as wherin sin hath taken so deepe roote, that it can scarse be thrust out. We haue receiued sin into our minds as a guest, or rather as a tirāt into our innermost bowels, from whēce he can hardly be driuē or thrust out, both by reason of our natural corruption, and also by reason of custome & continuance.

Euen so is it. But yet muste you striue that this sinne may not reigne in 12 your body, though it bee subiecte too death, nor you obey the lustes thereof, nor yeelde your mēbers as instruments of all naughtinesse applied to sinning:13 But rather cleane contrarie, apply your selues to god as folke risen again from the dead, and yeeld ye your members vnto him as instrumēts of righteousnes.

These thinges matched togither ought both to fray our minds frō sinning & also to inflame them with most earnest desire & indeuer to liue well & blessedly. For what is more shameful, than to be slaues of lusts? Contrariwise what is more honorable & excellent, than to vse righteousnes, godlines, & innocencie? Therefore we must pray to almightie [Page] God, that as he hath of his own infinite goodnesse already iustified vs, so he will also deliuer vs from the bondage of sin.

14 Be of good cheere. For sin shall no more execute tyranny ouer you.

By what way or meanes may so grat a good turne befall vs? For to my seeming, that is right hard to be done.

In deede it is hard vnto men, but nothing is vnpossible vnto God, no­ther is there any thing which he cānot bring to passe. But receiue here the rea­son of it in few words. For sin reigneth not ouer those that are vnder grace, but ouer those that are vnder the lawe. But novv that you be iustified you are not vnder the law, but vnder grace.

Many men seeme to be like Spi­ders, turning all thinges into poyson. For when vnthrifts and naughtipackes heere this saying, by and by, as though they had by iustification obteyned liber­tie to doo what they list, they crye oute, 15 why then shoulde we not sin still, seeing wee be vnder grace and not vnder the law.

God forbid that any man shoulde [Page 58] be of that mind.

But what is to be don to these fel­lowes that abuse Gods goodnesse vnto euill doing? And yet notwithstanding, theise wylie and captious witts cannot be subdued but by moost sustantiall and myghtfull reasons.

Those wilfull stubborne natures must be left to god the soueraine iudge: & as for the men of whō there is better hope, I would exhorte them after this maner: knovve ye not that to vvhom soeuer you yeelde youre selues as ser­uants to obey his seruāts you are, Ioh. 8.34. 2 Pe. 1.19 whi­ther you obey sin that leadeth you vnto death, or obedience, innocency & righ­tuousnesse vvhich lead you vnto lyfe?

If men were cleare of hearing, they would receiue & imbrace this your most certē & strong saying. For what is more against resō, thā to seke to match & ioyne togither things y^t are most repugnāt? as for exāples, light & darkenes, fredome & bondage, sin & grace? and y^t do they sure­ly intēd, as oft as they feare not to bynd thēselues to sin, vnder pretence of grace & liberty. Yet must you not thinke all mē [Page] to be of this mould. For ther are many in this our church of Rome, which hauing shaken of y^e yoke of sin by the benefite of 17 regeneration, go forward with all their hart vnto vertue and godlinesse

And I truely do gyue continuall thankes vnto God, and euer shall, that wheras you were the bondslaues of sin, now you being set free by Gods meere goodnesse, and made his children, haue hartely obeied the order of his doctrine that is to wit, of the Gospel, which is de­liuered 18 to you to bring you life. Now therefore you being set fre from sin, do serue the rightuousnes and innocency wherūto god hath called you, therfore you must not in any wise yeld to sin.

Certesse a greate number of vs are notably well minded vnto holines: such is y^e singular grace, & working of Gods spirite in our harts, and we hope that he will continually help our infirmityes.

In good sooth to the intent I may haue respect of your frayltie, I will deale 19 with you after the maner of men. Ther­fore like as you haue yelded your mem­bers, the witts of your mynde, your po­wers, [Page 59] and your strength as instruments to vnclennesse, and levvdnesse, to doo levvdly, so as you became euery daye woorse than other through the reig­ning of levvdnesse in you: so now yeld you your members, if not more lustily yet at leastvvise not more lasyly as in­strumentes vnto innocency, as instru­ments to vvorke holinesse, and becōme you euery day cleaner frō all vncleanes. And thervvithall remēber, that at suche 20 tyme as you serued sin, you vvere straū ­gers & outlavves to rightuousnes. But I besech you vvhat fruite reaped you of the thinges vvhereof you be novv asha­med?21 Surely the ende of them is death.

Euery mans owne fault reproueth himselfe. As for myne owne parte, you will not beleeue howe ill I am ashamed, as oft as my former wretched and lewd lyfe cōmeth to my mind. For what shall I tel you, how that euen from my verie cradle, as sone as I had any wit and dis­cretion, (according to mine own natural corruptiō & naughtines & y^e wylines of y^e old serpent which called for y^e lesson y^t he had once taught Adā) by & by trusting to [Page] the abilitie of mine owne wit, I thought my selfe wiser than al the world, & tooke my selfe almost as a God in all my doo­ings, so as I can not sufficiently maruel that Gods mercifulnesse was so great, as to voutsafe to beare with me so pa­tiently when I followed my sinne so long time, and so wilfully.

Now then seeing you be both loo­sed from the bonds of sinne, and made the seruaunts of God: you shall reape the fruit of your holinesse, and euerla­sting life abideth for you in the ende. For as death is the wages of sinne, euen so is euerlasting life (I say not a wages or hire, for the excellēcie therof is such, that we can not compare it, & yet must we not therefore couet it or care for it the lesse, but rather the more, inasmuch as it is the more excellent, & lieth in the power of gods soueraigne bounteous­nesse, but) the free gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lorde, and not in any wise for our deserts.

I easily agree with you in this case friend Paule, But I do not well vnder­stande what you meane by saying that [Page 58] we be loosed from the lawe. For in as muche as Gods lawe is holy and righ­teous, and as a certen light whereby to walke in the true way of saluation, and was appointed to the Israelites by god, for the necessarie vses of the leading a good life, so as they mighte beholde the will of the Creator in it as in a cleare glasse: how is it possible that the man which is borne anewe shoulde be loosed from that law, and that he should thence­foorth liue as without law? Or by what meanes can the law, (seeing it is of god) bring foorth euill deedes?

I will make the whole matter playne in as fewe wordes as I can, Chap. 7. and in the example of my selfe shew the of­fices of the law, so you cōsider the three states of man, namely vnregenerated, regenerating, and regenerated. Nowe, that the whole matter might be vnder­stoode the better, I borowed a simili­tude from the lawe of wedlocke. For these are my words. Know ye not bre­thren, (I speake of suche as haue skill of the law) that the wife is bounde by the lawe of wedlock, so long as hir husband [Page] liueth?Cor. 7.33For the maried woman is boūd to the man by the Lawe so long as she 2 liueth: but if the husbande bee dead, shee is loose from the Lawe of the man. 3 Therefore I thinke she is to be counted an adultresse, if she couple hir selfe with an other man while the husbande is a­liue to whom alone she had bound the honest vse of hir body by the law of ma­riage. But if the husbande dye, I thinke hir to be lose from the law of mariage, so as she is no adultresse thoughe shee couple hirselfe with another.

These things will neuer be denied, nother of the Gentiles which are inligh­tened but by the light of nature, nor of the Iewes which haue the law written.

You iudge right. Euen after the same maner, you hauing obteyned the righteousnesse of Christ, are dead in re­spect of the lawe, by the body of Christ, & on the other side, the lawes power of condemning is dead in respect of you: so as now you be at libertie to couple your selues to another, namely vnto Christ the sacrifice of propiciation for our sinnes, who afterwarde was raysed [Page 61] again from the dead. Nother haue you now any more to do with the law, both bicause you be no more subiect to the curse of it, and also most of all bicause that being nowe possessed & led by the spirite of god, you be not driuen by the comaundements of the law, but led by the guiding of the spirite. Therefore as nowe wee haue to deale with grace, to bring forth the fruites of holy workes vnto God, which hath made vs righte­ous freely through Christ.

The law of wedlock I know very well, and what benefite free iustification bringeth, I now vnderstande the better by you. But yet I do not throughly per­ceyue what maner of one this mariage of the law with man is.

I wil vtter the meaning of my mind 5 more plainly, by shewing the reason of my sayings. So lōg as we were in the flesh (that is to say, before we were borne a new, & made righteous & godly by bee­ing coupled vnto god by faith) the affectiōs of sin, wherout of al wicked dedes & sinnes are wont to spring, those same af­fections (I say) which are in vs, had their [Page] full power by the law (for by the law are they stirred vp, I say they had their full power, in our members, and in the in­struments of our soules, and in our sen­ses and powers, to make vs bring foorth the fruite of sinful deedes, which in the 6 ende do carie vs vnto death. But nowe that we be made rightuous, we be free from the lawe, as they that are dead vn­to the lavve, whiche helde vs in bon­dage after the maner of slaues. Not that we shuld be in earthly libertie, nor that we should giue heede to our lewd lusts: but that sith the course of the law is quē ched, and our owne fleshly mind is kil­led in vs, and Christes spirite, whiche is not subiect to the Lawe reigneth in vs, we should serue God in newnesse of the spirite, & not in oldnesse of the letter.

Now I vnderstande better the ap­plication of the similitude. And if I bee not vtterly deceiued, your meaning is to set vs downe two wedlocks. The one before our Iustification or newe birth, wherin the lawe, and the power of the lawe executing as ye would say the of­fice of a husband in vs, do as it were in­gender [Page 60] sinne, and bring it foorth, which sinne is the very roote whereof wicked sayings and dooings spring afterward, as fruites that growe out of the roote of a rotten tree. The other newe wedlocke you assigne to be, when Christes spirite as a new husband executing his strength in our minds, ingendreth righteousnes, wherout spring good sayings & doings as fruites of a good tree. But I do not yet well vnderstande, howe this righte­ousnesse, is not ingendred at all in the oldnesse of the letter, but in the newnes of the spirite.

Herken to the interpretation of 6 those words. Beeing now iustified, wee serue God, and bende our selues to the keeping of his law, not as dissemblers, but with all oure harte as members of Christ, moued thereto by the desire of Gods glory, and not by the outward & dead writing of the Law, printed long agoe in tables, nor yet by the threat­nings or promises therof, but by Gods inwarde inspiration, and by the liuing law of loue imprinted in our minds by Iesus Christ.

I can not gaynesay anye of these things, for I haue founde by experience how workfull Gods spirit is in y^e minds of such as trust in god truly & earnestly. But to confesse the dulnes of my witte plainly, I do not vnderstande at all, by what meanes the law being of god, & the rule of holines and vertue, can ingender sinne.Ex. 20.7 &. 17. D [...]. 5.11 For if the issue resemble y^e nature of the father, it wil be concluded thervp­pon that the law is sinne, bicause it in­gendreth or begetteth sinne.

No, not so sir, god forbid we shuld 7 haue any such thought. For the law is so far off from being sin, that it is the very bewrayer of sin. For I should not haue knowen sin but for the law. Therefore the sin is in the man, & not in the lawe. For the lavv of God, be it naturall, or be it written, dothe not like a lewde lawe prouoke me to sinne, but as a holy and rightfull law it stirreth me vp to weldo­ing by shevving mee my duetie. And when I through my naughtinesse doo disobey the lavv, I come to the knov­ledge of my sinne, as men come to the vnderstāding of good by knowing the [Page 63] euill. For I had not knowen that lusting is sinne, vnlesse the law had said. Thou shalt not lust.

These last words of yours are ve­ry well knowen vnto me, & now com­meth to my remembraunce that first and most miserable state of my former ma­riage with the law, at whiche time y^t law playeth the part both of a husbande, and of a bewrayer in mee. For although my lusts wer so vnbridled that they hindred me and plucked me backe from the per­fecte, holye, rightefull, and due lo­uing of God and men, wherein the whole lawe consisteth, and therefore were in me as certen venemous and pe­stilent rootes, wherout of it sprang that I in no wise obeyed y^e law, but wrought agaynst euery whit of it: yet was I so blind, that if the law beeing in dede both iuste and holy, had not tolde mee that those moste wicked rootes are sinne, I had neuer taken them to be so. But yet is not the knot vndone so apparantly as I would wishe.

These things coulde not haue sca­ped you, if you had weyed the rest of [Page] 8 my words throughly. For sinne, that is to say, the very corruptnesse of nature it selfe, taking occasion by the cōmaun­dement of the law, howbeit that no oc­casion was giuen by the lawe, brought foorth in me all kinds of lusts. For man is so lewde and frowarde before he be regenerated, that wheras lusts ought to be quenched in him by the lavve, as the which is rightfull, iust, and holy, it be­commeth more liuely and outragious by meanes of the law, hovvbeit throgh fault of the man, and not of the lavve. 9 Which thing is manifest euen by this, that vvithout the lawe sinne was dead, and that at the same time when I vvas vvithout lavve, I vvas aliue. Not that I vvas ignorant of the lavve (for I remē ­bred vvell euen euery tittle and letter of the lavve) but bicause I vveyed not throvghly the force and curse of it a­gaynst offenders and stubborne folke, and therfore much lesse felt it.

I am sure that the like befalleth to my selfe, and to many others. For when a man being pressed down with earthly, transitorie, and perishing things, dothe [Page 66] vtterly let loose the brydle of sensualitie, and considereth not any more what is ryghtfull: the law executeth not his of­fice, it quickneth him not vp, it rebuketh him not vp, it twitcheth him not, it pun­cheth him not, it tondemneth him not. Then his sin and vnbrydled lusts are as it were a sleepe and after a sort dead: and he himselfe in his owne opiniō is a liue, bycause he feeleth not himselfe condem­ned at all by the law. In this plight was I not only in my tender yeares when I was not able to discerne good from euil, but also afterwarde when I was man growen and yet stept in my sinnes.

I am glad that you haue not for­gotten the state of that olde mariage, since the tyme that you were deliuered from it by the benefite of Gods grace: and I also do fynd my selfe to be set fre by the benefite of the same grace. Now gyue me leaue to go through with the offices of the law. Therefore as soone as 10 the commaundement came, and that God opened my hart, then the law be­gan to tell me my duety, & to shewe me how farre I had bin off from it. Then [Page] sin (by the name of sin, I meane the cor­ruptnesse and lustfulnesse, whiche earst without the law might haue seemed to be dead, sin, I say, being accused and cō ­demned by the lawe, and therewithall wakened and stirred vp, began to wax lyuely againe: and I was deade in the syght of God and of his euerlasting law when I perceiued mine owne naughti­nesse, and so it fell oute, that the thing which was gyuen me to leade me vnto lyfe, (for the lavv sheweth which way to go to God, who is our lyfe) led me vn­to death, not through any default of it selfe but bicause that I was so lewd, that I not onely obeyed it not, but also (such was my pryde) taking skorne to be so bound by the law, striued and struggled by all meanes against it lyke a mad and frantik man. Therfore sin, that is to say, myne ovvne invvarde corruptnesse, be­guiled mee and called mee backe from the ryght vvay vvhich the lavv shevved me, and so slevv me at his ovvne plesure by taking occasiō at the cōmaūdement vvhere none at all vvas giuen, least you should imagin that gods lavv vvere sin.

Then do you vtterly discharge the commaundement of the lawe, by whose occasion the thing was doone, from all blame of naughrines or lewdnes.

What els? 1. Ti. 1.8.12 For the lavve is holie vvhich shevved me vvhat I ought to do, 12 but I vvas vvicked in taking occasion at goodnesse to become vvorse.

These thinges are well. But how came it to passe that the cōmaundement whiche of his owne nature is good, be­came death vnto you? And looke what I say of you, the same doo I meane of my selfe also being in my former state.

You must not in any vvise thinke that it vvas long of the commaunde­ment: but sin, that is to say corruptnesse or concupiscence bred death in me by meanes of the good commaundement, and of the lavv vvhich is both ryghtful and holy, & caused it to seeme to be sin: & so the naughtines of it vvas bevvray­ed, in that it toke occasion of euill, euen 13 vvhere none vvas giuen, and sin vvas so euill, that of the commaundement vvhich is good, it toke occasiō to grow in it selfe, & to put foorth it selfe more [Page] feersly and furiously.

As oft as I call to remembraunce that heauenly and in manner vnuttera­ble orderlynesse and forecast which God vseth towards sinners and euill men in the very tyme of their iustifying: I can­not but praise his most diuine mercy and prouidence, in leading men at length through so many roughe & steepe places full of daungers, to the knowledge of his Christ, that they may becomme righ­tuous and beare in mynde their former state, vndoutedly of all states most mise­rable. who (I besech you) would beleue your discourses concerning the offices of the law, if he had not first had experi­ence of all these things in himselfe?

In deede it is true as you say: and these things require the practise of god­linesse & the experience of iustificatiō. For before that time, sin and mans wic­ked concupisence are so styrred vp, that sin becommeth out of measure sinfull and euill, insomuch that death is ingen­dred of sin and the law, not through a­ny 14 fault of the lawe, but of sin. For the law, as much as in it lyeth, gyueth lyfe [Page 64] by shewing vs the way of lyfe. But for as much as the law is spiritual, it requireth of vs not onely the outward deeds, but also the inwarde affections of the hart. Also it requireth of vs all diuine vertues in their full perfection, togither with their fruits and deeds proceading from a godly instinct & tending to the glory of God. Now I at that tyme being yet earthly, and more ouer a bondslaue of sin (as you and all others were when ye had not yet receaued the spirit of righ­tuousnesse) was not able to discerne the dignity, holinesse and excellency of the lavv, and much lesse was vvilling to sub­mit my necke vnder the yoke of it, too frame both my mind and all my doings according to the precise rule therof.

Suerly I haue often tryed this, and I finde it true, that it is not all in my po­wer, not onely to loue God with all my hart, to haue a perfect beleefe in him, to hope for all thinges at his hand, to loue other men (specially to loue myne ene­myes with all my hart, and that only for Gods glories sake) to be indued with all Christian vertues as perfect as is possi­ble [Page] as the rightuous and holye lawe of God byndeth me: but not euen to rule the affectiōs of my mind, to be at a word, surely I feele, that without Gods grace and the spirit of rightuousnesse, I cannot but loue my selfe and worldly things to much, I cannot loue God aboue all na­turall things, and much lesse with all my whole hart, nother can I fall to harty at­tonement with myne enemies, but ra­ther euen yet still I am inforced I wote not how, to hate thē, bycause I am earth­ly and the seruaunt of sin and concupis­cence, which reigning tyrannously in me do ouer rule me, and harrie me about at their vnbridled pleasure, nother am I able too wyth stande them of my selfe.

These thinges are very modestly spoken, but I hope it is better vvith you than you speake of. In the meane tyme I am glad to heere this your accusati­on. For you speake by experience, and I coniecture by your vvoords that you haue bin a verie diligent examiner of your selfe. For all men perceiue not this tyranny of sinne. But I vvill pro­ceede to declare in my selfe vvhat is [Page 67] vvont to happen to suche as are in re­generating. Surely I vvist not vvhat too do. I put you out of doubt I doo many 15 things that I acknovvledg not for mine ovvne: For I doo not the good vvhiche I vvould doo, but the euill vvhich I hate that commit I oftentymes. Wherupon 16 I conclude after this manner vvith my selfe concerning the perilles that are past. If I do that I vvould not then loke vvhat the lavv forbiddeth, that doo I hate as vnright, and I mislyke of it, but the thing that the lavv commaundeth lyketh my minde very vvell. So then, vvith my mynde I consent to the lavve that it is good, & I allovv of it as right­full, hovvbeit that I my selfe am earth­ly. Wherfore if I doo against it, it is not I that doo it, but sinne that dvvelleth 17 in me. For sinfulnesse, vvhose prisoner I am, ouermaystereth me, and caryeth mee, avvay to the doing of that thing vvhich I vvoulde not do.

By this your speache, and by your acknowledginge of your former state, I see nowe there are twoo kyndes of men, some are vtterly lawelesse, and [Page] though they do alwayes obey sinne, yet feele they not the stinges of sin at all. A­gaine there are othersome which haue I wore not what a heauenly seed with thē, and although they sin, and now and then obey the affections of sin, yet do they it of all the while as it were vnwillingly, so as the iudgement of their mind stryueth against it. But yet as I thinke, these lat­ter sort haue no excuse at all in the sight of God, although they be earthly. For that same willingnesse and forewardnes of mynd, whereby they be glad and faine of the good, is so weake and faynt, that now and then they suffer themselues too be led wholly by their vnbrydled lustes, wheras contrariwise it ought be so effec­tuall, mightye, stout, and constant, as to outstande sin when it woulde ouerrule them.

You iudge aryght. For the fore­vvardnesse of the will maketh sin: no­ther is that thing sin vvhich is doone a­gainste the vvill of the sinner. But I knovv & am able to affirme it for a cer­teinty, that those men (as I haue lear­ned by mine ovvne experience) are wil­lingly [Page 68] led of their owne lustes, after the manner that you spake of. For I 18 know that in them as wel as in me, that is to say, in my flesh, there is no good­nes, but rather naughtines, which pro­uoketh me to euill, and striueth to ouer­master mee.

You meane in the fleshly man, in whom the lawe executeth the office of a husbande. But you denie not that there is some goodnesse in respect of the pre­sence of Gods seede, whiche can not yet vtter his strength without the spirite of righteousnesse. For eyther I am vtterly deceiued, or else in those men that I spake last of, there is some knowledge of gods will: also there are alreadie in them some sparkes of commendable likings and desires, howebeit that these things bee not in the fleshe, whiche regar­deth nothing but hir selfe and hir owne pleasures.

See that you vnderstād these things wel, least perchaunce you confound the sundry states of man togither, or els vn­aduisedly wite that thing vpō gods law, which can not be wited vpō it without [Page] great wrong to the eternal God. For to the intent I maye make these thinges playne in mine owne person, truly there is in mee a will to doo good, but I finde not any way to perfourme it. For I am hindered by the flesh, and by sinne that reigneth in me, and I am caried away 19 vnto euil, so as I do not the good which I vvould doo, but I doo the euill which I am lothe to doo. Wherfore if I do the thing that I vvould not, then is it not I that doo it, but sinne that dwelleth in me: which doth so roughly ouermaster 20 me, when the power and working of Gods spirite is absent vvhereby victorie is obteyned, that I am compelled to do the thing vvhich my reason in lightened by the law of God doth vtterly abhor. Therefore in that I vvould do good and 21 can not, I finde and perceiue by the lawe, while it playeth his part in mee, that there is euil in me, in me (I say) for­somuch as I am earthly & weake, and vnable to performe it, & not in the law. For, that I may vtter the meaning of my minde as plainly as can be, I delight 22 in gods law as in respect of my inwarde [Page 69] man: that is to say, as in respect of rea­son inlightened by Gods law, gods law doth please me, and delight me, I allow it to be rightfull, I agree with it, and I would fayne obey it. But on the con­trarie 23 part, I see, feele, and find by expe­rience another law in my members, & in the sences, powers, & abilities of my soule, contrary to the law of my minde, and fighting agaynst it. For when as by the iust and holy law of my mind I per­ceiue what is right and allow of it, and delight in it as good, and vvolud fayne do it: therwithall the wicked law of my body counseleth & inticeth me to the contrarie, and this lawe deliuereth me prisoner to the law of sinne: insomuch that I am oftentimes inforced to crye 24 out: vvretch that I am, vvho shall de­liuer me from the body of this death? May any man deliuer me from the bo­dy and burthen of sinne that killeth me out of hande? Who (I say) shall set me free from the tyrannie of mine own vnbrideled lusts, and of sinne reigning in this my wretched dody, vvhich lea­deth me vnto death.

O Paule it can not scarsly be vtte­red howe many wayes, and how migh­tely this talke of yours which are a most expert souldier in this spirituall battell, doth moue my bowels, and in maner in­force me to teares. For these your words do bring me in remembraunce of that old plight and state of mine, wherin I per­ceiued that our owne strength is farre to weake to get the vpper hande in this in­comber, vnlesse Christ y^e coeternal worde of God be with vs to arme vs with his spirit, and to giue vs victory agaynst so great tyrannie of our enemie.

Therfore I thank my God, which hathe deliuered mee from so miserable bondage of sin by Iesus Christ our lord. For to conclude in two words, vnlesse he vtter his power, and vndertake the battell for me, and ouercome, and try­umph: farewell my good dayes. I truly in the meane while do serue Gods law with my mind, but with my flesh I serue the law of sinne, which striueth to ouer­come me in the battell.

You haue so plainly and lightsom­ly in your own person shewed how gret [Page 70] the worthinesse and holinesse of Gods law is, & how dyuerse offices it is wont to execute towards man till he bee truly and perfectly borne a new in Christ: that now by this talke of yours, I vnderstād one of the hardest poynts of this epistle, which poynt consisteth in the knowing of the offices which gods lawe vseth to­wards a man: now if it please you, let vs treate of the thirde state of man, that is to wit, when he is iustified and made holy. But first of all I pray you shew me more playnly what maner of state this state of the regenerated sort is: and afterwarde by what markes the partie that is godly minded may be certified of his regenera­tion or newbirth.

Like as in the cōsidering of the first and seconde state of man, namely vnre­generat, & in regenerating, I vsed mine own example: so in laying forth of this third member of our partition, I wil al­ledge mine owne experiences, as a pat­terne wherin to represent the image of a man regenerated. Chap. 8. As touching the first part of your demaund, surely the state and dignitie of thē that are iustified & [Page] regenerated is most excellent, as vvho beeing dead to the old Adam, and gref­fed 1 into the new Adam Christ, are not henceforth in daunger of any damna­tion. For hovv is it possible that Christe our head should giue vp his own mem­bers to destruction? Heerevpon may al­so be gathered an ansvvere to the other part of your demaunde. For Christes vvorkfulnes is so great in the minde of such as are truly regenerated, that their life is consecrated vnto holinesse. By meanes vvherof they be after a sort cer­tified of the presence of Christ dwelling in them. But of these things vvee shall speak more hereafter. Novv, to vse mine ovvne experience as an argument, the reason vvhy these most excellent effects 2 are vvrought in my mind, is this: that the lavv of the quickning spirite in Ie­sus Christe, hath set me free from the lavv of sinne & death, insomuch that by the gift of faith, & the recorde of gods spirit, I feele my selfe discharged of the feare of damnation. And I thinke the same thing to haue befalne to all the true members of Christ.

I pray you let vs fifte out the first [Page 71] part of my question, and shewe me more playnly gods drift and maner of dealing in the case of our iustification, without the righteousnesse of the lawe.

Haue here the summe of the whole 3 matter in few words. The law was giuen of god as a rule of true holines. How be it, looke what could not be done by the law, nother as it was naturally printed in our mindes, nor as it was set foorth plainly by Moses (namely that we shuld be set free from sin & death, & become righteous) bicause the law was weake, feeble & without power, howbeit not of it owne nature, but by reason of our flesh (for we be fleshly & do striue and wrestle against the law: that (say I) did God bring to passe by sending his own son in a body like to the bodies of sin­ners. For he cōdemned sin of sin, in the flesh of his sonne, & by that meanes did 4 vvipe out, clense avvay, & abolish sin: & that did he to the ende that the righte­ousnes of the lavv, as the lavv it selfe re­quireth it, might be vvrought & fulfil­led in vs that beleue. I say to the end it should be fulfilled in vs novv regenera­ted [Page] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page] which obey not the corruptnesse, lusts, and lykings of the vnsatiable flesh, but the holy inspiration of the spirite, whereupon it commeth to passe, that our dooinges are acceptable to God, though they be not fully in all poyntes answerable to his law, vvhich otherwise requyreth most perfect purenesse.

If it be true as you say, (as I be­leeue it to be most true in deed) in any o­pinion few are at this day become rygh­tuous and holy. For the number of them is exceading small that thinke vppon newnesse of lyfe, or which are carefull to obey Gods wyll, and muche lesse which bestyrre themselues in makyng warre a­gainst their owne naturall and new in­comme sinfulnesse.

5 But beleeue me brother, so longe as men hold with flesh, they wil care for things belonging to the flesh, and sinne shall execute his tyranny ouer them. Contrariwyse, they that holde with the spirit, wilbe spirituall minded: and by­cause Gods spirit reigneth in thē, they will also delight in spirituall thinges, as whose intentes and indeuers are all [Page 74] guyded by the holy Ghost, and therfore tende to Gods glory, which thing can­not happen to such as follow the flesh, bycause they do rather purchace Gods displeasure, and consequently endelesse destruction to thēselues, by their naugh­tinesse and wicked deeds.

Moost miserable is the state of the vngodly which you tel me of. But wher­fore ascribe you so muche euill to the lo­uing and obeying of the flesh?

Bycause the entent, the indeuer, the desire, & (to vse myne owne words) the wisedōe of the flesh is deadly, or to speake more rightly, very death it selfe, as which is contrary to God, who is our lyfe. But on the contrarie parte, the en­tent, affection, and wisedome of the spi­rite, is verie lyfe, and peace. And if you aske me the reason why, it is ready sha­pen. For the wisedome of the flesh is e­nemy 7 against God: of whom forasmuch as it hath an ill opnion, taking him for hir vtter aduersary, and imagining him to be a most cruell tormenter: how is it possible that she should be vvylling to commit hir selfe to his care and proui­dence? [Page] And therfore much lesse will she passe for his will and cōmaundements. For how should she haue any mynd to obey his commaundement, whom she beleueth to be hir so? This (as I thinke) is the reason, why the flesh, nother will, no nor can obey Gods law, so long as it 8 is nothing els but fleshe. Heereuppon then it followeth that they which liue after the liking of the flesh cānot please God.

O most miserable wretches as we be, which are compelled to keepe conti­nuall wrestling with the vntrusty wise­dome of our owne fleshe, so long as we be inclosed with the bulke of this body.

Be of good cheer. This wrestling 9 may rather win you a crowne, than de­struction and damnation. For you (so doth charitie teach me to think of such as beleue in christ) you I say, are by faith greffed into Christ as true signes of sal­uation. You be iustified and regenera­ted, and therfore you be not now car­nall but spirituall, for somuch as Gods spirit dwelleth in you.

Heerein is all the cunning and mai­strie, [Page 73] Paule.

Surely if any of you haue not Christs spirite, he is none of his, marke wel what I say, I say he is none of Christs he is no member of his, he is no bro­ther of his, he is no heire of eternall fe­licitie with him.

I beleeue that with all my harte. But the thing y^t I thought with my selfe was this, that there are a great sort now a dayes which boast of the receyuing of Gods spirit, whose lyfe is notwithstan­ding no more like y^e holines & most pure exāple of Christs lyfe, than an apple (as they say) is lyke an Oyster. Wherefore I pray you tell me by what markes I may discerne such as haue Gods spirit in very deed. For it will do me good also, to per­ceiue y^e presēce of Gods spirit in my self.

Let this be the aunswere to the o­ther part of your demaund: and beare you well in minde the true and sure to­kens of regeneration: of which the one consisteth in lyfe & death, & the other in the inward motions of Gods spirit.

In lyfe and death say you? What is that to say?

Herken, & you shall vnderstande. If Christ and his spirite be in you, the old man, that is to say the flesh, is dead as in respect of sin and the vnruly and vnstayed deedes of vvickednesse. And this is the death of the old man: vppon putting avvay, on the contrarye parte reigneth the spirite of God and execu­teth his power vppon man, and liueth as in respect of rightuousnesse.

Surely a verye notable marke of regeneration or newbirth. For the spirit of Christ into whome we be greffed, not onely gyueth vs lyfe by inspyring vs to goo vnto God our lyfe, as meete is we should: but also is himselfe our spirituall lyfe. But to confesse vnto you plainely my thoughts (or I wote not whether I may better say temptations) in that be­halfe when I looked vppon myne owne naughtinesse and the tyrannie of sin ouer me, I haue oftymes doubted of the po­wer of Gods spirite in vs, and whether the working therof do kill the old Adam, and plucke vp the roots of that euill tree 14 or no. And vpō such maner of thoughts being sorowfull & (to say y^e truth) distru­sting [Page 72] and despayring of victory against my fleshe, I am wont diuers tymes to quayle.

These doutinges of the power of Gods spirit are daūgerous. Thinke you that the tyranny of sin is greater, than the myght, efficacie, and inwardwoor­king 11 power of the holy Ghost? No, but assure your selues of this, that if the spi­rit of him which raysed vp Christ from deathe be in you: he vvhiche raysed vp Christ from death, vvill also call againe your mortall bodyes into a lyfe besee­ming your regeneration, by his spirite vvhich dvvelleth in you. Wherefore as many of you as professe your selues to be Christians, I beseche you all lay vp these things deeply in your minds, that whā vve be once iustified, sanctified, re­generated & indued vvith Christes spi­rit, we are altogether detters, not to the 12 flesh to liue after the liking of the flesh, & to obey the corruptnes thereof, but rather to the spirite to indeuer to obey him in all things.

Is there so greate perill in the not knowing, & in the omitting of y^e thing?

Yea yerely: and of all perills it is the greatest. For if ye liue after the ly­king of the fleshe, you shall surely die. But if that by the spirite, you vanquishe the doings, works, deuices, desires, & in deuers of the flesh, & fyght against the lusts therof: out of all doubt you shall liue, & you shall cōtinue in the life that you haue receiued by the benefite of Christ, who is the life of the faithfull, e­uen in whose minds the quickning spi­rit vttereth his power.

Hereafter I will bid suche doub­tinges farewell, and sift better both my selfe and my doings, and not yelde mine eares so open to such as do lessen and di­minish the effectualnes of the holy ghost: who also (to th'intent their maners may answere their doctrine) are wonte often­times to brag of the presence of Gods spirite in their hartes, when as they be drowned in the filthynes of sin and wic­ked doings.

Let others alone, & stand to thine 14 owne tackling, and keepe this rule in examining thy self: that as many as are led, moued, & ruled, not by their owne vnbrydled lusts, but by Gods spirit, they [Page 75] be Gods children. And beleeue me, he that is not sure of this being Gods child, can nother be sayd to be regene­rated, nor in any wise satisfy the accusa­tions of the law, as which requyreth an absolute and perfect rightuousnes in all points at our hād, which we be neuer a­ble to perform, except the power of the holy ghost do worke & fulfill the thing in vs which he requireth in his law.

Surely it is an ouerhard thing for vs to giue our selues continually to the keeping of Gods lawe, specially sith we be trenched in with so greate sinfulnesse of our fleshe, wherunto the purenesse of Gods law is quite contrary.

What haue you novv to do vvith the lavv, or vvith the condēnation ther­of? For seing you be greffed into Christ 15 and indued vvith his spirit, you receiue no more the spirit of bōdage, that you shoulde haue to deale vvith the lavv as you had in times past: but you haue re­ceiued the spirite of adoption of Gods children, I meane the spirit of fredōe & of the loue of God, wherby we perceiue Gods goodnesse to be so great that vve [Page] not onely call vppon him, but also crie vnto him with invvarde familiaritie & boldnesse, and with earnest loue, as vn­to our father. Nowe hee that hath this spirite of adoption applieth himself to the keeping of the law, not as a hireling in hope of rewarde, or for feare of pu­nishment, but willingly as a sonne.

I am of opinion that wee can not call God father, so safely, so boldly, and so swetely, but by the breathing of his spirite vpon vs, whose recorde is moste certen, as the whiche is greater than all recorde of man. But I pray you whiche are the other marks of our regeneratiō?

Surely euen the inward motions of Gods spirite wil be no doubtfull signes of our regeneration in Christ. For gods spirit witnesseth inwardly to our spirit, that we be gods children by grace and adoption, as who are partakers of his diuine nature by the same spirite in Christ.

You tell me of a great dignitie.

Truly so is it. And if we be childrē, then must it needes bee confessed that we shall be heires also: verily the heires [Page 76] of God, bicause we be his children, and fellow heires with Christ bicause we be his brethren.

He that hath suche a recorde in him selfe, neither wauereth, nor staggereth in his minde. But what other inwarde motions require you in the regenerated?

That they should knowe thēselues to be the true members of Christ, and enter into the way of the crosse armed with the remembraunce thereof. For sith it behoued Christe to suffer, and so to enter into his glory: it is meete also that his members should not shun the state of their head: specially conside­ring how many and how great commo­dities spring vnto vs therof.

What commodities I pray you?

The first is, that if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reigne with Christ.

Truely this promise is very swete, but the waye to attayne to it is very sower.

But I am of opinion that the ad­uersities which we suffer in this worlde, are not equall or cōparable to the glo­ry that shall be vttered vpon vs in time [Page] to come.

Vnhappy certesse is the state of mā ­kinde. For only man feeleth sorrowes and troubles, only man beareth all thin­ges, onely man groweth, only man is vexed and pineth away.

Nay rather if you beholde this frame of the whole worlde aduisedly, you shall see that all kinde of thinges, yea euen of the senslesse creatures, doo with very great, thoughtfull, and vehe­ment desire long for the discouerie of Gods children, bicause that being very neere of kin to vs, they desire our full and perfect glory: and also bicause that day they themselues also shal be repai­red and made immortall.

Why so?

Bicause the nature of thinges is subiect to vanitie and corruption, not willingly (for that is against their na­turall liking) but for his sake by whom they be so made subiect to decay. For God is contented that they shall dec [...]y to doo vs seruice withall, howbeit in hope that they shall come muche more beautifull, and lesse subiect to decay. [Page 77] Else the desire of an euerlasting state vvere bred in them in vayne. Therfore they themselues also shall be set free frō 21 the thraldome of destruction, and bee made likewise immortall, and inioy like libertie, in that they shall be from peri­shing, when the glory of Gods children appeareth. For we know how al things 22 grone and mourne with vs vnto this day, and shall doo till the day of iudge­ment. Therefore we haue no cause to complayne.

Surely the state of the godly is mi­serable, notwithstanding that all crea­tures be fellowes of their afflictions.

Nay verily, the faithfull haue also 23 euen the chiefe pillers of godlines, to be their fellowes, and not only partakers of this crosse, but also formost in the a­ray. For not onely the very nature of things, which is inferiour to man, dothe suffer & beare with him: but euen vve Apostles vvho haue the first fruits of the spirit, yea & that in great abundāce, are notwithstāding so opressed with labor, that we sigh at our harts, lōging for the adoptiō of gods childrē, til it be shewed openly as it [Page] shall be in the life to come, and for the setting of our bodies free from destruc­tion, vvhich shall come to passe when we rise againe.

Art you the cheefe blasers abroad of the Gospell subiect to sufferings aswell as other men?

See you not how I am cast into this pryson for the Gospels sake? neither is there any cause why you should eyther be offended or wonder at it. For wee be not yet come to the possessing of oure 24 happinesse, but by hope. For onely in hope are we now safe. But when we bee once in heauen, we shall see God, not a­ny more by fayth, but openly face to face, and then we shall be without both labour and hope. For the hope that is seene is no hope. For hope is a wayting for an absent good thing that is longed for. For how is it possible that a man should hope for the thing that he seeth 25 & hath? Then if we hope for the thing which we see not: it is to be confessed, that we possesse not the thing as yet but by faith, but that we wait for it through patience, and that hope feedeth vs.

To confesse the truth, the aduersi­ties which the professors of Christes re­ligion suffer, seeme to me to passe oure strength, and therefore I thinke wee be scarse able to beare them.

You haue a very present remedie 26 prepared for this weaknesse. For the spirite helpeth our infirmitie, specially in asking and obteyning the gift of pa­tience and vprightnesse of minde at Gods hande. For although we be rege­nerated and indued with Christes spi­rite: yet notwithstanding vve be so op­pressed vvith sorrovv, vvhen vve be af­flicted after that maner, that vve vvote not hovv to pray as vve should do. But the spirite prayeth for vs with vnutte­rable sighes.

I thinke that by the name of spirite, you meane that part which beeing rene­wed in vs by Christ, inforceth it selfe to the glory of God. For out of that by the working of the holy Ghost in vs, there proceedeth a certen inwarde and secrete desirousnesse of Gods glory, which sup­plieth the roome of supplication before God, and therefore it is true that after [Page] this maner the spirite prayeth for vs, though we diuers times perceiue it not.

It is inough that God vvhich sear­cheth mēs harts, knovveth & allovveth the secret meaning of our spirit, vvhich prayeth for Christes holy & true mem­bers at Gods appoyntment.

Surely a moste excellent comforte of the godly, sithe they knowe that their saluation can not in any wise be letted or hindered by the aduersities of this worlde.

Nay rather vnto such as loue god, al things turne to their benefite, vvhether prosperity or aluersitie befall them.

Most excellent (as you reporte) is the desert of such as loue God.

Avvay vvith all mention of mans desert in Gods sight. For by Gods grace are vve vvhatsoeuer vve be, by vvhose purpose and appoyntment they be cal­led foorth as many as loue god through the vvorking of Christes spirite. For to the intent you may knovv vvhom God 29 hath foreknovven, he hath also appoin­ted them to be like to the image of his sonne, that Christ him self might be the first [Page 79] begotten, the principall, and the chiefe among many brethrē. Herevpon sprin­geth beleefe in God, herevpon sprin­geth loue tovvards god, herevpō sprin­geth hope of euerlasting life, and finally hereevpon springeth the calmnesse of mind, the long sufferāce, & the chereful patiēce of the elect in their aduersities.

Nowe I plainely vnderstande the cause why many being strikē with feare of the crosse, leape backe from the Chri­stian religion, and will not holde out to the ende. For they want the foundation of true godlines, namely gods election & calling, by reason of their wickednesse.

You haue hit the nayle on the head. For whō God hath predestinated 30 after the maner aforesaid, them hath he also called from heauen. And whom he hath so called, them hath he also iusti­fied, not onely by not imputing their 4 sins to them, by releasing & forgiuing their wicked dedes, & by couering their iniquities: but also by imparting the spirit of righteousnes vnto them: & he hath takē them to him to be his friends and children, & garnished thē with ver­tues [Page] and giftes of grace. And vvhom he hath so made rightuous and giltlesse, them also hath he glorified, in this life in hope, and in the other lyfe in very deede.

Surely I am rauished with great admiration to heare you discoursing of these matters. For what can we say to these things? what can the wisdome, or (to speake more rightly) the distrustful­nesse 31 of our fleshe obiect? For if God, who hath chosen, called, iustified, & glo­rified vs be on our side, who shall be a­gaynst vs? who can eyther shut vs out, or plucke vs backe from saluation?

In good sooth no man. Specially seeing that God hath loued vs so great­ly, that he hath not spared his ovvne sonne, but hathe giuen him vp to the Crosse for vs all. And sith the case stan­deth so my brother, hovve shall he not giue vs all other things vvith him? For hovv is it possible that he vvhich giueth the chiefe things, should not giue the appurtenances also?

These reasons of yours Paule are most playne, and full of comfort. For by [Page 80] them it appeareth that your foresayde grownd is true, wherein you auow that they which are truely greffed into Christ are not in daunger of any damnation.

Who is he that maye accuse Gods chosen, when God himself who is both 33 almighty and a most louing father ac­quiteth them? Who shall condemne vs, seeing that Christ Iesus hath dyed for 34 vs, and clensed our sinnes, and moreo­uer is risen agein, and triumphing ouer sinne and death hath conueied his righ­tuousnesse vnto vs, and ascending vp into heauen sitteth at Gods right hand, and being indued with full power de­fendeth vs? Who shall plucke vs from 35 Gods loue? Who (say I) shall cause vs to doubt or not beleeue that God loueth vs? Ps. 43.2 [...] or that we being possessed with such misbeleefe, shoulde not loue him? Can aduersitie do it? Can nakednesse? Can 36 perill? Can sword? My brother, answere you nothing to this geere? Se you not the same thinge to be fulfilled in vs which is wtitten, and that we may true­ly say as oure forefathers cryed vnto God, namely that vve as vvell as they [Page] that vvent before vs are dayly put to death for our Gods sake, and are in case as sheepe appoynted to the slaugther, and yet want nother fayth nor loue for 37 all that? Nay rather both in these and in all other aduersities vve get the vp­per hande, and that not by oure ovvne wit, nor vppon truste of oure ovvne strength, nor puffed vp vvith opinion of our ovvne vertue or deseruings: but through him vvho of his ovvne meere goodnesse, grace and fauour, hath loued vs in his Christ.

These proofes of true faith do so moue my mynde, that henceforth I wyll not set a strawe by the threatninges and scaringes of oure Emperours, or (too speake more ryghtly) of oure tyrantes, as whose power may shewe crueltie to the body, but not plucke the mynde from fayth and the loue of God.

Novv to make an ende of thys treatise of iustification, I am fully per­svvaded 38 that vve whiche are borne a nevv and greffed into Christe, are ne­uer ouercome, nother by death, nor by lyfe, nor by anye other thing that can [Page 81] happen to vs alyue or deade, yea I am fully perswaded, that nother Angels, nor Principates, nor potestates, nor 39 things present, nor things to come, nor highnes, nor lowdnesse, nor any other of all the things that are in nature, is a­ble to plucke vs from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesus our Lord, and muche lesse that any tormentes of ty­rantes, be they neuer so cruell, can dryue vs avvaye from the professing of Christ.

By thys youre discourse Paule, I perceiue well, not onely the loue that God beareth vs, but also the constancie, stedfastnesse, and stablenesse thereof, in somuch that I am sure it cannot by any meanes be brought too passe, that God shoulde not loue vs in Christ Iesus as his members, or that we shoulde not alwayes loue him againe. How be it, as I perceiue by the order which you haue set downe, you haue hytherto treated of Christen ryghtuousnesse, and you haue shewed playnely that no­ther the Gentyles can becomme cleere by keepinge of the lawe of nature, [Page] nor the Iewes by the workes of the law written, bycause none of both them per­formeth the cōmaundements of Gods will to the full, which require to be kept to the vttermost tittle. And therfore there is offered vs a most present remedy by the preaching of the Gospel, namely that we may becomme rightuous by belee­uing in Christ, & being indued with his spirit giue our selues wholly to the due­ties of obedience, so as at length we may attaine euerlasting happines with Christ the head of all the faithfull. But now re­mayneth the greatest hardenesse of this Epistle. For if men be iustified by fayth, and Christ belong but onely to the bele­uers: vndoubtedly then is the seed of A­braham cast of. For (as you your self see) very few of Abrahams seed receiue Christs doctrine. Wherupō it cōmeth to passe that some saye flatly that this Iesus of Nazareth is not the true Messias that was promised to the people of Israell: and othersome affirme that he is the true Messias, but that God abydeth not by his promises, but reiecteth it at his plea­sure. Now for asmuch as none of both [Page 82] these thinges (as I thinke) is true: I would fayne vnderstande the doubts of this treatise, which you intitled of electi­on, or of the calling of the Gentyles.

As for the casting of or (to speake more ryghtly) the vnbeleefe of myne owne countreymen: Cha. 9. I cannot speake of it vvithout greefe of mind. For I say the 1 truth in Christ vvithout lying, and my conscience beareth me witnesse of it by the holy ghost, Act. 9.1 1. Co. 15.7 that I am stricken vvith great greefe and continuall sorrovv of 2 mynde, to remember and beholde the blindnes and destruction of the Iewes. For I coulde fynde in my harte to be a straunger vnto Christ for my brethrens sake, vvhich are my kinsfolke as in re­spect 3 of humane nature: So gret, so ear­nest, and so vnfained loue doo I beare them. For the Israelites come of Gods sholed and chosen people, Ro. 2.18. Epi. 2.12. to whom be­long 4 the adoption and couenaunts, to whom the lavv & seruice of God were giuen, to vvhom the promises vvere gi­uen, and finally of whose fathers Christ came as concerning his manhod. For in 5 that he is the coeternall and coessentiall [Page] sonne of God, he is God to be praysed aboue all things for euer. Amen. He is the true Messias, the verie Sauiour, the very mediator betwene God and man, euē in spyte of the powers of hell. Ther­fore there is no cause why anye man should call it in question, whether Ie­sus of Nazareth be the very same Mes­sias that was promised to the children of Israell. And wheras you say there are others that blame God of vnconstancy, surely I am sory for it. For that errour springeth of the not knowing of Gods determination, vvhereby he did once decree in his ovvne mynde, that none should be saued but the beleuers. And 6 wheras the Iewes surmise the saide pro­mise to belong only to themselues they vtterly mistake their marke as they say. Nother can their vnbeleefe blame god of vnconstancy, Ro. 2. 16. as though hys woord 7 had falne to the grounde: For not all they which are borne of Israel by fleshly descent, are true and chosen Israelites: nother follovveth it that by cause they be Abrahams ofspring, therefore they are all Abrahams true and natural chil­dren, [Page 83] that is to say, faithfull, descended of the father of the faithfull. But of I­saac (sayth God to Abraham) shall thy ofspring take their name: Ge. 21.12 He. 11.25 whiche is all one as if he should say, they shall not be called Abrahams children which shall come of thee by Ismael thy fleshly son: But the children whiche are thine in deede and whiche shall be called the children of God, are they that shall cō ­uey their pedegree from Isaac the son of the spirit rather than of the flesh. To conclude at a vvoorde, they be not the true Israetites, vvhich are the children of Abrahams body: Gal. 4.28 but they that are his childrē by promise are counted the children of Abraham and of God.

Truly this your saying of gods pro­mise, semeth new & straūge to y^e Iewes.

Vndoubtedly their owne blynd­nesse is the cause of this errour, and not my true interpreting of thē, which they diffame with nouelty: for the prophesi­es & sermōs of the prophets do cōtinu­ally teach & inforce this decre of the e­uerlasting god. But least my coūtrimen may cōplaine of my sayings: let vs loke [Page] 9 narrowlyer vppon Gods sayinges. The vvords of the promises are these: Ge. 17.10 I wyll visit thee at this tyme (sayth God vnto Abraham) and Sara shall by my fauour haue a sonne, notwithstanding that she be barren and both of you be stryken in yeares. Therefore ye see that vnder this figure of Isaac & Ismaell, God did shadow and shevv aloofe, his free cho­sing of all beleeuers, whether they were Iewes or Gentyles, that by that meanes he might make it knowen, that he is the God of all men, both Ievves and Gen­tyles, Joh. 1.12 Joh. 3.15. and that he gathereth his chosen indifferently out of both peoples, not by fleshly generation, but by beleeefe of the promise and by acceptation.

But the Iewes thinke the casting off of Ismaell and of the Ismaelites to haue another cause, namely the mothers birth: For as you knowe, Agar was a bondwoman of Egipt, and but Abrahās concubine, and not his cheefe wyfe. And therefore hir issew had not lyke right as was graunted to the children of Sara. For this cause Isaac and Isaacs ofspring had the preferment and dignity of Gods [Page 84] elect people: and Ismaell with his po­steritie more cast off.

I will not novv dispute of the law­fulnesse of the mariage betweene Abra­ham and Agar, and muche lesse of the right of the issue that came of it: But I will leaue that question, and alledge the another whiche they can not gaynsay. For the figure of the chosen and of the 10 castawayes is set foorth, and gods euer­lasting decree ouershadowed, and after a sort locked vp, Gen. 25.21. not onely in Sara and Agars issue, but also in Rebecca, vvhen she was with child with a paire of twins, namely Iacob and Esau, by our father I­saac. 11 For when they were yet vnborne, & therefore had done neither good nor euill, to the intent that gods determi­nation should stand fast concerning his 12 free election, vvithout any respect of vvorkes or desertes, but onely that the free fauour of the caller might appeare and abyde, Gene. 25.23. God tolde Rebecca that the elder should serue the yonger.

I remember I haue read this an­swere of God vnto Rebecca in the first booke of the Lawe. For there Moyses [Page] declareth,Gal. 3.24 that Rebecca prayed to God that she might conceyue, and obteyned hir prayer. But when the children stroue in hir wombe, she wisht rather to haue dyed than to be in suche payne, and ther­fore she resorted againe to God for coun­sayle, of whom she receiued this answer: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be deuided out of thy belly, of the which the one shall be a greater man than the other, and the elder shall serue the yonger. Afterward (as Moses declareth) when the time of hir deliue­raunce was come, she was deliuered of two, of whom the first came out all red, and like a hearie rugge, and he was na­med Esau. Then came out his brother holding Esau by the heele with his hand and he was named Iacob. I take this to be the order of the storie, which you af­firme to be the figure of the choosing of the Gentiles, and of the casting away of the Iewes. But how these things were fulfilled, according to the presence of the Hystorie, I can no skill at all.

You shall vnderstande that by the saying of the Prophet Malachie, Mal. 1.2 whose [Page 85] words are these: I loue you, sayth the Lorde. And if you aske in whom I loue you: was not Esau Iacobs brother, saith the Lorde? yet loued I Iacob, and 13 hated Esau, and layde his mountaynes vvaste, and made them a possession of Dragons, and a vvildernesse. And if the Edomites vvhiche are vvasted determine vvith them selues to builde vp agayne the thinges that are bro­ken dovvne, thus sayth the Lorde God of hostes: if they buylde vp, I vvyll pull dovvne, and they shall bee called the endes of iniquitie, and the people agaynst vvhom the Lorde is vvrothe for euer. Which thing vvhen you your selues beholde vvith your ovvne eyes, you shall saye that the Lorde is to bee magnified throughout the borders of Israell.

Soothly a harde saying, but yet most iust as I thinke, bothe in the figure and in the patterne. For these iudge­mentes of God are to bee honored ra­ther than too bee ouer curiously sear­ched: And I am fully and throughly perswaded, that oure destructyon [Page] commeth of our selues, and our salua­tion of God. But forasmuche as we doo heere deale with the case of Iacobs po­steritie, which fasten al the whole anker­hold of their saluation in their auncetrie, Circumcision, works, and deserts of ful­filling the law: surely we must needes answere their obiections. For if God do cast vp the people of the Iewes whō he had once chosen, and take to him the Gentiles, according as Esau was despi­sed, and Iacob the yonger brother was chosen to the dignitie of the birthright: vndoubtedly there seemeth to be accep­ting of persons with god, if there be not inconstancie. What shall we say to these things Paule? Shall wee graunt the Iewes that there is parcialitie in God?

Farre be it from God that he shuld be partiall, howbeit that the indiffe­rencie of Gods doings dependeth not vpon vs, nor vpon our thoughts. But to the intent to stop these brablers mou­thes with Gods worde, and that they may know that God is the God of all Nations, and will haue all beleeuers to be saued: see what is answered to Mo­ses [Page 86] talking to God in these words: Be­hold (sayth he) thou sayest to me, Exo. 33.12. leade this people, and thou hast not shevved me whom thou wilt sende with me, and thou sayest that I am knowen to thee by name, and that I am highly in thy fa­uour. Therefore if I bee in thy fauour, teache me thy way, that I may knowe thee, and that I may be sure that I am in thy fauour, consider also therwithall that this nation is thy people.

As who should say that God is not the God of all Nations, or that he had determined to bestowe the treasures of his mercy and goodnes vpon none but only the Israelites.

Heare out the residue. Then the Lord said, I my selfe will go with thee, & giue thee rest. And Moses answered, surely vnlesse thou go with vs, I had le­uer we might not go hence at all. But wherby shall we discerne that I and thy people are in thy fauour? Shall it not be by thy going with vs, that so I and thy people may excell all Nations on the earth?

O how vnhappy are al other natiōs [Page] [...] [Page 85] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 86] [...] [Page] of the world, if y^e only Iewes be in gods fauour, and all the residue cast of.

Giue me leaue to goe through. The Lord answered vnto Moses, that he would do according to his request, and that he woulde not giue the people an Angel to be their guide, but that he him selfe rather would bring them into the land of promise with his owne presence and fauour.

Moses then prayed and obteyned.

It is true. But yet presumed he to aske greater things, vvhen he said, Lord I beseech thee shew mee thy glory and thy brightnesse. Exod. 33.18.

What sayd the Lord to that?

I (saith he) wil make al my good to 15 passe before thee, & I wil proclaime my name Iehoua before thee, & I will haue mercy on whom I wil haue mercy, Exod. 33.19. and I will shevv compassion on vvhom I will shevv compassion.

O most pitiful God & worthy to be praised euerlastingly, which tieth not his inward mercy to any one people or natiō but according to his good plesure layeth foorth the treasures of his clemency to [Page 87] whom he will, and when he will. For I 8 perceiue plainly that this saying whiche concerneth gods manifesting of himself, ought to be referred to the circūstance of the place. For y^e plainnes of gods answer is vnderstoode by Moises demaunde.

Then vpon this manifesting or ra­ther defining of gods maiestie, you may gather that god is not tyed only to the Israelites, nor their deserts the cause that they be counted Gods people. For 16 Gods choosing and calling come ney­ther of the willer nor of the runner, but rather of god that pitieth.

Truly I beleeue so, and I conceiue so great hope of our Creators goodnes towards mankind, that he wil haue mer­cy not onely vpon the Iewes, but also vpon the Scithians, Assyriās, Egyptiās and al other nations that dwel through­out all partes of the world, so they thrust not Gods most mercifull fauour from them through their vnbeleefe and stub­bornesse of minde.

You iudge rightly: and that is the thing which the scripture reporteth of that most wicked & false harted king of Egypt, [Page] whom the Egyptians call Pharao, to vvhom beeing out of measure cruell & disobediēt, god speketh in these words. Euē for this purpose haue I raysed thee vp and aduaunced thee to the king­dome, Ex. 9.16 17 and preserued thee aliue and in health to this day, that I might shevve my povver vpon thee, and my name be renowmed through the whole world.

This iustice of God is most right­full, wherby he dazeleth the vnfaithfull, blindeth the cruell tyrantes, hardeneth the stubborne sort, taketh light from the hardened, and which is more worthy to be wondered at, not onely vseth their persons, but also their sinnes to the set­ting foorth of his glory. So singular a workmaster is he of good things, that he furthereth his owne most holy deuices, by the lewde attempts and indeuers of the wicked.

You see then that God hath no respect of persons, people, nations, fun­ctions, or dignities in punishing of wic­ked deedes & sinnes, but rather paieth 18 good to the good, and euill to the euill, as a most vpright iudge. Therefore he [Page 88] hath mercy on whom he will, and con­trariwise he hardeneth whome he will, nother is there any man that can iustly pleade with him, and much lesse charge him vvith any vnindifferencie.

The Iewes will in no wise graunt that, who thinke Gods mercy to be re­serued alonly to thēselues to couer their iniquities withall, and that blyndnesse, stubbornesse, hardnesse of hart, and final­ly [...]delesse destruction is prepared by Gods eternall ordinance for all other nacions of the whole world. But for as­much as I haue once begon to pleade the case of the Iewes, I pray you answere me in few woordes, why God is angrye with the Israelites for reiecting of the doctrine of the Gospell. For if he will 29 needes haue it so: who is able to with­stand his will?Esa. 1.6. I say if God set forth hys owne glorie among all other nations of the worlde by the blyndnesse and vnbe­leefe of the Iewes: why vpbraydeth he them with their vnbeleefe and hard har­tednesse?

I knowe you speake not as you thinke, and therefore I will answere a [Page] rayling Ievv, rather than your selfe: and I vvil say, O man, bred of the earth, and 20 baser than the vvormes if thou vvante Gods fauor, vvhat art thou that pra [...] est against god? If thou loke into thy selfe, seest thou not that thy destruction cō ­meth of thy self? Ose. 1. For by meanes of thy hard hart which can no skill to repent thou hast horded vp gods wrath to thy selfe, bycause thou hast despised the a­bundance of Gods goodnes, long suffe­rance, & myldnes. But if thou speake as an Israelite, & aledge Gods election for thy self: call to remembraunce the di­uine sayings of the auncient prophets, wherein they haue set before thine eyes the nature of God & the punishmentes that were to come vppon the people of Israell. And (to vse Ieremies similitude) shall the pot say to the potter, vvhy hast thou made me thus? Is it not lavvfull for him to make what he listeth of his clay? Hath not the potter povver to make of 21 the selfe same lump of clay, one vessell to honour and to keepe sweet sented & delicate things in, Sap. 15.6 & another to disho­nour, to put filthy, stinking, & vncleane [Page 89] things in? Surely he that denieth that, denieth both the power of the potter, & beleeueth the povver of God to be mained in the gouerning and foreca­sting of mens affaires.

God forbid y^t the godly should haue that wicked cōceit with thē. But in good s [...]th you make me very glad in bringing y^e most holy sermon of Ieremies to my remēbrance, y^e words wherof I minded to cōmit to memory: and I trust you will not be offended if I reherse them to in­ [...]hten your doctrine withall.

Nay rather I intreat you to do it.

Go to (saith y^e Lord speaking to Ie­remy) go downe into y^e potters house,Je. 18.6. & there I wil vtter my woord vnto thee. I therfore (saieth Ieremy) going my way into y^e potters house, found him making his worke vpon his wheeles. And when y^t vessels of clay y^t y^e potter was making of, was mard betwene his hands, he wēt to it new again, & made another vessel of it as be thought good. Then the Lorde talked thus vnto me: Ye house of Israel, may not I do to you as the potter doth, sayth the Lord? Looke what y^e clay is in [Page] the hande of the potter, the same are you in my hand, ô ye house of Israell. As for examples sake, I threaten, wasting, spoy­ling and destruction to some nacion or kingdome. Now if that nacion which I shall haue threatned withdraw themsel­ues from their wicked deeds, I also will stay from the euill which I thought too haue layd vpon them. Againe for exam­ples sake, I promise some nacion or kingdome to build it vp and stablishe it: If they offende me by disobeying my woords, I also will stay from the good which I ment to haue done them. Go to therefore and tell the Iewes and the in­habiters of Ierusalem, these woordes. Thus saith the Lord, behold, I purpose euill against you, and I am deuising of somewhat: forsake euery one of you your wicked customes, and amend your fashi­ons and maners. No (say they) but we will follow our owne deuices, and eue­ry of vs will obey the lewdnes and wic­nes of his owne hart.

I promise you it was a notable an­swere giuen by the Israelits to main­teine and confirme Gods election wher [Page 90] of they boasted so much.

But what and if they complaine still of Gods euerlasting ordinance? For if God knew that the Israelits woulde forsake his heauenly couenāt, why chose he them? And assone as he saw that they were couenant breakers, why did he not by and by cast them of, punnishe them, weare them to the stumps, and consume them to nothing? Why did he not out of hande take the Gentyles to be his peo­ple?

What a saying is this? If God in­tending 22 to shevv his wrath and rough­nesse and to vtter his povver, did with great patience suffer for a tyme the ves­sels that vvere made fit for vvrath, de­struction, and casting away, (of such sort in deed are the vnbeleuers and the wil­ful stubborne Iewes) that he might pu­nishe them the sorer afterwarde, and so make his power and rigour famous & 23 renomed: is he to be blamed for it? A­gaine, what if that he moreouer, to shew the gretnes of his glory in the vessels of mercy, prepared thē to glory? Is it ther­fore to be ascribed to mens deseruings?

He that thinkes of anye deseruing, is starke madd. But see agayne what the Isralites obiecte. If God, say they, doe punnishe the falscharted, disobediente, and stifnecked Iewes, hee may doe as he sees cause: but yet should he not for those wicked mennes sakes, dispossesse the people of Israel of their prerogatiue and dignitie, which is nowe conueyed to the vncircumcised, which (as they surmise) are oute of Gods couenaunt, and cast a­waies. To conclude in few woords, the Iewes accuse not God of vniustice for punishing the Israelites offences: but they blame him of vnconstancie for ga­thering a new people to him by the prea­ching of the Gospell.

No maruell though he do so. For god the maker of all men had so deter­mined 24 from euerlasting. For whom he had chosen in his diuine minde, them did he aftervvard call from heauen, not onely of the Ievves but also of the Gen­tiles.

But this seemeth straunge and vn­wonted to the Israelites, and they crye out with full mouth, that this is a new [Page 91] found and forged doctrine, and vtterly vnknowen of old Prophets. 25

O gentle interpreters of the Pro­phets. Ose. 2.23 1. Pe 2.10 Remember they not vvhat the Lord promised by Osee? I vvill call a people mine (saith he) vvhich are not my people: & a nation beloued which is not beloued: and vvhere it was sayde, 26 you are not my people, there they shall be called the childrē of the liuing god.

I see a very euident recorde of the casting of the Gentiles.

Heere also on the contrary side 27 what Esay cryeth against the Israelites that vvere to be cast off. Although the number of the children of Israell (sayth hee) be as the sande of the sea, Esa. 10.22 yet shall but a remnant be saued. For the Lorde shall doo the thing rigorouslye, and at once, and that vvith ryghtuousnesse, 28 I say, he shall doo a rigorous thing vp­pon earth.

The Prophet thē foretelleth that it was done as sone as said, and y^t it is iust­ly done that so few of them shalbe saued. Therfore y^e matter (as it should seeme) is vnpossible to be called backe bicause it is [Page] iustly decreed.

29 Heere further what the same Esay sayd in his first sermon concerning the casting off of the Iewes. Esa. 1.9. If the Lorde of hostes (sayth he) had not lefte vs some seed, vve had bin lyke to Sodom and Gomor, we had all perished for our fals­hartednesse and stubbornesse. For you must vnderstand, it is the singular bene­fite of the euerlasting God, that I and a few others doo beleeue the Gospell of God: For our wicked deeds deserued e­uerlasting damnation.

I am ryght well assured of that, nother thinke I that Gods mercy shy­neth forth lesse manifestly in the calling of you, than in the calling of vs. But I pray you what shall we say to this, that so many Gentiles imbrace the Messias that was borne of the Iewes and promi­sed to the Iewes, and that so few of the Iewes beleeue in him? Seeing that the election and calling of them both com­meth of Gods grace, whereof commeth so great difference, that so few of the one sort, and so innumerable of the other sort receiue Christ.

My iudgement is this, that the 30 Gentiles which followed not the righ­teousnesse of workes, or of mens deser­uings, ouertooke righteousnes, I meane the righteousnesse that springeth of faith: & contrarywise that the Israelits 21 which followed the righteousnes of the lawe, attayned not to the righteousnes of the lawe.

What is the cause?

As I suppose it is for that the Is­raelites 32 seke not to be iustified by faith, but by the deedes of the lavv, reposing the whole state of their hope in their ovvne works. And therfore they dashe 33 agaynst the stumbling stone, whiche thing the prophet Esay forshewed shuld come to passe, Esa. 8.14 &. 18.16 whē he bespake the chil­dren of Israell in these words: Beholde I will lay in Sion a stone to stumble at, and a rocke to dashe agaynst, and who­soeuer beleeueth in him shall not be a­shamed nor beguiled.

Truly the falling out proueth the Prophetes foresaying. For Christe is a stumbling stone to the vnbeleeuers and disobedient. But to suche as sticke to [Page] him by fayth, he is the sure foundation of singular quietnesse, peace, and happines. But to tell you the truthe Paule, you are very ill reported of among your own countreymen for this doctrine. For they thinke you speake it of spite, or that you seeke your owne glory in the Chur­ches of the Gentiles by their vnbeleefe.

Cha. 10.1 My dere brother: I pray you giue no credite to their words. For I assure you that I haue an earnest good wil to­vvards them. And in my prayers which I povvre out vnto God, I make suite for the saluation of the Israelites, and vvishe it with all my hart, and cease not to be earnest with God for it, rather 2 pitying them, than spyting them. For I am vvont to witnesse thus muche of them, that their striuing against Christ, agaynst grace, and agaynst the Gospell, is done of a zeale to godwarde, hovve­beit vnskilfully, and not vpon know­ledge.

I thought as muche my selfe: but herken. Some seeme to them selues to be ledde with a certayne desire of Gods honour, and think that he thrusteth them [Page 93] forwarde to withstande the iustification of [...]ayth. But if a man could creepe into the bowels of their hartes, perchaunce he shuld see that they referre not al their intents and indeuers vnto god. Neuer­thelesse I would be lothe to condemne any body: but yet dare I say thus much, that they haue no pretence of excuse be­fore God, though they sinne through ig­noraunce.

I will shew you the welspring of al 3 the mischeefe. These men knowing not what righteousnes god requireth of vs, & indeuering to settle & stablish their owne righteousnes by the deedes of the lawe vvithout faith: will not submitte themselues to the righteousnes of god. But you know welinough that the o­beying of gods lawe without the foun­dation of fayth, is rather a visor of righ­teousnes, than a righteousnes that plea­seth god. Nowe the very marke that faythe ameth at, is the coeternall and coessentiall sonne of God, be­comme fleshe, the true Messias and aduocate of Mankynde. And the 4 ende or vttermoste restynge poynte [Page] of the Law is the same Christe, Gal. 3.24 to make them righteous and cleare vvhich trust in him. Thus ye see hovv great differēce there is betweene the righteousnes of the lavv, and the righteousnes of fayth, which difference my countreymen con­founde 5 and mingle togither. For Moi­ses treating of the righteousnes that commeth by the lavve, describeth it in these vvords, Leu. 18.5 Ex. 20.11 Gal. 3.12 that he which performeth the things vvhich the law cōmaundeth shall liue by them: contrariwise pro­nouncing them accursed which conti­tinue not in all things that are vvritten in the booke of the lawe. de. 30.12 But vvhen the same Moyses treateth of the righteous­nesse that springeth of faith, he speketh 6 after this maner, Say not in thy harte, vvho shall go vp into heauen? for that is as muche as to fetche or call dovvne Christ the sonne of god out of heauen. 7 Neither say in thy minde, who shall go dovvne into the deepe? for that is as much as to rayse or fetche vp agayn the same Christ from the dead.

What is it then that Moyses con­cludeth?

The worde (sayth he) is neere thee 8 in thy mouth, and in thy hart, de. 32.41 and that is the vvord of faith vvhich we Apostles of Christ do preach.

Now I see plainly, that euen the auncient fathers of the old testament, had the same marke set afore them for the fayth of the beleeuers alwayes to ame at, which we haue: namely Gods euer­lasting worde, very God and very man, the Sauiour, the Messias, and the foun­dation of true righteousnesse and inno­cencie, to whom whosoeuer cleaueth shal out of all doubt be saued. Therefore no neede at all haue the Israelites, & muche lesse we, to go on pilgrimage, to passe o­uer the sea, to climbe vp into heauen, and to attempt things aboue our power, to become rightuous. For it is sufficient to beleeue the Gospell, to imbrace Christe the fathers worde, and to be made one with him by the spirite of regeneration.

You hit the matter in deede. For if 9 you confesse the Lorde Iesus with your mouth, and beleeue in your hart that God hath raysed him vp from death, you shall be saued. For the beleefe of 10 [Page] the harte maketh righteous, and the 11 confession of the mouthe saueth. Nei­ther is this doctrine nevve or deuised by vs that beleeue in Christe: but is continually repeated and set foorth by the holy prophets. For (to let passe o­thers) The Prophet Esay sayth, Esa. 18.20. whosoe­uer beleeueth in him shall not be asha­med nor deceyued,

You say truth. But the Iewes re­strayne this generall distribution, onely to the Israelites: and are of suche opi­nion as to beleeue that the Gentiles are shut out from that promise.

Surely they be vtterly ouerseen [...]. 22 For in this behalf there is no difference betweene Greeke and Iewe. God crea­ted them all alike, and made them all a­ble to receiue him, so they haue fayth. As for deseruings, there are none at all, neither in the one nor in the other: their saluation consisteth in gods only goodnes. And bicause he is the onely Lorde of all, riche and welwilling to do good to all that beleeue and call vpon him hartily, & seeke al their help & wel­fare 13 of him alone, therfore according to [Page 95] the sayings of the prophets, whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be safe.

I remēber I haue read this sentēce in the sermons of the prophet Ioel.Ioel. 2.32 But there is a certen doubt which greueth my [...] very much. For if it be true as you say that god is the creator of al men, and that be createth men able to receiue bles­sednes: how hapneth it that y^e most part of the worlde abideth in ignorance of the truth and that a great sort euen of those that heere the truth, do not beleeue it and obey it? For to the intent we may speake 14 first of the Heathen folke and Gentiles, how can they call vpon him on whome they beleeue not? and how can they be­lee [...] e in him of whō they haue not herd?15 and how shal they heare without a prea­cher? and how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent, euen of god the only author of saluation?

Surely you reason sharply. For to the same purpose the prophet Esay said How beautifull and fine are the feete of such as bring glad tidings of peace, Esa. 52.7 and bring newes of good things?

Ye see also that not all the Iewes obeyed the Gospell.Esa. 53.1 For the same Esay complayneth of their vnbeleefe in these words.Ioel. 12.31. Lord who hath beleued our say­ings? Heerevpon I conclude that the cause of damnation commeth of God, who denieth to some men the degrees wherby they might come to the true worshipping of him, and so consequently to saluation.

Nay rather you must gather here­of, 17 that true and liuely fayth commeth of hearing, and that the true and in­warde hearing is inough by gods word, and by the holy Ghost mouing mens harts, and making their mindes cleane and holy by his operation.

I doubt not at all of that matter: The thing that I demaund is this: whe­ther the nations to whom the preaching of the gospell came not at all, are vtterly reiected of god, or whether they may al­ledge any excuse for not hearing gods voyce. I say I would fayne know, whe­ther 18 they haue hard any thing or no, that might quicken them and stirre them vp to the knowing and worshipping of the [Page 96] euerliuing God.

Yea out of doubt haue they. For as the princely Prophet witnesseth, treating of Gods schoole, namely of his creatures wherein he shevveth his god­head and power to all Adams posterity: Psa. 19.5 Their sound (sayth he) vvent forth into all landes, and their words into the vt­termost partes of the world. Rom. 1.16 Therefore looke what can be knowen of God, is firste manifest in themselues, that is to say, in their ovvne minds: For God hath manifested himselfe to them by a cer­teine inwarde lavv. Againe, concerning his inuisible things, such as are his euer lasting povver and Godheade, they be perceiued in the workemanship of the woorlde by considerning them in his workes. And therfore they make them­selues vnexcusable, bycause that when they knew God, they yeelded him not glory, and thanks meete for God, but wandered in vaine imaginations, and their folishe mynde became dim. And whereas they professe themselues wyse, they become the more fooles. Therupō it commeth, that they turne the glory [Page] of the incorruptible God, into an i­mage fashioned to the shape of a mor­tall man, of byrds, of fourefoted beasts, and of wormes. And therfore for a pu­nishment of this vvickednesse, God gi­ueth them vp to the lusts of their owne hartes, into vncleannesse, to defile their bodies among themselues, for turning Gods truth into a lye, and for vvorship­ping and seruing the creatures, passing ouer and neglecting the creator, vvho is to be praised for euer. Amen. Hereup­pon sprang the mischeefe, the damna­tion, and the destructiō of those whom you spake of.

You haue ynoughe and more than ynough satisfied my doubte with these your woordes. Now I desire to knowe whether the doctrine that you set downe concerning the reiecting of the Iewes & the calling of the Gentyles were know­en to the Prophets of old tyme: I meane whether the Israelites did euer knowe Gods eternall decree to haue bin suche, that if they shewed themselues disobedi­ent and beleued not, the Gentiles should be taken to be Gods people.

Yea verely, this doctrine vvas very 19 ryfe & vvell knowen among the people of Israel euen from the beginning. De 32.21 For Moyses the firste Capteine of the Ievv­ishe people speaketh thus to them in Gods name. I vvill prouoke you to enuyinge (sayeth hee) by a nation that is no nation, euen by a nation that is vvithoute vnderstanding vvill I prouoke you. Also the prophet Esay vseth greater boldnesse against the mis­beleuing 20 and disobedient Iewes, where he auoucheth the calling of the Gen­tiles in Gods person, vvith these words: Esa. 65.4 I am found (saith he) of them that asked not after me.

Surely these are moste manifest a­uouchments of the calling of the Gen­tyles.

And concerning the reiecting of the Ievves, see what the same prophet 21 sayeth in another place in the person of god. All day long I stretched out my hands (sayth he) to a stifnecked people & a people that is replying against me. Esa. 62.2 Heere, heere muste the causes of the re­iecting, blyndinge, and destruction of [Page] the Iewes be sought, and not in God.

Chao. 11Of a troth I maruell that the Is­raelits are so blynd, as not to see these so 1 manifest sayings. But I pray you, is this reiecting of the Iewishe people vniuer­sall? Hath God so reiected his people, that none of the Iewes shalbe saued?

No not so. For I my selfe am an Is­raelite, of the seede of Abraham, and of the trybe of Beniamin, & yet notwith­standing, by his diuine fauour he hath sholed me out frō my mothers wombe, not onelye to be partaker of the hea­uenly grace and euerlasting happines: but also to publish the benefite of Gods sonne, by preaching the Gospell amōg the Gentyles. Therfore God not reiec­ted his people whom he knevv and al­lovved, for his aforehand, that is to say, the trew beleeuers in him, which obey him and followe his sayinges. For in as much as God had chosen them from e­uerlasting, they be not in anye wyse in daunger of damnation.

But truely the nomber of these cho­sen is very small.

Yea but it is greater than you Gē ­tyles [Page 98] weene. Knovv ye not what is lefte in writing concerning Elias? He prayed vnto God againste the Israelites, thin­king that of so great a nomber of Iewes he onely had bene left alone, 2 K. 19.20 and ther­fore he sayd: Lord, the Iewes haue slaine thy Prophets, and broken dovvne thine altars, and I onely am left alone, & they 3 seeke to kill me to. But what sayth the ansvvere of God vnto him? I beleue you 4 remember it. I haue reserued me seuen thousand men (sayth the Lord) vvhiche haue not bovved their knees vnto Baal. Thinke you that of all the Ievves there are no mo called but I? Yes I assure you there are a great multitude among the Iewes, vvhich are of the nomber of the elect? Then lyke as all were not cast off in the tyme of Elias: so at this time ther 5 is a remnant, and although they seeme to be but few, yet hath God his worshippers, as it vvere hidden among the rest. And for asmuch as they be the true mē ­bers of Christ, they looke not for hap­pinesse by desert of works, but through Gods meere goodnesse, and mercye by his free election.

And good reason why, in my opi­nion. For if it be freely, then is it not for woorkes: for then were free gift no lon­ger fre gift. But if it be for woorks, then is it not of free gift: for then were worke no longer woorke. This moost strong reason we Gentyles take hold of, to sta­blishe oure free calling with all. But I praye you, what shall we answere the Iews, whiche vrge the election of the whole people of Israell, garnished with so notable commendacions of the holye 7 prophetes?

Myne answere is vvont to be this: that the vvhose people of the Israelites hath not obteyned the thing that they sought: but the chosen, the beleeuing, the obedient, & the submitters of themselues to Gods vvord haue obteyned it: but the residue are hardned & blynded for a punishment of their vnbeleefe.

You sayde also euen now, that these vnbeleuers obteine not saluation bicause they sought it otherwise then they ought to do, that is to wit, not of Gods fregift, but by the desertes of their owne wor­kes: And therefore that they be worthe­lye [Page 99] lefte in their ignorance and blynd­nesse.

Yea, and they be not onely left vp, 8 but also punished according to the de­sert of their vnbelefe, leudnesse, vnfaithfulnes, and naughtinesse. Es. 29.10 6.9. Ma 13.14 Jo. 12.14. Ac. 28.26 For these cau­ses (say I) God being a iust iudge, hathe gyuen them the spirit of drousinesse (as vvas foretolde by the Prophetes) eyes that they might not see, and eares that the mighte not heere euen to this day. 9 And by this meanes is the thing fulfil­led in thē which the princely Prophet Dauid forespake of them long ago. Let their table (saith he) be made a snare to them, a pitfall to catch thē, Ps. 69.12 a stumbling blocke, & a punishmēt. And not cōten­ted with this, he addeth: let their eies be 10 darkened, that they may not se, & bow thou alwaies dovvne their backe.

What meaneth this word Alwaies. will God be angry w^t y^e people for euer? Haue they stumbled in such wise, y^t God is determined to destroy them vtterly?

No not so. But by their fall salua­tiō 11 is hapned to the gētiles that by that meanes god myght prouok the Iews to [Page] follow the example of the Gentiles.

Your meaning ihen is, that the lord ordeyned this reiecting of the Iewes, to giue an occasiō to the casling of the Gen­tyles.

Yea.. And God being his craftes maister in all good thinges shall againe turne this calling of the Gentiles into occasion of restoring the Ievves, that being kyndled by the example of the gentyles, they also maye at length im­brace the Gospell.

O prouidence of the most holy god worthy of admiration and euerlasting praise. But I am afrayde of this, least as the fall of the Iewes is healthfull to vs Gentyles: so also their saluation shalbe our destraction hereafter. For peraduen­ture if the Iewes had stode, the Gentiles had not obteyned saluation.

Let that matter neuer trouble you. 12 For if the fall of the Iewes be the welth of the woorlde, and the adminishing of them the inriching of the Gentyles: how much more shall their fulnesse & safenes be so? For if the falling of the Is­raelyts do novv turne to the welfare of [Page 100] you Gentiles: muche more shall their safenesse turne to your saluation. For if they had beleeued, and so consequently not bene reiected, you also should haue beleeued the gospell after their exāple. But let vs leaue the ordring of these in­terchaunges reuerently vnto god.

Your counsell is good. Therfore it is our duty, only to consider deepely in what wise God as it were taking occa­sion by their fall, hath delt forth the most plentifull store of his grace to the Gen­tiles. And the fewnesse of those that re­ceiue Christ, sheweth vs Gods treasures as it were more richely and plenteously, and therfore maketh vs the richer.

God graunt that your thankful­nes 13 may be answerable to his so many & so great benefites. And for my part. I say plainly to you gētiles, that althogh I be your Apostle, yet I indeuer to ad­uance & cōmend mine office tovvards both of you: to you, that Christe may be a full and effectuall worker in you: and I extoll your profiting to the Iewes to see if I can by any meanes prouoke 14 my kinsfolke to follovve your exam­ple, [Page] and saue some of them: and in so doing I consider oftentimes with my selfe, how great ioy there woulde be a­mong men, and how vnspeakable glo­ry would redounde to the euerlasting God for their saluatiō. For if the casting away of the Israelites be the reconcile­ment of the world, what else shall their recouerie be but life from death?

Of Gods mercyfulnesse towardes the Iewes I doubt not at all. But I am in some doubt whether they will answere to Gods voyce, and open their eyes to the lighte that shineth vpon them: spe­cially forasmuche as I see them to bee nowe so hardharted of so wilfull stub­borne minde, and so rebelious agaynst the truthe.

It is not for vs to iudge of any mās saluation or damnation. The Lord kno­weth 16 vvho be his, yea euen among the Iewes, of whō seeing that the first fruites are holy, the whole crop is holy also. 17 And if the roote be holy, the bowes shal be partakers of holynes also. The which you shall vnderstand more plainly thus. The nation of the Iewes considered in [Page 101] generalitie, and in their roote, that is to wit, in Abraham, is holy, notwithstan­ding that many of the braunches be cut of. Therefore in iudging the Israelites, we must not stand vpon their owne vn­worthines, to thinke them all cast away at once: but vve must cōsider the roote of the couenaunt, & rather looke back to their faithfull forefathers, that wee may thinke that the couenant of bles­sednes remaineth stil in their posterity, which shall vndoubtedly be discouered in his due time.

Truly Paule you speake very mo­destly, euē of your most deadly aduersa­ries, & you hope well of thē. And would God that we followed this example of yours. For there ar many of vs, who bi­cause they haue obteined mercy of God, do triūph ouer y^e Iewes that hold scorne of gods grace, despising thē, & counting them as forlorne & castawayes, and by al meanes seeke to do them mischeefe.

You therfore my brother beware that you follow not the vntowarde ma­ner of dealing of such men. For beleeue me suche maner of slouthfulnesse shall [Page] 17 not scape so. And if that some of the boughes be broken of, & thou beeing a wild oliue art greffed in for them, and made partaker of the roote and sap of 18 the Oliue: boast not thy selfe agaynst naturall boughes: but if thou boast, cōsider that thou bearest not the roote, but the roote thee.

19 But those boughes which thou cal­lest naturall, are plucked away and falne downe, that I might be greffed in. Now is it not lawfull for me being so greffed in, to glory and to preferre my self before the natural boughes of the Oliue, which are broken and falne downe, notwith­standing that I was sometime a wylde Olife?

This that you say is neither all nor nothing. Well maist thou glory of thy greffing in, howbeit but in God, & not 20 to the contēpt of other men. For they were brokē off by vnbelefe, & thou stā ­dest by beleefe. Therfore be not proud 21 but rather be afrayde. For if God spa­red not the naturall braunches, beware least he spare not thee also. To conclude in fevv words, and consider thou (thou [Page 102] I say, and all the Gentiles, for looke what I say to one, I say to all) marke, I say, gods gentlenes and rigour. Rigour 22 towards suche as are falne, but gentle­nes towardes thy selfe: Howebeit vp­pon condition that thou continue in fayth now that thou hast receyued gen­tlenes at gods hand: for else thou shalt be cut off in like case as they were cut off through vnbeleefe. Yea and the Is­raelites, 23 if they continue not in vnbe­leefe, shall be greffed in agayne. For god according to his accustomed mercy to­wards such as amend, is able to greffe them in agayne. For if thou beeing cut 24 out of a naturall wild O life, wert against nature greffed into a true Olife: hovve muche more shall they that are the na­turall braunches be greffed into their ovvne Olife agayne?

By this meanes many are cut of for a time, that is to say, they be without the roote, which in their time shal be greffed in. And many also after a sort, and to see too, are now ingreffed: who notwith­standing are through their own fault cut off afterward, and vtterly cast away.

So is it. By the vvay I woulde that you my brethren (I speake to the Gen­tiles) should not be ignorant of this se­cret, least you should be proude of your selues, that this hardning which is falne in part vpon Israel, is happened but for a time, til the fulnesse of the Gentils become 26 in: and so shal al Israell be saued, as it is vvritten, and confirmed by the rewarde of Esay, vvho hath opened this heauenly secret vnto vs in suche words as these. Esa. 29.9 Out of Sion (sayth he) shall come the deliuerer, and he shall turne 27 avvay the Iniquities of Iacob. Also in another place he comforteth the Israe­lites in this wise frō Gods own mouth, saying: Esa. 9.20 This shal be the couenant that I will make vvith thē, when I shal haue taken away their sinnes. To conclude at a vvord, the Israelites are not cast away, neither altogether, nor without certein 28 hope. Therefore as in respecte of the Gospell, they are enemies, hovvbeit but for your sakes. But all in respect of e­lection, they are beloued for their fore­fathers 29 and auncesters sakes. For Gods gifte and calling are suche, as he beeing [Page 103] most mercifull can not repent hym of them.

Then seeing that the couenant of e­ternall life was once stablished with the Iewish nation, it can not be disanulled.

No verily. Also you must consider that although the vnbeleeuers & stub­borne harted be worthily punished, yet this hardnednes of the Ievves hapneth not properly for any hatred that god beareth to that nation: but to the end there might be as it were a gap opened to bring the gentiles into the Church, and that the Iewes beeing afterwarde kindled with a kinde of enuying at the mercy shevved to the gentiles, might also be made partakers of the same be­nefits, & so it might manifestly be sene, that both the gentiles & the Iewes that beleue gods promises, are chosen, called & saued, not by the desert of their works but by gods onely grace and mercy. For like as you in times past obeyed 30 not god, and yet haue novve obteyned mercy throgh their stubbornes: so they 31 also haue not obeyed as now, that they mighte attayne to mercy, throughe [Page] the mercie that god hath bestowed vpō 32 you. For god hath suffered bothe the peoples, that is to say, all the posteritie of Adam to be shut vp in disobedience, for this purpose most highly by al mea­nes too bee honored, namely that he mighte lay foorth the treasures of his mercifull goodnes by hauing compas­sion on all.

Surely this purpose and determi­nation of God, is worthy of singular ad­miration and reuerence, as which sur­mounteth the wisdome and vnderstan­ding of men. For by this meanes is his diuine grace vttered, which shoulde not haue bene so manifest, if he had eyther broughte all at once together into the beginning, or saued the Iewes without this breaking of, as yee might terme it. But by what reasons I pray you can it be proued that this was Gods eternall purpose and ordinance.

O my brother these secrets of gods mind, are made manyfest to vs by their fallings out: neither are to bee sifted with curious scanning, but rather to be reuerenced with submission of minde. [Page 106] For as ofte as I thinke of these matters (and I thinke of them oftētymes) I am compelled as a man rauished out of his 33 wits, to cry out after this maner: O the deepe riches of Gods wisedome and 34 knowledge. How vnsearchable are his iudgements, Sa. 9.13. Esa 30.13. and his doings past finding out? Hathe euer any man knowen the mind of the Lorde? Hath euer any man bin of counsell with him? Who hathe don him a good turne afore hande, that he may de requyted with lyke kindnes? Surely of him and by him are all things & at him do all thinges, 1. Co. 2.16 and as at their ende. To him alone be glory for euer. 36 Amen.

Heere (as I suppose) you make an ende of the treatise of fayth, whiche rea­cheth the maner of obteyning true righ­tuousnes, and maketh the beleuers sure of Gods election. Henceforth I perceiue you giue precepts of framing y^e maners of such as are regenerated: but in what order you do it I am vtterly ignorant.

Forasmuch as mans state is to be considered two waies, that is to vvit in priuate when he dealeth but vvith him­selfe, [Page] or in publike when he dealeth with others: and that eyther in the cō ­mon welth, or in the congregation of the faithfull: hereout of spring twoo, or rather three sorts of precepts. Therfore first I exhort the godly to diligent try­al of themselues, that they may so much the better apply themselues to the ex­ercises of the vertues which Christians haue neede to continue in. And for as­muche as it is not ynough for a godlye man to be garnished vvith vertue and honest behauiour, excepte he vtter his godlinesse before others by example of lyfe when neede requireth: Therefore I do secondly admonish your countrimē, that they despise not the authoritye of their magistrats, vnder pretence of chri­stian liberty. Moreouer, bycause I herd ther was strife amōg you about things indifferent, & about the ceremonies of Moyses law: I set downe certeine rules whereby both parties, as vvell Ievves as Gentyles, may vvalke with a good con­science before God, & maintein peace & trāquillitye with their brethren. To be short in this second part of mine E­pistle, [Page 105] ye haue preceptes of maners, of gouernement, and of churchmatters, if you list so to terme them.

A very true order surely, and verye nedefull for our cōgregatiō. For welnere all men now adaies do thinke words to be godlines, & therefore do vaunt forth y^e profession of y^e Gospel, rather w^t pratling (which they call eloquēce) than w^t honest behauiour and examples of life.

Those mē do I cheefly speake vnto, Ch. 12.1. where I wryte vnto you in these words. Therfore my brethren, if you will be of the chosen sort & haue receiued christs spirit: I warne you for gods mercy sake, that you make your callīg sure by good works. And first of al I besech you offer vp vnto God, not dum beasts any more after the maner of the Iewes, but your ovvne bodies, euen your owne selues, I say, & your owne beastly affections, as a liuing, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to god, that your seruice may be reasona­ble & spirituall in the sight of his diuine maiesty, who delyteth not now at all in the slaughter & sacrifising of dū beasts.

Truely Paule this is a shorte pre­cept [Page] in woordes, but harde to be vnder­stode, and most hard to be performed a­ryght.

If these alludings to the sacrifices of the olde law seeme hard to your vn­derstanding: I vvill shew you the mea­ning 2 of my mynde in plainer woordes. The thing that I desire, is that you shuld nother in wordes consent nor in deedes fashion your selues lyke to the woorld, or to such kynd of men as you see to be giuen vp to vngodlinesse and wicked dealing, Ep. 5.10. but rather be chaunged and transformed by the renevving of your mynd. For to chaunge a mans apparell, dyet, place, or trade of liuing, it is not so harde a matter but to follovv on conti­nually vvith the reneuing of his mynd, lyke as it is paynefull (I vvill not say o­uer hard): so is it a most acceptable kind of sacrifice vnto God. I let passe that is the fittest schole for men to try & fynde out what Gods vvill is, in what maner of goodnesse he delighteth, and vvhat is perfect and acceptable in his sight. For mans reason destitute of heauēly light, is blynder than a betle to iudge of these [Page 104] things.

Vndoubtedly there spring vp day­ly many and great braules among vs a­bout these spirituall matters. For there are some that will needes be all, and al­waies ouerpeere and outface, other men by hooke or by crooke, so attainted with pryd and statelynesse of mynde that they wyll needes be sisters of all other men, and appoynt all men what they shall do or not do.

You tell me of very ydle men and such as are to buisy in other folks mat­ters. Haue they so good leysure from their ovvne buisinsse at home, that they may care for other mens affayres? But I according to the charge of admoni­shing you which God hath giuen me, 3 do say vnto you, not too one or twaine, but to euerye one of you, let none of you talke more vppon him than becō ­meth him but let him so take vpon him as he maye be sene too be sober. Let e­uerye man serue the church according too the meane and measure of faithe which god hath giuen him and besto­wed vpon him. For lyke as in one body 4 [Page] we haue many mēbers and all the mem­bers haue not one office: Eph. 4.4. so vvee bee­ing many are one body in Christ, & se­uerall 5 mēbers one of a nother. Nother is it for any one mā to take vppon him to be the whole body, & to do & to rule al things amōg you after his own liking

Would God these light wits were away frō among vs. For with their in­constancy and lightnes, they turmoyle & confound all thinges, stirre vp contenti­ons among the teachers, and disquiet the consciēces of the weake, & to seme shar­perwitted thā other men, they thrust out old foreworne affections of thinges vn­knowē to thēselues, & very hurtfull to o­ther men.

Farevvell these light heades vvyth their lightnes, & you setting the exāple of mans body before your eies, do eue­ry of you your duties. 1. Pe. 4.10 Yee haue in your cōgregation diuers gifts according to the grace that is wonte to be giuen vs 6 vvhen vve beleue. Therfore to vvhōsoe­uer the gift of professing befalleth, that he may be an vtterer of Gods wil, whe­ther it be by interpreting the holy scripture [Page 107] or by foreshewing things to come throgh gods reueling of thē vnto him, let him apply himselfe throughly to his charge, according to the proportiō of faith, & yet let him not take vpon hym to be only wise, only learned, and onely skilfull in all things.

Good God, how necessary a lesson is this for our churche, wherein there is such confused disorder at this tyme, that all mē must hold their peace, and but one man speake: one man must talke whatso­euer comes at his tungs ende, and all the reste muste be faine to sit styll as toung­tyde.

But in other right Apostolik chur­ches it is not so: but two or three Pro­phets speake, & the other that sit by do discerne of their sayinges. 1. Co. 14.20. And if aught be reueled to any other of the sitters by the former holdeth his peace. For by this meanes ye might all prophesy one after another, so as al might learne, & al be stirred vp to lerne. Besids this the spirits of the Prophets ar subiect to the prophets & the prophesies, & one of thē suffer thēselues to be ruled by other iudg­ments [Page] Nother is God (vvho hath reue­led this maner of dealing vnto vs) the author of debate, but of peace. There­fore I besech you do all things comely and orderly in your church. If any man 7 haue an office, let him follow his office namely the teacher, in teaching: the exhorter, 8 in exhorting: the prouider for the poore, in distributing of almesse, & let euery mā vvalke simply vvith a soūd, faythfull, and ryght meaning mynde. He that is set ouer orhers, let hym ply his office diligently, and he whom com­passion moueth to do deeds of charity in visiting the sicke, in prouidinge for the nedy in comforting the sorovvfull, and in performing the other vvorks of mercy, must not do those things grud­gingly, & againste his vvill, but vvith a cheerefull and willing mind.

God graunt that all these functi­ons may be stablished and maintained in all Christen congregations. But for as­much as we cannot deale vprightly to­wardes others, vnlesse our doings flow from the fountaine of true godlinesse: charitie is becomme so colde, as I am [Page 108] afrayd least these functions, or (to terme them more rightly) these gifts of the ho­ly Ghoste bee turned but into vizors of godlines. For surely among vs many seeke their owne commodities, rather than the commodities of their brethren.

So much the more indeuer you that your charitie and brotherly loue may be vnfayned: beware that it be neither coūterfeit nor cloked, but straine your selues to the vttermoste that it maye come from the hart. Bee yee haters of euill, and shun ye worse than a dog or a snake the things that may hurte or of­fende other men. Yea rather cleaue to the thing that is good, seeke one ano­thers welfare, be forward in brotherly loue one towards another, let no vaine­glory, 13 pride, or disdayne reigne among you, and finally go one before another in giuing of honor eche to other.

They be most profitable exhorta­tions. For I see it auaileth greatly to the maintenance of mutuall good will, to yeelde honour modestly to others as to our betters. 14

Also there are other inward duties [Page] of godlines, 1. Co. 6.1 Ho. 13.2 Math. 5.44. through the exercise wher­of we must earnestly indeuer to profite dayly in faith & charitie. Therefore be quicke, ready, carefull, and diligent to do well, feruent in spirite, and seruers of the time. For to know the occasions and oportunities in our doings, is not the least poynt of wisdome.

Eccl. 3.1.So do I perceyue by Salomons sermon, where he disputeth of mans so­ueraigne good.

And bicause we must alwayes con­tinually beare Christes crosse: we must also beare in minde the preceptes of christian patience. Therfore reioyce in troubles and sorowes vpon hope of the good things that are to come. That ye may quickly beare out the sufferings & iniuries that you be put vnto, be ye pa­cient in aduersitie. And bicause this quietnesse of minde is not gotten but by often prayer, it behoueth you to continue in praying.

O steepe and very harde way.

Be of good comfort. For al things 13 ar possible to him that beleueth. More­ouer it is agreeing to godlinesse, that [Page 111] you should be faithfull Stewards of the goods that you haue receiued at gods hand, in releeuing all mens wants, but specially in cōmunicating to the penu­rie of the Saincts, and the faithfull. For although christiā charitie ought to ex­tend it selfe to all men: yet is it more bound to the houshold folke of fayth. Also keepe hospitalitie, and the further that any man is from home: so muche the more charily let him be interteined in your house, and let him bee vsed so much the more curteously.

We haue an example worth the fo­lowing in the holy Patriarke Abraham, and in his nephew Loth. But it falleth out diuers times, that in stede of gwests we lodge spies and talebearers: and that restrayneth many mens diligence in en­terteyning of straungers.

Say not so my brother. For it becō ­meth vs, vs (I say) that are professors of Christes mildnesse, to will well euen to 14 such as trouble vs. Therfore blesse yee, but curse not: For Christian louing­nesse not only requireth that we should loue them that hate vs and slaunder [Page] 17 our innocencie: but also proceedeth so farre, that wee shoulde count all their happes both good and bad to be as our owne. And although that those whom 18 you named taleberers be against vs, yet must yee be glad of their gladnesse, and sorie of their sadnesse.

Surely a harde lesson. Can any man 19 beare the statelynesse of some persons, who for some peece of learning, or for some pretence of holinesse, disdayne all other men in respect of them selues?

There is the grounde of the greefe where euery man will be a Lorde, there can be none accorde. Therfore I warne you be all of one minde among your­selues, not taking highly vpon you, but yelding to the lower sort. Neither stand ye in your own conceite, nor haue you a better opinion of your selues than 20 meete is, or than truthe will beare, as though ye were wiser than other men.

What and if that after the perfor­mance 21 of all these duties of christian cha­ritie, there are yet still some that back­bite vs, rayle vpon vs, cast vs in prison, burne vs, martyr vs with newe deuised torments, and finally leaue nothing vn­attempted [Page 110] to bring vs to destruction? Thinke you that suche wicked men are to be borne with patiently? Is it not 22 lawful for vs to requite like for like, and to be reuenged of our enemies by giuing them their deserued punishment?

My brother, these sayings smell of fleshly wisedome, and not of Christian meeknesse. Which if you will giue your selues vnto, you must onely not requite 23 any man euil for euill, but also you must procure the things that are honest, holy and righteous vnto all men, yea euen vnto your deadliest enemies. And if it be possible, as much as in you is, liue ye 24 in peace with all men. And if other mēs pispositions be so sauage, wayward, and churlish, that they make warre vpō you when you minde nothing but peace: I beseeche you deare brethren auenge not your selues, take not vpon you to redresse the wrongs that are done you, giue not the bridle lose to your anger: but rather restrayne your cholar, giue place to gods wrath and vengeance, put the iudging and reuenging of your case to gods iustice, & cal to your remēbrāce [Page] that most holy saying of god wherin he sheweth himselfe to be both a iudge & a reuēger of our wrongs in that he saith vengeance belongeth to me, & I wil re­quite it saith the Lord. Seeing then that to reuēge is gods office & not yours, let the whole matter be lefte alone to his iudgement, and he wil yeeld euery man 20 acording to his desert. Therfore if thine enemie hunger, giue him meate, if he thrist, giue him drink: for by that means (to vse the words of the wisest king that euer was) thou shalt heape burning coles vpō his head. Prou. 25. de. 32.35 For by receiuing of these benefits, your enemies mind shal either be ouercome & mekned, or else burned and svvelted with the recorde of his owne conscience, which surely is not a 21 small part of gods vengeance. To com­prehend this my doctrine in few words brother, bere wel in mind this warning of mine: Be not ouercome of euill, but rather ouercome the other mās naugh­tines & frowardnes with thy goodnes.

I would with all my hart that this profitable & necessarie doctrine to pur­chase quietnes of mind, might take place [Page 109] with all men. But (alas the while) the most part of our company begin now a­dayes, not only to seeke to be reuenged of their persecuters, but also to be so bold, as to take weapon in hande, and to withstande the magistrates and iudges that hinder the preaching of the Gos­pell.

They that thinke the sufferings of the faythfull to be impedimēts to hin­der the course of the gospel, Chap. 13 are sore de­ceiued. For the bloud of the Martyrs watereth the garden of the Church, so as the stocks of it do increace & florish the more for it. But you that loue god­linesse, 1 beare in minde this precept of mine, that euery man which professeth Christe, be he Israelite, 1. Pet. 2.3 Sap. 6.4. or be he one of you, must be subiect to the higher po­wers. For to what ende are they placed in higher degree, but that the inferi­our sorte should be subiect vnto them?

What if euill Princes reigne by de­gree of succession? What if there happen to be cruell Consuls, Senators, or o­ther officers by election of the people, or by fauoure of partaking? Thinke [Page] you that such are to be obeyed?

What else? For they that beare rule, are not considered as priuate per­sons, but rather reuerenced bicause they be ordeyned of God. For you must as­sure your selfe that there is no power but of god. The powers that are, as Ma­gistrates & Principalities of kingdoms, and as all other Potentates, are ordei­ned of God to our behoofe howsoeuer they reigne. For if the feare of God do drawe them to further godlynesse, you see how great benefite their good ex­ample bringeth. For it is a common said saw, that the whole world fashioneth it selfe after the exāple of the king. But if they doo amisse, Gods vengeaunce is to be considered, who causeth hipocrits and dissemblers to reigne for the sinnes of the people. And this houshold order of Gods, bringeth also his cōmodities to the godly.

Then are not you of opinion that it is lawful for vs to make warre against our Princes and Magistrates, though they go about to hinder the course of the Gospell, and to ridde vs quite & cleane [Page 112] out of the would.

No in deed: and I adde further to knit vp the matter withall, that whoso­euer setteth himselfe against the magi­strate, resisteth Gods ordinance. And 2 they that resiste Gods ordinance, pro­cure damnation to themselues, & shall suffer due punishment. For in asmuch as God is the author of that order: Let suche as rebell against their magistrates vnderstande, that they make warre a­gainste God himselfe, and therefore it cannot be but that they purchase exce­ding great calamity to themselues.

O lamētable state of our age, wher­in we see so manye ciuill warres, insur­rections of cōmons, treasons of subiects most cruell murtherings of princes, and passing barbarous slaughters of sub­iects committed.

All these things happen, perchāce throughe the faulte of booth parties, namelye both of the people and of the gouernours. For the people forgetting their duety, doo peraduenture despise the authoritie of their prince: and on the other side, the considering not the [Page] bound of the kingly office, executeth crueltye, not lyke a shepeherde of his flock, but as a most vnnaturall tyrant. For magistrats are not a terror to good works, but to euill works: and therfore they must strike, not into such as do wel but into such as do naughtily: for God 3 hath aduaunced thē to that great dig­nitye, to maintaine the good and too brydle the bad by their meanes. Then if thou (when I speake to you I speake to all men) if thou, I say, wilt not be a­fraid of the power, do well: and so shalt thou receiue praise and rewarde of the same, and then as for to set thy selfe a­gainst it, that wilt thou not do.

Surely an excellent meane to beare that yoke which els were an intollera­ble burthen, to beare it (I say) not onely without vnquietnesse, but also with sin­gular frute. But fooles will not beware till it be to late as they say. Woulde God this doctrin were as throughly grauē in mens harts, as it is oftē talkt of in their mouthes. For thē would it come to passe that y^t minds of y^e faithfull shoulde haue inward peace & quietnesse, and the com­mon [Page 113] welth inioy greater profit.

Whersoeuer thou becommest, put thou forth this saying, in season, out of season, in way of rebuking, in way of in­treatāce, and in way of teaching: name­lye 4 that the magistrate is Gods chosen minister, ordeyned and set vp in the of­fice of gouernment, to punishe suche as do amisse, & to comfort such as do wel. Therfore if thou do any euill, be afraid for he beareth not the sworde in vaine. For God who setteth vp the powers, doth also arme them with the sword of vengeance. Therfore the King, Prince, presidēt, & euery other of inferior cal­ling that beareth office as an executer of vengeance vppon such as do euill, is gods minister. To be short, ye must neds 5 be subiect to the higher powers, not on­lye for feare of punishnent, but also for conscience sake, for it is a christen mans duety to obey his superiours.

Then your iudgement is y^t the ma­gistrat is to be obeyed, not only for feare of punishment, but muche more bycause that although the magistrate hath no po­wer ouer mens consciences, yet bycause [Page] he is Gods minister, he cannot be resi­sted with a good conscience.

That is my iudgement. And for that cause to shew the inwarde obedi­entnes of your mynd and your bounde duety, you paye tribute to your magi­strats. Ma. 17.22 For they be Gods ministers ser­uing to take charge of the cōmō welth, in punishing offenders and in praysing 7 the giltlesse. Therfore yeeld yee vnto e­uery mā that which is his due: to whom ye owe tribute, pay tribute: to whome custome, custome: to whō ye owe awe, pay awe and obedience: to whom ho­nor, honor, according as is due to al su­periours

O Paule, if you wist howe many & how great suits in law there are among vs about the yelding and paying of tri­butes and customes: surely you woulde wonder. For ther are a great sort, which vnder pretence of christian libertie, vp­holde y^e there is no propriety of goods, & thereupon they snatch all that comes in their waye, stirre vp strife, are trouble­some to the magistrates, crye oute too haue all thinges in cōmon, and mayne­taine [Page 114] quarrelles and braules. Againe there are another sorte, which to confute these opinions, behaue themselues so pinching and nigardly in all things, that be it ryghte and wrong, they rake other mens goods to them by sewing & plea­ding at the law.

Both of them be euill. But I vvill shevv you how it may be brought too passe that there shall be verie fewe sutes and actions among you: namely if you order your lyues in such wyse, as no man may iustlye demaunde aughte at your handes, sauing that one thing, vvhich we ovve one vnto another by a certeine euerlasting bonde throughe 8 the law of charity. Therefore ovve no man anye thing, sauing that you loue one another. For beleeue me, the cause why these quarrells and braules ryse a­mong you, is for that charitye and bro­therlye loue are become faynte and colde. But I vvill gyue you this glance by the vvay, Ex. 20.4. De. 5.18. Le. 19.18. that loue is the content of the lavv. For he that loueth another hath fulfilled the lavve. For these com­maundementes, thou shalt not commit [Page] adultry, Ma 22.36 thou shalt not kill, thou shalte not steale, thou shalt not beare fals wit­nes, thou shalt not couet, and whatsoe­uer commaundement els is, is compre­hended breefly in this saying, thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self. For loue hurteth not a mans neighbour. To be shorte, either I am vtterly deceiued, or els charity is the fulfilling of the lavv.

Good God, I wote not by what e­uill destinye it falleth out, that now since we imbraced Christes doctrine, brother­ly loue is lesse lyuely among vs, than it was before. For before, when we were as good as ouerwhelmed with the dark­nesse of ignorance, & walked in the miste of superstition and false worshipping of God, there seemed to be suche concorde, 4 such loue, and such following of vertue, that wicked lusts could not reigne so as we see they do now.

My brother, the preaching of the Gospell is not to be blamed for it, that you be becomme worse since the recei­uing of it (if at least wise ye be becōme worse, as you say ye be): but rather you haue to thanke Gods lyght, that you do [Page 115] novve better discerne that former lyfe of yours. For counterfet charitie deser­ueth not the name of charitie: and co­lored pretence of honestie is nother praysed nor allovved of God. Therfore 11 novv that you be inlightened vvith the lyght of the Gospell, gyue your selues to true charitie and to true honesty, yea and that vvith consideration of the needefulnesse thereof, in asmuch as it is novv hygh time to awake from sleepe. For novv that the coeternall and coes­sentiall sonne of God being made man is appeared to the woorlde, saluation is neerer to vs than when vve vveened all things to be in safety. Also we haue pro­ceeded further in godlinesse as novve, than vve had doone at the beginning when vve first beleued the gospell. The night of ignorāce is gone, & the day of heuēly light is come. Therfore let vs put 12 on the armour of light, that being clo­thed with christē vertues, we may walke 13 honestly as it becōmeth folk to go a day times: and let vs behaue our selues as it becōeth the godly. Lu. 21.24 Let vs not giue our selues to feasting & drūkēnes, let vs not [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 114] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 115] [...] [Page] welter in sloughfulnesse, let vs not coc­ker our selues in wantōnesse, let vs not gyue occasion of quarreling and brau­ling, let vs not giue heed to spiting, hart burning or enuy: but let vs chefly strein all the sinewes of our wittes to the put­ting on of our lord Iesus Christ: and let therebe such an earnest indeuer of holinesse in vs, & so great charity, that such as se vs, may say they haue sene the true members of Christe. Therefore in any wise be not carefulll for the fleshe too fulfyll the lustes thereof, but rather seeke for the peace and ioye of the spi­rite. For by that meanes, you shall through Gods inspiration, not only o­bey your magistrats, but also mainteine mutuall loue among your selues.

If the professers of the Gospell would frame their maners after this or­der, their exāple wold allure very many to imbrace the heauenly truth. But too speake plainely as the matter requyreth, our licentious liuing scareth y^e minds of the ignorant from the receiuing of the Gospell. Againe what shall I tell you of the contentions and controuersies [Page 116] that are among vs, euen vnto rayling and falling out, about indifferent cere­moniall things? The keeping whereof can (as I beleue) make men neither bet­ter in them selues, nor more acceptable to God. As soone as this church of ours at Rome was growen together, there stept vp certein men eyther discended of the Iewes, or which had bin conuersant in Iewry, or (whiche I rather beleeue) had beene trayned vp by the Doctors of Ierusalem. These I say did so earnestly and vehemently vrge the Ceremonies of Moyses Lawe, the choyce of meates, the keeping of feasts and holydays, and such other like things, that they troubled and turmoyled all things with their zeale. My countreymen on the other side, lea­ning as it were of set purpose to the con­trarie part, esteeme all meane things at nought, and which worse is, do disdeine the teachers and professors of them, and skorne them with vnseemely mockages.

Eyther of them bothe do offende, Chap. 14 by sticking too stifly to partaking, per­aduenture euen agaynst their ovvne consciences. But as for you professors [Page] of true godlinesse, if you wishe to haue quiet consciences, and to giue no occa­sion of stumbling: kepe these precepts 1 in meane or indifferent things. If any among you be weake in faith, and hath not the true christian libertie, succor ye him without any doubtfulnes of mind: not by entring into debate and dispu­tation with him, but rather by meelde 2 and patient teaching of him. For some man that is perfect in fayth, beleeueth that he may eate all things, so they be not hurtfull by nature to his body. But he that is weake in fayth, eateth herbes or such flesh as is not forbidden in Mo­ses law. Therfore let this be the lavve a­mong 3 you. Let not him that vseth the liberty of the gospel ineating of al kind of meates, despise him that forbeareth some kinds, and eateth not of all alike. For it is not lawful to despise Christes li­uing member though he be weake. And on the other side he that is afraide to vse of all sortes of meates, bicause he hath not so well profited in the know­ledge of the christiā liberty as he ought to haue done, let not him, I say, by & by [Page 117] rebuke & condemne that party that ea­teth all kinds of meats. For god imbra­ceth both the one that eateth, and the other that eateth not, as christs mēbers, so they do it with faith. Therefore nei­ther he that eateth not, cā be iustly des­pised, nor he that eateth bee iusty con­demned. Surely if such men were nowe before me, I would deale with them in such words as these: first I would step to him that taketh so great authoritie vpon him, as to condemne another mans seruant, and say: who are you I 4 beseech you that despise another mans Seruant? He standeth or falleth to his owne master: but he shall stand fast, for God is able to make him to stand. And 5 though he fal, perish, or b [...] dāned neuer so much: he neither falleth or perisheth vnto thee, but vnto god. As touching the choise of days: some mā bicause he is yet still ignorāt of the christian liberty, putteth difference betwene day & day, preparīg the feastful before th'nfestful. Another, bicause he is inlightened with knowledge, coūteth all days alike, put­ting no differēce betwene holydayes & [Page] working dayes. The christian conscience must walke safely betwene these two extremities. For if behoueth euery man to be full assured in his owne con­sciences: that is to wit, the strong must bee sure of his libertie, namely what it is, and howe farre he may vse it. A­gaine, the vnstrong must profite dayly more and more, and go on still forward in knowledge of the Christian libertie. For by that meanes, neither the one sort shall abuse gods gift, nor the other sort alwayes foade them selues in their owne weaknesse. To be short, let eyther of them trye his owne conscience and intent, and let them by all meanes in­deuer that whatsoeuer they doo, they may beleeue that they do it well.

Surely right wholsome counsell. For so long as men hang vppon other mens sayings and examples, without asking counsel of their own consciences: their minds are euer wauering, & while they be in doubt what to do, they be dri­uen to and fro euery moment, according to the alteration of the time.

You shall the better vnderstand my [Page 118] rule, if it be lightened with some exam­ples. The reason of like things is euer al one. Marke I pray you. He that maketh 6 a conscience of dayes, and putteth dif­ference betweene day & day, according to the commandement of Moyses law, do the it out of doubt least the Lorde should be offended who had comman­ded a difference of dayes in his law: for he hath not yet learned the christian li­bertie concerning the abolishing of the difference of dayes. And therfore he is rather to be praysed than dispraysed: that he dare not do any thing without warrant of his conscience. Contrariwise he that regardeth not dayes, but taketh all dayes to be alike, without putting of any difference betweene holy and vnholy: doth it also for the Lawes sake, bicause he knovveth he may freely vse the liberty of the gospel. After the same maner must you iudge of the choyse of meates. For he that eateth the meates that are forbiddē in Moses law, so he be indued with christian libertie, eateth vnto the Lord, for he giueth god thāks. And he that absteineth bicause of the [Page] weaknes of his faith, absteineth to the Lord, & giueth god thanks aswel as the other. You see then how both of them do honor god, & that god only (if you consider the whole matter throghly) is the iudge of both those doings. There­fore you see it is reason that wee should beate downe this loftines of our minde, wherthrogh we either despise or cōdēne one another, & leaue all power of iud­ging vnto god alone, either to acquit or condēne, specially sith we be all his ser­uāts. 6 For none of vs al liueth to himself, neither doth any of vs dye to himselfe. 7 For if we liue, we liue vnto the Lord: & if we dye, we dye vnto the Lorde. To be short, there is no cause why wee should stand scanning about meats, or dayes, or other meane things: but the cheefe thing wherabout we should imploy all our wits, is that whether we liue or whe­ther 9 we dye, vve may be the Lords. For euen for that cause did Christe dye and rise agayn to lyfe, namely that he might 10 be Lorde both of quick and dead. Now then why doest thou (you knovve to whom I speake) why doest thou (I say) [Page 119] condemne thy weak brother, vvhich is rather worthy to be pitied than to be scorned, for whose saluatiō Christ died? And thou that boastest of thy christian liberty, why art thou so proude to dis­dain thy brother with such a lofty loke? Surely thou oughtest not to blame him of vnbeleefe for that fearfull maner of dealing of his: but rather cōster it with a welmeaning mind, & leaue the iudge­ment of it to god, and to his Christe. For all of vs shall come before Christes 11 iudgemēt seat, as the holy sayings of the holy scriptures vvitnes. Es. 45.23 And specially E­saye speaketh after this maner in the name of the Lord: As I liue (sayth the Lord) al knees shall bow to me and all tungs shal prayse god. Seeing then that euery of vs shall pleade before god, for 12 him selfe, and not for another, howe happeneth it that so many among you are inquisitiue of other mens salua­tions? Haue they so muche spare tyme from their ovvne matters, as to bee carefull for other mens? Now at lengthe too conclude, I praye you geeue ouer suche contentions, [Page] and iudge not one of another. But ra­ther 13 vse iudgement in this poynt, that ye lay no stumbling blocks or occasiōs of fallings in your brothers wayes.

To vtter my minde plainely vnto you, I am not a little moued at the straungnes of this doctrine. For I can scarsly perceiue how the scholmastership of the law is abolisheo by Christes bene­fite, from such as know the libertie of the gospel. For you say stil, that to y^e end this libertie may be vsed rightly, we must cō ­sider what is expedient, that our weake brother may be borne withall, & yet you vphold that the christian libertie is not forgone in so dooing.

I will make my meaning playne vnto you concerning this matter in few words. I know and am fully persuaded by the light of faith throgh Iesus christ, that nothing is of the own nature vnho­ly or vncleane, that it should defile thy minde. Therfore it is free for thee to eate what thou listest, so it agree vvith thy nature. For Chrystes presence putteth awaye all shaddovves of the lawe, and all kindes of meate are pure [Page 120] and cleane to such as are pure & cleane, that is to wit, to true beleuers, so that nothing is of it self vnholy or vncleane. But marke what I say, a thing is vnholy, onely to him that thinks it vnholy. As for exāple. Some mā thinks he sinneth in eating: now must he either forbeare eating, or els cast away that superstiti­ous scrupilositye of his. And if he eate withoute putting of it awaye oute of 15 doubt he sinneth. Again, if by reason of thy fre eating without making any dif­ferēce of meats, thy brother be offen­ded so as he thinketh amisse of thee, or at leastwise if he fall not out with thee openly, is touched with inwarde greefe: surely now is not this deede of thine a­greing to christiā charity, bicause thou eatest meats forbidden in the law, in his presence. To cōclude in few words, tru­ly all kynd of meats are cleane of them­selues, & thou knowest it: and therfore thou maist frely eat of whatsoeuer thou list. But yet muste this liberty of thine follow charity, and thou must forbeare if thou se that the weaklings shall be of­fended at thyne eating. For although [Page] thou be fre, yet art thou not compelled to eat: but thou art euermore boūd not to offend others, & therefore thou sin­nest in so doing if thou eate.

Truely it is the property of a cruell hart to set more by a peece of meate than by a brothers soule health.

Then destroye not thou hym by thine eating (vvhich is but a vile thing & little or nothing vvorth) for vvhom Christ dyed. In deed the fredōe of the Gospel is good, but yet must you not a­buse so singular a benefite to the offēce of others. Therfore cause not this good thing of liberty in the Gospel, to be ill spoken of for your abusing of it. For the 17 kingdōe of god is not meat & drink, no­ther cōsisteth it in eating & drinking: But god doth rather reigne ther where as is harmlesnesse, peace, and ioy in the holy ghost: and thence springeth god­lines, honesty, and hope of the attaine­ment 18 of euerlasting blyssednesse. And trust me truely, he that serueth Christe in these things, is both accepted of god and well lyked of men.

You haue fully satisfied my doubt, [Page 121] and I easly agre to you in this descriptiō of gods kingdome. For I thinke it cōsi­steth in this point, namely in y^e opening & inlightning of our minds in such wise by y^e holy Ghost, as we may throughly per­ceiue gods goodnes by y^e light of faith, & with y^e same faith as w^t a hand, imbrace y^e mercy of our most mercifull God in hys Christ, y^t by y^e meanes we may be iustifi­ed and saued, and walke reuerently and awefully w^t a quiet cōsciēce in gods sight.

You vnderstād the matter. Wher­fore let vs professers of the Gospell fol­low 19 diligently the things that serue for peace & mutual edifying: & destroy not Gods worke for meates sake, or rather to say more rightly, through thine, abusing 20 of thy liberty. All things (as I saide euē now) are clene now that the bright­nes of the gospel shineth & the schoole-maistership of Moises law is takē away: for Christ hath made thē cleane pure & vndefiled. But yet is ther euil in this res­pect, if a mā eat to the offēce of another To be short, the mainteiner or defēder of christē liberty sins in that cace, not bycause he eateth what he liketh, but [Page] bycause he eateth against charity.

Woulde God that all Gospellers vnderstood the vse of this libertye. For then woulde it come to passe, that all of vs woulde rather apply all our whole lyfe to edify one another, than to vaunt of our liberty to the greate offence of o­thers. 21

See how great account I make of this mutuall edifying of the godly. You remember what I haue said of the pure­nesse and cleannesse of thinges in their ovvne nature, to all suche as are pure & cleane: wherby you may gather that it is lawefull for mee to vse any maner of meate or drinke. And yet for all this, I thinke it most discretion to eat no flesh nor to drinke no wyne, nor to do anye thing els, whereat my brother stum­bleth, or is offended, or is made weake.

It is very hard for this kynde of doctrine to be hilde on both partes, as well of suche as knowe the liberty of the Gospell, as of the other sort that are not indued with such strength of fayth.

Nay, it is very easie in myne opi­nion for both of them to vse this doc­trine, [Page 122] so euery of them beware of ouer­hastines. Heere first the caueat which is very nedefull for him that hath proce­ded further in knowledge of the Gos­pell, and therfore will needs set out his christian liberty to the show: To such a 22 one I speake after this maner. Thou hast fayth, kepe it to thy selfe before God: Thou (I say) which art strong, and hast gotten a sure knowledge of the christi­an liberty, kepe thy treasure to thy self, that thou mayest vse it wisely, profita­bly, and seasonably. And beleue me, he is happy which condemneth not him­selfe in the thing that he aloweth. For I know a great sort which boast of chri­stian and Gospellike liberty from the teeth outwarde, howbeit not bycause they feele it in deede by Gods inwarde teaching in their consciences, but by­cause they haue learned it by other folks talke or wrytings. But happy is he whose skill of allowing or disallowing of thinges, commeth of the feeling of hys owne conscience, by the inspiration of Gods holy spirit.

I know a good sort of the schollers [Page] of that schoole, who as sone as they haue red any thing in other mens bookes, or gathered aught out of their sayinges or preachinges, by and by as though they had a full and perfect fayth in all points, do set vppon thinges whiche they know not, & finally do the thinges which their own consciēces allow not. But to leaue this cōplaints, what caueat giue you to such as are yet weake in saith?

Truely a very short one, & a very 23 profitable one as I suppose. Whosoeuer maketh a difference of meates, and is still doubtfull in his minde if he eat, he is condēned. The reason is, bycause he eateth not with faith: and whatsoeuer is not of fayth, is sin. Therefore we must not doo anie thing rashly, as moued thereto by the onely example of other men, while in the meane time our own cōscience wauereth: for the thing that is done against a mans owne cōscience, cānot be dō without sin. Therfore whē thou seest other men vse the libertye of the gospell, cōsult with thine own faith before thou folow their exāple, & deale not with any thing which thou knowest [Page 123] not by the allowāce of thine own cōsci­ence, & by the record of the holy Ghost to be throughly acceptable to God.

Now I see plainly how great daū ­ger there is in setting out of christen li­berty to y^e shew,Chap. 15. when y^e foūdaciō of faith & the feare of God is not layd afore, frō whēce y^e seking of brotherly loue procee­deth. But to say y^e truth, Paule, your coū trymen do ouermuch hinder y^e course of y^e gospell in our church, by holding fast y^e ordināces of the law, and we thinke that suche weakelinges are not to be borne with all. Heereupon spring braulinges, stryfe, and contentions among vs.

But I thinke the contrary. For we 2 that are the stronger and stedfaster sort and are indued with a mightier faith, must beare the infirmities of the weker sort & charitably cary thē as you would say vppon our shoulders. And we must not plese our selues, but euery of vs must please other, and serue his turne in all goodnesse and hs is bounde by the due­tye of charitye to study for his edifying and instruction. Whiche thing maye be gathered euen cheefly by Christes [Page] example, who suffered all things to the intent to bring vnto his father not on­ly the weaklings, but also euen his cru­ellest enemies, by ouercomming them with patience. Therfore this mediator betwene God and man, cockered not himself, ne cared to please himselfe on­lye, but tooke vppon him all slaunder, reproch, Psa. 69. and finally torment and infa­mie, according to this saying which the Kingly prophet hath writtē of him, the reuilings of them that reuyled thee are lyght vpon me.

Yea? Thinke you that that saying of Dauids is a prophesie of the messias, and that the Prophet incorageth vs too patience by his example?

4 Yea verely. For whatsoeuer things are written in the books of our forefa­thers, are written to oure learning, that we myght haue hope through patience and comfort of the scriptures. For in as­much as they be the wordes of the holy Ghost, we muste beleeue that they be not vnprofitable or vaine, but that they make for our instruction.

It is straunge y^e we should alwaies [Page 124] be occupied in reading y^e holy scriptures, and yet profite so little in these vertues. For how many do know at this day, that Gods giuing of strength to the stoute, is not to the intent they should condemne the weake, but to y^e intent they shuld help them? Or who is he also which taketh so abundant comforte by reading the holy scriptures, y^t he fainteth not in aduersity?

These vertues my brother, depend not vpon the letters, but vpon the spirit of gods word which lies hid in the let­ters: vvhich if you haue not, you shall euer stick stil in the bark of the letter. And I pray god the author of patience 5 & cōfort, to teach you by his spirit, & to graunt you to be al of one mind one to­wards another, after the exāple of Iesus christ, as his doctrine & exāple require: & that you may by that meanes with 6 one accorde & one mouth glorifie god, euē the father of our Lord Iesus christ. Whose gentlenes I beseech you to fol­low in bearing one vvith another, and 7 to releeue the weake brethren like as Christ releeued vs, & bare with vs, only to the end to glorifie his father, and our [Page] glorious god. I knowe you haue very many of my countrey men among you, which are stil feble & weak in the faith: but you must haue a care of them after the example of Christ, & you must set before your eyes the footsteps of that heauenly master, who notwithstanding that the Jewes were neuer so vnworthy, did yet voutsafe thē such honor for the couenāts sake that was made vnto their fathers, that he bare the roome euen of a seruant among them with incredible patiēce. Now if the son of god estemed men so much: then godlines requireth not only that you should not reiect thē, or hold scorne of them, but also that yee should be so kindled vvith the spi­rite of charitie, as to receyue them, to teache them, and to further them more and more to the knovvledge of the libertie of the Gospell, by your 8 discrete dealyng. For I am vvont too teache, that Jesus Christ, vvas a mi­nister amonge the Circumcised, too keepe the fathers credite in the things vvhiche he hadde promised to their forefathers. Therefore Chryste per­fourmed [Page 125] all thinges for Gods truthes sake, and for the confirmation of his promises.

These things are true in dede, how­beit their vnthankfulnes agaynst Gods so great goodnes, is the cause that God hath shaken them off, and taken vs to be his people.

In deede their sinnes are the cause of their shaking off: but the receyuing of you dependeth vpon the incompre­hensible goodnes of our most mercifull God. And therfore you Romans must 9 not become high minded, but rather glorifie God for his mercy bestowed vpon you, as you be taught in the holy Scriptures. For ye see what the kingly 10 Prophet hath said. Ps. 18.50 1. reg. 21. Deu. 32. Ps. 117.1. Therfore will I con­fesse thee among the Gentiles, and sing vnto thy name. And agayne he sayth, Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people. And agayne. All nations prayse yee the Lord, and all people prayse ye him to­gether. 11 Also the prophet Esay confir­ming Gods eternall ordinance of the calling of the Gentiles, saith thus. Es. 11.10 There shall be a roote of lesse, and he whiche 12 [Page] shall rise vp to reigne ouer the gentiles: in him shall the Gentiles trust. Heerby you maye gather, that your calling to the participation of the kingdome of heauen, is not by reason of the sinnes of the Iewes, and much lesse for your own deserts, but bicause god of his goodnes wold haue it so. Therfore like as he hath shewed his mercy towards vs: so also on the other side it behoueth vs to be mer­cifull to others.

Would God that this lesson might take deepe roote among vs all.

And I also beseech god the author of hope, and in whom the trust of all mē ought to be reposed, to fill you with al spirituall ioy, quietnesse of mind, and peace of conscience, in true fayth: that by beleeuing you may abound in hope through the power of the holy ghost. For there is none other way for men to attayne to these ornaments of christian godlines, but by the meere benefite of god, by the power of his spirite, and by the working of fayth.

To the intent wee maye nowe at length make an ende of this our talke, I [Page 126] can not maruell inough at this your so free maner of dealing with vs. For you are not ignoraunt how great the dignity and excellencie of this Citie is, which is the head of the world. And yet you haue bene so bold as to write this Epistle vn­to vs as to folke ignorant of holy mat­ters, or as though there were no techers and shepeheards among vs, by whose trauell, preaching, and writings Gods will might be opened vnto vs.

Truly my brother I am fully per­suaded 14 of the thing that you tell mee: namely that you bee full of desire of goodnes, and of all knowledge of mat­ters perteining to god, insomuche that you are able to admonish one another, and to instruct and trayne vp one ano­ther in the doctrine of Christ. Therfore 15 in writing vnto you, I ment not to take vpon me as a teacher & controller, but I haue written somevvhat with the bol­dest vnto you, to put you in remēbrāce, according to the charge whiche god hath graunted me, that I should be the minister of Iesus Christ to the gentiles, 61 in setting foorth of the gospell, and in [Page] preaching it as a thing of most excellēt maiesty: that the sacrifice wherby I offer vp the gentils purified by faith, may be acceptable to god, forasmuch as it is al­readie halovved by the breathing of his holy spirit vpon it. Therefore I haue vvritten this letter, not to teache you, and muche lesse to rebuke you, but ra­ther to put you in remembraunce of things.

But there are diuers which terme this dede of yours a bold enterprise, and impute it to the disease of a stately mind. Specially your own countreymen spred abrode misreportes of you, to bring your ministration in misliking among the vn­skilfull. For they take it sore to harte, that you should as it were despise the Iewes, and go to the Gentiles, among whom you haue not yet greatly preuai­led. But what is the let of your prea­ching, I am vtterly ignorant.

Of those mennes reportes I passe not at all, but of mine ovvne of­fice 17 vvherevvith I am inhonored by Gods goodnesse, too bee as hys in­strumente in trayning the Gentiles [Page 127] too the Gospell, and in offering them vp to God, surely I haue cause too glorye, not proudely among menne, but humbly before god, in Christe Ie­su, vpon whom I father all good things. 18 As touching the fruit of my preaching, truly I can not find in my hart to speak of any thing which Christ hath not don by me, in bringing the gentiles to obe­dience, I say in bringing them both by words and deedes: by deedes through 19 working of signes and wonders, and by words of preaching wherin gods spirite vttered his power and workfulnes, in so much that I fulfilled the office of prea­ching Christes gospell, from Ierusalem and the countreys therabouts, euen vn­to Illyrike.

What did the other Apostles which saw Christ, did not they also preache in those Countreys?

What others iudge I haue not to 29 iudge. This I may auow with good con­science, that I indeuered, & (as I might terme it) hunted in my harte, that my preaching of the gospell might bee in those places, not vvhere Christ had bin [Page] knovven or named before, but vvhere there had neuer bene any mentiō made of him.

For what cause?

I had causes inow of this mine in­tent, which it is not nedefull to reherse. This among other I alwayes obserued, that I vvould not buyld vpon another mans foundation, and I had continu­ally before mine eyes this prophesie of Esaies, wherin the preaching of the gos­pell among the gentiles is most mani­festly described.Es. 52.26They (sayth he) that were neuer tolde of him, (he speaketh 21 of the manifestation of god him selfe, which is Christ) shal see: and they that neuer heard of him before, shall vnder­stande. 22 And these are the lettes that I spake of in the beginning of the epistle, whereby I was held backe that I could not come vnto you, though I vvished 23 often for this iourney. But now that I had no more to doe in those Coastes, and was desirous to come vnto you, (and that surely now many yeeres ago) I had so determined my iourney, that I wold visite you in my vvay into Spaine. [Page 128] For I hoped to see you in passing thys 24 way, and to be brought thither by you: Howebeit with condicion that I had first somewhat slaked my desire by be­ing conuersant with you a few daies, & after a sort satisfied my longing by be­ing in companye with you. For at the same tyme that I wrat this Epistle, I was 25 going to Ierusalem too minister to the Saints that professed Christes Gospell. For it seemed good to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, to make some 26 contribution of their goods for the re­leefe of the poore Saynts that lyued at Ierusalem.2. Cor. 9.So seemed it good to those churches, and truely they owe it of due­ty. For although almes deedes are of vncōstreyned will: yet do we owe them by the law of charity. For it is agreable 27 to godlinesse, that if the Gentyles be made partakers of the spirituall goods of the Israelites, the Gentiles should al­so communicate to them their worldly and transitory goods. But to come too my purpose againe, when I had so done 28 and conueyed that almes sealed to the Sayntes at Ierusalem, I determined to [Page] haue come this way into Spaine. And 29 I had conceiued greate hope of Gods bounteousnesse towards me, & I knew for a certeintie that whensoeuer I came to you, I shuld not come empty, but ra­ther with store of blessing & plenty of the ornaments, gyftes, and fruits of the gospel. For I vvarrant my selfe so much of Gods loue, both tovvardes my mini­strrie 30 and tovvardes your church. And therfore I prayed you for our Lord Ie­sus Christes sake, and for the loue of the spirit, to labour vvith me, and to helpe 31 me vvith your prayers vnto God, firste that I might be deliuered (alas for so­row) frō the stubborne and wilfull sort that are in Iewrie: and secondlye that the same seruice of mine, & the liberall present which I brought to the Saints at Ierusalem as their minister & Deacon, might be acceptable to thē, to the intēt that whē I had accōplished this my du­ty, 32 I mighte afterwarde come vnto you with ioy by Gods will, and be refreshed with you. But see howe diuerse a falling out God hath giuen to my purpose & determination.

That is no new thing Paule. For so is god wōt to deale oft times with his seruāts: & in y^e meane while he will haue vs to hāg wholly vpō his appointmēt & prouidēce, & to assure our selues y^t that is­sew of things is both acceptablest to him & most for our behoofe, not which liketh vs, but which pleaseth his prouidēce. If you had come at y^t time to Rome, & after­ward gon hēce into Spayne, peraduen­ture you woulde haue had sōe good opi­niō of your own diligēce. Also y^e flesh be­ing desirous of glory, woulde haue wi­shed his tryumphes, for y^t you had durst to preach Christes Gospell in a place of such maiesty. We also being not yet rid of our old affectiōs, would haue imputed y^e proceding of y^e gospell among vs, alto­gither to your cōming & to your sermōs. But you now be com to vs, howbeit not in such time, nor with such liberty as you wished. For now as you se, imprisōmēt, Iaylers, fetters, manacles, & cheines are y^t triūphes of your Apostleship, y^t y^e crosse of Christe maye retayne still his glorye in this preaching among vs. I am not ignorant howe there are a great nomber [Page] of our citizens which woulde willingly heere your Sermons, if you myghte preach the Gospell openlye: who being now offended at your bondes, voutsafe not somuch as to come at you. But what for that? Farewell worldly wysedome with all his ambitiousnes, and let Christ reigne euen with his crosse: which is too the Iewes a stumbling blocke, and to the Gentyles foolishnes, but vnto vs that beleeue, it is Christ crucifyed, the power and wisedome of God.

Surely you cheere my harte with 33 this speech of yours full of the feling of godlinesse. And I beseche God the au­thor and gyuer of all good thinges to gyue grace, peace, and all kynde of pro­sperity to you for this your courtesy, or rather kyndnesse towardes me, and too all that imbrace the Gospell of Christ.

Amen.

The last part of mine Epistle con­teyneth commendaciōs and greetings. Chap. 16. First of all I commended to you our si­ster 1 Phoebe a minister of the church of Chenchry, that you shoulde receiue hyr 2 in the Lord, and fauour hir as it becom­meth [Page 130] Saintes, in any matter wherin she needed your helpe. For she hath helped many, yea and euen me my selfe.

I saw the woman, surely very ho­nest and worthy of your commendacion. And it is not for naughte that you giue hir those notable tytles. For you call hir sister, y^t is, as I take it, a fellow of your owne religion. But I vnderstande not why you call hir a minister.

Perhaps you haue not yet ordey­ned any such ministery in your church. But whersoeuer I preach the Gospell & set order in the church, there I looke if there be any widowe that is childlesse, free from cares of houshoulde keeping, and such a one as bycause she is old and hath led an honest & holy lyfe, semeth not that any suspicion of euill can light vppon hir. If I finde such a one, (for as­much as she is a very rare bird) I admit hir into the publik seruis of the church to minister to the necessityes of the Saintes. Such a one was the sayd woman whome I decked with those tytles of commendacions. And I exhorted you to shew courtesie towardes hir, groun­ding [Page] my reason vppon your duetie. For you that of woorshippers of Idolls are become professers of the Gospell, must interteine all folkes gently, and speci­ally those that haue deserued wel of the Church.

We did for hir sake whatsoeuer she requyred of vs, so farre as oure abilitye would stretch.

But the intent of my commen­ding this vvoman vnto you, was not only that you should be a helpe to hir: But I ment also that your matrons of Rome whiche vvere become Chistians shoulde learne both godlinesse and ho­nestie by hir example, and also diligent seale to serue the whole Churche, and to doo good to the poore comfortlesse and diseased, vvhich haue neede of the seruice of vvomen.

This your intent Paule was not altogither vaine & vneffectuall. For that vertuous & weldisposed woman dyd by hir exāple and cōmunication bring many of our country womē from their world­ly superfluitie, and from pleasures & de­lights of this citie, which in mine opini­on [Page 133] is most giuen to pleasure of all the ci­ties in the world.

Also I greeted Prisca and hir hus­bande 3 Aquila, sometime my helpers in Christ Iesu, whiche haue offered their ovvne necks for my lyfe, and that with so great louingnesse, that they counted my lyfe of more valevv than their own, both to Gods honor and to other mens 4 saluation. And therfore they vvillingly offered therir lyfe to the death to saue mine, and refused not to put ther heads in deaunger to saue mine.

We haue heard muche heere, of the godlinesse and holy conuersation of this couple. And your freende Luke hathe in his storye wrytten of their seale in fur­thering the Gospell,Act. 8. and of their loue towardes the Sayntes, and in what wyse they lodged you when you came to Corinth. Truely both we and all the Churches of the Gentiles which professe the Gospell, are muche bounde to them. For seing that you are peculiarly apoin­ted of God to be our Apostle, he y^t saued your life, did vs also a gret benefit which attaine y^e true life & saluation of the soule [Page] 5 by your preaching. Also you saluted E­pinoctus, surely a verye excellent man and mooste constant in maynetayning the truth. But I know not why you call hym the first fruites of Achaia.

It is no maruell. For you Romanes are not much acquainted with the He­brew phrases, when I called hym the first fruits of Achaia, I alluded to the sa­crifices which are made of the first fruits in the law of Moyses: wherunto I lykē suche as are the first conuerted vnto Christ. Novve this Epenetus a perfect man as you knovv, vvas the first in A­chaia that imbraced Christ and suffe­red himselfe to be offered vp and dedi­cated to God as a most acceptable sa­crifice vnto hym. These are my sacri­fices my Brother, and the sacrifices of all other preestes of the newe Te­stament. 6 I vvoulde that all Christi­ans, and speciallye Gods ministers, shoulde applye them selues to the of­fering vp of suche kynde of sacrifises. Moreouer I desyred you too doo my commendacions to Marie whiche had 7 taken muche paynes for me: and that [Page 132] ye should salute Andronicus and Iunias my kinsfolke and fellowprisoners, who are renowmed among the Apostles, and were before me in Christ.

Yea? doo you register them in the musterbooke of the Apostles? But there are a great sorte in our Churche whiche thinke this office of Apostleship to be­long only vnto you, and that it shal in­dure but for a time.

I giue the name of Apostle gene­rally to all suche as are sent of God to preach the gospell of his sonne. And I pray god that as long as there shall be any christian Churche, there maye bee store of true Apostles, that is too saye, Messengers sent of God to teache it.

Also you greeted Amplias youre 8 welbeloued in the Lorde: and Vrbane whome you call your helpefellowe in 9 Christe, and Stachis your beloued, and also Apelles whome you terme tried in 10 Christe.

It is true. For I haue proofe of his godlynes by often tryals. Furthermore I desired yee to commende me to those of the house of Aristobulus, and to 11 [Page] Herodian my kinsman, and to them that are of the house of Narcissus, and his friendes and acquayntaunce in the 12 Lorde. Neither forgate I Tryphenas and Tryphosa, whom I heard too take peynes in the Lordes behalfe. Besides these, I greeted the beloued Persis, whome I vnderstoode too take greate peines in the Lorde. Also I remembred 13 Rufus a chosen man in the Lorde, and his mother, who hath done me so many good turnes, that I take hir as mine 14 owne mother. I beleeue also that you did my commendations to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Mercurie, and the brethren that are vvith them. 15 And likevvise to Philologus, and Ju­bia, to Nereus and hys syster, and to Olympias and all the Saincts that are with them.

These salutations of yours were very welcome to all of vs. For as you know, the Citizens of Rome lyke ve­ry well of this courteousnesse of gree­ting. And therefore you haue wonne many mennes hartes to you by that meanes.

In dede I did at that time bethink me of this custome receyued among you: but yet there vvas another cause vvhy I greeted these men by name: that is to wit, for that I ment to set thē foorth vnto you as patterns of true ho­nestie and holynesse. For if you liste to confesse the truthe, these men are not onely worthy of honour and estimatiō, but also suche as you maye set before you to follow in godlynes and religion. Also I desired you to greete one ano­ther 16 with a holy, chast, and right Gos­pellike & christian kisse, with the which kisse of peace the Church of Greece sa­luted you.

Among you Iewes kisses of peace are giuen and receyued with a holye minde, and pure intente: but with vs they haue muche wantonnesse and vn­clennesse, specially among the vnchri­sten sorte.

I vvas not ignoraunt of that, and therefore I added the vvorde holy, to the intent that your kisses should haue no resemblāce to the heathenish & wic­ked kissings, wherwith the vnchast fort [Page] are wont to shew their vnclennes. But let these commendations passe, I wold haue you and others to wey throughly 17 what I admonished heere: for the things are of very great importance, I desired you as my brethren, and my deere beloued in Christe to marke the authors of discorde, and offences con­trarie to the doctrine whiche you haue learned, and I willed you to beware of them, and to shun them.

Surely a necessarie warning, and such a one as ought to make vs the more watchfull, that the pure doctrine of the Gospell be not defiled with mens in­uentions or rather toyes. But when we red these things, we marueled greatly, that wheras you made so long a bederol of those whom you commende vnto vs, and whom you set out with your salu­tations, yet you poynt vs out no man heere by name whom we should shun.

It becommeth not Christes Apo­stles and the preachers of the gospell, to deface any men by name for light cau­ses, or to bring them in suspition with the whole Churche by their writings. [Page 134] For oftentimes it falleth out, that suche open defamings do more harme than good, not only to those whom we ment to warne, but also to those of whom we gaue warning.

Our Church hath learned by it own experience, that these things whiche you say, are too true. For at the beginning, when the gospell was preached to vs in houses and priuately, many who other­wise were none euill men, would not be present at our priuie assemblies. Nowe, some of our company did of a good zeale soothly, but yet vnaduised (as I think) fall to taunting and girding at them by name, wherby they made a great sort of them become aduersaries to vs, & moste deadly enemies to the gospell: whereas if they had bin handled with suche Apo­stolicall mildnesse as you vse heere to­wards these men, out of doubte there was great hope of meekening them, and of bringing them agayne to our com­panie.

Therfore take ye warning by their example, to eschue this vntowarde ma­ner of dealing, and rather follow Christ, [Page] who giuing to Cesar that whiche was Cesars, and leauing the correction of vices vnto Magistrates, did hurt no man by name, wrate no reprochfull libels a­gaynst any man, ne bronded no man with the mark of infamy, but behaued himselfe with a most meeke & modest mind towards all men, euē though they were his enemies of set purpose. It is inough for you if you keepe watch with al diligence as it were in a watch tower, and spy out suche contention in your Church, & such as lay stumbling blocks in the way of the weaklings, eyther by their lyfe, or by euill and lewde persua­sions contrarie to the doctrine vvhiche you haue learned. And when you finde them to be suche as may do you harme by their communication or conuer­sation, eschue them: but yet in the meane while pray to God for them, that he may giue them the spirite of re­pentaunce, and a better and holyer minde. I would not haue any hartbur­ninges, mislikinges, disagreements, or strife, sowen among you, and much lesse any vvritings full of rayling, taunting, [Page 135] or scorning spred abroade agaynst such as cleaue not to you, peraduenture not of any euill will, but bicause they yet still holde fast some remnants of the old religion which they receyued frō their tender yeeres.

O Paule, you haue touched as it were the bile of our Church with your finger. But to the intent we ouer shoote not our selfe in this cace, by what marks may we discerne those whom you coun­sell vs to eschue and beware of? I speake cheefly of the teachers of whome there is now a great number among vs, and they inuey so sharply one against another that y^e sily people wot not which way to turne thē, & much lesse whō to beleeue, so cōtrary are their sayings one to another.

Christ hath set down many marks whereby to discerne false teachers, and false prophets, whiche (I beleeue) you haue learned. But here I will poynt you out some, whiche in my opinion may make you ware & wise inough. Let the first marke be this, which is of two par­tes. When you see any teachers and 18 preachers of the gospel, which serue not [Page] the Lorde Iesus Christe, but their owne bellies: shun you them as moste cruell Wolues.

What call you the seruyng of Christe?

In that speech I comprehend ma­ny things whiche it were needelesse to open seuerally as now. But considering the circumstance of our talke, to serue Christe in the preaching of the gospell, is to acknovvledge Iesus Christ to be our master, and to win seruants & disci­ples vnto him alone, and not to our sel­ues. To speake more plainly, when you see a teacher set vp a schole of his owne to him selfe, to win scholars or disciples to him selfe, and taking no care for the catholike and vniuersall church, but ra­ther labouring to purchase him selfe many friends, fellowes, praysers and commēders of his sermons & writings: him eschue you. For beleeue me, that teacher serueth not the Lorde Iesus Christ, but himselfe: he seekes not the glory of the Redemer, but of himselfe: and all his intent is by all meanes to prouide for his belly. And by the name [Page 136] of Belly, you must vnderstand, not only feasting and all maner of deynty fare, but also riches, vaine glory, and fame a­boue other men, whiche they are wont to hunt for by all meanes eyther ryght or wrong: and so they maye beare the bell, and haue preheminence amonge men, they passe not for the bondes of Christen charity which else they extoll with wondrous commendacions.

Call you this a seruing of the bel­ly? I promise you I thoughte nothing lesse. Now I see there are not a few tea­chers of this stamp among vs. But you say they may be discerned by fayre speech and flattery. I pray you what call you fayre speech?

I vse here two termes which paint out the nature of hipocrites, and coun­terfets verie plainly: for they be full of faire speech. The Greekes call him faire spokē, which promiseth much in words and performeth nothing in deede, and also such a one as if you heere him, you would say he is more carefull of you & your welfare than of his owne, when in the meane while all his seeking is but to [Page] pleasure himselfe. With this vertue are 29 these belly flatterers garnished (if I may so terme them to you after the greeke fashion) which are to be shunned more thā a dog or a Snake. Also I vse another worde whiche signifieth wel speaking, vvhich these coūterfetters are vvōt to vse to set forth the prayses of ther fauorers: so as they ought not to be called teachers of the gospell, but rather soo­thers of Princes & great men. By this meanes are they wont to deceiue men that otherwise are not of euill disposi­tion, and to bring them to their lures, or (to speake more rightly) to snare thē in their nettes.

Thinke you vs to be so dulwitted, that we espie not the natures and dispo­sitions of these falspackers?

I know you be wise, neuerthelesse that forewardnes of yours in hearing & obeying, (for I vvill not terme it simplicity) I say that readinesse of yours to re­ceiue vvhatsoeuer is put vnto you, is ve­rie vvell knovven to all men. Whiche vertue I make great account of, so it be matched with discretion: & I am glad [Page 137] that you be indued vvith suche obedi­entnesse. But I am vvonderfull desirous that you should be wyse and sharpwit­ted in good things, & simple & harme­lesse in euill thinges. And although I vse these vvarninges tovvardes you by vertue of myne office: yet doo I not doubt, but that god the prince of peace vvill treade dovvne Satan vnder your feet, & that shortly as I hope. For sure­ly that moste mercyfull father hathe a care of hys children and vvill not suffer them to be led out of the path of god­linesse by the Serpentes deuices. And therefore I besech God that the grace, fauour and protection of our Lord Ie­sus Christ may be vvith you, to defende you alvvayes from the snares of vvyc­ked men. Amen.

Also there are peculiar cōmendaci­ons to vs frō Timothie that helper and workefellow of yours: & from Lucius, Iason, and Sosipater your kinsemen. Furthermore Tertius your clerke and secretary which wrote this Epistle from your mouth, woulde not in any wise let passe his most louing salutatiōs. More­ouer [Page] there is mention made of your host Gaius, and of the whole churche, and fi­nally of Erastus the chamberleine of the citie, and of his brother Quartus. All these we know almost by syght, & ther­fore we receyued their commendacions the wyllinglier.

This maner of dealing am I wont to vse not onely to maintaine mutuall alyance betvveene the Greeke chur­ches and yours, but also too the intent that this myne Epistle beeing confir­med with so many (as it were) vvryters, myght beare the more sway vvith you. For I make so greate account of the cō ­sent of my brethren in my writinges, that I do also desyre to haue my doc­trine allovved by their recorde and subscription. For it beseemerh not the meeldnesse of an Apostle, to seeke but his ovvne fame onely, and as it vvere to hold skorne of his other help fellowes. 24 Hovvbeit for asmuch as there is greate peril in the right performāce of al these thinges which I desire to haue you war­ned of: therfore I pray that the grace & fauour of our god may be with you all. [Page 138] For trust me, the intents of the old ser­pent are very secret, & mans wisedome without Gods spirit is not able to serch them, and much lesse to discouer them and escape them. For this cause I do al­waies 25 in my prayers besech him which is able to stablish you, that he will strēg­then you accordinge to my Gospell which I preach among the Gentyles, & according to the vttering of Iesus christ the heauenly teacher whom the father hath giuen vs, to dioselse vnto all men the secret whiche had bin vnspoken of 25 from euerlasting, but is now made ma­nifest, both by the preaching of Christ our sauiour, and also by the writings of the prophets, and that by the commaū ­dement and euerlasting ordinance of the euerliuing God, which would haue that most holy mistery set forth to all men, to the ende that all men should o­bey the faith, acknowledge the onely one God the creator, and imbrace hys onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ, whō the most mercifull father sent into the world, of purpose to set open the good­nesse and mercy of God vnto all men. [Page] 27 To this onely vvise God be euerlasting glory by the same Iesus Christ for euer and euer. Amen.

Excellēt surely is this thāksgiuing of yours, wherby you commend Gods power & wisedome. Which vertues euen as they shew themselues most wonder­fully in all Gods works: so shyne they forth most cheefly in the calling of vs & of all the Gentyles, by the preaching of the Gospel. But herken, when this E­pistle was brought vnto vs frō Corinth by Phebe one of the ministers of the Church of Chenchrie, oure Alderman & Burgesses seeing so meane a messenger dd very greatly disable your Apostoli­call authoritie, bycause you had no better pursiuants nor more honorable messen­gers to sende your letters by which yee write to the Churches, as our Byshops haue.

Brother, all these thinges are but vvoorldly visors, vvherof superstitious doctrine stands in nede, bycause it hath no substantiall grounde to rest vppon. But Christes Gospell needeth not the helpes of this woorlde, nother doo the [Page 139] preachers therof seeke other cariers, or ministers, thā such as are indued vvith the feare of God, & these do they vse to spread abrode the glory of the gospell. Therfore (to make an end at lēgth) shak ye off the statelinesse of this vncleane world, & imbrace ye the crosse of christ, & be not ashamed to be the disciples of him, vvho vvhereas he was Lorde of all things, made himselfe a seruāt for your sakes. And I thanke you peculiarly for this your visiting of me, and I pray god to increase the giftes of his spirite more & morein you for this frendly courtesie which you haue shevved tovvards me. If you visit me any tyme hereafter, you shalbe hartely vvelcome.

I will come when I can: and I for my part beseche our most mercifull God lykewise, to be alwaies with you in this your imprisonment, and to strengthen your mind with the power of his spirit. Fare you well.