Hexapla, that is, A six-fold commentarie vpon the most diuine Epistle of the holy apostle S. Paul to the Romanes wherein according to the authors former method, sixe things are obserued in euery chapter ... : wherein are handled the greatest points of Christian religion ... : diuided into two bookes ...
Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621.

4. Places of Doctrine.

Doct. 1. Of the difference betweene Christian and worldly hope.

v. 5. Hope maketh not ashamed: This is the propertie of the hope of Christians, that is neuer confoundeth them, or maketh ashamed: because it is founded vpon Gods promises who both is immutable and changeth not, and is also omnipotent, able to performe, what∣soeuer he promiseth: But so it is not in humane or worldly hope: for that often putteth man to rebuke, because he is deceiued in his hope, and faileth in the thing hoped for; and the reason is, for that he reposeth his confidence in man, who is either deceitfull and ho∣peth not his promise, or is not of power to performe it: therefore the Prophet saith, Cursed be the man, that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, Ierem. 17.5.

Doct. 2. Of the properties and effects of faith.

v. 2. Beeing iustified by faith: 1. Vnto faith is ascribed iustification, as in these words, and remission of sinnes in purifying the heart, Act. 15.9. 2. faith is the foundation of thing hoped for, Heb. 11.1. 3. it is the cause of the producing and bringing forth of good fruit, Iam. 2.8. Shewe me thy faith out of thy workes, &c. 4. it ouercommeth the tentations of Sathan: for by the sheild of faith we quench all his fierie darts: Ephes. 6.18. 5. by faith we attaine vnto the vnderstanding of the word of God, which otherwise is vnprofitable, Isay. 7.9. Vnlesse yee beleeue, ye shall not vnderstand, as some translations doe reade: and the Apostle saith, that the word did not profit the Israelites, because it was not mixed with faith, Page  265 Heb. 4.2. 6. faith obtaineth our requests in prayer, Iam. 2.16. the prayer of faith saueth the sicke. 7. it worketh the saluation of the soule, Luk. 7.50. Thy faith hath saued thee.

Doct. 3. Of the raigne and dominion of death.

v. 14. Death raigned from Adam to Moses: Before sinne entred into the world, death had no dominion: but now it hath gotten a tyrannicall and generall dominion ouer men, both of all sorts and conditions, both young and old, and in all ages: as here it is said to raigne euen from Adam to Moses: that age, was not exempted from the dominion of death, wherein sinne seemed least to abound; but Christ hath ouercome death, and destroyed the dominion thereof, both in that he hath taken away the sting thereof, which is sinne, that death is not hurtfull vnto them that beleeue, but bringeth their soules vnto euerlasting rest: and in the generall resurrection, our bodies which death had seazed on, shall be restored vnto life; as our Blessed Sauiour saith, I am the resurrection, and the life, &c. Ioh. 15.25.

Doct. 4. Of the difference of sinnes.

v. 14. Euen ouer them, that sinned not after the like manner, &c. Here the Apostle setteth downe this distinction of actuall and originall sinne; some doe sinne in like manner, as Adam did, that is, actually; some not in like manner, that is, there is a secret and hid sinne in the corruption of nature, which is not actuall, but in time breaketh forth into act, as the seede sheweth it selfe in the hearbe.

Doct. 5. There is no saluation or life with∣out Christ.

v. 17. Much more shall they, which receiue, &c. raigne in life, &c. As in Adam sinne and death entred, and so raigned ouer all, so life raigneth by Iesus Christ: then they which are not graft by faith into Christ, but remaine onely in Adam, cannot be pertakers of life: they are still vnder the kingdome of sinne and death: wherefore the Turkes, Iewes, and all other, that are without the knowledge and faith of Christ, howsoeuer they dreame of a kind of Paradise, and terrene happinesse after this life, yet they can haue no assurance of life, seeing they are strangers from Christ: So S. Peter saith, Act. 4.12. That there is no other name giuen vnder heauen, whereby we must be saued.

Doct. 6. That life doth accompanie righ∣teousnesse.

v. 17. The Apostle saith, that they which receiue the gift of righteousnesse, shall raigne in life: then as sinne raigned vnto death, so righteousnesse raigneth vnto life: wheresoeuer then righteousnesse is found, whether inherent, as in the Angels, or imputed, as in the faith∣full, who haue the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto them by faith, there is the king∣dome of life: then they which doe feele the kingdome of righteousnesse to be begunne in them, who both by faith are iustified in Christ, and their faith is effectuall working by loue, they are assured to enter into life: as S. Paul knewe, after he had kept the faith and fought a good fight, that there was a crowne of righteousnesse laid vp for him, 2. Tim. 4.8.

Doct. 7. Of the vse of the lawe.

v. 20. The lawe entred, &c. that the offence should abound, &c. This is the proper vse of the lawe, to bring a man to the knowledge of his sinne, and to shewe him in what state he standeth by nature, a transgressor of the lawe, and so subiect to the curse: but we must not rest in this vse of the lawe, there is a second and more principall ende, that by the aboun∣ding of sinne, grace may more abound: and in this sense the Apostle calleth the lawe, a schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ, Galath. 3.19. that we by the lawe seeing our owne weakenesse and vnsufficiencie, should seeke vnto Christ Iesus, to finde righteousnes in him, which cannot be obtained by the lawe.