Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans

1 I Demand then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid: for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he knew before. Know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah, how he maketh request unto God against Israel, saying: 3 Lord, they have killed thy Prophets, & digged down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God to him? I have reserved to my self, seven thousand men, which have not bowed the knee unto Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time there is a remnant, through the election of grace. 6 And if it be of grace, it is no more of works: or else were grace no more grace. But if it be of works, it is no more of grace: or else were work no more work.

1 I Demaund then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid: for I also am an Israelite, of the seede of Abraham, of the tribe of Beniamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he knew before. Know ye not what the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh request vnto God against Israel, saying: 3 Lord, they haue killed thy Prophets, & digged down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seeke my life. 4 But what saith the answere of God to him? I haue reserued to my selfe, seuen thousand men, whiche haue not bowed the knee vnto Baal. 5 Euen so then at this present time there is a remnant, thorow the election of grace. 6 And if it be of grace, it is no more of workes: or els were grace no more grace. But if it bee of woorkes, it is no more of grace: or els were worke no more worke.

I Demand then. &c. That which he hath hitherto said of the cecity & obstinacy of the Jews, might seem to tend unto this, as though Christ by his coming had translated the promises else where, the Jews being put out from all hope of salvation. Therefore he preventeth that objection in this place: and so moderateth that he had said before of the rejection of the Jews, that no man should think the covenant which GOD made in old time with Abraham, was now abrogated: or that God had so forgotten it, that the Jews now should be utterly estranged from his kingdom, as the Gentiles were before the coming of Christ. He denieth that, and will surely straightways show it to be false. Neither is this the question, whether God hath rightly, or unrightly rejected his people. For in the former Chapter it hath been proved, that when the people through a preposterous zeal did reject the righteousness of God, being justly punished for their pride, they were worthily blinded, and at length cut off from the covenant. So that now the cause of their rejection is not in disputation: but the question is of another matter, namely, although they have deserved such vengeance of God, whether yet the covenant which God made in old time with the fathers, be abolished, which covenant, that it should through any infidelity of men be overthrown, were absurd. For Paul retaineth this principle, seeing the adoption of God is free, & is founded upon God only, & not upon men, it doeth stand firm, what incredulity soever of men conspire to overthrow it: this knot must be loosed, least the truth and election of God should be thought to depend upon the dignity of men. For I my self am an Israelite. Before he enter into the cause, by the way he proveth in his own example, how absurd it is to think that nation is utterly forsaken of GOD. For he was an Israelite from the first beginning, not a proselyte,