[A Paraphrase vppon the epistle of the holie apostle S. Paule to the Romanes ...]

The .ij. Chapter. The rebuking of the Iewes, which as touching sinne, are like or worse than the heathen.

HOw be it, notwithstanding all this, it beho∣ueth a godly and true Chrystian man, to take héede and bée fearefull howe he iudge hys neyghbour and condemne hys brother in all hys faultes, or in suche as he thynketh him selfe blame worthy, least he iudge that nought which God accepteth & taketh for good, or that for good which of it selfe is starke nought. Therfore O thou vaine mā what soeuer thou be, y^e bostest thy self in the actes & holinesse of thine

owne lyfe, and condemnest another man in his dooings, thou verily art to rashe in iudgement, and in great danger of Gods indignation. For in that thou condemnest another man, thou iustely also condemnest thy selfe, bycause thou doest euen the same which thou condemnest in the other. And thus thou béeing guiltie with him whom thou iudgest of the same cryme, thou giuest sentence vtterly agaynst thyne owne selfe. Some one man may soone be beguyled, and an∣other may peraduenture easily anoyde his condemnation among men, which giue their iudgement onely vppon con∣iectures, but no man may anoyde the iuste iudgements of God, who séeth in secrete all things, whose iudgement is true, and whose sentence is pronounced, not vppon coniec∣tures or doubtfull cases, but according to truthe and moste certayne knowledge, as he is almightie, and a God of truth. Therefore O thou Gentile (for euen thée do•• I meane al this whyle, and speake vnto thée euen in the vowels of Chryst) that thou diligently take héede, least through pride in thy selfe thou ouer rashly condemnest the poore and vnhappie Iewe, which is now falne into the aforesayde abhominable vices. For assure thy selfe, in condemning the Iewe thou doest not onely giue sentence agaynst thine owne selfe, by∣cause thou comittest euen the same faults, but shalte be sure also to abide the iudgement of God agaynst thée, as it was agaynst the Iewes. For thinkest thou to auoyde the punish∣ment of God which finnest agaynst him, and canst not a∣uoyde the displeasure of him in this world, and in the world to come (who respecteth no persons) and whom thou haste to gréeuously offended? Or doest thou thinke it conuenient to auoyde the iuste iudgement of God, séeing thou wilte suf∣fer no man to auoyde thy iudgement which offendeth thée? Or doth the softenesse of our Lorde (in leauing thée vnpu∣nished for a tyme) giue thée occasion to contemne and des∣pise him, as though he dyd winke at thy sinnes, or fauour thée in the dooings of them? Thou shouldest rather reuolue with thy selfe, that his softnesse, mercifull lenitie, long suffering, and great gentlenesse doth not put away frō thée his iustice,

sharpe iudgement and punishment. But méekely and gentle∣ly allureth thée vnto himselfe, and draweth thée thereby to hartie and true repentance: and vseth vnto thée first his gen∣tlenesse, to the end, that for his sake againe with like vertue, thou shouldest begin to hate and reforme thy selfe. But thou doest all to the contrary: for thou makest of his gentlenesse towardes thy selfe, an occasion of thine owne damnation: bi∣cause thou wouldest not by gentlenesse and méekenesse, be orderly brought into the right seruice of God. Wherfore, the more that God stirreth thée héereby, to perfect pietie and true godlinesse, the more thou heapest vpon thy selfe, the treasure of condemnation and the ire of God, if thou doest not as a Christian, conforme thine actes thereunto. Which, although he do not now hastily appear•• vnto thée with the swiftnesse of his fury: yet hath he his time of iudgement ouer thée, & wil most iustly be reuenged vpon thée, at the terrible and moste dreadful day of dome, when he shall put apart his clemencie and softnesse, and giue more sharpe and bitter punishment, bothe vnto thée, and to all suche, as before were more stirred to repentance, by his great mildnesse, vnspeakeable loue and gentlenesse. At which great and terrible day, he will giue his iudgement, not according to the māner and custome of men, sometime fauouring one partie more than another: or like suche a one which is often deceiued in the truth of his iudge∣ment: but as a God almightie, most vprightly & truely kno∣wing all things, will rewarde euery man moste vprightly, according to his due desertes. To some, he will giue euerla∣sting life: that is, to all those, which perseuering in godly life and conuersation, do not hunte after the corrupt, fraile, and vaine pleasures of this world, but doe séeke after the true glory, honor of God, & immortalitie. And to some, which (in their pride and statelinesse) had rather obey to iniustice, than to true rightuousnesse, to lying, vntruth & superstition, than to the truthe and holinesse of Gods commaundements, shall be giuen the reward of indignation, the ire of God, the affliction and tormenting of the deuil, and of a gnawing and damned conscience: which punishment, abideth indifferently

all men, that carelesly liue to offend. But first of al the Iew, and then the Gentile: that the Iew may haue the first plages and punishment, which (firste of all other) had the goodnesse of God offered vnto him. Contrariwise, glory, honor, peace and immortalitie, shall be giuen indifferently vnto all men, that embrace Gods will and liue well: but firste vnto Abra∣ham and to the Iewe, and after to the Gentile: for God hath no respecte to persones, as other iudges of the world haue: but he is perfectly iust, vpright, and truely indifferent to all men. Therefore, what so euer they be that offend, hauing no lawe, shall so perishe without lawe. And who so euer haue receiued the lawe and offende therein, shall also be condemned by the lawe. Neither shall it be inoughe for the Iewe to haue heard the lawe, and so to thinke himselfe the rather iust before God: but they which (in Christ) do the actes and déedes of the law, shall be before him iustified and imputed rightuous. God on∣ly him selfe is all goodnesse, and therefore he moste alloweth and approueth the good woorkes of men, thoughe there be a∣mong them, no lawe at all written. And the displeasure of God is so muche the more ouer them which haue a lawe, bi∣cause they frame not their liues according to the lawe. Howe be it, it cannot be truely saide, that there be men, which liue to them selues without lawe: for all nations that be, thoughe they haue not the written lawe of Moses: yet they do in effect the works of Moses law, bicause they haue the law of nature grafted in their hartes. And what so euer thing is commaun∣ded and done vnder the lawe, by them that haue it written in bookes and tables, the same do they also, which haue the lawe of nature grafted in their hartes. For all suche, theyr owne conscience doth secretely saue or condemne them: they hauing cogitations and thoughtes within them selues, that daily doth bothe accuse and excuse them. God shall iudge all these, accor∣ding to the same secrete lawe of nature: which thoughe it be not nowe openly knowne to men, yet God which knoweth all things, and séeth all things in secreate, shal giue his iudge∣ment thereafter. But this iudgement shall be done of God by his deare sonne, which is now our Lord and moste rightuous

sauioure, and shall be at the iudgement day, the iudge of al the worlde: which thing, is the true saying of the Gospell, least it be taken of some for a fable or dreame, whereof I now moste reuerently speake. Therfore, O thou Iew, y^t standest so much in thine owne conceit, and arte proud that arte called a Iewe, making thy reckening vpon the priuiledge of the lawe, which was giuen of God only vnto thée, and doest vaunt and boaste God to be the author of thy religion: whose minde and plea∣sure thou knowest by the Scriptures that came from him, and arte brought vp and taught in the misteries of the lawe, whereby thou doest not only knowe what things are to be a∣uoided, and what to be folowed, and of all good things what be the best: but also thinkest thy selfe able, to be a guide vnto the blinde, and to shine before them which be in darkenesse: that is, to be a teacher of them that be rude, and to be an in∣structor of them which haue no knowledge: all which things, though God haue shewed them vnto thée, in giuing the lawe only vnto thée, shalt thou therefore thinke thy selfe better than the Gentile? No verily: but the lawe which God hath giuen thée for good, maketh thy cause and matter woorse, before the iudgement seat of God, except thou directest thy life and con∣uersation according to the lawe, in which thou doest so muche glorie and make thy boaste: else, the knowledge of the lawe, whereof thou so greatly makest thine accompt, shall be a very snare to take thée withall, to thine vtter ouerthrowe and con∣fusion. Therfore O thou vaine man, which bostest of the law, why doest thou aduance thy selfe on this maner? why teachest thou another, and leauest thy selfe vntaught? why doest thou preache that theft shoulde not be committed, and yet thou thy self art a théefe? why dost thou commaund other to forsake ad∣ultry, and thou thy self art defiled therwith? why dost thou ba∣nish idolatrie in another, and art thy selfe polluted with wor∣shipping of images? And in conclusion, why dost thou glory a∣mongs men, in that thou hast receiued the law at Gods hāds, and in transgressing the fame, doest dishonoure God? For in that thou séekest praise and honoure of men (by reason of the lawe) thou arte become a vessell of muche dishonoure to God,

which should by thée only, haue all the honor and glory. And although no mannes iniquitie can in déede dishonor God: yet thou doest as muche as in thée lieth, to dishonor him. Of the like sort of men, the holy Prophets héertofore haue spoken, as it is wrytten in Esay and Ezechiel: The name of the Lord (saye they) is slaundered by you, and hath through your fault an euill report among the nations, that are inclined to idola∣trie: in as muche, as you proudly glory in the only title of the law, and yet among your selues, do liue most sinnefully and wretchedly against the lawe. Neither is it sufficient for thée to be a Jews borne, or to be of the Jewes religion; for then shall Circumcision only profite thée, so farre foorth as thou perfor∣mest the things, for whose cause Circumcision was first gi∣uen: and also accomplishing suche things in thy life, which thou professest in thy Ceremonies. Otherwise, if thou trans∣gresse the lawe, it shal no more profit thée to be Circumcised, before the face of the iust God, than though thou werte neuer Circumcised. Wherefore, like as Circumcision is turned to vncircumcision, vnlesse thou also performe the other déedes of the law (which appertaineth to good manners and vpright conuersation:) euen so, vncircumcision shal not hurt the Gen∣tile, but shall be accepted for circumcision, if be leaue and for∣sake the Ceremonies of the law, and performe those things, that be in déede the whole summe of the law: which is, a pure and a cleane life, and shall also obey Christ, which is the end of all lawes. Therefore thou Jewe, the Gentile shall be made equall with thée in this behalfe: yea, he shall be preferred be∣fore thée, and be better taken than thou, bicause he knoweth no Circumcision; and his innocencie and cleane life, shall make thine iniquitie more damnable, bicause he not profes∣sing the lawe, dothe yet declare the ende of the lawe, in the actes of his good and godly life: where thou glorying in the wordes and sillables of the lawe, and professing Circumcisi∣on, doest violate that, which is the chéefe of the lawe. God, which iudgeth not after the outwarde appearance of the bo∣dy, but after the godlinesse of the spirite, taketh no man for a Jewe, except he performe in dede, the profession of a Iewe. And

him name not I a Jewe, that hathe the manifest note & marke of the Jewe, neither is he Circumcised, that hathe his priuie skin cutte: but he is a very Jewe that is rightly a Jewe, and circumcised in his hart: which God only beholdeth, and ther∣after iudgeth all men. To conclude therfore, he is Circumci∣sed, which rather hath his harte circumcised, than he which hath his priuie membre circumcised: which also dothe not re∣ioyce in the markes and notes made with a stone, as the cir∣cumcision of the Iewes was: but reioyceth in the spirite and minde of the lawe: for he that hath only his fleshe Circumci∣sed, may goe for a Iewe amongst men: but him worthily God taketh for a Iewe, whose hart is purged and clensed from the filthe of vice and sinne, and is prest and readie to the loue of Iesus Christ: of whome only to be allowed, is the most high and chiefe felicitie.

Notes

• Math 7. 2. Reg. 12.
• An exhortati∣on to auoid rashe condem∣nation and iudgement.
• Esay. 30. Act. 17.
• The lenitie of God abused.
• Psalm. 61.
• God by his loue and long suffering, stir∣reth man to re¦pentaunce. and to flye ther¦by the terror of his vēgeāce.
• Psalm 61.
• Thessa. 1.
• Act. 10. Ephe. 6. Gala 2.
• Math. 7. Luc. 6. Iac. 1.
• Gods lavve knovven and practised re∣quireth sharpe punishment.
• Math. 25.
• Iohn. 8.
• The lawe what it wor∣keth.
• To trust to the lawe is daungerouse.
• Math. 7.
• Esay 52. Ezechi 36.
• Iohn. 8.
• Roma. 9. Collos. 2.