He requireth to be esteemed for his office, but regardeth not to be praised of man for his
vertue: considering that neither his owne conscience is a sufficient iudge thereof, but only
God who seeth al. 8. He toucheth them for contemning in their pride, the Apostles themselues as
miserable: 18. threatning to come to those proud False-apostles who were the Authors of al these
schismes.
1.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 4. Sunday of Aduent.
SO let a man esteeme vs as the Ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the
mysteries of God.
2. Here now is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful.
3. But to me it is a thing of least account, to be iudged of you, or of man's day:
But I iudge not my-self neither.
4. For I am not guilty in conscience of any thing; but I am not iustified herein:
but he that iudgeth me, is our Lord.
5. Therfore iudge not before the time; vntil our Lord doe come, who also wil lighten
the hidden things of darknes, & wil manifest the counsels of the harts: & then the praise shal
be to euery man of God.
6. But these things, Brethren,
✟
Loe when he named himselfe, & Apollo, & Cephas he meant other seditious and
factious Preachers whose names he spared.
I haue transfigured into my self and Apollo, for you;
that in vs you may learne, one not to be puffed vp for one against another, aboue that is written.
7. For who discerneth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not receiued? And if thou
hast receiued what doest thou glorie as though thou hast not receiued?
8. Now you are filled, now are you become rich: without vs you reigne; & I would to
God you did reigne, that we also might reigne with you.
9.
⋮
The Epistle vpon S. Iames day, Iul. 25.
For I thinke that God hath shewed vs Apostles the last, as it were deputed to
death: because
⋮
The Epistle vpon SS. Simon and Iude's eue, Octob. 27. And for some Confessours,
not Bishops.
we are made a spectacle to the world, and to Angels and men.
10. We are fooles for Christ; but you wise in Christ. We weak; but you strong. You
noble, but we base.
11. Vntil this houre we doe both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are beaten
with buffets, and are wanderers,
12. and labour working with our owne hands. We are cursed; and doe blesse. We are
persecuted; and sustaine it.
13. We are blasphemed; and we beseech. We are made the refuse of this world, the
drosse of al euen vntil now.
14. Not to confound you, doe I write these things; but as my deerest children I admonish
you.
15. For
✟
So may S. Augustin our Apostle say to vs Englishmen.
if you haue ten thousand Pædagogues in Christ; yet not many Fathers. For in
Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ by the Ghospel I begat you.
16. I beseech you therfore be followers of me.
17. Therfore haue I sent to you Timothee, who is my deerest Sonne and faithful in our
Lord; who wil put you in mind of my waies that are in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, as euerywhere in
euery Church I teach.
18. As though I would not come to you, so certaine are puffed vp.
19. But I wil come to you quickly, if our Lord wil: and wil know not the words of
them that be puffed vp, but the power.
20. For the Kingdom of God is not in words, but in power.
21. What wil you? in rod that I come to you; or in charitie, and the spirit of mildnes?
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. IIII.
4. But not iustified.)
No man sure of grace or iustification.
The Heretikes are certaine that they be in God's grace, but S. Paul though gultie of
no crime in his conscience, durst not assure himself that he was iustified, neither
could take vpon him to be iudge of his owne hart and cogitations, whether they were
pure or no: but the trial therof he left only to God's iudging day.
21. In rod.]
Spiritual power to punish or pardon.
The Apostles haue power of discipline and censures against offenders, and power of
gentlenes, meeknes, and indulgence also; to vse either punishing or pardoning,
according to their wisedom, and according to the occasions of time and place.