THE DEAN OF St PAULS AND THE GOSPEL OF St PAUL
JOHN COLET [c. 1466—1519]
Among the nobles of the reign of Henry Tudor, John Colet was among the most noble. His family was privileged and exceedingly wealthy and Colet was educated at Oxford and also in Italy and France. His father, also Henry, was twice Lord Mayor of London and with the generous inheritance he received at his father’s demise Colet was immensely liberal to various causes and needs with the distribution of his ample fortune. Henry VIII regarded Colet as his wisest and most trustworthy advisor whose counsel he always considered most carefully, even when the compulsive monarch instinctively disagreed with Colet’s customary wisdom.
Colet’s ordination took place in 1497 and he was made Dean of St Paul’s, London 1505. He attained the acme of his ministry in his discourses on the Pauline corpus of the New Testament. The following extract from his addresses on the apostle’s epistle to the Romans capture the fact that Luther’s dramatic message on grace and justification were foreshadowed in England prior to Luther’s doctorate in theology awarded in 1512, a period when brother Martin was acutely anxious concerning his own salvation. Colet’s comments are to be cherished by reformed Anglicans and his ministry is to be celebrated in thanksgiving before God for his loyal and cogent commentary on the Pauline doctrines of salvation which must have been highly influential.
Salient extracts from John Colet’s Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Romans [1497]
Chapter 1V: He of his grace imparts himself to those who believe in him, who also have been taken and drawn away by him from unbelief, that they may trust in him alone and believe that by no other means whatever can they be justified than by the divine grace (page 8).
Chapter V: Wherefore St Paul concludes that, being justified by faith, and trusting in God alone, men are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and restored to grace, that they may stand before God, and themselves remain sons of God, and look for the certain glory of the sons of God; (page 9).
Now if there were such force in sin and that to the sin of one man for one man, for destruction, then there ought to be such a greater force and power in grace, for quickening men, and restoring them to an entire and sure salvation.. and that this so, one may discern even from hence; namely whatever grew from one sin for destruction [and there did grow sin manifold and infinite], when the tale thereof was all made up, and the virulence of the disease, as it were, at fever height, then at the same time all-powerful grace, by its prevailing and marvelous force, dispelled it, and destroyed all the sin. For it was mightier to take away the evil when completed, than [the evil] was to begin. Thus it happens that man, being laid hold of by the love and grace of God, and drawn to God, will, if they have hope, be more strongly and firmly sustained and preserved unto life by that same prevailing grace, than they had been thrust down and kept under by sin unto death. Sin is indeed a violent and aggressive thing ; but the glorious power of sweet and pleasant grace, that works softly and marvelously, and with a secret and marvelous effect, nothing can resist [page 10].
…but because men of themselves, such was their own weakness without grace, were unable to otherwise than sin. And so, as sin grew and gathered strength, it was needful, for the healing of mankind, that saving grace should then much more increase and abound; that men, being justified by it, might be able through Jesus to attain eternal life [page 11].
And they who are loved and inspired by God are called, to the end that, having received love, they should in turn love God that loves them, and should long for, and await him in love.This awaiting and this hope come of love. Our love towards him is in truth because he first loved us. As St John writes in his Second Epistle; Not that we first loved God, but that he loved us, even though worthy of no love, as being ungodly and unjust, rightly destined to everlasting destruction. But certain ones, and whom he knew and whom he would, did God love; by loving, called; by calling, by justifying, glorified. This gracious love in God, and charity towards men, is itself their calling and justification and glorifying; nor do we mean anything else by so many terms than one thing, namely, God’s love towards those whom it is his will to love. In like manner, when we say that bygrace men are drawn, are called, are justified, are glorified; we signify nothing else than that men return the love of a loving God [pages 11 & 12].
. . . he is everywhere and present to all, yet does not dwell in and enlighten all, but only those who are predestined by the divine counsel to be enlightened. Upon them, indeed [that is, upon the surface of their minds] the Spirit works pleasantly and sweetly; and by heating, as it were, and breathing upon them in a way passing our understanding, first thaws and liquifies some little extent of love, and [if we may use such a term in immaterial things like these] in a measure rarifies it, to the end that they may have full light and heat in very inmost depths [page 27].
Now, St. Paul himself, in brief and simple language, places all in the mere will and pleasure of God; so as for those alone to come to God whom he calls; whom he has foreordained, purposed, promised, elected and predestinated. We must carefully observe, that in the Apostle’s writings these wordspurpose, promise, elect, and predestinate, mean the same thing; and that God’s purpose among men, his promise, election and predestination, are one and the same; and those whom he has promised to call, and those whom in his purpose and resolution he has called, and those whom he has elected, and those whom he has predestinated to his house and heritage, are the same [page 37].
In this the purpose of God cannot be baffled. For what he has determined and promised in the future, depends not on the wills of men, but on his own power and choice. This is what St. Paul teaches the Jews, when he says that not all the seed of Abraham are children of Abraham, nor all Israelites, who are born of Israel. But they who are so, are promised and chosen by God’s free will; even as Isaac and Jacob were, whilst Ishmael and Esau were disowned and rejected. (Those who have attained to the faith of Abraham) God himself has decreed to be faithful and believing, that is, seeing . . . because through faith they see God. . . . These are called children of the promise and election of God; being verily born, nay rather re-born, of the promised seed, even Jesus Christ, of whom the Isaac of promise was a type [pages 39-40].
Colet’s loyalty to Scripture and Augustine is as clear as crystal and must have been significantly influential in creating a warm reception of Luther’s compositions when these were smuggled through various ports in England.
RJS
JOHN COLET [c. 1466—1519]
Among the nobles of the reign of Henry Tudor, John Colet was among the most noble. His family was privileged and exceedingly wealthy and Colet was educated at Oxford and also in Italy and France. His father, also Henry, was twice Lord Mayor of London and with the generous inheritance he received at his father’s demise Colet was immensely liberal to various causes and needs with the distribution of his ample fortune. Henry VIII regarded Colet as his wisest and most trustworthy advisor whose counsel he always considered most carefully, even when the compulsive monarch instinctively disagreed with Colet’s customary wisdom.
Colet’s ordination took place in 1497 and he was made Dean of St Paul’s, London 1505. He attained the acme of his ministry in his discourses on the Pauline corpus of the New Testament. The following extract from his addresses on the apostle’s epistle to the Romans capture the fact that Luther’s dramatic message on grace and justification were foreshadowed in England prior to Luther’s doctorate in theology awarded in 1512, a period when brother Martin was acutely anxious concerning his own salvation. Colet’s comments are to be cherished by reformed Anglicans and his ministry is to be celebrated in thanksgiving before God for his loyal and cogent commentary on the Pauline doctrines of salvation which must have been highly influential.
Salient extracts from John Colet’s Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Romans [1497]
Chapter 1V: He of his grace imparts himself to those who believe in him, who also have been taken and drawn away by him from unbelief, that they may trust in him alone and believe that by no other means whatever can they be justified than by the divine grace (page 8).
Chapter V: Wherefore St Paul concludes that, being justified by faith, and trusting in God alone, men are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and restored to grace, that they may stand before God, and themselves remain sons of God, and look for the certain glory of the sons of God; (page 9).
Now if there were such force in sin and that to the sin of one man for one man, for destruction, then there ought to be such a greater force and power in grace, for quickening men, and restoring them to an entire and sure salvation.. and that this so, one may discern even from hence; namely whatever grew from one sin for destruction [and there did grow sin manifold and infinite], when the tale thereof was all made up, and the virulence of the disease, as it were, at fever height, then at the same time all-powerful grace, by its prevailing and marvelous force, dispelled it, and destroyed all the sin. For it was mightier to take away the evil when completed, than [the evil] was to begin. Thus it happens that man, being laid hold of by the love and grace of God, and drawn to God, will, if they have hope, be more strongly and firmly sustained and preserved unto life by that same prevailing grace, than they had been thrust down and kept under by sin unto death. Sin is indeed a violent and aggressive thing ; but the glorious power of sweet and pleasant grace, that works softly and marvelously, and with a secret and marvelous effect, nothing can resist [page 10].
…but because men of themselves, such was their own weakness without grace, were unable to otherwise than sin. And so, as sin grew and gathered strength, it was needful, for the healing of mankind, that saving grace should then much more increase and abound; that men, being justified by it, might be able through Jesus to attain eternal life [page 11].
And they who are loved and inspired by God are called, to the end that, having received love, they should in turn love God that loves them, and should long for, and await him in love.This awaiting and this hope come of love. Our love towards him is in truth because he first loved us. As St John writes in his Second Epistle; Not that we first loved God, but that he loved us, even though worthy of no love, as being ungodly and unjust, rightly destined to everlasting destruction. But certain ones, and whom he knew and whom he would, did God love; by loving, called; by calling, by justifying, glorified. This gracious love in God, and charity towards men, is itself their calling and justification and glorifying; nor do we mean anything else by so many terms than one thing, namely, God’s love towards those whom it is his will to love. In like manner, when we say that bygrace men are drawn, are called, are justified, are glorified; we signify nothing else than that men return the love of a loving God [pages 11 & 12].
. . . he is everywhere and present to all, yet does not dwell in and enlighten all, but only those who are predestined by the divine counsel to be enlightened. Upon them, indeed [that is, upon the surface of their minds] the Spirit works pleasantly and sweetly; and by heating, as it were, and breathing upon them in a way passing our understanding, first thaws and liquifies some little extent of love, and [if we may use such a term in immaterial things like these] in a measure rarifies it, to the end that they may have full light and heat in very inmost depths [page 27].
Now, St. Paul himself, in brief and simple language, places all in the mere will and pleasure of God; so as for those alone to come to God whom he calls; whom he has foreordained, purposed, promised, elected and predestinated. We must carefully observe, that in the Apostle’s writings these wordspurpose, promise, elect, and predestinate, mean the same thing; and that God’s purpose among men, his promise, election and predestination, are one and the same; and those whom he has promised to call, and those whom in his purpose and resolution he has called, and those whom he has elected, and those whom he has predestinated to his house and heritage, are the same [page 37].
In this the purpose of God cannot be baffled. For what he has determined and promised in the future, depends not on the wills of men, but on his own power and choice. This is what St. Paul teaches the Jews, when he says that not all the seed of Abraham are children of Abraham, nor all Israelites, who are born of Israel. But they who are so, are promised and chosen by God’s free will; even as Isaac and Jacob were, whilst Ishmael and Esau were disowned and rejected. (Those who have attained to the faith of Abraham) God himself has decreed to be faithful and believing, that is, seeing . . . because through faith they see God. . . . These are called children of the promise and election of God; being verily born, nay rather re-born, of the promised seed, even Jesus Christ, of whom the Isaac of promise was a type [pages 39-40].
Colet’s loyalty to Scripture and Augustine is as clear as crystal and must have been significantly influential in creating a warm reception of Luther’s compositions when these were smuggled through various ports in England.
RJS
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