¶ All the Iewes are not cast awaye, therfore Paul warneth the Gentyls that be called, not to be hygh minded nor to despise the Iewes, for the iudgmen∣tes of God are depe and secrete.
CAPI. XI.
[ A] I Saye then: Hath God cast awaye his peo¦ple? God forbyd. For euen I am an Isra∣elite, of the seed of Abraham, & of the tribe of BenIamin, God hath not cast awaye his people whiche he knewe before. Eyther wote ye not what the scripture sayth by the mouth of Helias, how he maketh intercessiō to God againste Israel, sayenge?* 1.1 Lorde they haue kylled thy Prophetes, & dygged downe thyne altars: and I am left onely, and they seke my lyfe. But what sayth the aunswere of God to hym agayne? I haue reserued vnto me se∣uen thousande men, whiche haue not bowed the knee to Baal. Euē so at this tyme is there a remnaunt lefte thorow the electiō of grace. If it be of* 1.2 grace, then is it not of workes. For then were grace no more grace. If it be of workes, then is it no more grace. For then [ B] were deseruynge no lenger deseruinge. What then? Israel hath not obtayned yt he sought. No but yet the election hathe obtayned it. The remnaunt are blynded, accordynge as it is written:* 1.3 God hath gyuen thē the sprete of vnquietnes: eyes that they shoulde not se, and eares that they shulde not heare, euen vn¦to this daye.* 1.4 And Dauid sayth: Let their table be made a snare to take theym with all, and an occasion to faule, and a rewarde vnto them. Let their eyes be blynded that they se not: and euen bowe downe their backes.
I saye then: haue they therfore stombled, that they shoulde but faule onely? God for∣byd: but thorow their faule is saluacion hap∣pened vnto the gentyls, to prouoke thē with. Wherfore yf the faule of them, be the riches of the worlde: and the mynysshynge of them the ryches of the gentyles: How moch more shulde it be so, yf they all beleued. I speake to you Gentyles, in as moche as I am the A∣postle of the Gentyles, I wil magnifie myne office, that I might prouoke them which are my flesshe, and myght saue some of them. For yf the castynge awaye of them, be the reconce∣lynge of the worlde: what shall the recey∣uynge of them be, but lyfe agayne from deth? For yf the begynnynges be holy,* 1.5 ye hole heepe is holy. And yf the rote be holy, the braūches are holy also.
Thoughe some of the braunches be broken of, and thou beynge a wylde olyue tree, arte [ C] graft in amonge them, and made partaker of the rote and fatnesse of the Olyue tree, boste not thy selfe againste the braunches. For yf thou bost thy selfe, remember that thou bea∣rest not the rote, but the rote the. Thou wilt saye then: the braunches are broken of, that I might be grafte in. Thou sayeste well: be∣cause of vnbelefe they are broken of, & thou standest stedfast in faith. Be not of an haulte mynde, but feare sythe God spared not the naturall braunches, least haply he also spare not the.
Beholde the kyndnesse and rygorousnes of God: on them whiche fell, rygorousnes:* 1.6 but towardes the, kyndnes: yf thou continue in his kyndnesse. Or elles thou shalt be hewen of, and they yf they abyde not styll in vnbe∣lefe, shalbe grafted in agayne. For God is of power to graffe them in agayne. For yf thou wast cut out of a naturall wilde olyue tree, & wast grafted contrary to nature in a true O∣lyue tree: how moche more shall the natural braunches be grafted in their owne olyue tree agayne
I wolde not that this mysterye shoulde be hyd frome you my brethren, least ye shulde be wyse in your owne conceytes, for as moche as blyndnesse is partely happened in Israel, tyll the fulnes of the Gentyles be come in: and so [ D] all Israel shalbe saued. As it is written:* 1.7 There shall come out of Syon he that doeth delyuer, and shall turne awaye the vngodly∣nesse of Iacob. And this is my promyse vnto them, when I shall take awaye their synnes. As concernyng the Gospel they are ennemies for your sakes: but as touchinge the election they are loued for the fathers sakes.