The Argument of the Epistles in General

AFTER the Gospels, which is a story of Christ himself, and after the Acts of the Apostles, Which is a story of Christ's Church: now follow the Epistles of the Apostles, which they wrote of such matters, as they had then occasion to write of. For being the founders and the Doctors of the Church, they did in their time, as the Doctors that succeded them, did after them: who from the beginning unto this day, have written Epistles & Books against heresies, ever as they arose, and of all other Ecclesiastical matters, as they had occasion ministered unto them. Of which their doing, the Apostles first gave here the ensample: as also S. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, led the way to all the writers of the Ecclesiastical History after him. For although there be no comparison between them for authority, forasmuch as these are Canonical Scripture, and so are not any writings of their successors: yet the occasions and matters (as I have said) are like.

Most of these Epistles are S. Paul's Epistles: the rest are called * Catholicae Epistolae,¹ the Epistles Catholic. For S. Paul writeth not any Epistle to all (howbeit every one of them is for all the Church:) but some to particular Churches of the Gentiles, as to the Romans, to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians: some to particular persons, as to Timothee, to Tite (who were Bishops among the Gentiles, to wit, of Ephesus, and of Crete) and to Philemon, and then one to the Hebrews, who were the Jews of Jerusalem and Jewry. But the Epistles of the other Apostles, that is, of S. James, S. Peter, S. John, and S. Jude, are not so intituled to any one Church or person (except S. John's two later short Epistles, which yet might not be separated from his first, because they were all of one Author) and therefore they are termed Catholic, that is, universal. For so writeth S. James: To the twelve tribes that are in dispersion, greeting. and S. Peter in his first Epistle, thus: To the elect strangers of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, & Bithynia. in his second, thus: To them that have obtained equal faith with us. likewise S. Jude: To them that are in God the father beloved, and in Jesus Christ preserved, and called. S. John's first is without title.

Now, for the occasions of their writing, whereby we shall perceive the matters or arguments that they handle: it must be remembered (as the Story of that time in the Acts of the Apostles doth at large declare) that the Church then beginning, was planted by the Apostles not only in the Jews, but also in the Gentiles: yea and specially in the Gentiles. Which thing offended the Jews many ways. For, they could not abide to see, so much as their own Country to receive him for CHRIST, whom they had rejected and crucified: much less, to see, them preach him to the Gentiles also. that offended even those Jews also, that believed him to be Christ. Howbeit such of them as were Catholics, and therefore not obstinate, were satisfied when they understood by the Apostles that it was God's pleasure, as Act. 11. we read. But others of them became heretics, & preached to the Christian Gentiles, that it was necessary for them to receive also the Jews' religion. Of such we read Act. 15. Unless you be circumcised, you can not be saved. And as these did so preach against the truth, so did the unchristened Jews not only themselves persecute, but also stir up the Idolatrous Gentiles every where to persecute the Christians: by such obstinacy provoking God to reprobate their Nation: which yet they thought unpossible to be done, because they were the seed of Abraham, and were circumcised, and had received the Law by Moyses. for such carnal respects they trusted in themselves, as though God and Christ were unseparably bound unto them: attributing also so much to their own works, (which they thought they did of themselves, being holpen with the knowledge of their law,) that they would not acknowledge the death of Christ to be necessary for their salvation: but looked for such a Christ, as should be like other princes of this world, and make them great men temporally.

Hereupon did S. Paul write his Epistles, to show both the vocation of the Gentiles, and the reprobation of the Jews. Moreover, to admonish both the Christian Gentiles, not to receive Circumcision and other ceremonies of Moyses' law, in no wise: and the Jews also, not to put their trust in the same, but rather to understand, that now, Christ being come, they must cease. Again, to show the necessity of Christ's coming and of his death: that without it, neither the Gentiles could be saved: no nor the Jews, by no works that they could do of themselves, although they were also holpen by the Law, telling them what was good & what was bad: for so much as all were sinners, and therefore also impotent or infirm: and the Law could not take away sin, and infirmity, and give strength to fulfil that which it gave knowledge of. but this was God only able to do, and for Christ's sake only would he do it. Therefore it is necessary for all to believe in Christ, and to be made his members, being incorporate into his Body which is his Catholic Church. For so (although they never yet did good work, but all ill) they shall have remission of their sins, and new strength withal, to make them able to fulfil the commandments of God's law, yea & their works after this shall be so gracious in God's sight, that for them he will give them life everlasting. This is the necessity, this is also the fruit of Christian Religion. And therefore he exhorteth all, both Gentiles and Jews, as to receive it humbly, so also to persevere in it constantly unto the end, against all seduction of heresy, and against all terror of persecution: and to walk all their time in good works, as now God hath made them able to do.

The same doctrine doth the Catholic Church teach² unto this day most exactly: to wit, that no works of the unbelieving or unbaptized, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, can save them: no nor of any Heretic, or Schismatic, although he be baptized, because he is not a member of Christ: yea more then that, no work of any that is not a lively member of Christ, although otherwise he be baptized, and continue within his Church, yet because he is not in grace but in mortal sin, no work that he doth, is meritorious or able to save him.

This very same is S. Paul's doctrine:³ he denieth to the works of such as have not the Spirit of Christ, all virtue to justify or to save: neither requireth he a man to have had knowledge of the LAW, or to have kept it afortime, as though otherwise he might not be saved by Christ: but yet when he is Christened, he requireth of necessity, that he keep God's commandments, by avoiding of all sin, and doing good works: and to such a man's good works he attributeth as much virtue as any Catholic of this time.

Nevertheless there were certain at that time (as also all the Heretics of this our time) whom S. Peter termeth unlearned and unstable, who reading S. Paul's Epistles,⁴ did misconster his meaning, as though he required not good works no more after Baptism, then before Baptism: but held that only Faith did justify and save a man. Thereupon the other Apostles wrote their Epistles, as S. Augustine noteth in these words: Therefore because this opinion (Ad salutem obtinendam sufficere Solam fidem, that only faith is sufficient to obtain salvation)⁵ was then risen: the other Apostolical Epistles, of Peter, John, James, Jude, do against it specially direct their intention: to avouch vehemently, fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse, that faith without works profiteth nothing, As also Paul himself did not define it to be quamlibet fidem, qua in Deum creditur, whatsoever manner of faith, wherewith we believe in God, but that wholesome & express Evangelical faith, whose works proceed from love, and the faith (quoth he) that worketh by love.⁶ whereupon that faith, which some think to be sufficient to salvation, he so affirmeth to profit nothing, that he saith, If I should have all faith so⁷ that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

He therefore that will not err in this point, nor in any other, reading either S. Paul's Epistles, or the rest of the holy Scriptures, must stick fast to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, which Church S. Paul termeth the pillar and ground of the truth:⁸ assuring himself that if any thing there sound to him as contrary hereunto, he faileth of the right sense: and bearing always in his mind the admonition of S. Peter, saying:⁹ As also our most dear brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him, hath written to you: as also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things, in the which are certain things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unstable deprave, as also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own perdition. You therefore brethren, foreknowing, take heed lest ye be led amiss by the error of the unwise, and fall away from your own steadfastness.