Romans — Chapter 1

7. Grace to you & peace.) Apostolical salutation or blessing. The same vsed of Heretikes. It is a kind of blessing rather then a prophane salutation, proper to the Apostles, of greater vertue then the benediction of the Father in the old Testament. The holy Fathers of the Church seemed to absteine from it for their reuerence to the Apostles. *The Manichees (August. cont. ep. funda c. 5. 6.) and other Heretikes (as also these of our time) because they would be counted Apostles, often vse it. *Epiph. hares. 66.

8. Your faith renowmed.) The Romane faith highly commended The holy Doctours vpon these words of the Apostle, and specially by our Maisters promise* made to Peter, that his faith should not faile, giue great testimonie for the prouidence of God in the preseruation of the Romane faith. S. Cyprian this : ep. 55. nu. 6. They are so bold to cary letters from the prophane Schismatikes to the chaire of Peter and the principal Church whence Priestly vnitie rose: not considering the Romanes to them whose whose faith (the Apostle being the commander) was praised, to whom misbeleefe can not haue accesse. *Luke 22. It can not faile nor be corrupted. So S. Hierom Apolog. adu. Ruff. li. 3. c. 4. to 2. Know you, that the Romane faith commanded by the Apostles mouth, we receiue no such deceites, nor can be possibly changed, though an Angel taught otherwise, being sensed by S. Pauls authoritie. Againe ep. 63 ad Pammach. & Oceanum. c. 4. to 2. Whatsoeuer thou be that auouched new sectes, I pray thee haue respect to the Romane eares, spare the faith which was praised by the Apostles voice. The Romane stations, a token or greater faith and deuotion. And in another place: Wil ye know, o Paula, and Eustochium, how the Apostle hath noted euery prouince with their proprieties? the faith of the people of Rome is praised. Where is there so great concourse to Churches and Martyrs sepulchres? Where soundeth, Amen, like thunder from heauen, or where are the temples (void of Idols) so shaken as there? Not that the Romanes haue another faith then the rest of the Christian Churches, but that there is in them more deuotion and simplicitie of faith. Proæm. li. 2. Com. in ep. ad. Gal. The Catholike and Romane faith al one. In another place the same Holy Doctour signifieth that it is al one to say, the Romane faith, and the Catholike. Apolog. 1. adu. Ruff. c. 1. So S. Cyprien. ep. 12. num. 1. ad. Antonianum: and S. Ambrose de obitu fratis, in med. Whereupon, this word, Romane, is added to Catholike, in many countries where Sectes doe abound, for the better distinction of true beleeuers from Heretikes: which in al Ages did hate and abhorre the Romane faith and Church, as al malefactours doe their Iudges and correctours.

9. Serue in spirit.) How God is serued in spirit. Diuerse Heretikes when they heare that God is a spirit, and must be serued and adored in spirit, imagine that he must be honoured only inwardly, without ceremonies & external workes: which you see if otherwise, for that the Apostle serued God in spirit, by preaching the Ghospel. To serue God then in spirit, is to serue him with faith, hope, and charitie, and with al workes proceeding of them as to serue him carnally, is, with workes external, without the said internal vertues.

15. To euangelize.) The Ghospel is not only the written word. The Ghospel is not only the life of our Sauiour written by the foure Euangelists, not only that which is written in the new Testament: but their whole course of preaching & teaching the faith. Which faith commeth ordinarily of preaching & hearing, and not of writing or reading. And therfore S. Paul thought not himself discharged by writing to the Romanes, but his desire was to preach vnto them for that was the proper commission giuen to the Apostles, *to preach to al Nations. *Mat. 28. The Apostles writing, and preaching, whether more necessarie, and how. The writing of the bookes of the Testament, is another part of God's prouidence, necessarie for the Church in general, but not necessarie for euery man in particular: as to be taught and preached vnto, is for euery one of age and vnderstanding. And therfore S. Peter (who was the cheefe of the Commission) wrote litle; many of them wrote nothing as al: and S. Paul that wrote most, wrote but litle in comparison of his preaching; not to any but such as were conuerted to the faith by preaching before.

17. Liueth by faith.) In the 10. to the Hebrews, he sheweth by this place of the Prophet (Abacuc 2.) that the iust though he liue there in peregination, and seeth not presently nor enioyeth the life euerlasting promised to him, yet holdeth fast the hope therof by faith. The Catholike or Christian faith with good workes iustifieth; & without this faith, no workes whatsoeuer. In this place he applieth the Prophets wordes further to this sense, That it is our faith, that is to say, the Catholike beleefe (saith S. Augustine li. 3. cont. 2. ep. Pelag.) which maketh a iust man, and distinguisheth between the iust and vniust; and that by the law of faith, and not be the law of workes. Whereof it riseth, that the Iew, the Heathen Philosopher, and the Heretikes, though they excelled in al workes of moral vertues, could not yet be iust: and a Catholike Christian man liuing but an ordinarie honest life, either not sinning greatly, or supplying his faults by penance is iust. And this difference riseth by faith. Not that faith can saue any man without worke, For it is not a reprobate faith that we speake of, (as the holy Doctour saith) but that which worketh by charitie, and therfore remitteth sinnes and maketh one iust. See S. Augustines place.

18. Is reuealed.) Not only faith. By al the passage following you may see, that the Ghospel and Christ's law consisteth not only in preaching faith (though that be the ground, & is first alwaies to be done:) but to teach vertuous life and good workes, and to denounce damnation to al them that commit deadly sinnes & repent not. And againe we see that not only lacke of faith is a sinne, but al other actes done against God's commandements.

26. Hath deliuered them vp.) God is not the authour of sinne. As he saith here, God deliuered them vp, so to the Ephesians (c. 4,19.) he saith of the same persons and things: They deliuered themselues vp to al vncleannesse. So that it is not meant here that God daoth driue, force, or cause any man to sinne, as diuers blasphemous Heretikes doe hold: but only that by his iust iudgement, for their owne deseruing, and for due punishment of their former grieuous offenses, he withholdeth his grace from them, and so suffreth them to fal further into other sinnes. God punisheth sinne by permitting men to fal further and further. As, for their crime of Idolatrie, to suffer them to fal into vnnatural abominations: as now for heresie, he taketh his grace and mercie from many, and so they fal into heresie. And for Christ's sake let euery one that is entangled with the Idolatrie of this time, that is to say, with these new Sectes, looke wel into his owne conscience, whether his forsaking the true God, may not come vnto him for a punishment of his former or present il life which he liueth.

32. Worthie of death.) Sinnes mortal and venial. Here you see why the Church taketh some sinnes to be deadly, and calleth them mortal, to wit, because al that doe them, are worthy of damnation: others be venial, that is to say, pardonable of their owne nature and not worthie of eternal damnation.