Lest the Iudaical false Apostles should obiect againe that he praiseth himself, he saith
that the Corinthians are his commendation: and they in their harts being iustified by his
ministerie, he thereof inferreth that the Ministers of the new Testament as farre more glorious
then they of the old, 12. and our people more lightened then theirs.
1. BEGIN we againe to commend our-selues? or doe we need (as certaine) epistles of
commendation to you, or from you?
2. Our epistle you are, written in our harts, which is knowen & read of al men:
3. being manifested that you are
The epistle of Christ.
The Apostles wrote the Ghospel in mens harts much more then in paper.
S. Paul and other holy Writers of Scriptures did set downe many things in writing,
by penne, inke, and paper, al which be of the Holy Ghost: but the special and
proper book of Christes truth and Ghospel, is not the external writing in those
dead creatures, but in the harts of the faithful, being the proper subiect of these
truths and graces preached in the new Testament, and the habitacle of the Holy
Ghost. In the which book of faithful mens harts S. Paul wrote diuers things not
vttered in any Epistle: as sundrie of the Apostles wrote the Christian religion in
the harts of their hearers only, and in other material books not at al.
Scripture written, and Tradition vnwritten.
Wherof S. Irenæus li. 3. c. 4. saith: What and if the Apostles also had
left no Scriptures, ought we not to follow the order of the tradition, which they
deliuered vnto them to whom they committed the Churches? To the which ordinance
many Nations of those barborous people that haue beleeued in Christ, doe consent,
without letter or inke, hauing saluation written in their harts, and keeping
diligently the tradition of the Elders. And S. Hierom. (cont. Io. Hieros. c.
9. ad Pam.) in the Creed of our faith and hope, which being deliuered by
tradition from the Apostles, is not written in paper and inke, but in tables
carnal of the hart. And this is the Churches book also, whereby and wherin she
keepeth faithfully al truth written in the harts of those to whom the Apostles did
preach, with the like diligence as she keepeth & preserueth the other book which is
of holy Scriptures, from al corruption of Heretikes and other iniuries.
the epistle of Christ, ministred by vs, & written
not with inke, but with the Spirit of the liuing God: not in tables of stone, but in the tables
carnal of the hart.
4.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 12. Sunday after Pentecost.
And such confidence we haue by Christ to God:
5. not that we be sufficient to thinke any thing of our-selues, as
Of our selues.
God's grace & free wil both must concurre.
This maketh first against the Heretikes called Pelagians, that hold our meritorious
actions of cogitations to be of free-wil only, and not of God's special grace.
Secondly against the Protestants, who on the contrarie side referre al to God, and
take away man's freedom and proper motion in his thoughts and doings: the Apostle
confessing our good cogitations to be our owne, but not as comming of ourselues, but
of God.
of our-selues: but
our sufficiencie is of God.
6. Who also hath made vs meet Ministers of the new Testament not in the letter, but in
the Spirit. For
The letter killeth.
The letter killeth both Iew and Heretike.
As the letter of the old Law not truely vnderstood, nor referred to Christ, commanding
and not giuing grace and spirit to fulfil that which was commanded, did by occasion
kil the carnal Iew: so the letter of the new Testament not truely taken nor
expounded by the Spirit of Christ (which is only in his Church) killeth the Heretike:
who also being carnal and void of spirit, gaineth nothing by the external precepts or
good lessons of the Scriptures, but rather taketh hurt by the same. See. S. Augustin
to. 10. Ser. 70. & 100. de tempore & li. de Sp. & lit. c. 5. 6. & seq.
the letter killeth: but the Spirit quickneth.
7. And if the ministration of death with letters figured in stones, was in glorie,
so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moyses for the glorie of his
countenance, that is made void;
8. how shal not the ministration of the Spirit be more in glorie?
9. For if the ministration of damnation be in glorie,
Much more.
The preeminence of the new Testament, Sacraments, &c.
The preeminence of the new Testament and of the priesthood or Ministerie therof
before the old, is, that the new, by al her Sacraments and Priests as Ministers
immediate of grace and remission of sinnes, doth so ex opere operato giue the
spirit of life and charitie into the harts of the faithful, as the old did giue the
letter or external act of the Law.
much more the ministerie of
iustice aboundeth in glorie.
10. For neither was it glorified, which in this part was glorious, by reason of the
excelling glorie.
11. For is that which is made void, is by glorie: much more that which abideth, is
in glorie.
12. Hauing therfore such hope, we vse much confidence:
13. and not as
*
Exo. 34,33.
Moyses put a veile vpon his face, that the children of Israel might
not behold his face, which is made void.
14. but their senses were dulled. For vntil this present day,
The self-same veile.
The Heretikes more blind in not seeing the Church, then the Iewes in not
seeing Christ.
As the Iewes reading the old Testament, by reason of their blindnes (which God for
the punishment of their incredulitie suffereth to remaine as a couer vpon their eyes
and harts) can not see Christ in the Scriptures which they daily heare read in their
Synagogues, but shal, when they beleeue in him and haue the couer remoued, perceiue
al to be most plainely done and spoken of him in their law & Scriptures: euen so
Heretikes hauing (as *S. Augustin noteth) a farre greater couer of blindnes and
incredulitie ouer their harts in respect of the Catholike Church which they impugne,
then the Iewes haue concerning Christ, can not see, thought they read or heare the
Scriptures read neuer so much, the maruelous euidence of the Catholike Church & truth
in al points: but when they shal returne againe to the obedience of the same Church,
they shal find the Scriptures most cleare for her & her doctrine, and shal wonder at
their former blindnes.
*Aug. in Psal. 30. Conc. 2.
the self-same veile in
the lecture of the old Testament remaineth vnreuealed (because in Christ it is made void)
15. but vntil this present day, when Moyses is read, a veile is put vpon their hart.
16. But when he shal be conuerted to our Lord, the veile shal be taken away.
17. And
*
Iohn 4,24.
our Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of our Lord is, there is
Libertie.
The Christian libertie.
The Spirit and grace of God in the new Testament dischargeth vs of the bondage of the
Law and sinne, but is not a warrant to vs of fleshly licence, as *S. Peter writeth:
nor dischargeth Christians of their obedience to order, law, and power of Magistrates
spiritual or temporal, as some Heretikes of these daies doe seditiously teach.
*1. Pet. 2,16.
libertie.
18. But we al, beholding the glorie of our Lord with face reuealed, are transformed
into the same image from glorie vnto glorie, as of our Lordes Spirit.