He puteth them in mind of their vnworthines before they were Christians; that al the praise
may be giuen to the grace of God: 11. and of the enmitie that was then between the Iew and the
Gentil, 15. vntil not that Christ by his Crosse hath made both one, taking away the ceremonies
of the Law, and making one body, and building one holy Temple of al in his Catholike Church.
1. AND you when you were dead by your offenses and sinnes,
2. wherin sometime you walked according to the course of this world, according to the
*
Eph. 6,12.
Prince of the power of this aire, of the spirit that now worketh on the children of dissidence,
3. in whom also we al conuersed sometime in the desires of our flesh, doing the wil of
the flesh and of thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath as also the rest:
4. but God (which is rich in mercie) for his exceeding charitie wherwith he loued vs,
5. euen when we were dead by sinnes, quickened vs together in Christ, (by whose grace
you are saued,)
6. and raised vs vp with him, and hath made vs fit with him in the celestials in Christ
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ,
7. that he might shew in the worlds succeding, the aboundant riches of his grace, in
bountie vpon vs in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
8. For
By grace you are saued through faith.
Our first iustification of mere grace, & faith the foundation therof.
Our first iustification is of God's grace, and not of our deseruings: because none of al our
actions that were before our iustification, could merit or iustly procure the grace of
iustification. Againe, he saith, through faith: for that faith is the beginning,
foundation, and root of al iustification, and the first of al other vertues, without which
it is impossible to please God.
by grace you are saued through faith (and that not of your selues, for it is the
guift of God)
9.
✟
It is said, not of workes, as thine, of thy-self being vnto thee, but as those in which
God hath made, formed, and created thee. Aug. de gr. & lib. arbit. c. 8. & Seq.
not of workes, that no man glorie.
10. For we are his worke, created in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ in good workes, which God hath prepared
that we should walke in them.
11. For the which cause be mindful that sometime you were Gentils in the flesh, who
were
*
1. Reg. 17,26.
Ezec. 44,7.
called prepuce of that which is called circumcision in the flesh, made with hand:
12. who were at that time without Christ alienated from the conuersation of Israel, and
*
Ro. 9,4.
strangers of the Testaments, hauing no hope of the promise, and without God in this world.
13. But now in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ you that sometime were farre off, are made nigh in the bloud
of Christ.
14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and dissoluing the middle wal of the
partition, the enmities in his flesh:
15. euacuating the law of commandements
✟
δόγμασι.
in decrees: that he may create the two in himself
into one new man, making peace,
16. and may reconcile both in one body to God by the crosse, killing the enmities in
himself.
17. And comming he euangelized peace to you that were farre off, and peace to them that
were nigh.
18.
⋮
The Epistle for S. Thomas the Apostle, Decemb. 21.
For
*
Ro. 5,2.
by him we haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father.
19. Now then you are not strangers and forreiners: but you are
✟
συμπολῖται.
citizens of the Saints,
and the domesticals of God,
20.
Built vpon the fundation.
The Church builded vpon Christ, and yet vpon the Apostles also.
Note against the Heretikes that thinke it dishonourable to Christ, to attribute his titles or
callings to mortal men, that the faithful (though builded first, principally, and properly
vpon Christ) yet are said here to be built also vpon the Apostles and Prophets. Why may not
the Church then be builded vpon Peter?
built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ himself being
the highest corner-stone:
21. in whom al building framed together, groweth into an holy Temple in our Lord,
22. in whom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost.