Not al the Iewes were reprobate, but some elect: and they by grace obtained iustice, the rest
(according to the Prophets) being excecated. 11. Against whom notwithstanding the Christian
Gentils (to whom by that occasion Christ is come) must not insult; but rather deare euery man
himself to be likewise cut of the tree (which is the Catholike Church) 25. and know that when al
the Gentils are brought into the Church, then (about the end of the world) shal the multitude of the
Iewes also come in: 33. according to the disposition of the wonderful wisedom of God.
1. I Say then: Hath God reiected his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite,
of the seed of Abraham, of the Tribe of Ben-iamin.
2. God hath not reiected his people which he foreknew. Or know you not in Elias
what the Scripture saith; how he requesteth God against Israel?
3.
*
3. King. 19,10.
Lord, they haue slaine thy Prophets, they haue digged downe thine Altares:
and I am left alone, & they seeke my life.
4. But what saith the diuine answer vnto him? I haue left me
Seuen thousand.
God's answer to Elias of 7000, maketh nothing for the Protestants inuisible
Church.
The Heretikes alleage this place and example very impertinently to proue that the
Church may be wholy secret, hid, or vnknowen. For though the faithful were forced to
keep close in that persecution of Achab and Iezebel, which was only in the Kingdom
of the ten Tribes, that is, of Israel; yet at the very same time, in Hierusalem and
al the Kingdom of Iuda, the external worship and prosession of faith was open to al
the world, and wel knowen to Elias & the faithful, so many, that *the very souldiars
only were numbred aboue ten hundred thousand. Besides that there is a great difference
between the Christian Church & the Iewes; ours resting vpon better promises then
theirs. And we wil not put the Protestants to proue that there were 7000 of their
Sect when their new Elias Luther began; but let them proue that there were seuen, or
any one, either then or in al Ages before him, that was in al points of his beleefe.
Heretikes there were before him, as Iouinian, Vigilantius, Heluidius, Wicleffe &c. and
with him, Zuinglius, Caluin, &c. Who beleeue as he did in some things, but not in al.
*2. Par. 17.
seuen thousand men,
that haue not bowed their knees to
✟
The Heretikes adde here also to the text, Image. as Act. 19,35.
Baal?
5. So therfore at this time also, there are remaines saued according to the election
of grace.
6. And if by grace,
Not now of workes.
What workes are not, & what are the cause of saluation.
If saluation be attributed to good workes done of nature without faith & God's
help, the same can not be of grace. For such workes exclude grace, fauour, and
mercie: and chalenge only of debt, and not of guift. Therfore take heed here of
the Heretikes exposition, that vntruely exclude Christian mens workes from necessity
or merit of Saluation, which are done with and by God's grace, and therfore
euidently consist with the same, and be ioyned with God's grace as causes of our
saluation. Our Aduersaries are like il Potecaries, euer taking quid pro quo,
either of ignorance, or of intent to deceiue the simple.
not now of workes. Otherwise grace now is not grace.
7. What then? that which Israel sought, the same he hath not obtained; but the
election hath obtained, and the rest were blinded:
8. as it is written:
*
Isai. 6,9.
God
God hath giuen.
God is not Authour of sinnes.
It doth not signifie his working or action, but his permission. Chrys. ho.
19. in ep. Ro. And S. Augustine saith, *not by putting malice into them, but
by not imparting his grace vnto them, and that through their owne deserts alwaies,
and their owne willes euer properly working the same. See Annot. Mat. c. 13,14.
Ro. c. 1,24.
*Aug. Ep. 105. ad Sixtum.
hath giuen them the spirit of compunction; eyes, that
they may not see, and eares, that they may not heare; vntil this present day.
9. And Dauid saith:
*
Psa. 68,23.
Be their table made for a snare and for a trap & for a scandal
& for a retribution vnto them.
10. Be their eyes darkned, that they may not see: & their backe make thou alwaies
crooked.
11. I say then, haue they so stumbled,
✟
The Iewes are not reiected wholy & incurably for euer: but for a part, and for a
time suffred to fal. Which God did turne to the Gentils general good.
that they should fal? God forbid. But by their
offence, saluation is to the Gentils, that they may emulate them.
12. And if the offence of them be
✟
If God could and did turne their fal and sinne into the good of the Gentils,
much more wil he worke good of their general conuersion, which shal be at
length the accomplishment of the Church consisting of both the Nations
the riches of the world, and the diminution of them
the riches of the Gentils; how much more the fulnesse of them?
13. For to you Gentils I say, as long verily as I am the Apostle of the Gentils, I
wil honour my ministerie,
14. if by any meanes I may prouoke my flesh to emulation, and may saue some of them.
15. For if the losse of them be the reconciliation of the world; what shal the receiuing
be, but life from the dead?
16. And if the first fruit be holy, the masse also: and if the root be holy, the boughes also.
17. And if some of the boughes be broken, and thou whereas thou wast a wild oliue, art
graffed in them, and art made partaker of the root and of the fatnesse of the oliue,
18. glorie not against the boughes. And if thou glorie; not thou bearest the root,
but the root thee.
19. Thou saiest then: The boughes were broken, that I might be graffed in.
20. Wel:
Because of incredulity.
A paraphrastical explication of the text, concerning the Iewes and Gentils, their
standing, falling rising againe, &c.
He represseth the pride of the Gentils vanting themselues of their receiuing, and of
the Iewes reiection, namely in that they thought the Iewes to be forsaken for no
other cause, but that they might come into their roomes: declaring that the direct
and proper cause of their forsaking, was their incredulity, exhorting the Gentils to
beware of the same, because they may fal as wel as the other, and that God is as like
to execute iustice against them as against the Iewes; as he hath done in many Nations
falling to heresie.
because of incredulitie they were broken, but thou by faith doest stand: be
not too highly wise; but
✟
We see that he which standeth by faith, may fal from it, and therfore must liue
in feare, and not in the vaine presumption and securitie of the Heretikes.
feare.
21. For if God hath not spared the natural boughes; lest perhaps he wil not spare thee
neither.
22. See then the goodnes and the seueritie of God: vpon them surely that are fallen,
the seueritie; but vpon thee the goodnes of God, if thou abide in his goodnes; otherwise thou
also shalt be cut off.
23. But they also, if they doe not abide in incredulitie, shal be gaffed in. For God
is able to graffe them in againe.
24. For if thou wast cut out of the natural wild oliue, and contrarie to nature wast
graffed into the good oliue; how much more they that are according to nature shal be graffed into
their owne oliue?
25. For I wil not haue you ignorant, Brethren, of this mysterie (that you be not wise
in your selues) that blindnes in part hath chanced in Israel, vntil the fulnes of the Gentils
might enter:
26. and so al Israel might be saued, as it is written:
*
Isai. 59,20.
There shal come out of
Sion, he that shal deliuer, and shal auert impietie from Iacob.
27. And this to them the Testament from me: when I shal haue taken away their
sinnes.
28.
According to the Ghospel.
In respect, or, as concerning beleefe in Christ and receiuing the Ghospel, they are
God's enemies: by occasion of which their incredulity, the Gentils found mercie:
otherwise in respect of his special election of that Nation, and the promises made
to the Patriarches, the Iewes are deere to him stil. For God neuer promiseth but he
performeth, nor repenteth himself of the priuiledges giuen to that Nation.
According to the Ghospel indeed enemies for you: but according to the election,
most deere for the Fathers.
29. For without repentance are the guifts & the vocation of God.
30.
For as you.
As the Gentils which before beleeued not, found mercie and came to faith, when the
Iewes did fal: so the Iewes not now beleeuing, when al the Gentils haue obtained
mercie, shal in the end of the world by God's disposition obtaine grace and pardon
as the Gentils haue done.
For as you also sometime did not beleeue God, but now haue obteined mercie
because of their incredulitie;
31. so these also now haue not beleeued, for your mercie, that they also may obteine
mercie.
32. For God hath
Concluded al.
That so God taking al Nations and al men in sinne (which they fel into, not by his
drift or causing, but of their owne free-wil) may of his mercie cal & conuert
whom and in what order he wil; and the parties haue no cause to brag of their
deseruings: but both Countries and particular men may referre their eternal
election and their first calling and conuersion, to Christ, and to his mercie
only: no workes which they had before in their incredulity deseruing any such thing,
though their workes afterward proceeding of faith and grace doe merit Heauen.
concluded al into incredulitie, that he may haue mercie on al.
33.
⋮
The Epistle vpon Trinitie Sunday.
O
O depth.
How farre to deale and to know, in the doctrine of predestination.
The Apostle concludeth that no man ought to search further into God's secret and
vnsearcheable counsels of the vocation of the Gentils, & reiecting the Iewes,
otherwise then this; that al which be reiected, for their sinnes by iustly
reiected, & al that be saued, by God's great mercie and Christ's grace be saued.
And whosoeuer seeketh among the people to spread contagion of curiosity by seeking
further after things past man's & Angel's reach, they ouer-reach and ouerthrew
themselues. If thou wilt the saued, beleeue, obey the Church, feare God and keep
his commandements: that is thy part and euery man's els. Thou maist not examine
whether thou be predestinate or reprobate, nor seeke to know the waies of God's
secret iudgement toward thy self or other men.
The Heretikes writings of predestination.
It is the common enemy of our soules,
that in this vnhappy time hath opened blasphemous tongues, and directed the proud
pennes of Caluin, Beza, Verone, and such reprobates, to the discusing of such
particulars, to the perdition of many a simple man, and specially of yong Scholers
in Vniuersities, which with lesse studie may learne to be prowd and curious, then to
be humble, wise, and obedient.
depth of the riches of the wisedom and of the knowledge of God! How
incomprehensible are his iudgements, and his waies vnsearcheable?
34. For
*
Isai. 40,13.
who hath knowen the mind of our Lord? or who hath been his Counseler?
35. Or who hath first giuen to him, and retribution shal be made him?
36. For of him, and by him, and in him are al things: to him be glorie for euer.
Amen.