A PARAPHRASE vppon the Epistle of the holie Apostle S. Paule to the Romaanes , 〈…〉 to the Church of God 〈…〉 .

Whe 〈…〉 also added certaine other 〈…〉

IMPRINTED AT LONDON BY Henry Bynneman for William Norton .

BEfore that you enter ( beloued Christian ) into the reading of Sainct Paules Epistle to the Romaines , which ( by the common consent and opinion of the ancient and holy fathers ) is the very summe and perfection of all the other scriptures : thou oughtest diligently call to thy remembrance , the firste and originall sin , of our olde father Adam in Paradis● through which , he there felt the iustice of God , and was of him accordingly banished from infinite pleasures , of that moste séemely and beautifull place , of all places and pleasure vpon the earth . In which notable case and high mysterie , when thou shalt once perceiue the vprightnesse , greate goodnesse and the mercie of God on the one side : and the slippernesse , disobedience and vnfaithfulnesse of Adam on thother side : thou shalt then the more easily come to the true meaning and vnderstanding of the said Epistle : the effect of which is , most principally to declare vnto all men , the foresaide highe and notable mysterie . For after almighty God of his great goodnesse had created Adam , farre passing all other his creatures , in the excellencie of his creation : and had also ( but of very base and vile matter ) made him vnto his owne godly im●●● and similitude : resembling therein his diuine maiestie in heauen , and moste godly perfection of all innocencie , wherwith he was highly endued at his first originall and beginning : he then placed him in a most pleasant Paradise of all ●oy and singular comfort : and gaue frée choise and libertie vnto him , to vse all things there at pleasure , and to his owne hartes desire : saue only he forbad him to eate of the frute of the knowledge of good and euil , which was of most amiable apearance , beautifull to beholde , and most pleasantly placed in the middest of Paradise . The commaundement heereof , was not burdenous or vnreasonable for man to beare : but only requested therein due obedience and loue towardes his louing God and maker : vnto whome only , that noble creature man ( aboue all other creatures ) should haue had most speciall regarde , considering moste déepely in him selfe the excellencie of his maiestie , that so graciously formed him , blessed him , and moste pleasantly placed him : and there to looke for al goodnesse only at his holy hand : & not to take as it were vpon him selfe by his owne woorthynesse , the forme of goodnesse and euill : but should onely haue holden that for euil and forbidden , which God restrained as euill , and to count that only for good and rightuous , which of God is allowed , and graunted . God therefore toke Adam , and to put him out of all doutes , brought him to the same place , and shewed him the very trée and the frute therof , standing in the middest of the Garden of pleasure , and forbad him the eating thereof with an earnest charge and threatning , saying on this wise vnto him : In what so euer houre thou shalt eate the frute of that trée , thou shalt surely die , & be subiect to eternall deathe . Yet notwithstanding this straighte restrainte of God , Adam stackered , and dealt but slipperly , vntruely , and carelesly , with his faithful God and maker , transgressing his holy commaundement : and gaue more credit to the persuasion of the woman and of the wicked serpent , than to the truthe of Gods woorde and his holy commaundement . Whiche was nothing else but euen so much as in them did lie , to take vnto themselues the form of good and euil as out of them selues , or by some other meane , rather than of God their maker : vnto whose only wil and pleasure they should most humbly haue yéelded their obedience : as vnto him , who alwayes most gratiously wisheth all goodnesse vnto euery man . For he being by the woman and the serpent deceiued , thought that God was not indifferent towards him , but that be had rather of sette purpose , withdrawne from him , some parcell of his diuine and godly wisedome . Therefore , for as muche as in mind he was thus deceiued , sodenly chaunged , and departed now from God , declaring thereby his vnstayednesse , infidelitie , and vnfaythfulnesse : and looked not for all good things only at his gracious hands , as of duetie he should , but yelded to the Diuell , receiued that was offered , and tasted to his condemnation of that strayt forbidden fruite , to aduance and set forwardes him selfe , to the presence and secrete highnesse of Gods mightie maiestie : and that rather by some bye way with his owne will and consente , then contenting him selfe with the onely will of God : and so to recouer thereby as he thought , the fulnesse of his necessitie and lacke of perfection : which he then imagined to be muche wanting in him selfe . And thus with his forgetfulnesse , haughtinesse of heart , infidelitie , slipperines , disobedience & vnthankfulnesse against his God and Maker ( and deserued therby his iust vengeance , and to be for euer the fyrebrande of hell , euer burning , euer dying , and neuer to dye the seconde death ) he yet fastened vppon life , which he moste happily receiued , through the onely compassion and great mercy of God : who notwithstanding , offence so gréeuously committed agaynst him , wherby eternall damnation was due to the offendour , and to become a bondeslaue vnto the Diuell for euer , to whom he so willingly yelded , so diligently obeyed beléeued , folowed , and serued : yet ( as is sayde ) so great and vnspeakable was the mercy of God towards man , so infinitely his loue abounded , and so tender he was ouer him , and so sorowfull for his gréeuous fall from blisse , into perdurable tormente and paine , and to redeeme him agayne from it , and from the diuell : that he moste certaynely decréed with him selfe to curse his owne deare sonne , and to pushe him as it were forwards by the shoulders , to most cruel death for the recouering agayne of man : And so through his sonnes moste paynefull death and passion , to saue mankinde from euerlasting ●●ath and damnation , which Adam himselfe and his whole posteritie fell into , through the infection of his pride , disobedience , and loosenesse of heart agaynst God . Euen here verily ( as ye perceiue ) had the iuste God iuste occasion by iustice , iustly to expell man , to confounde him , to damne him , and to leaue him vtterly destitute of his grace , and to yéelde him to the Diuell for euer : for so did his righteousnesse and truthe require . Consider , these were the wordes that God spake vnto him : I tell thée Adam , in what soeuer houre thou eatest of the fruite , thou shalt surely dye the death . How be it , the great goodnesse and mercy that was in God , called him backe from moste seuere iustice , and required not vtter reuengemente , and thereby to suppresse man , a very frayle , poore , and naked creature . In the meane tyme therfore , God found out the very true and ready way , whereby his righteousnesse & truth might fully to effect be satisfied , and wherein also the swéetenesse of his mercy shoulde specially be exercised , and declare foorth the mightinesse of it selfe : that is truely to say , the onely Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Chryst : which ( as I sayde before ) was willingly pushed vnto deathe , to deliuer Adam and his whole posteritie from their sinne and damnation , through the onely fauour and mercies sake of God the eternall father . Therefore bicause mankinde coulde in no wyse be saued and deliuered fréely from sinne , death , and the Diuell , and so made agayne at one with his so louing and faythfull a God , as he shewed hym selfe vnto Adam his firste creature , but onely by Chryst Iesus hys owne and onely Sonne : Chryst dyd moste willingly ioyne in consente with his father , and so tooke vppon him selfe the rigour of his fathers terrible sentence , pronounced iustely agaynst Adam , & the curse of the whole lawe vpon his owne backe , and dyed Adams due death , for him and for vs all , that were by him in the lyke state of damnation . For euen so sayth the Prophete : Cursed is he that hangeth on trée . Wée be now therefore redéemed agayne by Chrystes death , from our bondage , and from the seruyce and slauerie of the Diuel , and from that most bitter curse , that was proper vnto Adam and to all his ofspring . Wée are also by Chryst , taken out of the kingdome of darknesse , and placed through his onely deserte in the cleare lighte , and in the moste gloriouse kingdome of our eternall and louing God . In thys maner passing now further on my purpose , the gentle Reader shall take the speciall meaning of the holy Apostle in his Epistle on thys wyse : whyche is , that all true Christian men muste wholly depende vppon the mercy of God , throughe hys deare Sonne Iesus Chryst , for the fulnesse of their eternall redemption , and by hys onely merites to attayne their eternall saluation . And that all suche , as looke to come vnto it by their owne merites , deseruings , and woorkinges , are in that poynte lyke vnto their father Adam : whiche , in hys pride and disobedience , went about to come to the Maiestie of God , through his owne deuises , vayne byewayes , and very fonde attemptes , at what tyme he moste vnlawefully yéelded to eate the fruite , that was moste lawfully of God forbidden him . All which proud attempters , may be wel assured to abide also the like cursse that was giuen to Adam , but not a blessing , or the saluation that of God was mercyfully promysed , and that onely by the merytes of Iesus Chryst : onlesse they will beginne to repente of their pride , blindenesse and disobedience , and onely referre it to our mercyfull God him selfe , throughe the onely faythe and beléefe due from them to our Lorde Iesus Chryste : who onely satisfieth the truthe and iustice of GOD in thys poynte , whiche sayde vnto Adam : In what so euer houre thou eatest of the fruyte , thou shalte surely dye the death . By which onely satisfaction of Chryst , all men ( euen as Adam ) bée reconciled agayne vnto God the father , their sinnes fréely remytted , and come boldely agayne to the presence of hys maiestie , and not by our owne deuises and foolishe inuentions , as ( the more pitie it is ) many men moste blindly doo , that beareth at this day the names of Chrystians . Wherefore , in as muche as it was then concluded , that Chryst was the very perfecte waye to restore man agayne to his perfect ioy and felicitie , which before he had loste : It was thought of God almightie méete and necessarie to sende vnto him a lawe before the comming of the sauiour Chryst : which might put him daily in mynde of his fall from the ioyes , wherein God had once moste happily placed hym , as also to lay playne open before his face his abhominable pride , disobedience and wretched liuing . For which cause , many hundreth yeres after the fall of Adam , was thys Lawe proclaymed by the Patriarke Moyses , written and set foorth in Tables and Bookes : to the ende that by the straytenesse thereof , all men mighte knowe , not onely the great mercy of God ouer them , but also their owne naughtie nature , weakenesse , blyndenesse , and myserable state through their disobedience and sinne : which before the Lawe came , hadde welnighe forgotten their deadly fall , and knew not in effecte what sinne was , they were so wretchedly blinded in the vanitie of their pride and false imaginations . To the ende therefore , that all creatures should know their owne case and imperfection , their damnable state and condition , the laws was proclaymed : which , besides that it manyfested vnto vs the wonderfull mercy of God towards vs , as also the state of Adam our first parent , and the filthynesse of all our sinfull and abhominable liuing , and the giuing furthermore vnto vs such precepts and commaundements of vertuous conuersation and liuing , as alwayes is séemely for godly men to vse : by the which , all men at all times should haue rectified and amended their vngodly liues . It also prescribed certayne Ceremonies , which men dayly exercise among them selues : taking the same , and stedfastely also beléeuing , that they dyd but prefigurate the deathe of the same Chryst , which was promysed to dye the deathe , in the behalfe of Adam and his whole pasteritie : wherein , if men in tymes passed dyd vse among them selues , according to this sense and meaning , they were founde righteous before God : not for dooing the Ceremonies , but onely for their beléefes sake , which they conceyued in Chryst to come : whom onely the Ceremonies dyd but barely prefigurate .

Al which ceremonies ( sayth S. Paule ) should vtterly now cease , and stande no more in effect amongste christen men : Inasmuch as nowe the very truthe and thing it selfe is already come and shineth amongste vs , which they before only prefigured . And euen thus did God most louingly , sée to the repairing againe of his decayed Creatures , that so muche had offended him , in their loosenesse and falling from him . And for which only cause , his own and only deare sonne was promised , toke vp●● him therfore ou● flesh , and died therin the most sharpe and ●●uel death . Wherfore , God now at this time , requireth nothing else at our handes , but to haue alwayes respect vnto his mercy thorow Iesus Christ , and to beholde also his wonderfull loue towardes vs : to the ende we should be ashamed of our owne sinfull actes , how ofte so euer we turne our mindes from him , through the committing of vice , which is displeasant , abhominable , & alwayes damnable in his sight . Also , howe that we should meekely acknowledge and confesse daily vnto him , our owne sinnefull liues , the miserablenesse of our nature , & how of our selues we are not able , to thinke , speake , nor do any good thing : and not stubbernly to do as Adam did , run from the face of God , hide our sinnes from him , or else couer them from his presence with our own vaine inuentions . For Adam , at what time he knewe that he had offended and broken his commaundement , he perceiued immediately what state he stoode in , and by the accusation of his owne conscience , he felte in him selfe the pricke of sinne , he began then to be trudging , and to hide him selfe from him , and soughte meanes to couer him selfe , althoughe with moste simple and very slender clothing , which he then accordingly but litle trusted vnto like as it is all vnprofitable that man of hys owne braine wil deuise to cloke his sinne with all , although both he and his make flie neuer so fast from the face of the Lord , and seeke meanes to hide them selues . But yet notwithstanding all this saide disobedience , hautie , and proude stubbernesse of Adam : which after he had most wretchedly offended , chose rather to hide him self from God , than meekely to acknowledge his fault before him : the louing Lord was stricken so full of compassion and mercy towards man , his simple , naked , and poore creature , that he quickely folowed , and hastened him self after that fugitiue and runnagate found him quickly but , conferred most mildly with him , put him in minde of his decay , great myserie , and the happie life that he miserably had falne from , and saide on this wise to him : Adam where arte thou ? which should signifie vnto him : O Adam , knowest thou what thou hast done ? hast thou considered wel with thy self of thy present state , and what miserie thou art now falne into from thine innocencie , blissefull state and felicitie , by contempt of my wil and commaundement ? At these wordes now should Adam haue bene abashed , quickned to memorie , stirred to trembling , earnestly moued to méekenesse and obedience , and reuerently at the foote of his maker , to acknowledge & confesse his fault , to crie peccaui , and to ask for mercy . But he contrariwise shewed him selfe stoute and stiffe necked . And the louing Lord yet still applied him , and moued him with these words folowing , which should haue pierced euen throughe the very harte of man , if he would haue shewed him selfe tractable and gentle , rather than proud and stubburn , and said vnto him : O Adam , who told thée now that thou art naked ? In which few words , priuie & mighty checke , although it were most mildely and gently vttred of the Lord ( bicause he wold not vtterly discorage the pore creature , in whose face he only behelde his owne similitude : ) yet the vndiscrete and very forgetful Adam of the great benefits of God , and his owne happy state , shoulde foorthwith haue called to his remembrance , the great goodnesse of his mercifull maker , and the miserable estate that he was then presently come vnto . But Adam would yet minde no such thing at all , but stoode ( as he thought in his owne fight , ) very well and in good plighte , although yet naked , or most slenderly shrouded with a fewe tender leaues , to couer his misery and filthy apparant nakednesse . Then the Lorde to helpe him yet further in this matter , and to pricke him forwardes to the confession of his sinne , said on this wise : Tell me Adam : Haste thou not in déede eaten of the trée , wherof I earnestly forbad thée , and charged thée vpon a sharpe penaltie that thou shouldest not eate thereof ? But yet this notwithstanding , man was loth to acknowledge his sinne , and for a further excuse or delay therin , he put the blame in his companion the woman . And the same did he with vnaduised and froward words : wherby , euery man may easily sée , that secretely in his corrupted hart , he laide the fault most wickedly vpon the maiestie of God him selfe . For he sayde not thus simply vnto the Lord : The woman gaue me of the trée to eate : but proudly he added thereunto : The woman which thou gauest vnto me . As though he wold haue saide : thou thy selfe art faultie of this euill : for if thou haddest not giuen vnto me this woman , I had not bene thus deceiued , nor broken in this wise thy foresayde commaundement . And yet ( vnderstand yée ) the rightuous God gaue him not the woman to deceiue him , but to be vnto him an helper . Wherfore , it is now so much the more plain & euident , that the sin of man was the more hainous , apparantly wilful & greuous . By which this notable historie of the fal of man , is euidently taught vnto al christen men , how mighty , great and infinite the mercy of god was towards vs of his part , as also what louing instructions he giueth hereby vnto vs : that we shuld therfore the more méekely and humbly thanke him , & alwayes acknowledge before him , our most sinful & abhominable state of life . And euen so shall all we receiue in time , the iust reward of méeknesse and true obedience towards God , through his sonne Iesus Christ : by whose only death , merites and deseruings , we be al brought to true health and saluation , and not by any goodnesse that commeth of oure selues : for the power of oure owne woorkes can no more further vs vnto our heauenly felicitie to come , than did the works of Adam , when he proudly did eat the apple , to the ende he might therby haue brought him selfe vnto the high maiestie and presence of God : but they do rather make our case damnable in his sight , if we haue any confidence eyther in them , or in any thing else , saue only in our Lord Iesus Christ : from whence only commeth all felicitie , eternall ioy & saluation . For to speake moste truely and vnfainedly in this matter : the worthinesse of our works can no more couer or hide our sinnes from the displesure of the iust God , than did the said leaues couer Adam from the presence of his Deitie . Therfore we must thus truly count of our selues to be nothing else , but sinfull , blinde , stubburn & disobedient wretches : and for the only mercies sake of God ( in Iesus Christ , we be al the children of saluation , if we do truely beléeue in him . Furthermore , to helpe the Reader in this said Epistle , I wil touch yet one thing most worthy of him to be noted : that is , like as the stubbornesse of Adam in Paradise , wold haue laid the ground of his offence vpon god himselfe . bicause he gaue him the woman which did dec●i●ed him : ●●●n so many men in the weaknesse of their consciences , by reason of their blindnesse in this place of the Epistle , doe so farre entangle them selues in the misconstruing the article of Predestination , that many of them are blasphemously moued to lay the fault in God , that man is damned . But as Paule saythe him selfe , euen so doe I also say : God forbid , that any man shoulde haue any such thought in him . For although , God by his most high , heauenly and profound wisdome , knew from the beginning how all things would come to passe : yet we cannot therfore say , that he was the occasion of any euill : euen as Adam could not iustly lay it to his charge , that he was the occasion of his fall , bicause he gaue him the woman which did so deceiue him : for God gaue hir vnto Adam , only to be his helper , companion and succorer , and not to be an instrument of euil , wilfully for his destruction : but the fault was in Adam him selfe , bicause he abused the holy precept and high gift of God . Also , we may say , that God foreknewe the fall of Aungels out of heauen : yet was he not thereby noted to be guiltie of that crime : for he had giuen vnto them all frée choise , as wel to folowe the good , and to eschue the doing of euill : as to doe euill of themselues , and to die from good . But they , through the accu●sednesse of their owne pride , bicause they atte●ted to clim● to the maiestie of God throughe their owne imaginations , were vtterly depriued of their state , vtterly expelled and cast downe from heauen , from the presence of God , and from the brightnesse of his glorious maiestie . Euen so likewise , he foreknew the fall of Adam , and also the fal of the Iewes from euerlasting : yet for all that , God did not create them to that only ende & purpose ▪ but they of the●selues 〈◊〉 wil● , ●el most wretchedly into that deadly ●●ate , and declined thereby from their 〈…〉 and strength of sinne in themselues , and the blinde imagination of their 〈◊〉 ha●●●s . For God , notwitstanding the thousand● millions of his graces and benefites which he did dispose towardes them from time to time , gaue them yet also a lawe and certaine commaundements to bridle their affections , ●o restrayne them from their sinnes , and to draw them from the stubbornesse of their euill enclined natures , that they should not ( if it were possible ) fal from him at any time . God truely , as a God of mercy , did for his parte that which was well séeming to the vttermoste poynt , but they woulde not so take it at his mercifull hands . Therefore , in their sinne of contempt they still slipt from grace , they fell farre from their God , and denied also his sonne Iesus Chryst , that came to redéeme both them and all mankinde , as you haue heard before . And the effecte of this matter shall the Reader haue more perfectly discussed in his place folowing of this sayde Epistle , which I thought héere sufficiente inoughe onely to touche , and to put him in minde thereof agaynst he come to the texte it selfe . Therefore , séeing we haue now brought it vnto this conclusion , that God truely is cleare , and not to be blamed for any mans fal , but saueth him from it , euen through his great mercy in his onely sonne Iesus Chryst : we may not then leaue so muche to our selues , nor haue any confidence at all in our owne workes , in our owne deuised toyes or vayne imaginations , neither yet in the kéeping of any ceremonies , whether they be of the law of Moses , or otherwise not : for Chryst in his comming and by his death , hath not onely taken vpon his backe the heauy burthen or most terrible curse of the Law from them which beléeue in him : but hath also put cleane away all the Ceremonies thereof , inasmuche as by his comming now in our flesh all suche things are clearely finished , for whose onely cause they were firste made , and had therefore by him their shorter continuaunce . The circumcision therefore of the law , the feast of the newe Moone , the Iewish Sabbat dayes , with all the reste of suche obseruances and Ceremonies , are vtterly now to be banyshed , and neuer henceforth any more to be exercised among christian men , in the true Church of God and Chryst . For to vpholde ( by any state ) that those Ceremonies shoulde still continue amongst men and the professours of Chryst , is flatly to deny the comming of Chryst into this worlde in our flesh , denying in effecte the vertue of his death , and therefore 〈◊〉 worthy the name of Ethnikes th●● Christians 〈◊〉 lesse 〈◊〉 the multitude of ●●●●sh 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ioyes , ●euiled of mortall men , be vsed in Ch●●●●e● 〈◊〉 Church among all other Churches , 〈◊〉 that the Ceremonies whiche God him selfe appoynted , are now made frustrate , and to be cleane put away from amongst vs . How be it , Moyses hath within the limites of his law , as it were two lawes , which is thus to be vnderstandes : one the Table of the commaundements , and the other Morall and ●●ill instructions , which Paule calleth a spiritual b●●●●e , which is still to be looked vpon , daily practised and folowed also there be Ceremonies , Rites , Vsages , and Customes , which is called a grosse and carnall lawe , and is to be banished from euery true christian man . And euen héere I would that the g●●tle Reader should diligently remember , that the whole law of Moyses was proclaymed onely to the Iewes , which God tooke at that time for his owne and onely dearlings , and that the Gentiles had no parte thereof , but in the ●●ede thereof the law of nature , which is a naturall aptnesse or inclination to follow honest ciuilitie , to be gentle and of good behauiour . This same lawe of nature was grafted of God in the hearts of the Gentiles at their very beginning and fi●t●● creati●● , which hath in it a certayne knowledge of God , as many of the Gentiles had , a certayne loue towardes him , to speake well of him , to cal dayly vpon him , to feare him , to loue their neighbours , and not to hurte the simple or their inferiour , with many other suche godly vertues of honestie or godly qualities : but the moste parte of them did abuse the same ciuile and honest lawe which was giuen vnto them of God , to vse it to his glory and honor . And many of them also were so blinded in Idolatrie , false worshipping , and leaning many wayes to their owne damnable imaginations , that they could not follow the nature of that lawe . Therfore S. Paule sayth : Though they had not the written law of Moyses amongest them , yet they were all saued or condemned according to their lawe of nature , bicause it prescribed that in effecte to the Gentile , which the lawe of Moyses did vnto the Iewes : and euen so all men were found sinfull and wretched before the face of God . But it was prouided through the wonderfull wisedome of God , that when the Iewes did forsake their owne profession , and denyed the sauioure Christe , that came to saue them and all mankinde , according to his fathers truth , that then this same law of Moses , and the frute of Christes comming , should be turned vnto the Gentiles , for their conuersion and saluation . Howe be it , this benefite of God , is not so to be taken , as though he had nowe broken promisse with the Iewes , or that they shuld vtterly be depriued of his mercie and goodnesse : but that they may all haue , the profitte and commoditie therof as wel as the Gentiles , if they wil forsake in time their pride , malice and stoutnesse , and submit humbly them selues to the true faithe in Iesus Christe . And whereas Paule speaketh against the trust that the Iewes haue in their law and circumcision : he meaneth vnder the same , all kindes of Ceremonies and customes of religion , as yet be nowe vsed among Christen men . Thus , for the better declaration of all the premisses , I do entend to referre the Reader , vnto Sainct Paule him self , in his Epistle to the Romanes : which I haue according to the grace and gift giuen me of God , written more plainly out , than appeareth in the very bare text it self : which is no commentarie or glose vpon the said text : but as it were altogether one vniforme Epistle ( or Paraphrase like ) and in suche order so drawne out , neare to the nakednesse of the text it selfe , euen as though the Apostle him self did wholely write the same , a●● euen so the Reader muste consider thereof and take it . Whome , I beséeche God almightie to assist and further after suche a sort in the reading therof , that he may therby take no lesse aduauntage and profite , than it should not repente him to receiue the free mercie of God and his eternall saluation , through the only merites , deathe and Passion , of his sonne Iesus Christ . Amen .