Romans — Chapter 4

1. Abraham.) Abraham's works before faith. The Apostle disputing in this chapter, as before, against them that thought they might be iustified by their workes done without the grace of Christ & faith in him, proposeth Abraham for an example, and proueth that he had no iustice nor estimation of iustice before God by any workes done before he had faith, or that proceeded not of faith & God's grace.

2. By works.) Iustice before men, & iustice before God. If Abraham did any commendable works before he beleeued Christ, as many Philosophers did, men might count him iust therfore; but in God's sight (who accepteth nothing without faith in him, or that proceedeth not from his grace) he should neuer haue had the estimation of a iust man. Therfore God in the Scriptures reputing him as a iust man, giueth the cause thereof, saying: Abraham beleeued God, and it was reputed to him for iustice.

4. To him that worketh.] Not works, but mere grace is cause of our first iustification. That is to say: He that presumeth of his owne works as done of himself without faith, God's help, and grace: and saying, that grace or iustification were giuen to him for his works; this man doth chalenge his iustification as debt, & not as of fauour & grace.

5. To him that worketh not.] He worketh not (in this place) that hath no workes or alleageth not his works done in his infidelitie as cause of his iustification, but faith in Christ, & that proceeding of mere grace. Whereupon S. Augustine saith: Know thou that faith found thee vniust. And if faith giuen to thee, made thee iust, it found thee a wicked one whom it might make iust. If it found thee wicked, and of such an one made thee iust, what works hadst thou being then wicked? None couldest thou haue (nor canst haue) before thou beleeuest. Beleeue then in him that iustifieth the impious, that thy good works may be good works indeed. August. in Psal. 31.

6. As Dauid termeth.) Heretical translation. The Protestants for, *termeth, translate, describeth, for that they would haue the ignorant beleeue, the whole nature & definition of Iustification to be nothing els but remission of sinnes, and no grace or inherent iustice giuen from God at al. When the Apostle would say nothing els, but that in the first iustification God findeth no good works or merits to reward, but only sinnes to forgiue vnto such as haue faith in him. *λέγει

7. Couered 8. not imputed.) What is, Sinnes couered or not imputed. You may not gather (as the Heretikes doe) of these termes, couered, and, not imputed, that the sinnes of men be neuer truly forgiuen, but hidden only. For that derogateth much to the force of Christs bloud & to the grace of God, by which our offences be truly remitted. He is *the Lamb that taketh away the sinnes of the world, that **washeth, and blotteth out our sinnes. Therfore to couer them, or, not to impute them, is, not to charge vs with our sinnes, because by remission they be cleane taken away: otherwise it were but a feined forgiuenesse. See S. Augustine in Psal. 31. enarrat. 2. *Iohn 1,29. **1. Corinth. 6,11. Apoc. 1,5.

11. A seale.) The Sacraments are not mere markes, but causes of iustification. The Heretikes would proue hereby, that the Sacrament of the Church giue not grace or iustice of faith, but that they be notes, markes, and badges only of our remission of sinnes had by faith before, because Abraham was iust before and took this Sacrament for a seale therof only. To which must be answered, that it followeth not that it is so in al, because it was so in the Patriarch, who was iust before, and was therfore as it were the Founder of Circumcision, or he in whom God would first establish the same: no more than it followeth that, because the Holy Sacrament of the Altar remitted not sinnes to Christ nor iustified him, therfore it hath that effect in none. Look S. Augustine de Baptismo contra Donatistas li. 4. c. 24. Where you shal see that (though not in Abraham) yet in Isaac his sonne, and so consequently in the rest, the Sacrament went before, and iustice followed.

24. For vs, to whom it shal be reputed.) By what faith are we iustified. By this it is most plaine against our Aduersaries, that the faith which was reputed for iustice to Abraham, was his beleefe of an Article reuealed to him by God, that is to say, his assent & credit giuen to God's speaches: as in vs his posteritie according to the spirit, it is here plainly said, that iustice shal be reputed to vs by beleeuing the Articles of Christes death and Resurrection, and not by any fond special faith, fiducia or confidence of each mans owne saluation. To establish the which fiction, they make no account of the faith Catholike, that is, wherewith we beleeue the Articles of the faith, which only iustifieth, but cal it by contempt, an historical faith: so as they may terme Abraham's faith, & our Ladies faith, of which it was *said, Beata quæ credidisti, Blessed art thou that hast beleeued. And so in truth they deny as wel the iustification by faith, as by works. *Luke 1,45.