Hauing therfore through faith in Christ obteined the beginning, he sheweth what great cause
we haue to hope for the accomplishment. 12. And then he proceedeth in his arguing, and sheweth
that as by one, al were made sinners, so by one, al must be made iust.
1. ⋮
The Epistle on Imber Saturday in whitsunweek. And for many Martyrs.
BEING iustified therfore by faith, let vs haue peace toward God by our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Cʜʀɪꜱᴛ;
2. by whom also we haue accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and glorie,
✟
Christian men doe not vaunt themselues of the certaintie of their saluation,
but glorie in the hope thereof only, which hope is here insinuated to be
giuen in our iustification, & is afterward to be confirmed by probation in
tribulation.
in the hope of the glorie of the sonnes of God.
3. And not only this; but also we glorie in tribulations, knowing that tribulation
worketh patience:
4. and patience, probation; and probation, hope;
5. and hope confoundeth not: because the charitie of God is powred forth in our
harts, by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vs.
6. For why did Christ, when we as yet were
✟
ασθενεῖς.
The Heretikes falsely translate of no strength, to take away al
free-wil No. Test. 1580.
weake, according to the time die for
the impious?
7. For, scarse for a iust man doth any die: for perhaps for a good man durst some
man die.
8. But God commendeth his charitie in vs: because, when as yet we were sinners, Christ
died for vs.
9. Much more therfore now being iustified in his bloud, shal we be saued from wrath by
him.
10. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne;
much more being reconciled, shal we be saued in the life of him.
11. And not only this; but also we glorie in God through our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ,
by whom now we haue receiued reconciliation.
12. Therfore, as by one man sinne entred into this world, and by sinne death; and so
vnto al men death did passe, in which al sinned.
13. For euen vnto the Law sinne was in the world: but sinne was not imputed, when the
Law was not.
14. But death reigned from Adam vnto Moyses, euen on them also that sinned not after
the similitude of the preuarication of Adam, who is a figure of him to come.
15. But not as the offence, so also the guift. For if by the offence of one, many
died; much more the grace of God and the guift, in the grace of one man Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ, hath
abounded vpon many.
16. And not as by one
✟
'sinner,'
sinne, so also the guift. For iudgement indeed is of one, to
condemnation: but grace is of many offences, to iustification.
17. For if in the offence of one, death reigned by one; much more they that receiue the
aboundance of grace and of donation & of iustice, shal reigne in life by one, Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ.
18. Therfore as by the offence of one, vnto al men to condemnation; so also by the
iustice of one, vnto al men to iustification of life.
19. For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so also by the
obedience of one, many
✟
Here we may see against the Heretikes, that they which be borne of Christ and
iustified by him, be made & constituted iust indeed, & not by imputation only:
as al that be borne of Adam, be vniust and sinners in truth, & not by imputation.
shal be made iust.
20. But the Law entred in, that sinne might abound. And where sinne abounded, grace
did more abound.
21. That as sinne reigned to death; so also grace may reigne by iustice to life
euerlasting, through Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ our Lord.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. V.
1. Let vs haue.)
Against the Heretikes special faith and securitie.
Whether we read, *Let vs haue peace, as diuerse also of the Greeke Doctours
(Chrysost., Orig. Theodor., Oecum. Theophyl.) doe, or, **We haue peace; it maketh nothing for the vaine
securitie and infallible certaintie which our Aduersaries say euery man ought to haue vpon his presumed
iustification by faith, that himself is in God's fauour, & sure to be saued: peace towards God, being
here nothing els, but the sincere rest, tranquilitie, and comfort of mind and conscience, vpon the hope
he hath, that he is reconciled to God. Sure it is that the Catholike faith, by which and none other men be
iustified, neither teacheth nor breedeth any such securitie of saluation. And therfore they haue made to
themselues another faith which they cal Fiduciam, quite without the compasse of the Creed and
Scriptures.
*ἔχωμεν
**ἔχομεν
2. Accesse through faith.)
Iustification attributed much to faith as to the fundation.
Iustification, implieth al grace and vertues receiued by Christ's
merits; but the entrance & accesse to this grace & happy state is by faith: because faith is the ground
and first foundation to build on, and port to enter into the rest. Which is the cause that our iustification
is attributed to faith namely in this Epistle, though faith itself be of grace also.
4. Probation hope.)
Our hope is strengthned by wel-doing.
This refelleth the errour of the Protestants, that would haue our hope
to hold only on God's promises, and not a-whit on our doings. Where we see that it standeth (and is
strengthned also) vpon patience and constancie, and good probation and trial of our selues in
aduersities: and that so grounded vpon God's promises and our owne doings, it neuer confoundeth.
5. Charitie is powred.)
Charitie is a qualitie in vs.
Charitie also is giuen vs in our first iustification, and not only imputed
vnto vs, but indeed inwardly powred into our harts by the Holy Ghost, who with and in his guifts &
grace is bestowed vpon vs. For this Charitie of God is not that which is in God, but that which he giueth
vs, as S. Augustine expoundeth it Li. de Sp. & lit. c. 32. Who referreth this place also to the grace of
God giuen in the Sacrament of Confirmation. de Bapt. cont. Donat. li. 3. c. 16.
12. By one man sinne entred.)
Al by Adam borne in original sinne.
By this place specially the *Church of God defendeth and
proueth against the old Heretikes the Pelagians, that denied children to haue any original sinne, or to be
baptized for the remission thereof; that in and by Adam al be conceiued, borne, and constituted sinners.
Which no lesse maketh against the Caluinists also, that affirme Christian mens children to be holy from
their mothers womb. And the same reason which S. Augustine deduceth (li. 1. c. 8. 9. de pec. meritis) out
of this text, to proue against the said Pelagians, that the Apostle meaneth not of the general imitation of
Adam in actual sinnes, serueth against Erasmus and others, inclining rather to that new exposition, then to
the Churches and Fathers graue iudgement herein. Conc. Mileuitanum c. 2.
Conc. Tri. sess. 5. decr. de pec. orig.
14. Vnto Moyses.)
Christ only not conceiued in sinne, & (as it is thought) our B. Lady.
Euen in the time of the Law of nature, when men knew not sinne, and
therfore it could not be man's iudgement be imputed; and in the time of Moyses Law, when the
commandement taught them to know it, but gaue them not strength nor grace to auoid it, sinne did reigne,
and thereupon death and damnation, euen til Moyses inclusiue, that is to say, euen til the end of his
Law. And that not in them only which actually sinned, as Adam did, but in infants which neuer did
actually offend, but only were borne & conceiued in sinne, that is to say, hauing their natures defiled,
destitute of iustice, and auerted from God in Adam, and by their descent from him: Christ only
excepted, being conceiued without man's seed, and his Mother for his honour and by his special
protection (as many godly deuout men iudge) preserued from the same.
20. That sinne might abound.)
The Law did not cause more sinne, though that were the sequele therof.
That, here hath not the signification of causalitie, as though the
Law were giuen for that cause to make sinne abound: but it noteth the sequele, because that followed
thereof, and so it came to passe that by the prohibition of sinne, sinne increased: by occasion wherof the
force of Christ's grace is more amply and aboundantly bestowed in the new Testament.