The Rheims New Testament (1582) — The Epistles in General

The general argument of the Epistles that the Rheims edition of 1582 prints after the Acts of the Apostles, on the order, authors and occasions of the Epistles and on Saint Paul's teaching about faith and works. The section on the time and argument of the Epistle to the Romans, printed at its end, is given on the page for Romans.

❧ THE ARGVMENT OF THE EPISTLES IN GENERAL.

AFTER the Goſpels, vvhich is a ſtorie of Chriſt himſelfe, and after the Actes of the Apoſtles, Vvhich is a ſtorie of Chriſtes Church: novv folovv the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles, vvhich they vvrote of ſuch matters, as they had then occaſion to vvrite of. For being the founders and the Doctors of the Church, they did in their time, as the Doctors that ſucceeded them, did after them; vvho from the beginning vnto this day, haue vvritten Epiſtles & Bookes againſt hereſies, euer as they aroſe▪ and of al other Eccleſiaſtical matters, as they had occaſion miniſtred vnto them. Of vvhich their doing the Apoſtles firſt gaue here the enſample: as alſo S. Luke in the Actes of the Apoſtles, led the vvay to al the writers of the Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtorie after him. For al though there be no compariſon betvvene them for authoritie, for aſmuch as theſe are Cannonical Scripture, and ſo are not any vvritings of their ſucceſſors: yet the occaſions and matters (as I haue ſaid) are like.

Moſt of theſe Epiſtles are S. Paules Epiſtles: the reſt are called * Catholicae Epiſtolae, the Epiſtles Catholike. For S. Paul vvriteth not any Epiſtle to al (hovvbeit euery one of them is for al the Church:) but ſome to particular Churches of the Gentils, as to the Romanes, 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 (vvho vvere Biſhops among the Gentiles, to vvit, of Epheſus, and of Crete) and to Philémon, and then one to the Hebrevves, vvho vvere the Ievves of Hieruſalem and Iurie. But the Epiſtles of the other Apoſtles, that is, of S. Iames, S. Peter, S. Iohn, and S. Iude, are not ſo intituled to any one Church or perſon (except S. Iohns tvvo later ſhort Epiſtles, vvhich yet might not be ſeparated from his firſt, becauſe they vvere al of one Author) and therefore they are termed Catholike, that is, vniuerſal. For ſo vvriteth S. Iames: To the tvvelue tribes that are in diſperſion, greeting▪ and S. Peter in his firſt Epiſtle, thus: To the elect ſtrāgers of the diſperſion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Aſia, & Bithynia. in his ſecond, thus: To them that haue obteined equal faith vvith vs. likevviſe S. Iude: To them that are in God the father beloued, and in Ieſus Chriſt preſerued, and called. S. Iohns firſt is vvithout title. [Margin: Euſeb. li 2. Eccl. hiſt. c. 22.]

Novv, for the occaſions of their vvriting, vvhereby vve ſhal perceiue the matters or arguments that they handle: it muſt be remembred (as the Storie of that time in the Actes of the Apoſtles doth at large declare) that the Church then beginning, vvas planted by the Apoſtles not onely in the Ievves, but alſo in the Gentiles: yea and ſpecially in the Gentiles. Vvhich thing offended the Ievves many waies. For, they could not abide to ſee, ſo much as their owne Countrie to receiue him for CHRIST, vvhom they had reiected and crucified: much leſſe, to ſee, them preach him to the Gentiles alſo, that offended euen thoſe Ievves alſo, that beleeued him to be Chriſt. Hovvbeit ſuch of them as vvere Catholikes, and therefore not obſtinat, vvere ſatisfied vvhen they vnderſtood by the Apoſtles that it vvas Gods pleaſure, as Act. 11. vve reade. But others of the became heretikes, & preached to the Chriſtian Gentiles, that it vvas neceſſary for them to receiue alſo the Ievves religion. Of ſuch vve reade Act. 15. Vnles you be circumciſed, you can not be ſaued. And as theſe did ſo preach againſt the truth, ſo did the vnchriſtened Ievves not onely them ſelues perſecute, but alſo ſtirre vp the Idolatrous Gentiles euery vvhere to perſecute the Chriſtians: by ſuch obſtinacie prouoking God to reprobate theire Nation: vvhich yet they thought vnpoſsible to be done, becauſe they vvere the ſeede of Abraham, and vvere circumciſed, and had receiued the Lavv by Moyſes, for ſuch carnal reſpects they truſted in themſelues, as though God and Chriſt vvere vnſeparably bound vnto them: attributing alſo ſo much to their ovvne workes, (vvhich they thought they did of them ſelues, being holpē with the knovvledge of their lavv,) that they vvould not acknovvledge the death of Chriſt to be neceſſarie for their ſaluation: but looked for ſuch a Chriſt, as ſhould be like other princes of this vvorld, and make them great men temporally.

Herevpon did S. Paul vvrite his Epiſtles, to ſhevv both the vocation of the Gentiles, and the reprobation of the Ievves. Moreouer, to admoniſh both the Chriſtian Gentiles, not to receiue Circumciſion and other ceremonies of Moyſes lavv, in no vviſe: and the Ievves alſo, not to put their truſt in the ſame, but rather to vnderſtand, that novv, Chriſt being come, they muſt ceaſe. Againe, to ſhevv the neceſsitie of Chriſts comming and of his death: that vvithout it, neither the Gentiles could be ſaued: no nor the Ievves, by no vvorkes that they could doe of them ſelues, although they vvere alſo holpen by the Lavv, telling them what vvas good & vvhat vvas bad: for ſo much as al vvere ſinners, and therfore alſo impotent or infirme: and the Lavv could not take avvay ſinne, and infirmitie, and giue ſtrength to fulfil that vvhich it gaue knovvledge of▪ but this vvas God onely able to doe, and for Chriſts ſake onely vvould he doe it. Therfore it is neceſſarie for al to beleeue in Chriſt, and to be made his members, being incorporat into his Body vvhich is his Catholike Church. For ſo (although they neuer yet did good vvorke, but al il) they ſhal haue remiſsion of their ſinnes, and nevv ſtrength vvithal, to make them able to fulfil the cōmaūdemēts of Gods lavv, yea & their vvorkes after this ſhal be ſo gracious in Gods ſight, that for them he vvil giue them lift euerlaſting. This is the neceſsitie, this is alſo the fruite of Chriſtian Religion. And therfore be exhorteth al, both Gentils and Ievves, as to receiue it humbly, ſo alſo to perſeuêre in it conſtantly vnto the end, againſt al ſeduction of hereſie, and againſt al terror of perſecution: and to vvalke al their time in good vvorkes, as novv God hath made them able to doe.

The ſame doctrine doth the Catholike Church teach vnto this day moſt exactly: to vvit, that no vvorkes of the vnbeleeuing or vnbaptized, vvhether they be Ievves or Gentiles, can ſaue them: no nor of any Heretike, or Schiſmatike, although he be baptized, becauſe he is not a member of Chriſt: yea more then that, no vvorke of any that is not a liuely member of Chriſt, although othervviſe he be baptized, and continue vvithin his Church, yet becauſe he is not in grace but in mortal ſinne, no vvorke that he doth, is meritorious or able to ſaue him. [Margin: The doctrine of the Cath. Church concerning good vvorkes.]

This very ſame is S. Paules doctrine: he denieth to the vvorkes of ſuch as haue not the Spirit of Chriſt, al vertue to iuſtifie or to ſaue: neither requireth he a man to haue had knovvledge of the Lavv, or to haue kept it afortime, as though othervviſe he might not be ſaued by Chriſt: but yet vvhen he is Chriſtened, he requireth of neceſsitie, that he keepe Gods commaundements, by auoiding of al ſinne, and doing good vvorkes: and to ſuch a mans good vvorkes he attributeth as much vertue as any Catholike of this time. [Margin: S. Paules doctrine concerning faith and good vvorkes.]

Neuertheleſſe there vvere certaine at that time (as alſo al the Heretikes of this our time) vvhom S. Peter termeth vnlearned and vnſtable, vvho reading S. Paules Epiſtles, did miſconſter his meaning, as though he required not good vvorkes no more after Baptiſme, then before Baptiſme: but held that onely Faith did iuſtifie and ſaue a man. Therevpon the other Apoſtles vvrote their Epiſtles, as S. Auguſtine noteth in theſe vvordes: Therfore becauſe this opinion (Ad ſalutem obtinendam ſufficere Solam ſidem, that onely faith is ſufficient to obteine ſaluation) was then riſen: the other Apoſtolical Epiſtles, of Peter, Iohn, Iames, Iude, do againſt it ſpecially direct theire intention: to auouch vehemently, fidem ſine operibus nihil prodeſſe, that ſaith vvithout vvorkes profiteth nothing, As alſo Paul him ſelfe did not define it to be quamlibet fidem, qua in Deum creditur, whatſoeuer maner of faith, vvherevvith vve beleeue in God, but that holeſome & expreſſe Euangelical faith, vvhoſe vvorkes procede from loue, and the faith (quoth he) that vvorketh by loue. vvherevpon that faith, vvhich ſome thinke to be ſufficient to ſaluation, he ſo affirmeth to profite nothing, that he ſaith. If I ſhould haue al faith ſo that I could remoue mountaines, and haue not charitie, I am nothing. [Margin: 2. Pet. 3. · Aug. de fide & oper. ca. 14. Et praef. pſal. 31. · Gal. 5. · 1. Cor. 1⟨illegible⟩.]

He therfore that vvill not erre in this point, nor in any other, reading either S. Paules Epiſtles, or the reſt of the holy Scriptures, muſt ſticke faſt to the doctrine of the Catholike Church, vvhich Church S. Paul termeth the piller and ground of the truth: aſſuring him ſelf that if any thing there found to him as contrarie herevnto, he faileth of the right ſenſe: and bearing alvvaies in his minde the admonition of S. Peter, ſaying: As alſo our moſt deere brother Paul according to the vviſedom giuen to him, hath vvritten to you: as alſo in al his Epiſtles, ſpeaking in them of theſe things, in the vvhich are certaine things hard to vnderſtand, vvhich the vnlearned and vnſtable depraue, as alſo the reſt of the Scriptures, to theire ovvne perdition. You therfore brethren, foreknovving, take heede leſt ye be led amis by the error of the vnvviſe, and fall avvay from your ovvne ſtedfaſtnes. [Margin: 1. Tim. 3. · 2. Pet. 3.]

Colophon

Printed edition: The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin … in the English College of Rhemes (Rhemes: Iohn Fogny, 1582; STC 2884, ESTC S102491), the Catholic New Testament translated from the Latin Vulgate chiefly by Gregory Martin. Copy transcribed: the Eton College Library copy, as filmed for Early English Books Online (image set 2646).

Transcription: Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP), Phase I text A16049 (keyed 2005–06, proofread and released 2006), placed in the public domain under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal. Converted for the Good Works Library in October 2026.

What was done: the spelling, punctuation and capitals of the transcription are kept exactly, including u/v, i/j, "vv" for w, long s (ſ), the abbreviation stroke (as in "vpō") and the edition's own marks (″ for an annotated word, ⸬ and * for marginal references, ⊢ for the end of a liturgical Gospel or Epistle; ▪ is the transcribers' sign for a punctuation mark they could not identify). Removed as apparatus: the TEI markup, page breaks, line-end hyphenation, and the small cross ✝ that the edition sets at the beginning of each verse beside the verse number in the margin; the number is given here instead. Marginal notes are gathered after each chapter, keyed to their verse; the annotations follow as the edition prints them. Words the transcribers could not read are shown as ⟨illegible⟩; words printed in Greek or other non-Latin letters, which the transcription did not key, are shown as ⟨non-Latin script⟩. No gap has been filled or guessed.

On this page 1 place is marked ⟨illegible⟩.

This is an archival transcription of a historic English Bible. It is not a Good Works Translation.

🌲