Common Places, Part 3 · Chapter 3 · Section 8
Touching the adoption of the children of God; out of the eight chapter to the Romans, verſe 15.
38 This place ſéemeth to require, that we ſpeake ſomewhat alſo of the adoption of the children of God. The lawyers (as it is in the inſtitutions) define adoption to be a lawfull act which dooth imitate nature, A definition of adoption. How arrogation differeth from adoption.found out for the comfort of them which hauehave no children. Further, they make a diſtinction betwéene adoption and arrogation: for they ſaie, that it is arrogation, when he that is his owne man and at libertie, is receiued into the ſted of a ſonne; but adoption is, when he that is receiued, is vnderunder another mans power. Howbeit the lawes forbid, that the elder ſhould be adopted of the yoonger: for it ſéemed to be a monſtrous thing, that the ſonne ſhould excéed the father in yéeres; & therfore Cicero dooth oftentimes inueth earneſtlie againſt that adoption of Clodius. Now doth God adopt vntounto himſelfe his elect; not for that he had not another ſonne, for he had Chriſt his onlie begotten ſonne, in whom he was well pleaſed; but bicauſe in all the nature of man he had as yet no children. For through Adam we were all made ſtrangers from him; God ſent his ſonne into the world, by him to adopt vsus to be his children.wherefore for this cauſe God ſent his owne naturall & legitimate ſonne into the world, that by him he might adopt vntounto him ſelfe manie other children of our kind. And this is not woont commonlie to be doone: for they which hauehave one onelie ſonne, ſéeke not to themſelues other ſonnes; naie rather, they are glad that the ſame their ſonne ſhall not be compelled to part the inheritance with his brethren. But ſo great was the louelove of God and of Chriſt towardes vsus, as he would ioine vsus vntounto ſo great a dignitie, although we be vnwoorthie. Neither is that heauenlie inheritance of that nature, that the ſame being communicated vntounto manie, is therefore diminiſhed.
Now let vsus ſée how this adoption commeth vntounto vsus. Rom. 8, 14, and 15.Paule ſéemeth to ſaie, that it is communicated vntounto vsus by the ſpirit of Chriſt: for of it we hauehave faith, By the ſpirit and by faith we are adopted to be ſonnes.whereby we imbrace both Chriſt which died for vsus, and alſo the promiſes of God: and by that meanes we are adopted by God vntounto children. This thing did Iohn verie well ſhew vntounto vsus, in the beginning of his Goſpell, Iohn. 1, 12.where he writteth; And as manie as receiued him, to them gaue he power to be the ſons of God. By theſe words we vnderſtand, that we be made the ſonnes of God, when we receiue Chriſt. And this is not doone either by circumciſion, or by other ceremonies of the lawe, or by good morall works, but by faith onelie: and therefore Iohn added; Ibidem.VntoUnto thoſe which hauehave beleeued in his name. And when it is ſaid, that Power is giuen vntounto them to be made the ſonnes of God, we muſt not thinke (as manie Sophiſters would hauehave vsus) Againſt the Sophiſters.that we firſt beléeue, and then afterward receiue power to be counted to be in the number of the ſonnes of God: for power in that place is nothing elſe but a right and a prerogatiue. As if it ſhould be ſaid, that they which hauehave receiued the Lord, and beléeued in his name, hauehave a right and prerogatiue to come into the adoption of the ſonnes of God. verſe. 13.But Iohn addeth; Which are borne, not of bloud, nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, A place of Iohn declared.but of God. Firſt, when he ſaith; Not of bloud, he ſignifieth that this adoption commeth not by the order of nature, as in this generation are mixed togither the ſéed of mand and woman. Which ſentence, he more plainlie expreſſeth in the next words following, when he ſaith; Not of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man. By this word fleſh is ſomtime ſignified the woman. Gen, 2, 23. Eph. 5, 28.And that by the fleſh he meaneth the woman, may by two places be prooued: for Adam ſaid of his wife, which was deliuered vntounto him by God; This is now bone of my bones, and fleſh of my fleſh. And Paule vntounto the Epheſians ſaith; Hee which loueth his wife, loueth himſelfe: no man at anie time hath hated his owne fleſh. And this interpretation Auguſtine followeth, albeit I ſée that this place may otherwiſe be expounded; as when it is ſaid, Not of bloud, we vnderſtand that we come not to this adoption by force of anie ſtocke or kindred. For the Hebrues perſuaded themſelues that they did: for they alwaies boaſted importunatelie, that they were the ſéed of Abraham. Neither atteine we to this adoption By the will of the fleſh: for to the atteinment thereof, we are not holpen by thoſe good things, which the fleſh vſeth to couet: I meane, by riches, power, ſtrength of the bodie, beautie, and ſuch other like things: Neither by the will of man; namelie, by thoſe good things, which are counted more excellent, and that are thought moſt chéeflie to become men; ſuch are wiſedome, prudence, and the workds of morall vertues: for all theſe things cannot make vsus to be the children of God. But we are borne (ſaith he) of God. All this hauehave we onelie of the goodnes of God, and of his méere merciemercy. Therefore Paule vntounto the Epheſians ſaith; Epheſ. 1, 5.Who hath predeſtinated vsus vntounto the adoption of the ſonnes of God. Wherfore, the whole conſideration of our adoption dependeth of his election and predeſtination.
39 But of his diuine will there can be no reaſon either vnderſtood or giuen by vsus: Our adoption dependeth of predeſtination. Iohn, 3, 5. 27, and 31.and thereof it commeth, that Chriſt ſaith in Iohn; that We ought to be borne diuinelie, and from aboue. And Chriſt compareth this generation with the wind; Thou heareſt (ſaith he) the wind, Ibidem 8.and yet thou knoweſt not from whence it commeth, or whither it goeth. Wherefore GOD, By what degrees we atteine vntounto the adoption of ſonnes.through Chriſt, giueth his ſpirit largelie vntounto vsus: and he vſeth the word as an inſtrument; and this is called the ſéed, wherby we be regenerate. For he giueth faith, whereby we receiue the promiſe of the word ſet foorth vntounto vsus: and by that meanes we are iuſtified, The adoption which we hauehave in this life is not perfect. Rom. 8, 22.and doo obteine the adoption of the ſonnes of God, which yet ſo long as we liue here cannot be perfect. Wherefore Paule ſaith; that We wait for the adoption of ſonnes, and the redemption of the bodie: which we ſhall not atteine vntounto, vnleſſe it be in that bleſſed reſurrection. The ſelfe-ſame things Paule writeth to the Galathians; When the fulnes of time (ſaith he) came, Galat. 4, 4.God ſent his owne ſonne made of a woman, and made vnderunder the lawe, to deliuer thoſe which be vnderunder the lawe, that we might receiue the adoption of ſonnes. And bicauſe we are ſonnes, God ſent the ſpirit of his ſonne into our harts, in whom we crie; Abba, Father. Theſe words declare that there was, before the fulneſſe of time, a certeine bondage vnderunder the lawe: afterward was giuen the ſonne, by whom we which are appointed and prepared to be made the ſonnes of God, might more fullie receiue both the ſpirit and adoption.
This adoption, Chriſt ſéemeth as it were by a certeine ſacrament to hauehave confirmed in his genealogie: Matth. 3. Luke. 3. In the old teſtament adoption was much vſed.for when as in Luke and in Matthew, the names of his progenitors are varied, there is mingled adoption: ſo that one and the ſelfe-ſame man had one father by nature, and another by adoption. Alſo in the old teſtament adoption was much vſed: for both Iacob adopted vntounto him his nephewes Ephraim and Manaſſes, to be vntounto him in ſtead of other ſonnes. Gen. 48, 5. Children adopted vntounto dead men. Deut. 25, 5.And that trade was of ſuch force at that time, as euen vntounto dead men children were adopted: for when one brother was dead, the brother that remained on liue, begat children of his wife, and raiſed ſéed in Iſraell. Theſe things, as it were a certain ſhadowe, figured this our adoption vntounto the ſonnes of God. The common tranſlation hath; The adoption of the ſonnes of God, whereas in the Gréeke this word, of God, is not read: for there is onelie this word foreign, that is, Adoption.
In this adoption we are to ſee whence and whither we be tranſferred.40 But it muſt be diligentlie conſidered, both from whence we are by this adoption brought, & whither we are tranſferred. We were before, the children of the diuell, of wrath, of incredulitie, of miſtruſt, of this world, of perdition, of night, & of darkenes. And here vntounto be we tranſferred, that both we are called, and are in verie déed the ſonnes of God, partakers of the diuine nature, brethren of Chriſt, and children of light, and that we ſinne not, 1. Iohn. 3, 9.(For he which is borne of God ſinneth not) and that we louelove our neighbours, and our enimies, Mat. 5, 4.to the intent we ſhould reſemble our heauenlie Father, who ſuffereth his ſunne to ſhine vponupon the good and euill, and raineth vponupon the iuſt and vniuſt; Ibidem. 9.and finallie, that we be peace-makers: for they ſhall be called the ſonnes of God. We are not the ſonnes of God as procreated of his ſubſtance.But our adoption is not ſuch, as we ſhould thinke that wée are borne of the ſubſtance of God: for that is proper vntounto Ieſus Chriſt onlie; for the word of God is by nature borne of the father, which thing neuertheles the Arrians denied. For ſéeing they affirmed the ſonne of God to be a creature, they muſt néeds ſaie that he was not the ſonne of God by nature but by adoption. Doubtles great is our dignitie: for we are ſo highlie exalted, that wée not onlie are called, Chriſt called the Apoſtles brethren. Mat. 28, 10.and be the ſonnes of God; but alſo hauehave Chriſt to be our brother. Wherefore Chriſt, when he was riſen againe, ſaid vntounto the woman; Go ye and tell my brethren. And although the fathers of the old lawe were not quite void of this dignitie, yet they had it not ſo publikelie declared. But this was no let at all, that ſome of them were weake; for we alſo in the Goſpell hauehave manie that be weake.
1. Cor. 3, 1.For Paule ſaith vntounto the Corinthians, that he could not ſpeake vntounto them as vntounto ſpirituall; and therefore he was ſame to féed them with milke. The verie which thing is written vntounto the Hebrues. Heb. 5, 12.And on the other ſide, they had men which were renowmed in faith, whom we doubt not but were ſingular in this adoption. And that thus alſo it was in thoſe daies, the Apoſtle teſtifieth in the epiſtle to the Romans, Rom. 9, 4. The fathers in old time attained to the adoption of children.the 9. chapter: for he ſaith; VntoUnto whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glorie, and the teſtament, and the giuing of the lawe, and the worſhipping, and the promiſes, and to whom pertaine the fathers. Here we ſée, that adoption pertained vntounto them alſo. Ambroſe vponupon this place teacheth, that of this adoption ſpringeth vntounto godlie men great ſecuritie: and vndoubtedlie, for ſo much as this commeth vntounto vsus through the ſpirit, We are more certaine of this adoption, than we are of our natural fathers.whereby wée are inwardlie mooued, wée ought to be farre more certaine, that wée are the ſonnes of God; than the ſonnes of this world are certaine that they are the ſonnes of them, whom they call fathers. For oftentimes the mothers deceiue both their huſbands and their children: but the ſpirit of God deceiueth no man.
In old time, flatterers went about to perſuade Alexander, Alexander the great.that he was not the ſonne of king Philip, but of Iupiter: afterward, when he ſawe there came bloud out of a wound that was giuen him, he ſmiled, ſaieng, that it ſéemed to him to be common bloud, and not the bloud of gods. But wée, though we ſuffer manie things, yea and looſe our life for Chriſt his ſake; yet notwithſtanding wée ought to be fullie perſuaded, that wée are the ſonnes of God. For to the end wée ſhould not anie thing doubt of that matter, wée hauehave not onlie the witnes of the ſpirit; Chriſt hath taught vsus to call God father. Mat. 6, 8.but the verie ſonne of God hath taught vsus to call God, Father, and to inuocate or call him by that name. And this forme of praier ought to call vsus backe from all kind of wickednes, and from all kind of diſhoneſt works; and alſo to put vsus in mind, not to degenerate from the nobilitie of ſo honorable a father, and that wée in no caſe diſhonor him: for it is accounted a great reproch vntounto fathers, to hauehave wicked children. And ſéeing we cannot (as we hauehave ſaid) attaine vntounto this adoption, but by Chriſt and his ſpirit; therefore neither Turkes, Iewes, nor men that be ſtrangers from Chriſt, can call vponupon God as vponupon their father.
41 Furthermore, by theſe wordes (And if we be children, we be alſo heires, euen the heires of God, and fellowe-heires of Chriſt) the Apoſtle ſheweth what wée obtaine by this adoption; namelie this, To be the heires of God. The which vndoubtedlie can appeare to be a benefite of no ſmall eſtimation: for not all thoſe that be the children of anie man, be forthwith his heires alſo. Not all the children of anie man be his heires.For onlie the firſt begotten hauehave that pre eminence; euen as wée ſée the caſe ſtandeth at this daie in manie realmes. And in the holie Scriptures it is manifeſt, that Eſau and Iſmael were not heires. Wherefore we be heires, Rom. 9, 8.and that of no poore man, or of ſmall matters: for we hauehave obtained the inheritance of God, and wée be made heires togither with Chriſt: wée hauehave the inheritance of the father common with Chriſt, and we be ſo wholie grafted into him, and altogither knit with him, that by his ſpirit wée liue. But we ſhall then come vntounto this inheritance, when it ſhall be ſaid vntounto vsus; Mat. 25, 34.Come ye bleſſed of my father, poſſeſſe the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. We be fellowheires, bicauſe (as Iohn ſaith) when he ſhall appeare, 1. Iohn. 3, 2.we ſhall be like vntounto him. And Paule ſaith vntounto the Coloſſians; Col. 3, 3.Ye be dead, and your life is hidden with Chriſt in God: and when as Chriſt your life ſhall appeare, then ſhall ye alſo appeare with him in glorie.
Inheritance defined.Inheritance (as it is defined by the Lawyers) is a ſucceſſion into the whole right of the man that is dead. And may this appeare to be but a ſmall matter, to be made partakers of the whole right of God? 2. Pet. 1, 4.Certainlie Peter ſaith, that We be made partakers of the diuine nature. Here Ambroſe noted, that it is not in this matter, as we commonlie ſée it come to paſſe in the world: for it behooueth that the teſtator die, before the ſucceſſor can come to the inheritance. God dieth not, and yet may we enter into his inheritance.But God dieth not, naie rather we that be appointed to be his heires doo die firſt, before poſſeſſion can be deliuered vntounto vsus. Chriſt alſo firſt died, before he came vntounto the glorie which was appointed for him. An heire is counted one perſon with him that ordaineth him. Iohn. 17, 21.Moreouer, as touching ciuill lawes, the heire is counted one and the ſelfe-ſame perſon with him that maketh him heire. Euen ſo we, through Chriſt, are ſtreictlie knit togither with God, ſo as we are now one togither with him, according as Chriſt praied; That they may be one, as thou and I are one: for all things are ours, We obtaine this inheritance freely.and we are Chriſts, & Chriſt is Gods. This inheritance obtaine we fréelie, by the ſpirit of Chriſt. Wherfore the biſhops of Rome, and their champions the Cardinals, and falſe biſhops, doo wickedlie, which hauehave ſhut vp this inheritance of remiſſion of ſinnes, and acceſſe vntounto the kingdome of God vnderunder their counterfet keies; that they at their owne pleaſure might ſell the ſame, and either thruſt down to hell, or ſend vp to heauen whom they liſt themſelues.