(h) Vives l. 4 page 4â—9 Qui veritate suâ sidit nihil reformidat examen ingenii imo advocat quantum potest exacuit who is confident of the goodnesse of his Faith feareth no examination but rather as much as may be soliciteth and provoketh his Adversary to the Combat Truth whether it be in men or doctrines is best when it is uncovered it covets no corners though error doe but is willing to abide the tryall (i) Psal 139.23.24 Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me saith the Prophet David knowing his heart to be without guile And our Saviour telleth us (k) Ioh. 3.20 21. that every one that doth evill hateth the light and commeth not to it lest his deeds should be reproved but he that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God As St. Paul sayth of an Heretique Titus 3.11 he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Selfe-condemned so we may say of Heresie and untruth it condemneth it selfe and by nothing more than by refusing the touchstone He is to be thought an empty Scholler who is loth to be apposed and his gold to bee light and counterfeit who will not have it toucht and weighed and those opinions to be but errors which would so willingly walke in a mist and dwell in silence when it concerneth the peace of the Church so much to have them examined 3. Reason Infamy 3 The Jnfamy of it It is an opinion especially as it is defended the upper way odious to the Papists opening their foule mouthes against our Church and Religion abhorred mainteyned eyther way by all the Lutherans who for this very Tenet call us damned Calvinists thinke us unworthy to be above ground and in their writings protest that they will rather unite themselves to the Papists then to us And it is also distastfull to all the Greeke Churches which are very many Molin in his Anatomie speaking of the Supralapsarian Doctrine sayth (l) Molin Anat. Arm. c. 12. de Praed If it should be so that God hath reprobated men without the consideration of sinne or hath ordayned them to sinne yet it is the part of a wise man to conceale these things or not to know them rather then to utter them (m) Quia enunciata injiciunt scrupulos ausam praebeÌ„t adversatiis infamandi veram Religionem Because when they are taught and defended they fill mens heads with scruples and give occasion to the Adversaries of defaming the true Religion The same may as truly be sayd of the Sublapsarian way For as I have sayd they are in substance all one And Sir Edwyn Sandys is of the same minde too For in his most excellent Booke called a Survey of the State of Religion in the Westerne parts of the World Speaking of the deadly division betweene the Lutherans and Calvinists in Germany Sir Edwin Sandys pag. 172. he hath these words That though the Palsgrave and Landsgrave have with great judgment and wisdome to asslake those flames imposed silence in that part to the Ministers of their party hoping the charity and discretion of the other party would have done the like yet it falles out otherwise For both the Lutheran Preachers rayle as bitterly against them in their pulpits as ever and their Princes and people have them in as great detestation not forbearing to professe openly that they will returne to the Papacie rather then ever admit that Sacramentary and predestinary Pestilence For these two points are the ground of the quarrell and the latter more scandalous at this day then the former And in the same book pag. 194. and 198. speaking of men whom he commendeth for singular learning and piety whose iudgment he so sets down as that he declareth it to be his own he sayth that they think it were no blemish for the reformed Doctors to revise their doctrines and to abate the rigour of speculative opinions for so he is pleased to call them especially touching the eternall decrees of God wherein some of their chief authors have run into such an extreame to all Romish doctrine as to have exceedingly scandalized all other Churches withall yea and many of their own to rest very ill satisfied At the closing up of the conference at Mompelgart Coll. Momp pa. 566.567 Ofiand Hist Eccles pa. 1040. Cent. 16. when Frederick Barle of Wortenberg exhorted his Divines to acknowledge Beza and his company for brethren and to declare it by giving them their hand they utterly refused saying they would pray to God to open their eyes and would doe them any office of humanity and charity but they would not give them the right hand of brotherhood because they were proved to be guilty errorum teterrimorum of most pestilent errors among which they reckon'd for one Hemingius left his own side and joyned with us in the poynt of the Sacrament but he would come no nearer mainteyning alwayes a distance in this And as for the Grecians pag. 237. we learne also by Sir Edwin Sandys his relation that they doe mightily dâ—ssent from that doctrine touching the eternall counsels of God which Calvin as some conceive first fully revealed or rather introduced into the Christian world and since some of his friends and followers have seconded as thinking it very injurious to the goodnesse of God and directly and immediately opposit to his very nature Jn regard of which one of their Bishops hath written a Booke against it which hath been sent to Geneva and there received It is a morsell which the greatest part of Christian Churches cannot swallow and therefore I think it should not very easily without suspicion downe with us And to say one thing more by this infamy of it among Christians pag. 223. 224. it is very probable that among the too many scandals given to the Iewes by Christians among whom they dwell this doctrine is not one of the least rubs in the way of their conversion For they think it a bad opinion sayes the same iudicious and learned Gentleman Which some of great name have seemed to hold that God in his everlasting and absolute pleasure should affect the extreame miserie of any of his Creatures for the shewing of his justice and severity in tormenting them or that the calamity casting away and damnation of some should absolutely and necessarily redound more to his glory than the felicity of them all considering that his nature is meere goodnesse and happinesse and hath no affinity with rigour or misery This is my third reason Reason 4. Affinity to Fate The fourth It 's affinity with the olde exploded errors of the Stoicks and Manichees The opinion of the Stoickes was that all actions and events were unavoydable determined either by the revolutions of the Heavens and the qualities of such starres as raigned at mens births
that he might be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged that is men may lye for all men are lyars but God can never lye If any man would goe about to challenge him with untruth his challenge would easily appeare to be a calumny the truth of God like the glorious Sunne will break through all the clouds of false accusations that seek to obscure it Simile gaudet Simili Like loveth his like God loveth such as are true of heart Psal 51.6 and hath an hypocrite in utter detestation and therefore he must needs be true himself No man for ought I know doubteth of it But by absolute Reprobation God is made untrue and Hypocriticall in his dealings with men and in all matters appertaining to their eternall state particularly 1 in his commands 2 in his offers of grace and glory 3 in his threats 4 passionate wishes and desires of mens chiefe good and 5 in his expostulations and commiseration also 1 In his commands For by this doctrine God commandeth those men to repent and beleeve whom he secretly purposeth shall not beleeve Though God command Reprobates to beleeve the Gospell (i) L. contr schafm pa. 60. Etsi reprobos mandat Deus ut evangelio credant non vult tamen ut credant yet he will not have them beleeve saith Piscator Now whom God commandeth to beleeve and repent those he willeth outwardly should beleeve and repent for by his commandements he signifieth his good will and pleasure and he must inwardly and heartily will it too or els he dissembleth For words if they be true are an interpretation of the minde when they are not they are meere impostures and simulations 2 In his offers of grace and glory which he maketh to such as refuse them and perish for refusing them as well as to those who do accept them to their Salvation This is evident Esay 65.2 J have spread out my hands al the day long To whom to a rebellious people and Math. 22. we reade that those men were invited to the wedding that came not and Act. 3.26 there 't is sayd to the Iewes who had denyed Christ as vers 14. To you hath God sent his Sonne IESUS to blesse you in turning every one of you from your iniquities How oft sayth Christ would J have gathered you speaking of such as neglected their visitation and so lost their salvation It is evident also by reason For as many as are under the Commandement are under the Promise too as wee may see Act. 2.38 39. Repent and be Baptized every one of you and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for to you and your children is the Promise made In which words Peter maketh the command and the promise of equall extent both universall And there is cause why for he maketh the Promise his motive to perswade obedience to the command and it would not have reached home if it had not respected all those to whom the command was given No man Reprobate or other thinketh any lesse every man that heareth the Gospell preached taketh himself to be under the gracious offer of eternall life and upon these thoughts hath some desires some hopes of it and stirreth up himselfe to forsake some pleasing sinnes which otherwise he would not part with and doe some unwelcome dutyes which otherwise he would not doe But now Gods meaning is by this doctrine that the most of those to whom he offereth his grace and glory shall have neither And so Piscator saith (k) l. de praed contrâ— schaf pa. 74. Gratia non â—ffertur à Deo singulis licet vocatis animo communicandi cam sed solis Electis Grace is not offered by God even to those who are called with a meaning to give it but to the Elect onely In the same Booke he hath such another speech (l) Non vult Deus reprobos credere licet linguâ profiteatuâ— se velle pag. 143. Though God in words protest hee would have Reprobates to beleeve yet indeed he will not have them They make God to deale with men in matters of Salvation as the Poets feigne the Gods to have dealt with poore Tantalus They placed him in a cleere and goodly river up to the very chin and under a tree which beare much sweet and pleasant fruit that did almost touch his lips but this they did with a purpose that he should tast of neyther For when hee put his mouth to the water to drinke it waved away from him and when he reached his hand to the fruit to have eaten of it it withdrew it self presently out of his reach so as he could neither eat nor drink Iust so dealeth God with Reprobates by their Doctrine hee placeth them under the plentifull meanes of Salvation offereth it to them so plainly that men would think they might have it when they will and yet intendeth fully they shall never have it with-holding from them either the first grace that they cannot beleeve or the second grace that they cannot persevere Did not those Gods delude Tantalus yes doubtlesse And if God doe so with Reprobates what doth he but delude them and dissemble with them in his fairest and likelyest offers of Salvation that he makes them And this do Zanchius and Bucer grant by evident consequence as appeareth by a speech or two of theirs which cannot stand with their conclusion and therefore I suppose fell unwarily from them Zanchâ—us telleth us roundly that every man who is called is bound to think that he is elected otherwise he doth offer great injury to God and (m) Zanch. l. 5. de nat Dei c. 2. Perst ingerâ— Deum mondacii qui illi in verbo dicit se velle salurem ejus in hunc finem ad Châ—istum vocasse accuse him of lying which saith to him in his word that he desireth his Salvation and for this cause hath called him In which speech he plainly implyeth that if God call a man whom he hath absolutely rejected he doth but delude him when he calleth him The like speech hath Bucer (n) Bucer in c. 8 ad Rom. q. de praed Primum quod Deo debes est ut credas esse te ab eo praedestinatum Nam id ni credas facis eum tibi cum te ad salutem vocat per Evangelium illudere A man must beleeve that he is predestinate or else he maketh God to mock him when he calleth him A man therefore that is not predestinate but an absolute Reprobate when he is called to Salvation is but deluded it is the necessary resultance of their speeches If a Creditor should resolve upon no termes to forgive his Debtor one farthing of his debt and yet make him offers to remit the whole upon some conditions and bind his offers with a deep and solemne oath would not we say that he were a ranke dissembler and a meere deluder of his poore debtor We can say no lesse of God if
as he hath layd on none a necessity of â—inning And a little after he is plainer (y) Quos verissimè praescivit impios iniquos futuros insuâ impietate iniquitate permansuros justis rectissimis de causis decrevit statuit praedestinavit perituâ—os sicut ipse ait Qui peccaverit mihi ipsum delebo de libro meo Those whom God did foreknow would live and dye in their wickednesse for reasons most just he decreed should perish as himselfe saith Him which sinneth against me even him will J blot out of my booke In the Valentine Synod assembled in favour of Gottschalk we may finde these words (z) Can. 2. Nec ipso malos ideò perire quia boni esse non potuerunt sed quia boni esse noluerunt suo que vitio in massâ damnationis vel merito originali vel etiaÌ„ actuali permaÌ„serunt Therefore do the wicked perish not because they could â—ot but because they would not be good and by theyr owne fault Originall or actuall also remained in the masse of perdition And in the end of their third Canon they denounce Anaâ—hema to those that hold that men are so predestinated unto evill as that they cannot be otherwise (a) Can. 3. Verum aliquos ad malum praedestinatos esse divinà potestate ut aliud esse non possint non soluÌ„ non credimus sed etiam si sunt qui tantum malum credire velint cum omni deâ—estatione sicut Araâ—sica Synodus illis Anathema dicimus That any should be saith the Councell predestinated to evill by the power of God so as he cannot be otherwise we doe not onely not beleeve but also if there be any that will believe so great an evill with all detestation we denounce them accursed as the Arausican councill also did By these testimonies which are but a few of many it appeareth that absolute and inevitable Reprobation â—ound but cold entertainment from Antiquity Which considering I began to call it into question For albeit I make not the decisions and determinations of the Fathers or councels the rules of my faith because they are but men and therefore subiect to error yet I honour their gray hayres and their grave assemblyes and do vehemently mistrust those doctrines which they never taught or approved but misliked and condemned 2 Its vnwillingnesse to abide the triall I finde that the authors and abetters of it have beene very backward to bring it to the standart not onely when they have beene called upon by their adversaries to have it weighed 2 Reason Vnwillingnesse to be tryed but also when they have beene intreated thereto by their chiefe Magistrates who might have compelled them a shrewd argument mee thinks that it is too light In the disputation at Mompelgart anno 1586 held between Beza and Jacobus Andrea with some seconds on both sides Beza and his company having disputed with the Lutherans about the Person of CHRIST and the Lords supper when they came to this poynt did decline the sifting of it and gave this reason among others that it could not then be publiquely disputed of (b) Beza in Coll. Mompel pa. 373. Sine gravi eorum offendiculo qui tanti mysterij capaces non sunt without the great scandall and hurt of the ignorant and unacquainted with these high mysteries (c) Braud Col. Hag. pa. 57. The contraremonstrants also in their Conference with the opposite parties at the Hague in the yeare 1611 could not be drawne to dispute with them about this poynt but delivered a petition to the States of Holland and West Friezeland that they might not be urged to it resolving rather to break off the conference then to meddle with it In the Synod likewise at Dort in the yeares 1618 and 1619 the Remonstrants were warned by the President of the Synod (d) Act a Syn per 1. pa. 133. Vt de electione potiùs quam de odiosa Reprobationis materiâ agerent That they should rather dispute of the point of Election then the odious point of Reprobation Can this Doctrine be a truth and yet blush at the light which maketh all things manifest Especially considering these things 1 That Reprobation is a principall head of Divinity by the well or ill stating and ordering of which the glory of God and the good of Religion is much promoted or hindered 2 That there is such a necessary connexion betweene the points of Election and Reprobation both being parts of Praedestination that the one cannot well bee handled without the other 3 That the Doctrine of Reprobation was the chiefe cause of all the uproares in the Church at that time 4 That it was accused with open mouth and challenged of falshood and therefore bound in Iustice to purge it selfe of the crimination 5 That the Remonstrants did not at that time desire that it should be talked of among the common people who might have stumbled at it but disputed of among the judicious and learned who as the thressing Oxen which were to beat the corne out of the huske are to bolt out those truths which are couched and hidden in the letter of the Scriptures That the doctrine which is loth to abide the tryall even of learned men carrieth with it a shrewd suspicion of falshood the Heathen Orator shall witnesse for me who to Epicurus saying that he would not publish his opinion to the simple people who might happily take offence at it answereth thus (e) Cicer. de fin bon malorum l 2 pag. 115 Aut tu eadem ista dic in judicio aut si coronam times dic in Senatu Nunquam facies Cur nisi quod turpis est oratio Declare thine opinion in the place of Judgement or if thou art afraid of the assembly there declare it in the Senate-house among those grave and judicious persons Thou wilt never doe it and why but because it is a foule and dishonest opinion This striving to lye close is peradventure no infallible argument of a bad cause yet it is a very probable one For true Religion as Vives saith is not a thing guilded over but gold it selfe the more that 's scraped and discovered the brighter and goodlyer it is and so is the truth (f) Vives de veâ— fidei l. 1. p. 16. Puriorem ac nitidiorem illam â—eddit bellum quam pax adversus gentes Disputations illustrate and set forth true opinions more then silence can let 's not feare therefore saith he lest our Faith when it is layd open appeare filthy to the eyes of beholders (g) Metuant hoc aliae religiones falsae umbranles Let false and Superficiall religions in which there is no soundnesse be afraid of this The Iew is loth to reason with the Christian touching his Law and the Turke is forbidden to dispute of his Alcoran because their Religions are brittle like glasse broken with the least touch But the Christian
in religion cannot long continue for the affections have been the strongest planters and are the surest upholders of it in the world Primus in or be Deos fecit timor 3 Because it taketh away the desert and guilt of sinne Offences if fatall cannot be justly punished The reason is because those deeds for which men are punished or rewarded must be their owne under their owne power and soveraignty but such are no fatall actions or events Neither temporally nor eternally can sinne be punished if it be absolutely necessary 1 Not temporally as God himselfe hath given us to understand by that law which he prescribed the Iewes Deut. 22.25 which was that if a maide commit uncleannesse by constraint she should not be punished His reason was because there was no cause of death in her what she yeelded to was through compulsion being overborne by power as a man that is wounded to death by his Neighbour so was a virgin in that case a sufferer rather then a doer This particular law is of universall right no just punishment can be inflicted for sin where there is no power in the party to avoyd it The speech of Lypsius is but a meere crotchet contrary to reason Fatali culpae fatalis paena Fatall faults must have fatall punishments Did Magistrates think mens offences unavoydable they would think it bootless and unreasonable to punish them Nay not onely so but we see by dayly experience that Iudges following the direction of reason have very remissely punished such faults as have been committed through the power of headstrong and exorbitant passions Yea we may reade of some who have not thought it fit to punish such faults at all Valerius Maximus telleth that Popilius a Roman Praetor Val. Max. l. 8. c 1. sitting in judgment on a woman who had in a bitter passion slaine her mother because she had murther'd her children neque damnavit neque absolvit neyther cleered her nor condemned her Gell. l. 12. c. 7. And Aulus Gellius reporteth of Dolabella the Proconsull of Asia that when a woman of Smyrna was brought before him who had poyson'd her husband and son for murdering a son of hers which she had by a former husband he turned her over to the Areopagus which was the gravest most renowned judgment seat in the world The Iudges there not daring to acquit her being stayned with a double slaughter nor yet to punish her being provoked with just griefe commanded the Accuser and the Offender to come before them 100 yeares after And so (l) Neque absolutum mulieris venesicium est quod per leges non licuit neque noâ—ns damnata punitaque quae digna venia fuit Neyther was the womans fact justified the Lawes not allowing it nor yet the woman punished because she was worthy to be pardoned If wise Magistrates have spared such Offenders as have beene over-swayed with passions which did but incline not determine them to their irregular actions they would never have punished any trespassers if they had thought them to be such by invincible necessity Or if offenders did thinke that their offences were theyr Destinies and that when they Murther steale commit adultery make insurrections plot treasons or practice any outragious villanies they doe them by the necessity of Gods unalterable decree and can doe no otherwise they would and might complaine of their punishments as unjust as Zeâ—oes servant did When he was beaten by his Master for a fault he told him out of his own grounds that he was unjustly beaten because he was fato coactus peccare constrayned to make that fault by his undeclinâ— bâ—e fate The Adrumetine Monkes misled by S. Austin Epist 105. ad Sixtum Presbyterum which he calleth a Booke wherein he setteth downe his opinion concerning Gods grace did so teach grace that they denyed Free-will And this S. Austin confuted in his booke De gratia lib. arb And thinking the grace of God as S. Aug. taught to be such as could not stand with freedome of will they thought that no man should be punished for his faults but rather prayed for that God would give them grace to do better Against this S. Austin directed his other Booke De Corr. grat In which discourse though it be grace that is still named yet predestination is included Kâ— in praâ— aâ—l Luth. de serâ—â—lâ— For as Kimedoncius sayth truly in his Preface to Luther de servo arbitr Betweene Grace and Predestination there is onely this difference as S. Aug. teacheth l. de Praedest SanctoruÌ„ cap. 10. that Predestination is a preparation of Grace and Grace a bestowing of Predestination As Zenoes servant and these Monks did so would all men judge did they considerately think that men could not choose but offend And what would be the resultance of such a perswasion but an inundation of the greatest insolencies and a dissolution of all good government 2 Nor if this be true can sinne be punished eternally or that tribunall be just on which the sentence of eternall fire shall be denounced against the wicked at the last day To this I have the Fathers bearing witnesse generally and plainly Tertullian hath these words (m) Tertul. lib. 2. Contr. Marcion Caeteâ—ùm nec boni nec mali merces â—re peÌ„saâ— ei qâ— aut bâ—nus aut malus neccisitate suit inventus non vâ—luntate The recompence of good or evill can with no justice be given to him who is good or evill not freely but of necessity S. Hierom sayth (n) Liberi arbiâ—i nos condiâ—t Deus accâ—d vâ—tu es nec ad â—a necessitate trahimur alioquin ubi necessitas est nec damnatio nec corona est Where necessity domineers there is no place for retribution Epiphanius sayth (o) Epiph. advers her l 1. haer 5. num 3. Sanè quidem justiâ— a stâ—lis quae necessitateÌ„ priuat paeâ—ae repetantuâ— quam ab eo qui quod agit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessitate adactus aggreditur The starres which impose upon men a necessity of sinning may bee punished with better justice then the men themselves (p) Aug. l. 2 contr Faust c. 5. Et nos quidem sub fato stellatum nullius hominis genesin ponimus ut liberum arbitrium voluntatis quo bene vel male vivitur propter justum Dei judicium ab omni necessitatis vinculo vindicemus We place mens nativities under no fatall constellations sayth S. Aug. that we may free the will by which a man liveth eyther well or ill from all bands of necessity because of the righteous judgement of God Prosper speaking of the judgment of God by which he decreed to render unto every man according to his workes (q) Prosp ad Obj. 10. Vinc. Quod judicium futurum omnino non esser si homines Dei voluntate peccarent This judgment should never be if men did sinne by the will and determination of God Fulgentius also sayth the same
remission of sinnes to every one but yet upon condition they will repent beleeve and doe that which hee meaneth the greatest part of men shall never doe nor me among the rest Min. God hath a true meaning that all men who are called should repent and beleeve that so they might be saved as he would have all to be saved so he would have them come to the knowledge of the truth and as he would have no man to perish so he would have all men to repent and therefore he calleth them in the preaching of the word to the one as well as to the other Tempt God hath a double call an outward by the preaching of the word in mens eares an inward by the irresistible work of the Spirit in their hearts The outward call is a part of Gods outward will with that he calleth every man to beleeve the inward and effectuall call is a part of his secret will and with that he calleth not every man to beleeve but a very few onely whom he hath inevitably ordain'd to eternall life And therefore by the outward call which I enjoy among many others I cannot be assured of Gods good will and meaning that I should beleeve repent and be saved By this we may see that no sound comfort can be fastned upon a poore soule rooted in this opinion when he lyeth under this horrible Temptation The example of Francis Spiera an Italian Lawyer will give some further light and proofe to this This Spiera about the yeare 1548. against his knowledge and conscience did openly abjure his Religion and subscribe to Popery that therby he might preserve his life and goods and liberty Not long after he fell into a deepe distresse of conscience out of which he could never wrestle but ended his wofull dayes in despaire To comfort him came many Divines of worth and note but against all the comforts which they applyed to him hee opposed two things especially 1 The greatnesse of his sinne it was a sinne sayd he of a deep dye committed with many urging and aggravating circumstances and therefore could not be forgiven This argument they quickly took from him and convinced him by the example of Peter that there was nothing in his sinne that could make it irremissible Peter that committed the same sinne and with some more odious circumstances repented and was pardoned and so no doubt might he 2 He apposed his absolute Reprobation and with that he put off all their comforts Peter sayth he repented indeed and was pardoned because he was elected as for me I was utterly rejected before I was borne and therefore I cannot possibly repent or be saved If any man be elected he shall be saved though he have committed sinnes for number many and haynous in degree but if he be ex repudiatis one of the Cast-awayes necessario condemnabitur he shall be inevitably condemned though his sinnes be small and few (w) Nihil interest an multa an pauca an magna an parva sint quando nec Dei misericordia nec Christi sanguis quicquam ad eos pertinet A Reprobate must be damned be his sinnes many or few great or little because Gods mercy and CHRISTS merits belong not to him In this Story recorded by Coelius Secundus and Calvin with some others who lived at that time and wrote of it to theyr friends as in a glasse we may see the disconsolate condition of a poore Soule that is strongly conceited that the greatest part of the world are absolute Reprobates and that he is one of them he sticketh so fast in the myre and clay that he can very hardly be drawne out 2 It maketh Ministers unable to afford true comfort to the Tempted and this it doth because it 1 Taketh from them all solid grounds of comfort 2 Leaveth them onely weak and insufficient grounds 1 It bereaveth them of all solid arguments of comfort which are these The universality of Gods love of CHRISTS death and of the new Covenant of grace That Minister which doth explaine and apply these three things soundly and wisely to him which is tempted in this kinde doth that which is aboundantly enough for the releeving and releasing of him from this Temptation And he that doth not apply these leaveth him as he found him in the midst of the Temptation still whatsoever may be sayd to the contrary in the heate of Disputation (x) Melâ—nct loc com p. 52 c. 1 Pred Etli maleâ— disputantur dumâ—ùs â—men necesse est in veâ—o agone ad hanc arcem confugere videlicet quò i de voluntate dei judicaÌ„dum sit ex presto verbo quòd promissio sit universalis quòd sit mandatum Dei aeternum immutabile audire filiuÌ„ assentiri promissioni Though sayth Melancthon there be many things disputed in this point more harshly yet when all is done the universall promise of Grace and Salvation is a Christians onely Bulwark in this temptation and combate (y) Obtemperemus igitur nè vagentur animi quaerentes electionem extra verbuÌ„ relicto Christo omisso mandato de amplectenda promissione sed teneamus ceâ—â indubitatâ fide promitioneÌ„ gratiae non inanem esse fabulam sed Deum verè patefecisse voluntateÌ„ suam in promissione vaerè praestare quod promisit Let us not therefore sayth he leave CHRIST and seek for an Election out of the word but let us judge of Gods will of saving men by the promise and commandement which are both universall And in another place of the same Book he hath these words (z) P. 230. de prom Evang. Sicut est necesse scire EvangeliuÌ„ esse promissione gratuitam ita necesse est scire Evangelium promissionem universale esse Hanc universaleÌ„ tenere necesse est adversus periculosas imaginationes deprae destinatione ne disputemus hanc promissionem ad paucos quosdam alios pertinere non pertinere ad nos Non enim dubiâ—m est qum omnium animos haec cogitatio exerceat As it is needfull to know that the promise of Salvation is free so it is needfull to know that it is universall against some dangerous conceits of Predestination By these speeches we see clearely what this learned man thought to be the true balm of Gilead wherby a wouÌ„ded soule should be cured viz. The universality of the promise and of Gods love and of CHRISTS death for they all hang together and cannot be dis-joyned The reason why those grounds are able to helpe a man in such a case is two-fold 1 Because they are directly contradictory to the temptation a will to save all a giving of CHRIST to death for all a serious offer of grace to all cannot possibly stand with an absolute antecedent will and intent of casting away the greatest part of mankind or to say the truth of any one man in the world Vpon this followeth the second reason 2 Because they serve