The Law was not (as the Iewes ignorant zeale supposed) for them to iustifie
themselues by it (considering that they could not fulfil it;) but to bring them to Christ, to
beleeue in him, and so for his sake to be iustified by the grace of God, 5. according to
Moyses saying, and the Apostles preaching: 11. that so the Gentils also (according to the
Prophets) hearing and beleeuing might come to iustice; the Iewes in the meane time (though
inexcusably) remaining incredulous.
1. BRETHREN, the wil of my hart surely and praier to God, is for them vnto saluation.
2. For I giue them testimonie that they haue zeale of God, but not according to
knowledge.
3. For not knowing the
The iustice of God.
God's iustice, & the Iewes owne iustice.
The iustice of God, is that which God giueth vs through Christ. The Iewes owne or
proper iustice, is that which they had or chalenged to haue of themselues and by
their owne strength, holpen only by the knowledge of the Law without the help or
grace of Christ.
iustice of God, and seeking to establish their owne, they
haue not been subiect to the iustice of God.
4. For,
✟
The Law was not giuen to make a man iust or perfect by it self, but to bring
vs to Christ to be iustified by him.
the end of the Law is Christ; vnto iustice to euery one that beleeueth.
5. For Moyses wrote,
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The iustice of the Law of Moyses went no further of itself, but to saue a
man from the temporal death and punishment prescribed to the transgressours of
the same.
that, the iustice which is of the Law,
*
Leu. 18,5.
the man that hath
done it, shal liue in it.
6. But the
The iustice of faith.
Iustice of faith.
The iustice which is of faith, reacheth to the life to come, making man assured
of the truth of such Articles as concerne the same: as, of Christ's Ascension to
heauen, of his Descending to Hel, of his comming downe to be Incarnate, and his
Resurrection and returne againe to be glorified. By which his actions we be pardoned,
iustified, and saued, as by the Law we could neuer be.
iustice which is of faith, saith thus:
*
Deut. 3,12.
Say not in thy hart, Who
shal ascend into Heauen? that is to bring Christ downe.
7. Or who descendeth into the depth? that is to cal Christ againe from the
dead.
8. But what saith the Scripture? The word is nigh, in thy mouth, and in they
hart. This is the
The word of faith.
Open confession & protestation of our faith is sometime necessarie.
The word of faith is the whole Law of Christ, concerning both life and doctrine,
grounded vpon this, that Christ is our Sauiour, & that he is risen againe. Which
point (as al other) must both be beleeued in hart, and also be confessed by mouth.
For though a man be iustified inwardly when he hath the vertues of faith, hope, and
charitie from God; yet if occasion be giuen, he is also bound to confesse with his
mouth, and by al his external actions, without shame or feare of the world, that
which he inwardly beleeueth: or els he cannot be saued.
Helchesetæ.
Which is against certaine *old Heretikes, that taught a man might say or doe what he
would, for feare or danger, so that he kept his faith in hart.
*Euseb. li. 6. c. 31. histor. Eccles.
word of faith which we preach.
9. For if thou confesse with thy mouth our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, and in thy hart
beleeue that God hath raised him vp from the dead, thou shalt be saued.
10.
⋮
The Epistle vpon S. Andrewes day, Nouemb. 30.
For with the hart we beleeue vnto iustice; but with the mouth confession is
made to saluation.
11. For the Scripture saith:
*
Isai. 28,16.
Whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shal not be confounded.
12. For there is no distinction of the Iew and the Greeke: for one is Lord of al,
rich toward al that inuocate him.
13. For euery one
✟
To beleeue in him & to inuocate him, is to serue him with al loue & sincere
affection. Al that so doe, shal doubtlesse be saued & shal neuer be
confounded.
*
Ioel. 2,22.
whosoeuer shal inuocate the name of our Lord, shal be saued.
14.
How shal they inuocate.
The place alleaged against inuocation of Saints answered.
This maketh not (as Heretikes pretend) against inuocation of Saints; the Apostle
saying nothing els, but that they can not inuocate Christ as their Lord and
Maister, in whom they doe not beleeue, and whom they neuer heard of. For he speaketh
of Gentils or Pagans, who could not inuocate him, vnlesse they did first beleeue in
him. To the due inuocation Christ, we must know him and our duties to him. And so is
it true also that we can not pray to our B. Ladie nor any Saint in Heauen, til we
beleeue and know their persons, dignitie, and grace, and trust that they can help vs.
But if our Aduersaries thinke that we can not inuocate them, because we can not
beleeue in them; let them vnderstand that the Scripture vseth also this speach, to
beleeue in men: and it is the very Hebrew phrase, which they should not be ignorant
of that brag therof so much. Exod. 14,31. They beleeued in God and in Moyses.
and 3. Paral. 20,20 in the Hebrew. Ep. ad Philem. v. 5. And the ancient
Fathers did read in the Creed indifferently, I beleeue in the Catholike church;
and, I beleeue the Catholike Church. Conc. Nicem. apud Epiphan. in fine Ancorat
Hieron. contr. Lucif. Cyril. Hieros. Cathec. 17.
How then shal they inuocate in whom they haue not beleeued? Or how shal they
beleeue him whom they haue not heard? And how shal they heare without a Preacher?
15. But how shal they preach
Vnlesse they be sent.
Preachers not lawfully called or sent.
This place of the Apostle inuincibly condemneth al the preachings, writings,
ordinances, inuocations, and vsurpations of Church, pulpit, & whatsoeuer our
new Euangelists haue intruted themselues and entered into by the window: shewing
that they be euery one from the highest to the lowest, false Prophets, running
and vsurping, being neuer lawfully called. Which is so euident in the Heretikes
of our daies, that the *Caluinists confesse it in themselues, & say that there is
an exception to be made in them, because they found the state of the Church
interrupted.
*Confes. des Eglise de France.
vnles they be sent? as it is written:
*
Isai. 52,7.
How
beautiful are the feet of them that euangelize peace, of them that euangelize good things?
16. But al
✟
We see then that it is in a mans free-wil to beleeue or not to beleeue, to
obey or disobey the Ghospel or truth preached.
doe not obey the Ghospel. For Esay saith, Lord,
*
Isai. 53,1.
who hath beleeued the
hearing of vs?
17. Faith then, is by hearing: and hearing is by the word of Christ.
18. But I say, haue they not heard? And certes
*
Psa. 18,5.
into al the earth hath the
sound of them gone forth: and vnto the ends of the whole world the words of them.
19. But I say, hath not Israel knowen? Moyses first saith:
*
Deut. 32,21.
I wil bring you to
emulation in that which is not a Nation: in a foolish Nation I wil driue you into anger.
20. But Esay is bold, and saith:
*
Isai. 65,1.
I was found of them that did not seeke me:
openly I appeared to them
That asked not.
The first iustification of more grace.
That Christ was found of those that neuer asked after him, it proueth that the
first grace and our first iustification is without merits.
Free-wil.
That God called so continually and earnestly by his Prophets and by other his
signes, and wonders, vpon the Iewes, and they withstood it, free-wil is
proued; and that God would haue men saued, and that they be cause of their owne
damnation themselues.
that asked not of me.
21. But to Israel he saith:
*
Isai. 63,1.
Al the day haue I spred my hands to a people that
beleeueth not, and contradicteth me.