eternall fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And chap. 10. of Matth. Chap. 10. Feare not them that kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy the bodie and soule in hell 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished If therefore the damnation of hell be the worke of God he hath also foreknowne that is predestinated from euerlasting them Fulgent lib. 1. 2. ad Moâ—â—â— vpon whom he will inflict the same For his predestination is the preparation of his workes which in his eternall decree he did foreknow that he would either in mercie or iustice bring to passe Apoc. 20. Apoc. 20. The bookes were opened and iudgement was giuen of euery one according to their workes and he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire What that the reprobates are called vessels of wrath and prepared for destruction For to bee a vessell of wrath as Augustine expoundeth is Epist 10â— for a man to be appointed to be punished for sinnes What a vessell of wrath is who was created for the benefit of nature And Fulgentius saith Hereunto God formed the vessels of wrath whereunto he predestinated them that is not to sinne but to destruction for sinne Therefore the destruction of them that perish is the worke of God reprobating them and therefore it is the effect of reprobation Obiection 1 But thou wilt say Perdition is to bee ascribed to themselues that perish as Hos 13. saith Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel but onely in me is thy helpe Answere That is true speaking of the fault and not of the punishment For they that are damned haue in themselues the fault deseruing damnation but it is his part to punish that iudgeth the world who can tell how to condemne iniquitie but not to doe it And this is the meaning of the Prophet that God doth not punish but for sins which men haue of themselues as for deliuerance from sinne it commeth from him freely Obiection 2 and not for any workes As Paul also saith The reward of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesu Christ our Lord. Those sayings also are wont to bee obiected God made not death Wisd 1. 2. Eze. 18. Through the enuie of the deuill death came into the world Againe I will not the death of him that dieth c. But here with a deafe eare wee must not forget what elsewhere wee reade Eccles 11. Wisd 16. Deut. 32. that death and life good and euill come of God Which shew of contrarietie to take away we must vnderstand that death as well as life may bee vnderstood not two only but also three maner of waies For in the first man God created both the soule and flesh also immortall But while man sinned Three deaths of the soule bodie and hel the soule dyed and that death of the soule to wit sinne is the beginning and cause of another double death corporall and infernall The sacred Scriptures call it the first and second death Therfore God made not the death of the soule because he made not sinne but the deuill is the author of it by suggesting of sinne and by consequence he is the author also of the other kindes of death which arise from sinne to wit in respect of the vehement stirring vp of it and not that he hath power to punish as God hath Augustine distinctly saith Cont. Iulian. lib. 7. cap. 7. The deuill the deceiuer of man is the cause of death which God inflicted not as the first author but as the punisher of sinne Some vnderstand the place of the Prophet Ezechiel of that death of the soule as Fulgentius I will not the death of a sinner others referre it to the punishment of sinne vsing the distinction of the will of God hidden and reuealed So Luther de ser arbit cap. 109. He will not the death of a sinner to wit by his word while by the word of saluation he commeth to all and so he will haue all men to bee saued But he willeth the same by his vnsearchable will Which will saith he in the same booke chap. 107. is not to be searched into but with reuerence to be aâ—ored as the highest secret of Gods maiestie Againe He will not the death of him that dieth simply and as it bringeth destruction but as it is a punishment for the Lord delighteth not in the perdition of the liuing Wisâ— 1.13 as it is written But he is the punisher of sinners Now as touching the matter of forsaking blinding Of forsaking hardening and blinding Rom. 9. 11. and hardening I will produce a few testimonies of many Wee reade in the sacred Scriptures He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The elect haue obtained it but the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see cares that they should not heare See the prophesie of Esay 29. vers 10. and chap. 6. Goe and say to the children of Israel In hearing ye shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceiue harden the hearts of this people and make their heires heauie and smeere ouer their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so bee conuerted and I should heale them Which prophesie S. Iohn alleadging affirmeth Ioh. 12. that the Iewes beleeued not in the Lord albeit they had seene many signes neither that they could beleeue because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts To the same vnbeleeuing Iewes the Lord said Ioh 10. Ye doe not beleeue for ye are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Againe to his disciples Matth. 13. To you saith he it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to others it is not giuen therefore in parables I speake vnto them Neither came it to passe without cause that in so many hundred yeares before the comming of Christ Acts 14. no light of sauing doctrine was reuealed to the Gentiles but as Paul witnesseth the liuing God that made heauen and earth passing ouer the former ages suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies vntill the comming of the time of grace he was found of them that sought him not And in Israel that was fulfilled that the Prophet saith Esay 65. All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a rebellious and gainsaying people By these things it is euident that they that were not ordained to life are also reiected from the grace of faith and conuersion and are
whereof heareafter we wil speake and it is another whether the firmenes of election serue to desperation rather than consolation Then this being now granted albeit it ought not to bee granted that Gods will is vncertaine vnto vs concerning our saluation is thy will concerning thy selfe certaine vnto thee De praedest sanct cap. 9. He that seemeth to stand let him take heed least hee fall Therefore seeing both Gods will and thyne owne that is thyne endeuor and perseuerance as from thy selfe as vncertayne why doth not man commit his faith hope and charity vnto the stronger rather than to the weaker And let these things bee spoken against the obiections of the first sort that is the consequences of humane reason CHAP. XXII Answeres to some places of scripture vsually obiected against the certainety of Predestination BVt they that make the grace of election common to all and will haue it made frustrate of many afterwards through vnthankefulnes for the most part obiect these places out of the sacred Scriptures First The Pharises and lawyers are sated to reiect the counsell of God against themselues The first place obiected is Luke 7. ver 30. Hub. thes 784. therefore they made frustrate vnto themselues election which was common to them and others I answere By the counsell of God in that place is not meant election or the ordination of the Pharisees to eternall life For if they had been ordayned thereto doubtles they had beleeued Acts 13.48 But the will of God reuealed by the ministery of Iohn Baptist is noted that such as desire to bee saued and to flee from the wrath to come should be baptized with the baptisme of repentance and beleeue in him that was to come after him that is in Christ Iesu Therefore this the Euangelist meaneth that the people and the Publicanes obeyed the doctrine of Iohn to saluation and that the Pharisees and Scribes did not obey to their great harme indeuoring to establish their owne righteousnes Acts 20. After this maner Paul to expresse his faithfulnes in his ministery which he had receiued to testify the Gospell of the grace of God saith that he eschewed nothing to the intent he might declare to the Ephesians all the counsell of God that is faith and conuersion as the text there sheweth Obiection 2 2. Obiection They to whom some of the epistles of the Apostles were written were Saincts and elect yet in them many 1. Thess 1. 1. Pet. 1. fell away from the faith and perished Therefore some elect doe perish Answere Vnto the Maior is answered that they were Saints and elect but not all because many are hypocrites in the assembly of the visible church Therefore the argument consisteth of pure particulars Further the name of the Elect is not vsed after one sort in the Scriptures Beside the speciall signification whereby such as before ordayned to eternall life are called Elect there is also this vse of the word that generally speaking after the rule of charity and not of faith they are called Elect whosoeuer by outward calling are numbered with the people of God whether in deed they bee already faithfull and sanctified and elect before God or not and according to this general signification we graunt the whole argument Obiection 3 3. Obiection of the booke of life is somewhat harder Psalm 69. Exod. 32. when Dauid saith Let them be blotted out of the booke of the liuing and not be written with the iust As also Moses intreating for the people praied Either forgiue their sinnes or if not blot me I praie thee out of the booke that thou hast written The booke of life To whom the Lorde answered Him that sinneth against me will I blot out of the booke of life Therefore some written in the booke of life may be thence blotted out and consequently some predestinate to life doe perish because the predestination of Saints and the booke of life are all one at the least in substance How predestination and the booke of life differ albeit they somewhat differ in reason For predestination is the very ordination of the Saintes to eternall life But the booke of life metaphorically is nothing else than the knowledge in the minde of God of them that be predestinate as Tho. in 4 cap. ad Phillip and others expound Answere I answere Augustine handling that place of the Psalme answereth this doubt after this sort that who so be in very deede written in the booke of life not one of them is blotted out How a man is blotted out of the booke of life but blotting out pertayneth to them onely that not in very deede but onely in their owne and other mens opinions are written therin and that such are said to be blotted out when it is manifest in this world or that which is to come that they were not in the number of the predestinate Some men make a distinction thus The booke of life taken two wayes that the booke of life is taken two maner of waies either for the catalogue of the elect vnto eternall life or els for the catalogue of them that professe the saith of Christ and are counted among the members of the Church whereof many doubtles are blotted out So Ezechiel 13. it is said of the false prophets They shall not be in the assembly of my people and shall not be written in the writing that is in the booke of the house of Israel He meaneth that albeit false prophets would seeme to bee the people and Church of God yea the piller thereof they should be so farre from beeing reckoned in that degree as that they should be accounted altogether strangers from Gods people The matter commeth all to one point Augustine confirmeth the said exposition partly by that that followeth in the words of Dauid and let them not he written with the righteous from whence he gathereth that such men as touching Gods iudgement were not yet written in the booke of the liuing partly by other places of Scripture concerning the booke of life as that which the spirit of God saith in the Apocal. Apoc. 13. 20. vers 15. 21.27 Act. 1. That they all shall worship the beast whose names are not written in the booke of life Therefore saith Augustine they shall not worship that are written Further Dauids prophesie is wholy directed against Iudas the traytor other obstinate enemies of Christ strangers from the grace of election reprobates and children of perdition as it is plaine by the interpretation of Paul For thus he saith Israel obtained not that which he sought for Rom. 11. but the elect haue obtayned it and the rest were hardened as it is written let their table be their snare let their eyes be darkened c. These bee Dauids very words out of this very Psalme which seeing the spirit of God expoundeth of the reprobate Iewes such as pertaine not to election it appeareth that their writing in the
vndertake the charge of them The first taught them the worship of the gods and kingly instructions The second aduised theÌ„ to affect fauour the trueth in their whole life The third that they would not be ouercome with any desire but accustome themselues to liue like freemen in very deed kings ruling themselues aboue al things not seruing any desires The fourth made theÌ„ stoute least through feare they should commit any thing not beseeming their dignitie and become seruants This instructioÌ„ of one that should be a Prince florished amoÌ„g the Persians And surely they rightly iudged that he ought to be trained vp in the precepts of wisedome that is of religion and of the kingdome but that being ignorant of Gods trueth they imbraced a false religion through the magical instruction of Zoroaster An instruction not vnlike albeit euery way farre better as being taken out of the cleerest fountaines of heauenly wisedome hath happened vnto your Highnesse most gracious Prince Neither haue the praiers of Salomon been wanting both of your Highnesse which from your childhood hauing taken delight in the knowledge of profitable and good things hath beene earnest in dayly prayers with God and is vncessantly instant desiring to be indued by him with an vnderstanding heart and also of all good men who publikely and priuately haue most regarded that thing and not without cause And how much hath been effected thereby manifest experiments doe testifie and such as shall be with thankefull hearts made knowne to posteritie to the honour of God First because that noble Prince and Lord the Lord Iohn Casimire Tutor and a second parent as it were to your Highnes being lately taken out of this life your flourishing age and already ripe to gouernment and your iudgement riper than your age most excellent Frederike haue afforded vs a refuge and solace in so hard a case Then because after you had taken vpon you the gouernment of most large Dominions wee â—oyfully haue seene such trials of your great vertue and such foundations haue beene layd of good gouernment although in a lamentable and wicked time that it hath lifted vp the mindes of all men vnto a singular good expectation Goe on forwarde therefore in this minde and vertue most noble prince Elector be strong in the Lord and in his mightie power remember the Lordes exhortation in old time to Ioshua I will bee with thee as I was with Moses I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be of good comfort that thou mayest doe according to the Law Let not the booke of the Lawe depart from thy mouth Then thou shalt deale wisely and prosperously in all things In like maner also the holy man Dauid as we read diligently exhorted his sonne Salomon 1. Kings 2. when being as yet a child hee was now consecrated to raigne The Lorde God who taketh away Dan. 2. and appointeth Princes and from whom commeth wisedome and fortitude endue your highnes more and more with vertue from aboue But most noble prince Elector and gracious Lorde seeing these foure bookes of the Redemption of mankinde and Gods Predestination being written by me a yeere agoe should nowe come abroad vnder the authoritie of your gouernment I thought that this my duety should be acceptable to your Highnes if I should intitle and offer them most humbly vnto you and that in respect of that thankefulnesse whereunto I am many wayes bound to your Highnes I know well inough that I am not able this way to make a full recompence yet freely to professe the same is the propertie of a thankefull person Further because in these and the like Ecclesiasticall controuersies that arise from restles wits it is meete that Princes especially should haue the knowledge and custodie of the trueth to the intent that malicious detractors and deprauers may doe the lesse hurt to Christian religion At this day we are slandered of malicious men with a new crime that is fained against vs as though wee should deny that Christ died for al men An impudent reproach For according to the Scriptures we also confesse the same but we denie that thereupon it followeth that all mankinde without exceptioÌ„ of any one are by the death of Christ indeed iustified saued and restored into the bosome of grace hauing receiued the pardon of their sinnes whether they beleeue or no. This is a deuise of man and therefore to be refused if wee will retaine the consent of the Prophets and Apostles Acts 10. Ioh. 3. to wit that euery one that beleeueth in Christ Iesu receiueth remission of sinnes through his name the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Now the doctrine of Predestination according to which God saueth in mercie some of the damnable lumpe of mankind and in iustice punisheth others for their sinnes being in the same lumpe vtterly forsaken is of it selfe plaine if we desire rather to follow the direction of Gods spirit than the consequences of foolish reason But reason being troubled with the depth of Gods grace and his iudgement leaueth here nothing vnassayd as we may see by the example of the Pelagians old and newe the first Augustine of old time soundly confuted and Luther the latter De ser arb alibi Therefore let those men that would be counted Lutherans looke to it how they doe agree in iudgement both against Luther the truth it selfe also with the Pelagians But I make an end praying God that vnder your Highnes the studies of peace learning and pietie may alwayes florish Amen At Heidelberge the 12. of March 1592. Your Highnesse most humbly bounden IACOBVS KIMEDONCIVS D. A table of certaine places of Scripture expounded in these Bookes GEn. 3. The seede of the woman c. 100 I will put enmitie c. 101 Gen. 12. 22. In thy seede shall all nations c. 105.201 Leuit. 16. Of the Scape Goate 107 Deut. 7. God hath chosen thee to be a people 283 Esay 53. He hath laid the iniquities of vs all c. 103. 202 Esay 62. Tell the daughter of Sion 205 Ierem. 23. In his dayes Israel shall be saued 204 Ierem. 31. I will make a couenant with the house of Israel c. 203 Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner c. 335 Osea 13. Thy destruction is of thy selfe 334 Zach. 2. Reioyce O daughter Sion 204 Zach. 3. I will take away the iniquitie of that land 105 Zach. 9. Thy king commeth vnto thee 204 Psalm 2. I will giue thee the heathen for c. 106 Wisd 1. God made not death 334 Ecclesiasticus 33. As one day excelleth another 285 Matth. 1. He shall saue his people 180 Matth. 7. I neuer knew you 210 Matth. 18. Of these little ones that beleeue in me 166 The parable of the debter 126 Matth. 26. Which is shed for many 181 Luk. 1. He hath redeemed his people 182 Luk. 2. I tell you of great ioy 183 A light to lighten the
there hath been also a double vse of that word For one while the word predestination is applied vnto both elect and reprobates and as wel these as the other are called predestinate but these that they may bee vessels of wrath prepared for destruction the other that they may be vessels of mercie prepared by God to glory So Augustine manifestly vseth the word predestination August Enchir ad Laur. cap. 100. when he saith That God as highly good doth well vse euen the wicked to their damnation whom he hath iustly predestinated to punishment and to their saluation whom mercifully he hath predestinated to grace The same man tract 110. in Ioh. There is a world of those that shall be damned whereof it is written Least we should be condemned with the world For this world Christ prayeth not for he is not ignorant whether it is predestinated to wit to suffer eternall torments with the deuill as the same man writeth elsewhere But especially Fulgentius to Monimus lib. 1. Aug. de Ciuit. dei lib. 15. cap. 3 at large intreateth of a double predestination one of the good to glory the other of the wicked to paine Fulgent Whereupon in the beginning of the second booke he thus defineth predestination Gods predestination saith he is nothing els than the preparation of his workes which in his eternall disposition he foreknew to doe either in mercie or in iustice that is predestination is the eternall decree of God whereby he hath purposed to saue some out of mankinde of meere grace through Christ and to reiect others from the same grace in his righteous iudgement and for their sinnes to damne them for euer Thus predestination shall comprehend both election and reprobation But sometime the name of predestination is vsed for election onely whereunto on the contrary The 4. signifition and vse of the word reprobation is opposed And thus the Scripture euery where almost speaketh of predestination Whom he foreknew saith the Apostle Ro. 8. the same he predestinated whom he predestinated them he called and whom he hath called them he hath iustified whom he hath iustified them hath he glorified And he addeth Who shall lay any crime to the charge of Gods elect Where he expressely nameth them elect whom hee had called predestinate The same Apostle Ephes 1. He hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the world were laid and hath predestinated vs that hee might adopt vs to bee his sonnes by Christ Iesus in himselfe De predest Sanct. cap. 10. Augustine also for the most part speaketh of predestination in this sense taking it for the eternall free election of God which sometime for difference sake he calleth predestination which is in good and the predestination of Saints But most often and euery where almost when he speaketh of election and the elect he mentioneth simply the predestinate and predestination And in the schoole Diuines also albeit vnder the same name of predestination they intreate both of election of the saued and also of the reprobation of the damned yet scarse may a man finde the words predestination and predestinate otherwise vsed than for election and the elect And taking the word after this maner which is most vsuall as I haue said wee will with Augustine define predestination to bee a preparation of grace De predest Sanct. cap. 10. Predestination of the Saints what it is For this saith he is the onely difference betweene grace and predestination that predestination is the preparation of grace but grace is now the gift it selfe Wherefore also de fide ad Pet. Diacon cap. 35. he defineth predestination to bee the preparation of a free gift And by grace he vnderstandeth as well future glorie as al the benefits of God in this present life whereby as by meanes the predestinate or elect are directed and lead vnto that end Hereupon cap. 14. de bono perseuer he thus defineth it Predestination of the Saints is nothing els than the prescience and preparation of Gods benefits whereby as many as are deliuered are most certainly deliuered the rest being left in the masse of perdition by the iust iudgement of God To the same end is it that elswhere he interpreteth predestination to be a purpose of shewing mercie according to the saying I wil haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie and I will haue compassion Eâ—xod 3â— Rom. 9. on whom I will haue compassion Moreouer this predestination of the Saints is in the Scriptures of God for the most part called Election Election diuersly taken in Scripture Many are called but few are elect saith the Lord Matth. 20. And Paul Ephe. 1. testifieth of the election of the faithfull in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid Yet wee must not be ignorant that there be diuers elections of God wherof the sacred Scriptures make mention For some are for the execution of some certaine office Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall namely the office of a King Priest Prophet or Apostle So Aaron was approued to be the elect priest of God by the miracle of the rod that budded Num. 17.5 Deut. 21.5 So his posteritie who had the Priesthood in Israel are called the elect of the Lord. Likewise Saul in respect of the kingdome is called the elect of the Lord. Besides 1. Sam. 10 24 2. Sam. 21.6 1. Sam. 16. of the sonnes of Isai none but Dauid was elect of the Lord to the kingdome We reade also in the Gospell that it was said of the Apostles Io. 6. Haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill Whereof also see Luk. 6.13 Act. 1.2 Further Gods election is taken for election to saluation and that two maner of waies either that which was from euerlasting or els that which is made in time which floweth from the former lying hid in the minde of God and is the effect and execution therof to wit when a man is now actually chosen out of the world and ingrafted into Christ and regenerated to eternall life Of such Christ speaketh Ioh. 15. Ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you De praedest sanct cap. 17 Of this double election thus saith Augustine Wee are elected before the creation of the world by predestination wherein God foreknew his future workes but we are elected out of the world by vocation wherby God fulfilleth that that he hath predestinated There is beside this vse also of the word that they are called Elect in generall whosoeuer by outward calling belong to the people of God So Deut. 4. vers 37. and 7. vers 6. and 14. vers 2. all Israel is said to haue been chosen of the Lord namely to be a holie people and peculiar to the Lord their God out of all people in the whole world As also in Peter they are called elect whosoeuer are called to the bodie of the Church and are
taught to the common people in sermons may easily bee confuted For it becommeth vs not to bee wiser than Christ himselfe his holy Apostles and Prophets who all haue freely witnessed to learned and vnlearned the true doctrine of predestination how hard soeuer it may seeme to the flesh As for example Christ said Many are called and few chosen And again Al that the father giueth me coÌ„meth vnto me My sheep heare my voyce but you beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe Paul certainly not in a corner but publikely and before the whole world saith It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that sheweth mercie c. And againe God willing to make knowne his goodnes c. All these things forsooth are such if wee beleeue these moderators as nothing can be spoken more vnprofitably Marke this speech if the â—â—â—tiâ—oâ— well But say I If God will haue such things spoken and published abroad and that it is not to bee respected what may follow or what carnall wisedome shall inferre thereupon who art thou O man that doest forbid them As who say thy creator shall learne of thee his creature what is profitable what is vnprofitable to be preached Or what shall seeme tolerable in the iudgement of men vnskilfull surely I will not say commonly most vngodly that onely shall be profitable and what is contrariwise that shall straight be reputed vnprofitable and pernicious What is more foolish than to make Gods word so subiect to the pleasure of men Let rather the whole earth bee silent before the Lord and let all the inhabitants of the earth reuerence the words of his mouth CHAP. XXVII That the doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessary with the answers to such obiections as haue been made against it Obiection WHat profit then or what necessity moueth men to publish such things seeing so many euils and offences seeme to arise from thence to the troubling of the hearts of such as be simple and vnlearned Answere I answere It were sufficient to say because so it pleased God in whose will we must simply rest ascribing the glorie to him that seeing he is most wise and most iust he doth no man wrong â— Cor. 1. and cannot doe any thing foolishly and rashly whatsoeuer the flesh supposeth For the foolishnes of God is wiser than men and likewise the vnrighteousnes of God is more righteous than men With this answere the godly are content Yet for the greater confusion of this error alreadie ouerthrowne Predestination is profitable and necessarie to be taught The 1. reason and that we may be the more instructed in the trueth I will briefly shew it not onely to bee profitable but also necessary that the doctrine of predestination be taught and preserued among Christian people And first it is profitable and necessarie for this cause that the true God may be rightly knowne as he reuealeth himself in his word that is to say how that he hath mercie on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will and of the same lumpe maketh one vessell to honour and another to dishonour that is he hath decreed to bestow vndeserued grace vpon vessels of mercie prepared of himselfe by whom being seuered from the corrupt and damnable lumpe of mankinde they might be saued while the rest in the same masse of perdition are forsaken and shall bee condemned for sinne whereof the one belongs to his mercie the other to his iustice whose iudgement mercie the Church often singeth Psalm 101. Dan. 4.32 Rom 9. Matth. 20. De ser arbit cap. 143. And who is he that may say vnto him why dost thou so Shall the pot say to the potter why doest thou make me thus Hath not the pottter power ouer the clay Is thine eye euill because the Lord is good Such a God doth the sacred Scripture declare vnto vs. But God being spoyled as Luther auoucheth of power and wisedome to chuse what shall he be but an Idoll of fortune by whose power all things should come to passe at all aduentures And at length it will come to this that men are saued and damned God not knowing it as one that hath not appointed by a sure election such as shall be saued and shall be damned but offering to all his generall goodnes and mercie hath left it at mens pleasures whether they will bee saued or damned while he in the meane space perchance goeth to the Ethiopians banket as Homer speaketh of his Iupiter The doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessarie to be preached to know the grace of God against the â—elagians The 2. reason and Semipelagians and so to humble vs that he that glorieth may glorie in the Lord. Augustine saw this when he sayd Either predestination must so be preached as the sacred Scripture euidently speaketh of it De bono perseu cap. 16. that the gifts and calling of God in them that bee predestinate may be without repentance or els it must bee confessed that the grace of God is giuen according to our merits which sauoureth of Pelagianisme And in the next chapter Exhortations are not hindred if faith and perseuerance and good workes themselues be said to be Gods gifts and that foreknowne that is predestinated to be freely giuen but rather that dangerous error is hindered and subuerted by the preaching of predestination when the grace of God is sayd to be giuen according to our merits that he that glorieth may glorie not in the Lord but in himselfe Hereupon the same father chapter 20. of the same booke testifieth that he was vrged of necessitie to write largely of predestination because of the Pelagians who sayd that the grace of God was giuen according to our merits which thing saith he is nothing els than a flat deniall of grace The opinion of the Pelagians The Pelagians imagined that grace was offered indifferently to all men and that in respect of God eternall life was prepared for all but that it was in the power of men to refuse or receiue grace and saluation offered And that some are saued because they imbrace grace as of themselues and through their owne free will And that others be damned because when they may yet they will not receiue grace when it is offered What other thing is this than to make warre both against grace and predestination The doctrine of the Semipelagians Now such among them as would seeme more moderate and did not so much make a shew of Pelagianisme as secretly and a farre off onely follow it as those reliques of the Pelagians of whom Prosper and Hilarie write did confesse surely that no man is sufficiently able of himselfe euen to begin any good worke much lesse to performe it the nature of man is so ouerthrowne but they would haue yet some endeuour and will which onely may seeke after the Phisition and is not able of it selfe to doe any thing to remaine in