A17643:11
Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans
A commentary upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans, written in Latin by M. John Calvin, and newly translated into English by Christopher Rosdell preacher. Whereunto is added a necessary table for the better and more ready finding out of certain principal matters contained in this workA commentarie vpon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes, written in Latine by M. Iohn Caluin, and newely translated into Englishe by Christopher Rosdell preacher. Whereunto is added a necessarie table for the better and more readie finding out of certayne principall matters conteyned in this worke
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for John Harison and George Bishop, 1583London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Iohn Harison and George Bishop, 1583
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Whence it cometh, that by abusing the testimony of ⟨image 3⟩of Peter, they labour to persuade the unlearned, that the Epistles of Paul are hard to be understood and obscure: Yea such as minister causes of errors unto the unskilful, and therefore are not to be read of the common forte, but rather to be restrained, and forbidden. The words of Peter are these: And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation,1 even as our beloved brother Paul according unto the wisdom given unto him wrote to you, as one that in all his Epistles speaketh of these things: amongst the which some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, pervert as they do all other scriptures unto their own destruction. Which words do so much make for the commendation of the Epistles of Paul, that they must needs be very impudent, and blinded with extreme malice, which wrest them to the obscuring of his doctrine. For first these words give unto Paul a celestial and heavenly wisdom. Secondly they testify that he wrote his Epistles according to the same wisdom, and that he wrote the same things, & to the same faithful people to whom Peter himself wrote. But it is added, amongst the which some things are hard to be understood. What then? shall all the writings of Paul be taken away from the people & Church of God, because of the difficulty & hardness of some certain places? or rather were it not meet those obscure places should be faithfully, & sincerely expounded, that the simple might understand them. By the same reason let the epistles of Peter also be inhibited & taken away, for in them there are many things hard to be understood. As may appear in his first epi. cha. 3. & 4. And in his 2 epist. 2. But they are wrested (quoth they) of the unlearned and unstable.
Whence it commeth, that by abusing the testimonie of ⟨image 3⟩of Peter, they labour to perswade the vnlearned, that the Epistles of Paule are harde to bee vnderstoode and obscure: Yea such as minister causes of errores vnto the vnskilfull, and therefore are not to bee read of the common forte, but rather to bee restrayned, and forbidden. The woordes of Peter are these: And suppose that the long suffering of our Lorde is saluation,1