If they wil not be carnal stil, they must boast in God only, and not in their Preachers,
which are but his Ministers, 10. and need to looke wel how they preach: 12. because not al
preaching, though it be Catholike, is meritorious: but rather it buildeth matter to be purged by
fire, when it is vaine and vnfruitfil (as also any other like workes of other Catholikes.) Marie
if it be heretical, destroying the Temple of God, then it worketh damnation. 18. The remedie is, to
humble themselues and referre al to God.
1. AND I, Brethren, could not speake to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal. As it were
to litle ones in Christ,
2. I gaue you
✟
The Church only hath truth both in her milke and in her bread: that is, whether
she instruct the perfect, or the imperfect who are called carnal. Aug. li. 15. c.
3. cont. Faust.
milke to drinke, not meate: for you could not as yet. But neither can
you now verily, for yet you are carnal.
3. For whereas there is among you emulation and contention are you not carnal, and
walke according to man?
4. For when one saith, I certes am Paules, & another, I Apollo's; are you not
✟
'carnal'
men? What
is Apollo then? and what is Paul?
5. The Ministers of him whom you haue beleeued, and to euery one as our Lord hath
giuen.
6. I planted, Apollo watered; but God gaue the increase.
7. Therfore neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth; but he that
giueth the increase, God.
8. And he that planteth and he that watereth are one. And
Euery man shal receiue according.
Good works meritorious, and the rewards in Heauen are different according to the
same.
A most plaine text for proofe that men by their labours, and by the diuersities
therof, shal be diuersly rewarded in Heauen: and therfore that by their works
proceeding of grace, they doe deserue or merit Heauen, and the more or lesse ioy
in the same. For though the holy Scripture commonly vse not this word merit, yet
in places innumerable of the old and new Testament, the very true sense of merit is
conteined, and so often as the word, *merces, and the like be vsed, they be
euer vnderstood as correlatiues or correspondent vnto it. For if the ioy of Heauen
be retribution, repaiment, hire, wages for works (as in infinit places of holy
Scripture,) then the works can be none other but the value, desert, price, worth,
and merit of the same. And indeed this word, reward, which in our English
tongue may signifie a voluntary or bountiful guift, doth not so wel expresse the
nature of the **Latin word, or the Greeke, which are rather the very stipend that
the hired worke-man or iournie-man couenanteth to haue of him whose worke he doth, and
is a thing equally and iustly answering to the time and weight of his trauels and
works (in which sense the Scripture saith: ***Dignus est operarius mercede sua,
the worke-man is worthy of his hire) rather then a free guift: though, because
faithful men must acknowledge that their merits be the guifts and graces of God, they
rather vse the word reward, then hire, stipend, or repaiment: though indeed it be al
one, as you may see by diuers places of holy writ, as aMy merces
(reward) is with me to render to euery one baccording to his
works. And, Our Lord wil render vnto me according to my iustice Ps. 17.
And the very worde merit (equiualent to the Greek) is vsed thus: Mercie
shal make a place to euery one caccording to the merit of works.
Eccle. 16,15. And, If you doe your iustice before men, you shal not haue reward
in Heauen. Mat. 6,1. Where you see that the reward of Heauen is recompense of
iustice. And the euasion of the Heretikes is friuolous and euidently false, as the
former and like wordes doe conuince: for they say Heauen is our Merces or
reward, not because it is due to our works, but to the promise of God; where the words
be plaine, According to euery man's works or labours: vpon which works,
and for which works conditionally, the promise of Heauen was made.
*Merces
**μιστον
***1. Tim. 5,18.
aApoc. 22,12.
bMat. 16,28.
Ro. 2,6.
cκατὰ τὰ ἔργα.
euery one shal receiue his
owne reward according to his owne labour.
9. For we are God's
✟
συνεργοί
A maruelous dignitie of spiritual Pastours, that they be not only the
instruments of Ministers of Christ (as Castal. noteth Beza falsly translateth
Administri, for Coadiutores) but indeed God's Coadiutours in the
worke of our Saluation.
Coadiutours; you are God's husbandrie, you are God's building.
10. According to the grace that is giuen me, as a wise Workemaster haue I laid the
foundation: and another buildeth thereupon. But let euery one look how he buildeth thereon.
11. For other foundation no man can lay, beside that which is laid; which is
Christ Iesvs.
12. And if any build
Vpon this foundation.
Building of gold, or stubble.
The foundation is Christ, and faith in him working by charitie. The vpper building
may be either pure and perfect matter of gold, siluer, and pretious stone, which
(according to the most authentical and probable exposition) be good workes of
charitie, and al Christian iustice done by God's grace; or els, wood, hay, stubble,
which signifie the manifold actes of man's infirmitie and his venial sinnes; which
more or lesse mixed & medled with the better matter aforesaid, require more or lesse
punishment or purgation at the day of our death. At which day, if by penance or
other meanes in the Church, the said venial sinnes be before-hand cleansed, there shal
need no purging at al, but they shal straight receiue the reward due to them.
vpon this foundation, gold, siluer, pretious stones, wood, hay,
stubble,
13. the worke of euery one
Shal be manifest.
Our works shal manifest by fire.
Whether our life and works be pure and need no cleansing, now in this world is
hard to iudge: but the day of our Lord, which is at our death, wil make it plaine
in what termes euery man's life is towards God. For then Purgatorie fire shal reueale
and proue it. For, whosoeuer hath any impure matter of venial sinnes or such other
debt, to God's iustice paiable and purgable, must into that fire, and after due
paiment and cleansing, be saued through the same. Where the works of the perfect men
& such as died with al debts paied, cleansed, or forgiuen, are quitted from the fire,
and neuer incurre damage, paine, or losse thereby. The places of Fathers expounding
this for Purgatorie, be very many most euident, which are cited in the last
Annotation following.
shal be manifest: for
The day of our Lord shal declare.
What is signified by, the day of our Lord.
That is purgation rather signifieth place of God's iustice after our death, then
any affliction in this life, the Apostles precise specifying of fire declareth,
and of reuealing and notifying the difference of mens works by the same: which is
not done euidently euer in this life: and namely the word, day of our Lord;
which commonly and properly signifieth in Scripture & namely in this Apostle
(1. Cor. 5,5. 2. Cor. 1,13. Philip. 1,10. 6. 1. Thes. 5,2. 2. Thes. 2,2.)
either the particular, or the general iudgement: and therfore that the trial
spoken of, is not properly nor litterally meant any affliction or aduersitie of this
life, as Caluin also *confesseth, coyning a foolish new construction of his owne.
Where you may note also in that man's Commentarie, that this word, dies
Domini, was so preiudicial against him and al other expositions of the trial to
be made in this world, that he would gladly haue (Domini) out, reading this,
A day shal come which shal open &c. Where vnderstand, that if it were only
Dies (as **in the Greeke) yet thereby also the Scripture is wont to signifie
the self same thing: as, 2. Tim. 12,28. and 2. Tim. 4,8. and Heb.
10,25. the day, as in the place, with the Greeke article only, which is al one
with Dies illa, or Dies Domini.
*Caluin in hunc locum.
**ἡ ἡμέρα
the day of our Lord wil declare, because
it shal be reuealed in fire: and the worke of euery one of what kind it is, the fire shal trie.
14. If any man's worke abide, which he built therevpon; he shal receiue reward.
15. If any man's worke burne, he shal suffer detriment: but himself shal be saued:
yet so
As by fire.
S. Augustin vpon these words of the Psalme 37. Lord rebuke me not in thine
indignation, nor amend me in thy wrath. For it shal come to passe (saith
he) that some be amended in the wrath of God and be rebuked in his indignation.
And not al perhaps that are rebuked, shal be amended, but yet some there shal be
saued by amending.
Two fires after this life: one eternal, the other temporal, that is, the purging or
amending fire.
It shal be so surely, because amending is named: yet so by fire.
But some there shal be rebuked, and not amended; so whom he shal say: Goe ye into
euerlasting fire. Fearing therfore these more greiuous paines, he desireth that he
may neither be rebuked in indignation by eternal fire, nor amended in his wrath; that
is to say: Purge me in this life, and make me such an one as shal not need the
amending fire; being for them which shal be saued, yet as so by fire. Wherfore? but
because here they build vpon the foundation, wood, hay, stubble? For if they did
build gold, siluer, and al pretious stones, they should be secure from both fires,
not only from that eternal which shal torment the impious eternally; but also from
that which shal amend them that shal be saued by fire. For it is said: He shal be
safe, yet so as by fire. And because it is said, he shal be safe, that fire is
contemned. Yea verily though safe by fire, yet that fire shal be more greiuous, then
whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life.
Purgatorie fire passeth al the paines of this life.
And you know how great euils the wicked haue suffred, and may suffer: yet they
haue suffred such as the good also might suffer. For what hath any malefactour
suffred by the lawes, that a Martyr hath not suffred in the confession of Christ?
These euils therfore that are here, be much more easie; and yet see how men, not to
suffer them, doe whatsoeuer thou commandest. How much better doe they that which God
commandeth, that they may not suffer those greater paines? Thus farre S. Augustin.
See S. Ambr. vpon this place. 1. Cor. 3. & Ser. 20. in Psal. 118. Hiero.
li. 2. c. 13. adu. Iouinianum. Greg. li. 4. Dialog. c. 39, & in Psal. 3.
Pænit. in principio, Origen. ho. 6. in c. 15. Exod. and ho. 14. in c.
24. Leuit.
as by fire.
16. Know you not that you are the Temple of God; and the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you?
17. But if any violate the Temple of God, God wil destroy him. For the Temple of God
is holy: which you are.
18. Let no man seduce himself: if any man seeme to be wise among you in this world,
let him become a foole that he may be wise.
19. For the wisedom of this world is foolishnes with God. For it is written:
*
Iob 5,13.
I wil
compasse the wise in their subteltie.
20. And againe,
*
Psa. 93,11.
Our Lord knoweth the cogitations of the wise that they be vaine.
21. Let no man therfore glorie in men. For al things are yours:
22. whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things
present, or things to come; for al are yours:
23. and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.