The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes

CHAP. II.

N••vv also he shevveth that neither the levves could be saued by the knovvledge of the Lavv, of the vvhich they did so much bragg•• against the Gen••ils, seing they did notvvithstanding sinne as the Gentils did. 14 And therfore that the true levv is the Christian (though he be a Gentil) vvho by grace in his hart doeth the good vvorkes that the Lavv commaundeth.

[verse 1] FOR the vvhich cause thou art inexcusable ô man vvhosoeuer ″ thou be that iudgest. For vvherein thou iudgest an other, thou condem∣nest thy self. for thou doest the same things vvhich `thou' iudgest. ✝ [leftJustify 2] For vve knovv that the iudgement of God is according to veritie vpon them that doe such things. ✝ [leftJustify 3] And doest thou suppose this ô man that iudgest them which doe such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God? ✝ [leftJustify 4] Or ″ doest

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thou contemne the riches of his goodnes, and patience, and longanimity, not knovving that the benignity of God brin∣geth thee to penance? ✝ [rightJustify 5] But according to thy hardnes and impenitent hart, thou heapest to thy self vvrath, in the day of vvrath and of the reuelation of the iust iudgement of God, ✝ [rightJustify 6] vvho vvil * render to euery man ″ according to his vvorkes.* 1.1 ✝ [rightJustify 7] to them truely that according to patience in good vvorke,* 1.2 seeke glorie and honour and incorruption, life eternal. ✝ [rightJustify 8] but to them that are of contention, and that obey not the truth, but giue credite to iniquitie, vvrath and indignation. ✝ [rightJustify 9] Tribu∣lation and anguish vpon euery soul of man that vvorketh euil, of the Ievve first and of thec 1.3 Greeke: ✝ [rightJustify 10] but glorie and honour and peace to euery one that vvorketh good, to the Ievv first and to the Greeke.* 1.4 ✝ [rightJustify 11] for * there is no acception of persons vvith God. ✝ [rightJustify 12] For vvhosoeuer haue sinned vvithout the Lavv, vvithout the Lavv shal perish: and vvhosoeuer haue sinned in the Lavv, by the Lavv shal be iudged. ✝ [rightJustify 13] For * ″ not the hearers of the Lavv are iust vvith God:* 1.5 but the doers of the Lavv ″ shal be iustified.* 1.6 ✝ [rightJustify 14] For vvhen the Gentiles vvhich haue not the Lavv, naturally doe those things that are of the Lavv: the same not hauing the Lavv, them selues are a lavv to them selues: ✝ [rightJustify 15] vvho shevv the vvorke of the Lavv vvritten in their hartes, their conscience giuing testimonie to them, and among them selues mutually their thoughtes accu∣sing, or also defending, ✝ [rightJustify 16] in the day vvhen God shal iudge the secretes of men, according to my Gospel, by IESVS CHRIST.

✝ [rightJustify 17] But if thou be surnamed a Ievv, and restest in the Lavv, and doest glorie in God, ✝ [rightJustify 18] and knovvest his vvil, and approuest the more profitable things, instructed by the Lavv, ✝ [rightJustify 19] presumest that thy self art a leader of the blinde, a light of them that are in darknes, ✝ [rightJustify 20] a teacher of the folish, a maister of infants, hauing the forme of science & of veritie in the Lavv. ✝ [rightJustify 21] Thou therfore∷ 1.7 that teachest an other, teachest not thy self: that preachest, men ought not to steale, thou stealest: ✝ [rightJustify 22] that saiest men should not commit aduoutrie, thou com∣mittest aduoutrie: that abhorrest idols, thou doest sacrilege: ✝ [rightJustify 23] that doest glorie in the Lavv,* 1.8 thou by preuatication of the Lavv doest dishonour God.* 1.9 ( ✝ [rightJustify 24] Forc 1.10 the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles, as it is vvriten.) ✝ [rightJustify 25] Circumcision in deede profiteth, if thou obserue the Lavv: but if thou be a

preuaricátour of the Lavv, thy circumcision is become∷ 1.11 pre∣puce. ✝ [leftJustify 26] If then the prepuce ″ keepe the iustices of the Lavv: shal not his prepuce be reputed for circumcision? ✝ [leftJustify 27] and shal not that vvhich of nature is prepuce, fulfilling the Lavv, iudge thee, that by the letter and circumcision art a preuaricátour of the Lavv? ✝ [leftJustify 28] For not he that is in open shevv, is a Ievv, not that vvhich is in open shevv, in the flesh, is circumcision: ✝ [leftJustify 29] but he that is in secrete, is a Ievv: and the circumcision of the hart, ″ in spirit, not in the letter: vvhose praise is not of men, but of God.

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II.

1. Thou that iudgest.) Such as by publike authoritie either spiritual or temporal haue to punish offenders, be not forbidden to iudge or condemne any for their offenses, though them selues be sometimes guilty in their conscience of the same or greater: yet may it be matter of aggrauating sinnes before God,* 1.12 vvhen they vvil not repent of those offenses them selues, for the vvhich they punish others. but if they be open offenders them selues, in the same sort for vvhich they iudge other, they giue scandal, and thereby aggrauate their sinnes very much. Proprely here he forbiddeth to charge an other falsely or truely vvith these crimes vvhereof him self is as farre guilty or more then the other, as the Ievves specially did the Gentils, to vvhom he speaketh here.

4. Doest thou contemne?) This proueth that God offereth his grace and mercie to many,* 1.13 and by long patience and sufferance expecteth their repētance, differring their punishment of purpose that they may amend, and that he is not delighted in their perdition, nor is the cause of their sinne: but contrarievvise that they harden their ovvne hartes, and of their ovvne free vvil relect his grace and contemne his benignitie.

6. According to his vvorkes.) Though the holy Apostles special purpose be in this Epistle, to commend vnto the Gentiles that trusted so much in their moral vvorkes, the faith in Christ: yet lest any man should thinke or gather vntruely of his vvordes,* 1.14 that Christian mens vvorkes vvere not meritorious or the cause of Saluation, he expresly vvriteth, that God giueth as vvel euerlasting life and glorie to men, for and according to their good vvorkes, as he giueth damnation for the contrarie vvorkes.* 1.15 And hovv so euer Heretikes fondly flee from the euidence of these places, yet S. Augustine saith, Life euerlasting to be rendered for good vvorkes according to this manifest Scripture, God shal render to euery man according to his vvorkes.

13. Not the hearers.) This same sentence agreable also to Christes vvordes (Mat. ••, 21▪) is the very ground of S. Iames disputation, that not faith alone, but good vvorkes also do iustifie. Ther∣fore S. Paul (hovvsoeuer some peruersly conster his vvordes in other place) meaneth the same that S. Iames. And here * he speaketh not properly of the first iustification,* 1.16 vvhen an Infidel or il man is made iust,* 1.17 vvho had no acceptable vvorkes before to be iustified by (of vvhich kind he spe∣cially meaneth in other places of this Epistle) but he speaketh of the second iustification or increase of former iustice, vvhich he that is in Gods grace, daily procedeth in, by doing al kind of good vvorkes,* 1.18 vvhich be iustices, and for doing of vvhich, he is iust in deede before God. and of this kinde doth S. Iames namely treate. Vvhich is directly against the Heretikes of this time, vvho not only attribute nothing to the vvorkes done in sinne and infidelitie, but esteeme nothing at al of al Christian mens vvorkes tovvard iustification and saluation, condemning them as vncleane, sinful, hy pocritical, Pharisaical: vvhich is directly against these & other Scripture, and plaine blaspheming of Christ and his grace, by vvhose spirit and cooperation vve doe them.

13. Shal be iustified.) Of al other Articles deceitfully handled by Heretikes, they vse most guile in this of Iustification:* 1.19 and specially by the equiuocation of certaine vvordes, vvhich is proper to al contentious vvranglers, and namely in this vvord, Iustifie, Vvhich because they finde sometime to signifie the acquiting of a guilty man of some crime vvhere of he is in deede guilty, & for vvhich he ought to be condemned, (as by mans iudgement either of ignorance or of purpose often a very malefactor is deemed or declared and pronounced innocent) they falsly make it so signifie in this place and the like, vvheresoeuer man is said to be iustified of God for his vvorkes or othervvise: as though it vvere said, that God iustifieth man, that is to say, imputeth to him the iustice of Christ,

though he be not in deede iust: or of fauour reputeth him as iust, vvhen in deede he is vvicked, impious, and vniust. Vvhich is a most blasphemous doctrine against God, making him either igno∣rant vvho is iust, and so to erre in his iudgement, or not good, that can loue and saue him vvhom he knovveth to be euill.* 1.20 And a maruelous pitieful blindnes it is in the Churches Aduersaries, that they should thinke it more to Gods glorie, and more to the commendation of Christes iustice, merites, and mercie, to call and count an il man so continuing, for iust: then by his grace and mercie to make him of an il one, iust in deede, and so truely to iustifie him, or as the vvord doth here signifie, to esteeme and approue for iust in deede, him, that by his grace keepeth his lavv and commaundements. For, that the keepers or doers of the commaundements be iust and so reputed, it is plaine by the correspondence to the former vvordes, Not the hearers are iust, but the doers. Vvherevpon S. Augustine de Sp. & lit. c. 26. to. ••. hath these vvordes, When it is said, The doers of the Lavv shalbe iustified, vvhat other thing is said, then. The iust shalbe iustified? for the doers of the Lavv verily are iust.

26. Keepe the iustices.) If a Gentile either novv since Christ, by his grace and faith, or any other before Christ, not of the stocke of Abraham, through the Spirit of God keepe the iustices of the Lavv,* 1.21 he is iust no lesse then if he had been outvvardl•• circumcised, and shal condemne the circum∣cised Ievv not keeping the Lavv, vvithout vvhich, his outvvard Sacrament can not serue him, but shal be much to his condemnation, that hauing the Lavv and peculiar Sacraments of God, he did not keepe the Lavv, nor invvardly exercise that in his hart vvhich the outvvard signe did import. And al this is no more but to insinuate that true iustice is not in faith only or knovvledge of the Lavv, or in the name either of Ievv or Christian, but in doing good vvorkes and keeping the Lavv by Gods grace.

29. In spirit, not letter.] The outvvard ceremonies, Sacraments, threates, and commaundements of God in the Lavv,* 1.22 are called the letter: the invvard vvorking of God in mens hart, and enduing him vvith faith,* 1.23 hope, and charitie, and vvith loue, liking, vvil, and abilitie to keepe his commaun∣dements by the grace and merites of Christ, are called the spirit. In vvhich sense, the carnal Ievv vvas a Ievv according to the letter, and he vvas circumcised after the letter: but the true beleeuing Gentil obseruing by Gods grace in hart and in Gods sight, that vvhich vvas meant by that carnal signe,* 1.24 is a Ievv according to the spirit, and iustified by God. Of the spirit and letter S. Augustine made a famous vvorke, very necessarie for the vnderstanding of this Epistle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Good men also according to the merits of their good vvil shal haue their reward. Aug. ••p. 4••.
• * 1.2

  Ps. 61, 13▪
• c 1.3

  That is. the Gentile.
• * 1.4

  Deu. 10, 17. Act. 10. 34.
• * 1.5

  Mt. 7, 21▪
• * 1.6

  Ia. 1, 22▪
• ∷ 1.7

  It is a shame∣ful and damna∣ble thing for preachers, tea∣chers, or other guides of mens life, to commit the same things them selues which they re∣proue in other.
• * 1.8

  Es. 52, 5.
• * 1.9

  Ez. 36, 20.
• c 1.10

  It is a great sinne that by the i•• life of the faithful, our Lordes name should be il spoken of a∣mōg the misbe∣leuers, & many vvithdravven from the true religiō thereby▪
• ∷ 1.11

  Prepuce is the foreskinne not circumcised, & therfore signi∣fieth the Gen∣tiles, or the state and conditiō of the Gentiles: as circumcisiō, the Ievves and their state.
• * 1.12

  Iudging other men.
• * 1.13

  Gods long suf∣fering is for our repentance.
• * 1.14

  Good vvorkes meritoriou••.
• * 1.15

  Li. de grat. & lib. arb. c. 8.
• * 1.16

  Aug. de Sp. & lit. c. 16. to. 3.
• * 1.17

  The first, iustifi∣cation, vvithout vvorkes: the se∣cond, by vvor∣kes.
• * 1.18

  S. Paul speaketh of the first spe∣cially, S. Iames of the second.
• * 1.19

  Against impu∣tatiue iustice.
• * 1.20

  True inherent iustice more for Gods glorie, & for the com∣mendation of Christs merites.
• * 1.21

  True iustice both in Ievv and Gentile, is by keeping the Lavv.
• * 1.22

  The letter, and the spirit.
• * 1.23

  The carnal, and spiritual Ievve.
• * 1.24

  de sp. & lit. to. 3.