An Apologie or Defence of those Englishe Writers Preachers which Cerberus the three headed Dog of Hell chargeth wyth false doctrine vnder the name of Predestination Written by Robert Crowley Clerke and Uicare of Sainct Giles without Creplegate in London Imprinted at London in Paternoster Rowe at the signe of the blacke boy by Henry Binneman Anno. 1566. Octobris 14. ¶ To the Reader BEing openlye defamed in writing set abroade by one that hath no name I suffered y ◠same long time to delite himself in his own blindnesse and to boast himselfe among hys secreto maintayners being in y ◠meane while better occupied thā in wrestling with suche a one as is ashamed to set his name to the booke he writeth and causeth to be imprinted I thought that the writings of such one coulde not haue bene hurtfull to the estimation that I and others of my calling should of right haue among the true professors of Gods Gospell bicause such haue inough alredie in print and in the English tong to aunswere all such blind barking dogs as this is But perceiuing that some men which professe the Gospell will rather credit such a Rayler than take the paynes to reade that wherin they might haue wherewith to be able to answere for vs that are rayled vpon bycause the same was written before thys Hell Dogge began to barke I haue now written a short Apologie or defence of my selfe and others of my calling whom this Hell hound doth so egerly barke at willing the Christian reader to reade it with indifferent iudgement neyther inclining to the one nor the other till he haue read both And bicause none shall haue cause to complaine I haue set downe in writing all that this Dogge hath written and then defēded that which he findeth fault withall so that euerie matter hath it manifest defence ioyned vnto it that the Christian Reader may haue wherewithall to bring himselfe out of doubt And least any shoulde be offended for that I terme mine aduersarie by y e name of Cerberus or Hell dogge I wold all men should consider the cause He hath takē vpon him to reprehend the teachers of the truth and those which are or should be the light of the worlde and yet as one that would not be called to an accompt of his doings he hideth his name Wherefore I haue giuen him suche a name as is méete for him tyll he put hys name to that he writeth in the reproche and discredite of such as feare not openly to teach the truth and when they write it to subscribe their names to the same When this Hel hound therefore shall set his name to his booke I will vse none other name but that which by his owne writing shal appeare to be his In the meane while let him his friends be contented that he beare such a name as hys doings do deserue Cerberus as y e Poets do faine is a Dogge with thrée heades which watcheth Hell gates whose barking is horrible for he barketh with chrée mouthes and his haires are snakes His name by interpretation doth signifie a deuourer of bodies Wherefore it is not a name vile inough for this Hel dogge whose propertie is to deuour soules and the good names of such as he is not able to accuse of any crime And wyth his barking he goeth not about to trouble the Kingdome of Hel as Cerberus did but the Kingdome of Heauen which is the Church of Christ which by faith in Christ is assured of hir eternall Predestination to euerlasting glorie after this life and in this life to deliueraunce from all euill Of which comfort this Cerberus laboureth by his barking to spoile hir as shall more plainely appeare in the Apologie of those whom he seketh by his barking to dash out of coūtenance But least I should trouble thée Christiā Reader with ouer manie wordes before the matter I ceasse to write any more Farewel in Christ Iesus And pray to God for the presence of his holie spirite to leade thée in the reading of this Apologie Amen Finished the first of March Anno. 1565. Roman 8. Those whom God knew before them hath he predestinated to be made like vnto the Image of his sonne that he might be the eldest among many brethren An Apologie of Crowley and others Cerberus THE Copie of an Aunswere made vnto a certaine letter wherein the Aunswerer purgeth himselfe and other from Pelagius errours and frō the errour of free will or iustification of workes wherewithall he semeth to be charged by the sayde letter And further he sheweth wherin he differeth in iudgement from certaine Englishe writers and Preachers whome he chargeth with the teaching of false doctrine vnder the name of Predestination Crowley IT had bene very well done of Cerberus to haue set downe in writing the copie of the letter that he sayth he Aunswereth and the name of him that wrote it so might those that he nameth in hys aunswere haue had some waye to haue founde out the Auctour of the Aunswere that this matter being debated priuatelye betwéene them a meane might haue bene founde for the ending of the controuersie and the satisfying of suche as by this aunswere are not onely brought into doubt of the truth of Gods euerlasting Predestination but also haue conceyued an euill opinion of such as be the teachers therof But if I shall speake that I thinke I muste néedes saye that I thinke there was no such letter written But Cerberus hath sayued this as a grounde to set his foundation vpō For otherwise it shoulde haue semed too too maliciously done vpon none occasion to write and set abrode in print to the disfamation of publique Preachers and writers such matter as in this aunswere he chargeth them withall But graunt there were such a letter written yet was not that a iuste occasion for Cerberus to charge by name mée or anye other which knewe not of the writing of it Well he purgeth himselfe and other he sayth of diuers errours wherewith he semeth to be charged in that letter It had bene well he had not in purging himselfe charged other that muste fall to purging too But that was to shewe what spirite he is of Not of that spirite which in loue séeketh the reformation of other mens errours but of that spirite that in malice seketh to maintaine his owne errours by the defacing of other which neuerthelesse will in the ende be the defacing of himselfe For such as vse to digge pittes for others to fall into doe commonly fall into the same themselues fyrst of all Cerberus I desire of God by his grace and mercy to settle strength and stablishe you in the truth of his holye Worde for euer Dearely beloued where you write vnto me that you haue often hearde that I and other shoulde holde the errours of Pelagius whose errours you say are almost vnknowen vnto you what they are And where further it is reported of vs as you saye that we shoulde
occulto intus sunt constat ille hortus coÌ„clusus fons signatus puteus aquae viuae paradisus cum fructu pomorum That is There be also some of that number which doe yet liue wickedly either doe lye in Heresies or in y e superstitioÌ„s of the Heathen and yet the Lorde doth euen there knowe who be his For in that vnspeakeable foreknowledge of God many that séeme to be without are within many that seme to be within are without That inclosed garden therefore that sealed fountaine that pyt of springing water and that paradise of the fruite of Apples doth consist of all those that be inwardely secretely within if I may so speake And againe the same Austen saith in the .xlv. treatise vpon Iohn Et oues vocem eius audiunt proprias oues vocat nominatim Habet enim nomina eorum scripta in libro vitae Proprias oues vocat nominatim hinc dicit Apostolus Nouit Dominus qui sunt eius That is And his shéepe heare his voice and he calleth his owne shéepe by name For he hath their names written in the Booke of Lyfe He calleth his owne sheepe by name Hereof commeth it that the Apostle sayth The Lorde knoweeh who they be that he hys What shoulde I cite any moe places of this Auctour for this purpose If these will not satisfie Cerberus let him barke still tyll his throte be horse I knowe these may satisfie all that be not wilfully blinde For in three seuerall places S. Austen hath cited these wordes of S. Paule The Lorde knoweth who be his euen in the same sence that I haue done One other Scripture I will cite also which is written in the .xvij. of S. Iohns Gospell The wordes were spoken by our Sauiour Christ himselfe in that Prayer that he made to his Father the night before he suffered and they are these Non pro mundorogo sed probus quos dedâ—sti mihi quia tui sunt I doe not praye for the worlde sayth Christ but for those that thou hast giuen vnto mée bicause they be thine And that Cerberus may know what is ment here by the worde Worlde he shall sée what S. Austen writeth in his 107. treatise vpon Iohn concerning this text Mundum vidt modo intelligi qui viuunt secundum concupiscontiam mundi non sunt in ea sorte gratiae vt ab illo eligantur ex mundo non vtique pro mundo sed pro hijs quos ci pater dedit rogare se dicit Per hoc enim quod cos illi pater iam dedit factum est vt non pertineant ad cum mundum pro quo nore orat Deindâ— subiungit Quia tui sunt That is He would now haue vs vnderstande that those men be the worlde which doe liue according to concupiscence or luste of the worlde and are not in that state of grace that they might be by him chosen out of the worlde He doth not therfore say that he doth pray for the world but for them that his father gaue vnto him For by that that his father hath already giuen them vnto him it commeth to passe that they pertaine not vnto that worlde that he prayeth not for And after this he addeth Bicause they be thine If Cerberus were not to obstinately blinde he coulde not but see and confesse that S. Austen is full against him For what other cause doth s Austen alleadge why those that Christ prayde for were not of the worlde but onely that the Father had giuen them vnto him And what cause doth he alleadge why Christ might not choose them out of the worlde that he prayed not for but onely that they were not in that state of grace or mercye that they might be chosen out of the worlde And the text it selfe might persuade any man but Cerberus and his felowes that there is a number that be not restored by Christ For woulde Christ denie to praye for any of them y â— are restored by him I trowe not But to bring Cerberus from Hell gate if it will be I will cyte yet one place of S. Austen wherein he speaketh as plainely as any man can deuise to speake concerning this matter In his first booke that he writeth of the deseruings and forgiuenesse of sinnes and of y â— baptisme of Infants we reade thus in the .xv. chapter Ob hoc etiam dictum est omnes omnes neque enim qui generantur per AdaÌ„ ijdem ipsi omnes per ChristuÌ„ regenerantur sed hoc recte dictum est quia sicut nullius carnalis generatio nisi pâ—r Adam sic spiritales nullius nisi per Christum Nam si aliqui possent carne generari non per. Adam aliqui regenerari s 〈…〉 tu non per Christum non liquide omnes siue hic s 〈…〉 ibi dicer tur Eosdem autem omnes posteannultos dicit Possunt quippâ— in aliquare omnes esse qui p 〈…〉 ci sunt Sed multo 〈…〉 â—bet generatio carnalis multos spiritalis 〈…〉 multos haec spiritalis quam illa carnalis Verunt 〈◊〉 quem 〈…〉 dum illa omnes habet 〈…〉 s sic ista omnes iustoâ— homines Quia sicut nemopraeter illaÌ„ homo sic nemopraeter istaÌ„ iustus homo in vtrá 〈…〉 multi After S. Austen had sayde that it is not the only imitation of Christ that can make a man righteous but the frée mercy which doth regenerate by the spirite so is it not the imitation of Adam only that maketh vs sinners but the punishement which engendreth by the fleshe he addeth the wordes aboue in Latine which are in Englishe thus For this cause also is it said all and all for not the same all y â— are begotten by Adam are by Christ regenerated But this is well sayde that euen as the carnall generation of no man is otherwise than by AdaÌ„ so is the spirituall generation of no man otherwise than by Christ For if there might be some men begotten in the fleshe and not by Adam and some men regenerated in the spirite not by Christ we might not say plainely all either in the one place or in the other And afterwarde he doth saye that the same all are many for 〈◊〉 some certaine thing those which are but fewe may be all But the carnall generation hath many and the spirituall hath many also although this spiritual haue not so many as hath that carnall But yet for all that euen as that hath all men so hath this all iuste men For as without that no man is a man euen so without this no man is a 〈…〉 st man and in eche of these are many Now let Cerberus and his fellowes bark at Austen For he hath made the same interpretation of S. Paules wordes that I haue made before Whereby it is manifest that that Epistle that Cerberus buildeth vpon is not Austens owne but fained by some such as Cerberus is and put forth in
for then shoulde the lyke haue bene wrought in the Iewes that came to take Christ for when he sayde I am they al fel to the ground but it was wrought within by the power of the spirite Saint Augustine therefore sayth very well Qui fecit te sine te non te iustificat sine te Ergo fecit nescientem iustificat volentem He that made thee without thee doth not iustifie thée without thée therefore he made thée when thou knewest not but he doth iustifie thée being willing To this doe the wordes of Sainct Paule agrée when he sayeth Deus est qui operatur in vobis velle operari It is God that worketh in you both the will and the worke that is according to the will But first the will So that before we follow the drawer we are by the same drawer made willing to follow Thus doth S. Austen and so doe we that Cerberus barketh so at vnderstand the will of man to be frée To conclude this matter and to see what mans freewil is able to doe sée what S. Austen sayeth Creatus est primus homo in natura sine culpa in naturae sine vitio creatus est rectus nō se fecit rectū Quid se autem ipse fecerit notum est Cadens è manu Figuli fructus est Regebat enim cum ipse qui fecerat voluit deserere à quo factus erat permisit Deus tanquā dicens Deserat me inueniat se miseria sua probet quia nihil potest sine me Hoc modo ergo ostēdere voluit Deus homini quid valeat liberum arbitrium sine Deo The first man was created in nature without blame in nature without fault he was created vpright he did not make himselfe vpright It is knowne what he made himselfe Falling out of the hande of the Potter he was broken For he y ◠made him did gouerne him but he was willing to forsake him that had made him And God suffered him so to doe as it were saying thus Let him forsake me that he maye finde himselfe and that he maye by his miserie proue that without me he can doe nothing By this meane therfore would God shewe vnto man what frée will is able to doe without God This maye suffise to as many as will be satisfied But I feare me that Cerberus and his felowes are none of them By this it appeareth that we runne not into the extremities as Cerberus sayth we doe For we neyther teache fatall destinie nor popishe will libertie but we affirme that man hath a choyse and that in some meaning the same is frée and yet notwithstanding Gods forknowledge predessination and election to be infallible As shall more playnely appeare when I shall come to the place wherein I am by Cerberus charged with the setting forth of such a doctrine as is worthily mysseliked of many In the meane while I must say something of y ◠wherin I with others be charged and playnely affirmed to be Pelagiās And that it may appeare whether we be so or no it shall be néedefull that we set downe the opinion of Pelagius as we finde it written by S. Austen in a booke of more authoritie than is that Epistle that Cerberus buildeth vpon Saint Austen being requested by one named Quod vult Deus to write a Cataloge of heresies he satysfieth hys request And thus he writeth of Pelagius heresie Pelagianorum est heresis hoc tempore omniū recentissima à Pelagio Monacho exorta c. At this time sayth he there is the heresie of the Pelagians which is the newest of all and sprang out of one Pelagius a Monke Which maister one Celestius did in such sorte followe that their followers are also called Celestines These men are such enimies to the grace of God whereby we are predestinated to be adopted or chosen to be his children through Iesus Christ and whereby we are deliuered from the power of darkenesse that we may beleue in him and be translated into his kingdome for which cause he sayd No man cōmeth vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my Father and wherby Charitie is poured out in our hearts that fayth may worke by loue that they beleue that man is able without it to do all the cōmaundements of God whereas if that were true it might séeme that the Lord had in vaine sayde Sine me nihil potestis sacere Without me you can do nothing Whether we be of this mind with Pelagius or no let all the world that séeth our writings or heareth our doctrine iudge Or whether Cerberus and his fellowes be like to be of this minde which finde fault with our doctrine bycause we teach that there is an elected and chosen number to whome God hath giuen fayth and hath poured out loue in their hearts so that they maye come vnto Christ and by their works of obediēce to Gods wil shew forth the liuely fayth in Christ that in their election they haue receyued freely at Gods hand Let all the worlde I say iudge betwixte vs. We say that there is a certayne chosen number which in mercy are chosen to be the children of God images of the sonne of God Iesus Christ and inheritoures of his kingdome And that none can be of this number but those onely to whome it is giuen fréely without any maner deseruing eyther past present or to come And that they being thus chosen predestinated must alwayes acknowledge that it is God that worketh in them and that of them selues they are not able so much as to think a good thought And yet assure them selues that Hell gates can not preuayle agaynst them that is that the power of the Diuell shall not be able to hurte them And that though they be still sore assaulted and sometimes sore woūded yet they shal neuer be ouercome but shal ouercome in Christ and triumph with him in immortalitie for euer But Cerberus and his company say that al mankind is elected and that there is no reprobation at all and cōsequently no election For if there be none resused then is there none election but a generall acceptation And this their election they say is so vncertayne that no man can thereby be certaine of his saluation but al men must still remayne in doubte of damnation by sinne whereas S. Paule hath sayde that there is no damnation to them that be grassed into Christ And Christ himself saith that it is not possible that the elected sorte shoulde be seduced They say also that the power of mans Frée will is to receiue or refuse the grace of God which is indifferently offred vnto al. Which if it be true then must he be able also of himselfe to do that God commaundeth which is the playne errour of Pelagius Well I leaue these two opinions to the iudgement of the reader to consider which of them is most like to be that which Pelagius helde
sheading righteousnesse euerlasting lyfe by his resurrectiō According to y e saying of Paul Traditus est propter delicta nostra resurrexit propter iustificationē nostrā He was deliuered vnto death for our sinnes and he rose againe for our iustification But Cerberus and his fellowes do vrge the vniuersall signe Omnes All. Sicut per vnius delictum in omnes homines in condemnationem sic per vnius iustitiam in omnes homines in iustificationem vitae That is Euen as by one mans fault sinne entred into all men to condemnation so by the righteousenesse of one man is righteousenesse entred into all men to the iustification of lyfe This vniuersall signe muste néedes streatche it selfe to all Adams posteritie and therfore all muste be made righteouse by Christ These men will not see how suche vniuersall signes are vsed in the Scriptures They can not perceiue how this vniuersall signe shoulde in the first sentence streatche it selfe to all the generation of the firste Adam that sinned and in the seconde sentence to all the generation of the seconde Adam which is Christ The generation of y e first are all that haue or shall be borne of fleshe and bloud and the generation of the seconde are al they that be borne of God If we shoulde in all places of Scripture streatche this vniuersall signe all so farre as Cerberus doth streatche it here we should make as good a piece of worke as y e Nonne did which reade in s Paule Omnia probate proue all things And therefore hauing a minde to sir Iohn the Chaplen of the house she proued what it was to lye with a man And being with childe the matter came to the knowledge of the Abbas she excused hir selfe by Saint Paule who biddeth vs proue all things If a théefe that taketh another mans goodes shoulde excuse himselfe with Omnia mihi licent I may doe all things or Omnia vestra sunt All things are yours It would not be founde that these vniuersall signes should either make it léeful for him to take another mans goods or to haue right to that that is not hys by some iust title I woulde wishe Cerberus and his fellowes therfore to weigh this matter better before they triumph ouer vs in such sort as he doth in this his aunswere And I woulde wishe him to consider well whether saint Austen in the Epistle where these Articles of Pelagius be written do not write cleane contrary to this iudgement of his For in the very place that he citeth to make for his purpose S. Austen sayth thus Infantes nuper nati non sunt in illo statu in quo Adam fuit ante praeuaricationem vt ad ipsos pertineat quod breuiter ait Apostolus Per vnum hominem mors per vnum hominem resurrectio mortuorum Sicut enim in Adam omnes moriuntur it a in Christo omnes viuisicabuntur Vnde sit quod Infantes nō baptizati non solum regnum coelorum verum etiam vitam aeternam habere non possint That is Infantes that be lately borne are not in that state that Adam was before he sinned that that thing which the Apostle doth in fewe wordes affirme might partaine vnto them By one man came death and by one man came the resurrection of the deade For euen as in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alyne Wherby it commeth to passe that Insants which are not baptised are not onely vnable to enioye the Kingdome of Heauen but also lyfe euerlasting These wordes me think are very plaine against that which Cerberus would maintaine by Paule and Austen For if Infants vnbaptised can not haue the kingdome of God nor euerlasting lyfe how doth this saying In christo omnes viuificabuntur All shalbe quickned in Christ pertayne to all the posteritie of Adam vnlesse he will say that Infantes that dye before baptisme be not of Adams posteritie Better matter can I not wishe for against Cerberus than that which hangeth to the foundation that he himselfe buildeth vpon It were for my purpose to aduaūce the auctoritie of this Epistle bicause it helpeth me very much against this Hel Dogge Cerberus but bicause I woulde not haue the Reader to conceyue such an opinion of S. Austen as to thinke that he shoulde be of such minde as the Auctour of thys Epistle doth shewe himselfe to be in certaine pointes I will cite the iudgement of Erasmus concerning thys Epistle all other of this title That is Ad Bonifacium To Boniface Speaking of y e Booke of Epistles wher in this Epistle 106. is written he saith Nonnullae simplicitor confictae quod genus sunt illae Bonefacij ad Augustinum Augustini ad Bonifacium Some of those Epistles saith he are altogether fayned As are those of Bonifacius to Augustine and of Austen to Boniface Now iudge gentle Reader what this Cerberus meaneth that leauing the good and sounde workes of Austen where he writeth very well of this matter setteth his foundation vpon such rotten patches as some such as he is haue put forth in Austens name No maruell though Cerberus be ashamed to set his name to his booke This might suffise for our defence against Cerberus his assaulte in thys point But I will adde one Scripture or two and so the iudgement of some learned writers that he take not occasion of a new calumniatiō because I promised more than I haue yet performed Saint Paule writing to Timothe in his seconde Epistle and seconde chapter sayth thus Sed firmum fundamentum Dei stat habens signaculu hoc Cognouit Dominus qui sunt sui The foundation of God standeth firme and sure hauing this sure seale The Lorde knoweth who be his By which wordes it is manifest that S. Paule vnderstoode not that all mankinde were elected in Christ and so restored by Christ but a certaine number which though they be vnknowne vnto men yet doth the Lorde whose they be knowe them well and will not suffer them no nor any of them to perishe Wherfore he exhorteth all such as call vpon the name of the Lorde that is all Christians to depart from iniquitie For in a great house saith he there be not only vesselles of Golde and Siluer but also of Timber and Earth some to serue for honorable vses and some for vile vses I knowe how some doe wrest these latter wordes of S. Paule to proue that it is in mans power to depart from iniquitie bicause Saint Paule doth will Christians so to doe And especially those wordes which followe which are these Si quis ergo emund iuerit se ab istis erit vas in honorem sanctificatum vtile domino ad omne opus bonum paratum If any man therfore shall clense himselfe from these men he shall be a vessell sanctified vnto honour and profitable for the Lord being prepared and made readie for euery good worke These wordes do manifestly declare
Retractations and not reuoked But Cerberus purpose was craftily to cause all that would harken vnto him to estéeme both Caluin vs as most arrogant heretikes that wyll not sticke to compare one of our time with that auncient Father and to accept his iudgement without either reason or learning directly against the iudgement of him whom al the Church of Christ hath these many hundred yeres worthily reuerenced For who séeth not that Cerberus can not be one of those Gospellers that do accompt Caluin to be fully sufficient in auctoritie to encounter with Austen sith he writeth so bitterly against all thē that eyther write or preach that that Caluin hath in writing most euidently proued and defended Yea he alleageth Austen against Caluins doctrine and woulde seme thereby to triumphe ouer him and all that be of his minde As for the place that he cyteth out of Caluin I leaue for Cerberus to seke out at his leysure and when he hath founde it to note where it may be sound◠But I beleue it will be harde for him to find in Caluines workes that sentence in those wordes Cerberus There remaineth then as before I promised briefly to note those thyngs which I thinke worthye to be reproued about the doctrine of Predestination as it is now a dayes taught of many Wherin least I should seme to speake without assured grounde and bicause wordes in preaching in talke or disputation wherof I haue heard great abundance in thys matter may rashly passe with small aduisement and eyther easely be denied or soone forgotten I am determined to touch nothyng but their very wordes whych are set forth in Print And bicause the taking and aunsweryng of their whole bookes were a matter long and tedious being commonlye stuffed on the one side wyth an heape of opprobrious and outragious wordes against such priuate persons as they take in hand to write agaynst and on the other side filled rather wyth obscure subtelties than wyth plaine affirmations I haue thought it best therfore to take certayne sentences whych contayne manifest affirmatiōs out of diuers late printed Englyshe bookes wherein the summe and effect of this doctrine which manye doe for iust cause mislike is fully plainelye and simplye declared Crowley Nowe Cerberus beginneth to growe to the performance of his promise in noting those things in the doctrine of predestinatiō now preached as seme to him mete to be reproued And by the way he will not taunt vs but thus he sayth that in preaching talking and reasoning wordes may passe vs rashly and with small aduisement and be either easely denied or sone forgotten Wherfore he will touche nothing but that which we haue written and set forth in Print Well contented but yet I would Cerberus should knowe that we neither preache talke nor dispute with such rashnesse or small aduisement but that we are able and will by Gods helpe stande to all that we haue spoken therein and he is able to charge vs withall As for the outragious wordes that we vse towardes them that we write against shalbe found modest inough when they shalbe compared with the words that in this hys aunswere he vseth towards vs. Let him therfore procede in noting those things that he misliketh Cerberus I reade in an Englyshe booke set forth by Robert Crowley and entituled the confutation of .xiii. Articles c. these wordes Adam therfore beyng so perfect a creature that there was in him no lust to sinne and yet so weake that of himselfe he was not able to withstand the assault of the subtile serpent no remedye the onely cause of his fall must nedes be the predestination of God Thou seest dearly beloued in the conclusion of this sentence one point declared wherin the controuersie doth consist For where he plainlye affirmeth that Gods predestination is the only cause of Adams fall which is the sountayne of all sinne other hauing a much more reuerend opinion of God and of hys holye predestination do set their fote or rather their heart and soule agaynst their sayd conclusion Estemyng it far better to be torne in manye thousande pieces than to thynke or say that Gods fore-ordinance or predestination is the cause of any sinne or euil I besech thee let not thine eies be blinded or thy minde musfled wyth malice eyther agaynst the one partie or the other but in the ballāce of vpright iudgement waye the difference The one sayth as in this conclusion manifestlye appeareth and as afterwarde yet more plainly he affirmeth that the predestination of God is the onelye cause of Adams sinne and so consequently of all euill The other affirmeth directly contrary That God or his predestination is the cause of no sinne or euyll but the only cause of all goodnesse and vertue And herewyth agreeth the holye and diuine Apostle Sainct Iohn in hys Epistle saying All that is in the worlde as the concupiscence of the fleshe the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father Al good things that are in the worlde are no doubt of God our heauenly Father but whatsoeuer in the worlde is concupiscence lust sinne euill or wickednesse the same is not of God our heauenlye Father S. Iohn doeth piainly and precisely affirme The lyke playnenesse vseth also the holye man Iesus the sonne of Sirach in these wordes Say not thou it is the Lordes fault that I am gone by for thou shalt not doe the thing that God hateth saye not thou he hath caused me to go wrong for he hath no neede of the vngodlye The verye same thing is plainely declared in these Scriptures folowyng and in other places almost innumerable Psal 5. Pro. 19. Ieremie 7. 19. Oseae 13. Iob. 34. 36. Rom. 7. 1. Corin. 14. Iacob 1. Exod. 34. Deut. 5. 2. Reg. 14. Psal 81. 144. Prou. 1. Sap. 1. 2 11. 12. 15. Eccles 2. 18. Esay 5. 30. 55. 65. Lament Iere. 3 Ezech. 18. 24. 33. Ioel. 2. 4. Esdr 1. 2. 7. 8. Math. 23. Act. 17. 1. Timoth. 2. 4. 2. Pet. 3. The same sayth Austen also plainely in these wordes Non ergo casus ruentium nee malignitatem iniquorū neque cupiditates peccantium praedestinatio Dei aut exitauit aut suasit aut impulit sed plane praedestinauit iudicium suuin quo vnicuique retributurus est pro vt gessit siue bonum siue malum quod Iudicium futurum non esset si homines Dei voluntate peccarent Neither the falles of them that fall nor the wickednesse of them that be wicked nor the luste of them that offende hath the predestination of God eyther prouoked moued or compelled but without doubt he hathe forcordeyned his iudgement wherby he will recompence euerye man according as he hath done whether it be good or euyll the whiche shoulde be no iudgement if men did sinne by the will of God Crowley I do acknowledge that this English booke that Cerberus saith he hath read was of
words are these Viuo ego dicit Dominus Nolo mortem impij sed vt conuertatur impius à via sua viuat Conuertimini conuertimini à vijs vestris pessimis quarè moriemini domus Israel That is to say As truely as I liue saith the Lord I desire not the death of the vngodly but that the vngodly be conuerted froÌ„ hys owne way and liue Be conuerted be conuerted froÌ„ your most wicked wayes why will ye die O you house of Israel Saint Hierome expounding this place beginneth at these wordes in the same Chapter Tu ergo fili hominis dic ad domum Israel sic locuti estis dicentes Iniquitates nostrae peccata nostra super nos c. Therefore thou sonne of man speake thou to the house of Israell and say thus haue ye spoken saying Our iniquities sinnes are vpon vs. c. By occasion of which wordes S. Hierome sayeth thus Sinegligenter legamus videtur nobis eadem prophetia esse quae supra in qua dicitur Nunquid volens cupio mortem iniqui dicit dominus nisi conuerti eum à via sua mala viuere Et in fine eiusdem prophetiâ—e Conuertimini redite ab vniuersis impietatibus vestris non erunt vobis in tormentum iniquitates Ibi enim ad eos sermo fit qui volunt agere poenitentiam iustitia peccata delere vt cum fiducia conuertantur pleno animo agant poeniteÌ„tiam Hic autèm ad eos loquitur qui magnitudine peccatorum imo impietatum suarum desperant salutem dicunt Iniquitates nostrae peccata nostra super nos sunt in ipsis tabescimus quomodo ergo viuere poterinites Et est sensus Cum semel nobis mors proposita sit vulneribus nostris nulla medicina possitrestituere sanitatem quid necesse est laborare frustra consumi praesentem vitam nòn cum desperatione transigere vt saltèm hac fruamur quia futuram perdidimus Quibus respondet Deus nòn velle se mortem impij sed vt reuertatur viuat Et Apostropham sacit ad impios desperaÌ„tes coÌ„uertimini à vijs vestris pessimis Atque vt sciamus qui sint impij ad quos loquitur sequeÌ„s sermo demoÌ„strat Quarè moriemini domus Israel Vita autem mors in hoc loco nòn haec significatur qua omnes communi cum bestijs lege naturae vel viuimus vel morte dissoluimur sed illa de qua scriptum est Placebo Domino in regione viuentium That is to saye If we reade this negligently it séemeth to be the same prophecie that is before wherin it is said do I willingly desire the death of the vngodly sayth the Lorde or but that he be conuerted from his owne euill waye and liue And in the ende of the same Prophecie Be ye conuerted and come backe againe from all your vngodlinesses and your iniquities shall not turne you to tormentes For in that place he speaketh vnto those which are willing to repent and by righteous life to blot out their sinnes that they might with sure confidence returne vnto God and with full mindes repent But in this place he speaketh vnto theÌ„ that throughe the greatnesse of their owne sinnes yea their owne impieties do dispayre of saluatioÌ„ and say Our iniquities and our sinnes are vppon vs and in them doe we consume away how can we therefore liue And this is their meaning Seing that death is once set before vs and no medicine is able to heale our wouÌ„ds what nede we labour and be consumed and not passe ouer thys life with desperatioÌ„ so that at the least way we may enioy this life For the life to come we haue already lost Unto whome God maketh aunswere that he willeth not the death of the vngodly but that he be conuerted liue And he turneth his speach to the desperate vngodlye ones saying turne you from your owne wayes whiche are most wycked And that we might knowe who those wicked ones were to whome he spake the wordes that follow do declare O ye house of Israell why wyll ye dye And that life and that death wherby we do by the order of nature with the brute beastes eyther liue or die is not in this place signified but that life whereof it is written I will please the Lorde in the land of the liuing By these wordes of S. Hierome it appeareth that he vnderstoode not the wordes of Ezechiell in such sorte as Cerberus would haue vs to vnderstande them that is that by them is taught a doctrine contrarie to that which we teache and so consequently the places that we builde vpon proued to make nothing for our purpose For Hierome saith that in the .xviii. Chapter of his Prophecie Ezechiell speaketh to them that be penitent and woulde by righteous life blot out their sinnes past These doth he there encourage with bolde courage and assured hope of forgiuenesse at Gods hand to go forward with their repentance begon saying Be ye conuerted and returne againe from all your vngodlinesses and your iniquities shall not turne you to torment But in this place in the 33. of his Prophecie sayth S. Hierom the Prophete speaketh to the desperate people of y â— Iewes which said Our iniquities and sinnes are vpon vs. c. Giuing them selues to continue in wickednesse as those that dispayred of forgiuenesse of that which was paste although they should froÌ„ thenceforth endeuour amendment To these sayth the Prophet speaketh God saying Turne from your owne moste wicked wayes Why wil ye die O ye house of Israell The greatnesse of our sinnes can be no cause why we should dispaire of Gods mercy Wherefore we teache with Ezechiel Ieremie Esaie and the rest of the holye Prophetes that God is ready to receiue to mercy as many as by repentance and amendmeÌ„t of life turne to him beleuing the promise that he hath made in the death and bloudshedding of his only sonne Iesus Christ I conclude therefore that this place maketh for our purpose and not against vs. And least I shoulde trouble the Reader ouer much with such places as this I 〈◊〉 referre all such places to the aunswere I haue here made not doubting but the diligent Reader who seketh nothing but the simple trueth shalbe therewithall satisfied Nowe as touching the places of S. Austen whyche Cerberus citeth out of his boke De esseÌ„tia Diuinitatis And De libero arbitrio gratia I will first rehearse all the wordes that S. Austen wryteth in those places concerning this matter and then weigh them that we may sée how they may serue for Cerberus purpose The wordes are these Indurare dicitur Deus quorundam malorum corda sicùt de Pharaone Rege Egypti scriptuÌ„ est nòn 〈◊〉 omnipotens Deus ppotentiaÌ„ suaÌ„ corda corum induret quod est impiuÌ„ ità credere sed exegeÌ„tibus coruÌ„ culpis quam duritiaÌ„ cordis quaÌ„ ipsi sibi mala
Authour of the euill and sinne that is in the thing Cerberus saw many wayes whereby the subtiltie of our Riddle myght be aunswered but he would vse only the definition of sinne whiche he found written in the same English booke that our Enigma is written in Oh what a valiant champion is this he will vse none of his owne weapons he wil be able to wound vs yea vtterly to beate vs downe and conquer vs with our owne weapons Uerie trulie hath that English writer sayd sayth Cerberus that the nature of sinne is defined by y ◠authoritie of Scripture to be a thought word or déede contrarie to the will of God And bicause he will not séeme to take too much vauntage he passeth ouer the thoughts words and taketh only the déedes done against the will of God And with them he wil beate vs down flat to the ground The reason that he vseth is this If God be the Authour of that déede that is sinne and contrarie to the will of God how can he say that God is the Authour of the fact and not of the fault Here is a substantiall answere Bicause Cerberus can not tel how it should be so therfore it is not so neyther may any man say it is so And yet I haue proued it to be so both by the example of Sinacharibs death and other As Cerberus may sée if he will in the former part of this Apologie Cerberus And all thys their trauell is to proue that the ordinaunce and predestination of God doth so carrie men euen headlong vnto all actions though they be neuer so mischieuous that of necessity they must needes and can not choose but commit the same As though Gods predestination were like a tempest of winde so blowing in the sayles of a mans heart that by it he is caried headlong to all things whatsoeuer he doth according to the saying of the Poet Iam magis atque magis praeceps agit omnia Fatum Nowe more and more destinie hurleth al things headlong But surely this Stoicall necessitie maketh such a confusion of all things that let them colour vp the matter with as much cunning as they can and qualifie it with as fayre wordes as may be yet shall there neuer the state of a common wealth in England stand if thys persuasion may once take roote amōg the people beside that it is vtterly repugnant to the holie Scripture and against all the auncient wryters as shalbe hereafter briefly proued Crowley Nowe Cerberus is bolde to affirme that all that we do is nothing else but to proue that Gods ordinance and predestination doth carrie headlong all men into all actions be they neuer so mischieuous as a tempest carrieth all afore it c. Surely Cerberus is too bolde herein and doeth much mistake the purpose of our trauaile If he would he might sée except y e smoke of Hell haue marred his sight that our purpose i◠to proue that God in wisdome doth knowe foresée and order all things And that nothing can be done by any creature otherwise than as by his instruments which he doeth vse in wisedome mercie and iustice and that so all actions are his as the chiefe worker in all things And that the same actions as they are wrought by him are excéeding good although in the creatures that God vseth for his instruments some of them be excéeding euill But Cerberus sayth we doe maintaine Stoicall Fatum or destinie And that if thys persuasion may once take place in the people there shall neuer state of a Commonwelth stand in England Besides that it is contrarie to the holie Scripture and against all the auncient writers as he will briefly proue Well good Reader Marke I praye thee how Cerberus shall proue that he promiseth to proue and how he shall be aunswered againe And then doubt not but thou shalt sée how well that blind Curre standeth in his owne conceyte and thinketh himselfe to haue a cleare sight Cerberus And where they denie this doctrine of theirs to be the Stoicall opiniō bicause the Stoikes say they fayned that nature wyth such order of cause as she hath tyed together doth bring all things to passe by necessitie But they affirme that God by his eternall predestination foreordinance and prouidence bringeth all things to passe by like necessitie Thus doe the best learned of them make the difference But a playne dilusion it is to blinde the eyes of men withall For as Priscianus sayth Fatum which we call destinie is deriued of the particple Fatus whych is as much to say as spoken Bicause it is nothing else saith he but that which is spokē or appointed of God As if a mā should say it must nedes be so for God hath spoken the worde Eusebius also citing the definitiō of Chrisippus sayth that Fatum is nothing else but a certain decree ordināce or determination of God Which thyng to make no more rehearsall of many mens sayings Augustine plainely declared in his booke De Ciuitate Dei Lib. 5. Cap. 1. Thus sayth he is it proued that they dyd call the will of the high God Fatum Gods wyll sayeth Austen they called Fatum or destinie It is manifest therefore that the Stoikes did not imagine that nature by an order of causes brought all things to passe by necessitie But rather that God foreordeining and appointing in order all causes in nature or otherwyse brought all thyngs to passe by necessitie Whych thyng together wyth the order of causes Tullie speaketh of plainly saying Fati necessitas c. The necessitie of destinie sayth Tullie is that which of God is ordeyned and appointed that it come to passe by an euerlasting order of causes Crowley The Stoikes we as Cerberus sayth do differ only in this That they affirme al things to come to passe by y e necessitie of destinie we by y e necessitio of Gods eternal predestination foreordinance prouidence And this is the difference that the best learned amongst vs do make Who these best learned be Cerberus doeth not tell vs. But this I am sure that none amongst vs that is learned wyll say that there is none other difference betwene the Stoicall opinion and ours thā that which Cerberus hath set downe For the Stoikes helde that the willes of men are not vnder the necessitie of their Fatum or destinie bicause they could not sée how it should so be and yet be frée also as it may well appeare by that that S. Austē writeth in the .x. Chapter of his fift booke De Ciuitate Dei where his words are these Vnde nec illa necessitas formidandaest quam fermidando Stoici laborauerunt causas rerum ita distinguere vt quasdam subtraberent necessitati quasdam subderent atque in his quaes esse sub necessitate noluerunt posuerunt etiā nostras voluntates nè videlicet nòn essent liberae si subderentur necessitati c. That is to say Wherefore that necessitie is
we doe neither denie nor call it by the name of destinie except it be so as we may vnderstand Fatum to be deriued of the word For faris that is of speaking For we can not denie but it is wrytten in the holie Scriptures God spake once these two sayings I my selfe hearde it that power belongeth vnto God and vnto thée O Lord belongeth mercie for thou wilt giue vnto euerie man according to his workes And where as it is said he spake once we vnderstand that he spake vnmoueably that is vnchaungeably euen as he did vnchaungeably know al things that are to come and that he himselfe will do After this sort therfore we may say that Fatum or destinie is deriued à fando or speaking if this name had not now bene accustomed to be vnderstāded of another matter wherevnto we are not willing that mens hearts should be enclined Now if Cerberus haue ought to say against this let him make S. Austen one of vs. For we are in this point all one with him Cerberus And as for that which the Heathen did attribute to the starres or planets they meant none other but that God ordeined the planets in nature to worke such things as he before had decreed appointed Euen as we also iudge that God vseth the operatiō of the planets in sending such rayne tempest faire weather or soule as his pleasure is let them say therfore what they cā or wil. This meere necessitie which our men do teach is the verie same which the Stoikes did hold which opinion bicause it destroied the state of a common wealth it was banished out of Rome as Augustine declareth Lib. Quest vet no. Test Where he notably refelleth that opinion in these few words saying Qua ratione nati dicuntur c. By what reason sayth Augustine were they borne which banished Mathematicos the setters forth of destinie out of Rome which law was kept and they were but Heathen howe were those things done by destinie which make agaynst destinie But surely if there be a destinie it doth nothing against it selfe saith Aug. For so were destinie no destinie or at the least destinie fighting agaynst it selfe Or to speake the same in those wordes which our men by abuse take out of the Scripture to maintain the very same matter If it be Gods predestination that men should write and speake agaynst hys predestination as they saye some men do then is Gods predestination a Kingdome not only deuided but also fearcely fighting agaynst it selfe O miserable absurditie which any child may perceyue must needes follow if all things come to passe with absolute necessitie by Gods predestination as they teach Thys same doctrine also that all euill springeth out of Gods ordinance or that Gods predestination was the cause of Adams fall and of all wickednesse is plainly maintained in an English boke lately set forth and entitled agaynst a priuie Papist c. where among many open and plaine sentences vpō this matter I find an argument made in these words Whatsoeuer was in Adam was in him by Gods wil ordināce sinne was in Adam Frgo sinne c. was in him by Gods will ordināce The maior of which argument being vnderstand of Adam after his fall is manifestly false therefore the cōclusion also is false for if it may be sayd of Adam after his fal as by the minor you wel perceyue that he so doth vnderstand it then may it also be sayd now of any man that what execrable wickednesse so euer is in any mā that same is in him by Gods wil ordināce He goth about also to proue the same by another argumēt which he maketh speaking of the lying spirit saying God cōmaūded him to sinne but God commaūded nothing which he ordeineth not so he ordeined him to sinne Which argument it was maruel that any man could be so blind as not to see how it might with more strength and force and much more manifest truth be turned against him in this sort speaking of Adam yea and of all men saying God commaunded Adam and doth commaunde all men to absteine from sinne but he commaundeth nothing which he ordeineth not Ergo God ordeined Adam and all men to absteine from sinne If God then ordeyned Adam and all men to absteine from sinne than did he not ordeyne Adam or any man to commit sinne so was not sinne in Adam or in any man by Gods will and ordinance nor Gods ordynance the cause of Adams fall or of any mans sinne And therefore their opinion is vtterly false also if God in hys secret counsell do predestinate appoint and ordeine man to sinne and yet gyue vnto him a straight law and commaundement not to sinne is not then his secret wyll contrary to his open word and hys eternal ordinance repugnant to his written law All theyr sayre wordes and sine framed fetches can not auoide it Crowley Let vs say what we can or wyll sayth Cerberus the méere necessitie that we teach shall be all one wyth that which the Stoikes helde affirming their Fatum or destinie To this I haue sufficiētly answered before shewing plainly by S. Austens words that we teach none other doctrine herein than did S. Austen in the same booke De Ciuitate Dei out of which Cerberus citeth matter against vs. But nowe Cerberus hath founde another authoritie of saint Austen agaynst vs in his booke as Cerberus sayth which he wrate and entitled Questiones ex vtroque Testamento In the question 115. he sayth thus Qua autem ratione nati dicentur qui Mathematicos vrbe Roma prohibuerūt quod ius seruatum non ignoratur Et certè Pagani fuerunt Quomodo fato fiunt quae contra fatum sunt Sed si est fatum non facit contra se c. That is to say By what order shall it be sayd that those men were borne which did forbydde the Mathematicks that is to say y e tellers of mens fortunes or destinies to come within the Citie of Rome And it is wel knowen that that lawe was kept And doubtlesse these men were Heathen men Howe are those thinges done by destinie which are against destinie But if there be a destinie it worketh agaynst it selfe c. sayth Austen But stay there Master Cerberus and proue that Austen was Authour of that booke So may it be of some authoritie with vs. But Erasmus hath alreadie proued by sūdrie good reasons that S. Austen did neuer write it As may appeare to as many as wyll reade his iudgement set forth before the beginning of this booke Where wryting of this parte of that booke out of which Cerberus hath cyted the wordes aboue wrytten he sayth Disputat contra Mathematicos quoque altius ingreditur opus hoc licentius ineptit That is to say He disputeth agaynst the Mathematicks and the déeper he doth enter into the worke the more outragiously doth he play the parte of a foole But Cerberus wyll not
conclude that I charge al rulers with tyrannie The rulers are commaunded of God who is theyr ruler and to whom they shal render an accompt of their doings that they shall punishe the breakers of Gods cōmaundements and to that ende hath God giuen them a sword Woe vnto them therefore if they do not punysh such and defend the innocent And when they do punish the offenders and defend the innocent then do they their dutie So far of do I thinke them to be from the fault of tyrannie But Cerberus woulde fayne haue the Rulers angrie with vs and especially with Crowley And therefore he laboureth to make thē beleue that Crowley saith that which he neuer thought The words that Cerberus hath cited out of my booke against Shaxton when they be indifferently weyghed shall be found none other in effect than are those wordes that Esaie wrate in the. 45. Chapter of his Prophecies where he sayeth thus Vae contendenti cum sictore suo Testa cum testis terrae contendat An dicet lutum sictori suo quid facis opus tuum manibus destituitur That is to say Wo be to him that doth contende with his maker Let the earthen vessell contende with the earthen vesselles Shall the claye saye vnto him that made it what duest thou make and thy worke is not made with handes What other thing can Esaie meane by these words but that as it is a thing farre vnséemely for a piece of clay to stand vp and reason with him that tempereth it with his fingers and to say vnto him why doest thou fashion me after this sort so is it vnséemely that man should reason with God concerning his purpose in making him after this fashion or that or to this vse or that vse But if man wil reason this matter let him reason it with him y ◠is a man as he is so were there some reason in his doings For although one man haue by Gods ordinance authoritie ouer other men yet may not that man do with the rest what he lusteth as God maye doe with his creatures Wherfore I conclude that Cerberus his exclamation with woe worth the sinfull generation of our age c. is not worth the weighing neyther would Cerberus if he had séene thus much before haue thought it worth the writing as I suppose Cerberus Against which errour crieth out the word of God in a multitude of places manifestly prouing that through the grace helpe of God mē may choose and are neyther driuen by absolute necessitie nor compelled by Gods Predestination to commit murder theft treason or any such flagitious offence nor any maner of sinne or euill whatsoeuer it be As for example Moyses sayth Therefore choose life Deut. 30. And Iosua sayeth choose whome you will serue And after when the people promised to serue the Lord only he sayth vnto them you are witnesses vnto your selues that ye haue chosen the Lord to serue him Iosua 24. But afterward when the people forsoke the Lord agayne and chose other Gods the Lord sayth vnto them Goe crie vnto the Gods which ye haue chosen Iud. 10. Christ sayeth Marie hath chosen hir that good part which shall not be taken from hir Luc. 10. Dauid sayth I haue chosen the way of truth and againe in the same Psalme I haue chosen thy commaundements Psalm 119. But the Lord saith by his Prophet Esay They did wickednesse before mine eyes and chose the thyng that pleased me not Esay 65. and in the next chapter he sayth Et elegerunt quae ego nolui And they haue chosen those things whych I would not Esay 66. Thus it is playne that as choose and can not choose agree together so doth their opinion agree wyth the Scripture for such direct contrarietie is betwene choise and meere necessitie betwene violēt compulsion and christian libertie that blacke and white may wyth more possibilitie be coupled in a subiect But it is maruell to see how scrupulous some mē are in these wordes of choyse I doubt whether they dare read these many such like places of scripture which so plainly speake of choyse But perhap they alway skip ouer that word or reade some other in steade therof as the Iewes do Adonai in steade of Iehouah for surely manie are so afrayde of freewill that they fall as the Prouerbe sayth out of the lime Kell into the cole pit from high presumption into depe desperation fiercelie following that olde spirite of wicked Pelagi as before it is touched in the .ix. of his diuelish errors where he affirmeth that if a mā haue neede of Gods helpe then hath he no freedome or choyse at all Thus do they breake theyr shippe vpon the perillous rocke seeking to escape the daungerous Hurlepole For an horrible presumption it was of Pelagius to thinke that a man by nature had such power to choose good and refuse euill that he needed not the grace and helpe of God and a desperate opinion is this of other to say that the predestination of God worketh all things in man whether it be good or euill and that a man can not choose but do whatsoeuer he doth For no doubt thys opinion maketh a verie disordered Chaos and an vtter cōfusion of al thyngs as it were mixing thrusting together both heauen earth and hell Making one confused lumpe of God the Diuell and the world Of sinne grace and nature turning all doings into dreames all trueth into traunces all veritie into sables all prayer and meditation into vaine imagination For if Gods predestination be the onlie cause of Adams fall and filthie sinne and consequently the onely cause and worker of all euill yea euen wyth compulsion sorce as they shamefully and plainly affirme then will no man denie that on the other side Gods predestination worketh as violently in all thyngs that are good So then if Gods predestination work all without all exception both in euill and good then all other things whatsoeuer they be although they appeare to worke and doe some thing yet doe they in dede vtterly nothyng So that the Diuell doth nothyng man doth nothing lawes do nothing doctrine doth nothing prayer doth nothyng but Gods predestination doth altogether is the efficient cause yea and the only cause of all thyngs Agaynst thys opinion the worde of God is exceding playne and manifest not only in the places before rehearsed but also in these folowing here briefly noted yea and abundantly throughout the whole Scripture Gene. 4. a. Reg. 24. b. 1. Para. 21. b. Pro. 3. d. Eccle. 15. c. 4. Esd 7. b. d. g. e. 9. a. Luk. 10. d. f. Ioā 1. b. Act. 5. a. 1. Cor. 7. g. 9. a. 10. c. 14 f. 2. Cor. 13. c. Phil. 4. c. Heb. 11. Against this euill opinion also doe all the auncient Doctors wyth one cōsent vehemently write as they by themselues cannot denie except only Augustine whych bicause of his exceeding obscuritie and
that he is moued with affectiōs as men be Whereas in God His vnderstanding his vnmeasurable power his vnsearcheable wisedome his mercifull goodnesse his truth and iustice his chastenesse and fréedome in all poyntes to wyll what he lusteth to do what it pleaseth him and to purpose appoynt what liketh him are essentiall properties without which he neyther is nor can be God To imagine therefore that there was a time wherein God was purposed to destroy man and that his mercie in Christ hath chaunged that purpose and caused him now to purpose and will to saue man is to imagine y t there was a time wherin God was not so mercifull as he is now so not so perfectly God as he is now And that by experiēce he hath learned some what more wisedome than he had at the first and therefore may be wiser hereafter than he is now How great absurdities these are I leaue to the iudgement of the indifferent Readers But Cerberus will saye that though I haue sayde some thing against him yet I haue sayd nothing for him whose wordes I haue taken in hande to defende but in my wordes I séeme to fight against them both I aunswere I haue not taken vpon me to defend eyther mine owne or other mens wordes sucder than in conscience I thinke them to be true And if I did thinke that the wryter of that glose did meane as grossely as I perceyue by his open wordes that Cerberus doth I would not spare him more than I haue spared Cerberus but for as much as his wordes séeme not to me to haue any such meaning as to teach that there was a time wherein God was mercilesse towards mā that his mercy first sprang out of his will and purpose as Cerberus doth plainely teach that his wil and purpose sprang out of his mercie I must not refuse to take that good meaning of his wordes which may séeme to me to be according to the truth of Christian religion The wordes of Paule whervpon this note is made are these I will haue mercie on him to whō I wil shew mercie Upon this it is noted in the margine that as the onlie will and purpose of God is the chiefe cause of Election and Reprobation so his frée mercie in Christ is an inferiour cause of saluation and the hardening of the heart an inferiour cause of damnation I vnderstand the meaning of these words to be that as the only wil purpose of God is the chiefe cause that there was an Election and choise of some and a refusall of other some so the shewing forth of his mercie in Christ is an inferiour cause that is an instrumentall cause whereby saluation is wrought in the elected according to Gods will and purpose and the hardening of the hearts of the reprobates an instrumentall cause of damnation in the reprobates according to the same eternal wil and purpose He therefore that sayth we must ascende to an higher cause of Election than that which appeareth in the execution of Gods mercie in Christ doth not teach to set vp the essentiall properties one aboue another as thoughe one were fountaine of another and that God lacked the one till it sprang out of the other but he teacheth that the same mercie that we sée executed in Christ in time was decreed in the eternall will and purpose of God before all time and so was the refusall of thē whose heartes we see hardened in time If any man do sée cause to iudge otherwise of this glose I am well pleased that the same vse his owne iudgement in enterpreting the meaning therof And if I may perceyue any mans iudgement herein to be sounder than mine I trust I shalbe ready to condescend to that And least any man should thinke that herein I doe followe mine owne fantacie without example of any thing that I sée in the auncient Fathers I will sette downe the wordes of S. Austen that haue bene a meane to confirme me herein In his 14. booke De Ciuitate Dei 〈◊〉 11. Chapter S. Austen writeth thus Sed quia Deus cūcta presciuit ideo hominē quoque peccaturum ignorare nòn potuit secundum id quod praesciuit itque disposuit ciuitatem Dei debemus asserere nòn secundum illud quod in nostram cognitionem peruenire nòn potuit quia in Dei dispositione nòn fuit Nec enim homo peccato suo diuinum potuit perturbare consilium quasi Deum quod statuerat mutare compulerit cum Deus praesciendo vtrūque preuenerit id est homo quem bonum ipse creauit quam malus esset futurus quid boni etiam sic de illo esset ipse facturus Deus enim etsi dicitur statuta mutare Vnde tropica locutione in Scripturis sanctis etiam poenituisse legitur deum iuxta id dicitur quod homo spera 〈…〉 rat vel naturalium causarum ordo gestabat nòn iuxta id quod se omnipotens facturum esse praesci 〈…〉 rat That is to saye But bycause God did know all things before hand and therfore could not be ignorant that man should sinne we must teach that the holie Citie is such a thing as he did foresée and appoint that it should be not such as we could not come to the knowledge of bicause it was not in that disposition or order that God made Neyther was man by his sinne able to disorder the purpose of God as though he shoulde haue constreyned God to chaunge the thyng that he had once decréed séeing that God by his foresight did preuent both that is to say both how the euill man should become whom he had created good and also what thing he woulde make of him euen when he shoulde in such wise become euill For although it be sayd that God doth chaunge his purposes whereof it commeth that by a figuratiue speach it is reade in the holie Scriptures that God did repent the same is spoken according to that which man hoped for or that which the order of naturall causes did import not according to that which the almightie did know before hand that he himself would do Againe the same Austen in his booke De diuersis questionibus 83. and the. 15. 16. 17. questions sayth thus Deus omnium quae sunt causa est Quod autem omnium rerum causa est etiam sapientiae suae causa est Nec vnquà m Deus sine sapientia sua Igitur sempiternae sapientiae suae causa est sempiterna nec tempore prior est quam sua sapientia Deinde si patrem sempiternum esse inest deo nec suit aliquandò non pater nunquam sine filio fuit Omne praeteritum iam nòn est Omne futurum nòn dùm est Omne igitur praeteritum futur 〈…〉 non deest Apud d 〈…〉 m autem nihil deest Nec praeteritum igitur nec futurum sed omne praesens est apud deum That is to saye God is the cause of
my writing I acknowledge also that Cerberus hath cited the wordes truely euen as I wrate them But that I ment by them as Cerberus doth conclude vpon them I vtterly deny For he concludeth that I haue affirmed that Gods predestination is the onely cause of all euill Whiche I neuer ment to teache neither do my wordes duely considered giue any occasion of such conclusion I graunt my words might haue bene more explaned and my meaning set forth more at large and all occasions of suche calumniations cut off if I had sene that before I wrate that booke whiche I thanke my Lord God I haue sene since Wherfore I minde by the help of God to do that now y e I was not so well able to do then that the Reader may perceiue that I haue with Austen profited in writing My words that Cerberus citeth are these Adam therefore being so perfect a creature that there was in him no lust to sinne and yet so weak that of him selfe he was not able to withstande the assault of the subtile serpent no remedie the only cause of his fall must nedes be the predestination of God Cerberus findeth no fault with any of these wordes till he commeth to no remedy And then no remedy I must be condemned as one that affirmeth Gods Predestination to be the onelye cause of Adams sinne and so consequentlye of all sinne But I haue not saide that Gods predestination was the onelye cause or anye cause of Adams sinne My wordes be that Gods Predestination is the onelye cause of Adams fall Nowe Cerberus can not sée howe Adams fall may be good and therefore he sayeth that it is the fountaine of all sinne and that to be the cause of that fall is to be the cause of all sinne But suche as haue eyes to sée do sée that as Gods predestination is the cause of Adams fall so Adams fall is good For it is the meane whereby God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeliefe that he might haue mercye on all And the meane whereby the Scripture shutteth vp all vnder sinne that the promise which is of the faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to the faithfull I write therefore now as I wrate before in my Consutation of Shaxtons Articles that for asmuch as there was in Adam nothing to moue him to sinne for lust to do contrarie to Gods wil was not yet entred into him Sathan the enimy had no power then neither hath anye power yet ouer anye creature of God further than God doth limit and appoint him it must nedes followe that the only cause that Adam was assaulted ouerthrowen by Satan was the predestination of God which is euer all one with his vnsearcheable will counsel The fall of Adam thus considered neyther is nor can be counted sinne for it is the performance of Gods purpose whiche is euer good although vnsearchable by mans feble vnderstanding And yet I do not denie Adams fall to be sinno in Adam himself for it was Factum cōtramandatum Dei A dede done contrary to the commasidentent of God And so it had a cause in Adam himselfe which was the power of his wil whereby he consented to y e enticement of Satan who vsed the woman as his instrument therin Of thys will and the power therof Sainct Austen writeth thus De libero arbitrio lib. 3. Cap. 18. Cum autem de libera voluntate rectè faciendi loqui 〈…〉 de illa silicet in qua homo factus est loquimur When we speak of the will that is frée to do wel we speake of that will wherein man was made And againe in his booke De natura gratia Cepite 43. speaking of man he saith Quis enim eum nescit sanum inculpabilem factum libero arbitrio atque ad iustè viuendum libera potestate constitutum Who knoweth not that man was made found vnblameable and that he was ordeined with frée choyse and frée power or libertie to liue righteously And againe in his boke De Correptione gratia Cap. 11. Istam gratiam non habuit homo primus qua nunquam vellet esse malus sed sanè habuit in qua si permanere vellet nunquam malus esset sine qua etià m cum libero arbitrio bonus esse non posset sed eam tamenper liberum arbitrium deserere posset Nec ipsum ergo Deus esse voluit sine sua gratia quē reliquit in suo libero arbitrio quoniam liberum arbitrium ad malum sufficit ad bonum autem nihil est nisi adiuuetur ab omnipotenti bono quod adiutorium si homo ille per liberum non deseruisset arbitrium semperesset bonus sed deseruit desertus est Tale quippe erat adiutorium quod desereret cum vellet in quo permancret si vellet non quo sieret vt vellet The firste man had not thys grace whereby he shoulde neuer be willing to be euill but yet he had that grace whereby he might haue bene alwayes preserued from euill if he would haue continued therin and without which also he coulde not by frée will be good but yet he was able by frée wil to forsake it God therfore would not haue him to be without his grace whō he had left in his owne fréewill For fréewil is able inough to do euil but to do good it hath no power at al except it be holyē by the almightie goodnesse which helpe if that man had not by fréewill forsaken he shoulde haue bene good for euer but he did forsake and was forsaken For the helpe was such that he might forsake it when he woulde and suche wherin he might remaine if he woulde not such whereby it might come to passe that he should be willing By these places of S. Austen we maye see of what minde he was concerning the frée will of man before his fall It was suche that hée mighte consent to what hée woulde But the grace to be willing to consent to nothing but that which was good was not giuen vnto mā that man might haue experience of the power of his own will and so for euer after ascribe al the glory to him that worketh all in all The cause of Adams fall therfore euen by the iudgement of S. Austen of whome Cerberus maketh suche boast was not in himself For God had fore appoynted that by that meanes man should haue experience of hymselfe and so learne to trust in one stronger than hymself But the cause that made his fall sinne was in himselfe For he did willinglye consent to the perswasion of his wife who also had in like maner consented to the persuasion of the Serpent If Cerberus could consider the fall of the first man after this sort he would neuer conclude that I teaching that the Predestination of God was the onelye cause of mans fall shoulde withall conclude that it is the onlye cause of all sinne and euill For I do