that shuld be faythful â—he dothe not say bycause I was faythful It is gyuen therfore to the faythful man â–ª But how Truly bycause he shold be faythful Wherfore in an other place of y â— same boke I spake these wordes very wel as followeth for if we be called to fayth beleffe by the mercy of god not by works the same mercy is giuen to them whiche do beleue that they sholde worke wel no man ought to be greuyd offendyd bycause the geÌ„tils haue y e same merci And yet I dyd not so dylygently handell that vocacion whiche is of the porpose mynd of god as I ought shold haue done The fourth Chapter NOwe verely you do se what mynd I was of then coÌ„cerninge fayth works although my cheife studye and labour shulde haue ben to set forth the grace of god in the which opinion these our brethren I perceaue are nowe because they haue ben more diligent and desyrous to rede my workes then to take anye fruyte or profit by them as I did â–ª For if they hadde they shuld haue founde this question opened and made playne to them in the fyrste boke of those twayne which I did wryte when I was fyrst made bysshop vnto the blessed father Simplician byshoppe of the church of Milan which succeded in the said office to holy father Ambrose except paraduenture they haue not sene those woorkes â–ª If they haue not se that you cause them to loke on them Of this fyrste boke of the twaine which I dyd wryt to Symplician in my seconde booke of retractations I saide these words folowing Of al the workes whiche I did wryte after I was byshoppe the fyrste twayn were made and dedicated vnto Symplician the heade father and minister of the churche of MillaÌ„ which was byshop there next to Ambrose about diuerse questions taken forth of the epistel of Paule vnto the romaynes About two of the sayde questions I spent all the fyrst booke Of the whiche the fyrst question was vpon thys place of Paule where it is writen What shall we then saye is the law synn god forbyd continuing to that place where the Apostle doth saye who shal delyuer me froÌ„ the body of this death The grace of god thorowe Iesu Christ oure lorde Vpon the whiche wordes of the Apostell the lawe is spiritual but I am carnall and suche other words where the flesh is declared to fight against the spirit I made myne exposition as thoughe man was there described to be yet vnder the lawe and not vnder grace But a good whyle after I perceaued founde that it perteyned yea also to the spyrytuall man whyche is the more probable and true opinion â–ª The seconde question of that fyrste booke beganne from that place where Paule doth saye not onely that but also Rebecca was gotte with chyld by one who was our father Isak contynuynge to that saying where he doeth saye except the lord of Sabaoth had left vnto vs sede we had beÌ„ as SodoÌ„ lyke vnto Gomor In the solution of this question I toke on me to proue fre wyl to be in man but the grace of god went beyond me and ouercam me I was broughte to this poynt and farther I could not go that the words of the Apostel shoulde be founde verye trew where he sayde who doth dyscerne or preferâ—e the what haste thou that thou haste not receaued yf thou haue receaued it why doeste thou boaste thy selfe as thoughe thou haste not receaued it The holy martyr Cypryane wyllynge to shewe him selfe to be of thys mynde dydde prefyxe and set thys tytule folowynge before a certayne booke which he made conteynynge this whole matter that is we ought to boste vs of nothiÌ„g because we haue nothinge of oure owne Beholde for what cause I sayd that I was ouercome by the testimonye of the Apostle when I was of a contrarye minde in the boke whiche I wrote to Symplycian otherwise thaÌ„ god hath now made open vnto me This testimonye of the Apostle when he spake those wordes to plucke in y e proud harte and great boasting of man wyll not suffer that any faythfull man shulde saye I haue fayth of my selfe whiche I receiued not This proud aunswer is put aside by the wordes of the Apostell Yea and that also is wiped away clene by the selfe same wordes that they cannot saye although I haue not a perfecte faith of my self yet haue I the beginninge therof by the whiche I do beleue fyrst in Chryste â–ª for therto answere is made where the Apostel saythe what hast thou that thou hast not receuid if thou haste receuyd it wherof doest thou bost the as though thou haste not receuyd it â–ª The v Chapter BVt whereas they do say that these words what hast thou whiche thou hast not receuyd doo not pertayne nor are to be vnderstaÌ„ded spokeÌ„ of this fayth bycause it doth abyed and remayn styll in y â— same nature now being corruptâ—d whiche nature was at the fyrst gyuen to vs whole and perfect these ther wordes do make no thing for their pourpose that they wolde haue them make for if they do consyder and marke well for what intent purpose the apostel dyd speke theÌ„ For his mynd and pourpose was that no man sholde be proude or bost him selfe of ani man For ther were rysen dyssentions and varyances among y â— Corinthians whiche were christians newe come to y â— faith so that one sayd I hold on paule an other sayd I am Apolos dyscyple â–ª an other I take part w t Cepha For this cause said he god hath chosen the folysh of the world to confound the wyse men therof and the weake to confound y â— stroÌ„g myghty the abiects moste vyle pâ—rsons and that which is nothiÌ„g for to euacuate make voyd nought worth those things which dâ—â—pere to be of great pryce valew y â— no flesh shold bost it selfe of any thing in this present lyfe Here euery maÌ„ may se the mynd of the apostel y t he ment nothing ells but to pluck in to destroye the pryde of man y t no man shold be proud 〈◊〉 any maÌ„ and so by that nether iÌ„ him self Furthermore when he sayde that no flesh shold be proud before god that he might shewe to vs also in whom man ought to reioyse and be proud he added these wordes Of hym saythe he are ye in Christ Iesu which is made vnto vs the wysedome it selfe by god whiche is made our rightwysnes our sanctificatioÌ„ our redempâ—â—oÌ„ y t as it is wrytten who so reioiseth let him reioise be proud in y â— lordâ— HervpoÌ„ had he occasion to rebuke them saying for yet ar you carnal For somuche as there is emulatioÌ„ stryfe contention among you are not ye fleshly and carnal and walk ye not after the maners of men men For when any of you do say I am Paules disciple or
made byshop In the which disputatioÌ„ I both knolegid yea defendid that the beginning of faith is the gyft of god Which of al mi bokes doth make oftener mention of thys matter than those bokes which I vrot intitulid of my confessioÌ„s which I wrot befor pelagians heresy was spoken of In those bokes did often times make mi petition to our lord god sayiÌ„g Gyue to me that which thou doest command and coÌ„mand what thou wilt Which my words PelagiaÌ„ being at Rome vpon a certain tym hearing a byshop which was ther rehersing in his presence cold not beare nor abyed to here them and chaffyd so against them that almost he had fallen out with the byshop that spake them What thing doth god fyrst and cheffly command vs to do but y â— we shold beleue in him Then if y t be wel spokeÌ„ of me gyue that thou commandest it doth folow that he doth gyue that we shold beleue And in those same boks also as to thing that which I spake of my conuersion the lorde being the coÌ„uertor of me vnto the fayth which fayth with out ragios madnes and made babeling I dyd before al y t I myght impong do ye not remeÌ„ber that I dyd openly knowledge testifi that by the faythful and dayle tears of my mother I was converted to the fayth There also I dyd saye that god by his grace dyd convert and torn the wyls of men vnto the same grace which meÌ„ had not onlye not receuid yt whiche were oute of the fayth but the harts also of those men which are enemies vnto it he doth torne And as tochinge perseuerance which is to continew styl in that faith til the end how I haue made my petition to the lord for to haue it grauÌ„ted and gyuen to me if ye be disposed ye can both tel rehers the words also Al the gyfts therfore of god which ether I desyred and praid for to haue or whiche I I comendyd and praysed in the same boke what man is so bould I wyl not saye to denie but ones to doubt that god knew not befor â–ª that he wolde gyue them yea and that he could not be ignorante to whom he wold gyue them This is the playn and manifest predestination of saynts whiche predestination necessite constrayned vs at the last with greater diligence and more earnest labor to dâ—â—â—nd when we dysputed against the Pelagians For we do sai that euery heriâ—e doth bringe with it his own proper questions newly inuentid Against y â— whiche the holy scripture requireth more diligent and ernest defence aud greatar labor than if no sych necessyte had constreined vs thervnto For what thing caused the places of y â— scripture whiche do commend set forth predestinatioÌ„ to be so diligently serchyd out by these oure labors defendid but bycause the Pelagians do hold defend that the grace of god is gyueÌ„ after our merytts Which what other thing is it but a plain denial of grace Chap .xxi. TO confounde therfore that opinion which is vn â—â—inâ— and vnthankful to god yea and also an enemie to the fre and liberal benefits of god wherby we are sauyd we do defend acording to the scripturs that both the begynnyng of fayth and perseuerance therin to y â— ende wherof we haue spoken soâ— many wordes at the gifts of god For if we do saye that the beginnyng of faythe is of oure self that by and for the same begynning we may deserue to receue againg other rewards and gifts of god then do the pelagians conclud without ani more words that the grace of god is gyueÌ„ after our meryts This opinion the catholique fayth hath so abhorred that pelagiaÌ„ being in fear lest he shold be condemnyd therfore dyd fyrste condeme yt his own selfe And againe if we wold say that perseuerance to the end is of our selfe and not of god then do theye answer that the begynning is as wel of our selfe as the end therof making this reason saying Yf we haue the pour in oure selfe that we maye continewe to the ende miche more haue we the beginninge in our owne power for to beleue forsomich as it is a more greate and busiar matter to make an end thaÌ„ to begin And so after this fashion they do conclude that the grace of god is gyuen after our deseruing But if both to gither as wel to begin as to make an end ar the gifts of god and also if he knowethe before that he wil giue those gyfts whiche of no man cann be denied theÌ„ must predestination be prechid that the right and trew grace of god that is to say which is not gyuen after any humain meritts maye with al power and strength be defendid And as tochinge my selfe in the boke which I wrotte entituled of correction of grace which worke coulde not satisfie please all my frendes I thinke that I didde so set forthe perseuerance which is to th ende for to be the gyft of god that if I do remember my selfe wel I neuer befor dyd wright therof nether more weightly nor more playnlye And yet in that place I did not speake of it after that fashion as thoughe I had bin the first which had spoken therof and that non had medled therwith before me For the holy father Cyprian as I haue told you before hath so expounded our petitions conteined in the lordes prayer that he saith we do pray for perseueraunce in the first petition affirminge that we then do desyre that same of god when we do saye Let thy name be halowed which is that for somuch as we ar sanctefied in baptyme we desire that we may continue in that same stil whiche we haue begon But I wold y â— all these to whom for the loue they do bear vnto me I shuld not agaiÌ„ be vnkind which men as you doo writ do embrase commend al my writinges this only excepted whiche we haue nowe in question I wold Isey that they shuld loke se whither in y â— latter part of y â— first boke of those twain which I wrot to Simplician the byshop of Mylan before Pelagians heresye dyd spring vp any thing doth remâ—â—n doubtful wherin I shulde semâ— to doubt that y â— grace of god is not gyueÌ„ after our merits And also I wolde they shuld se whether I haue not don sufficiently concerning the begynning of faith declaringe that it is the gyft of god And also whither it maye not appeare of the words whiche I dyd speake ther although I spake theÌ„ not so openly that the perseuerance to the end as wel as the begynning of faythe is noone otherwise ours than by the gyft of hym whiche hath predestened vs to his kyngdome and heauenly glory Forthermore as toching that epistel which I wrote against y â— PelagiaÌ„s vnto the holy father Paulinus bishop of Nolan against the which epistel now of late thei haue begon to contend
⧠A worke of the predestination of saints wrytten by the famous doctor S. Augustine byshop of Carthage and translated out of Latin into Englysshe by Nycolas Lesse Londoner ¶ Item another worke of the sayde Augustyne entytuled Of the vertue of perseueraunce to th end translated by the sayd N. L. Lâ—ndini Anno â–ª 1. 5. 50. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ To the right vertuous Ladi Anne douchesse of Somerset c. her faythful dayly orator Nicholas Lesse wissheth the grace of god with the increasse of al godly vertuse FOrsomyche as among many ther is on corrupt sort of heretiques malicious despisars of the moste benigne and liberat grace of God right godly disposed Ladi which wyl haue that hys omnipotent almighti maiesty sholde be as it wer after a certain fashion bound to ther viel fragylyte and weaknes and not rather them selfe to hys omnipotency and infinit power deneyeng hys eternal predestination makiÌ„g it none otherwise to be certain thaÌ„ as they wyl haue yt them selues yea many of them vtterly denieng that there is any predestination at al which are of y â— great masters stout defendars of fre wyl hauing in ther heddes y â— eyse of cocaâ—rices in ther toÌ„gs the stings of adders and in ther stomachs the poyson of todes kiuered and cloked ouer with goodly wordes such as a man wold think did com from the mouth of god hym self with outward religion and sanctimony of lyfe being able to deceaue yea those which at wise men â—iche more the simple vnlerned people I haue therfore taken vpon me to shew vnto them yea not to them but to those whoÌ„ they go about to deceaue y â— this doctryn of predestination whiche the goâ—ly men do reche and they most wyckedly denied is no straunge new doctryn but sicâ—e as the old church hath alway firmly beleued constantly defendid translating this noble worke of the great doctor saint Augustin entituled of y â— predestination of sayncts whiche at the elect and chosen people of god foorthe of the laten into oure mother tong that al men maye se before ther eyes how rank dedly ther poyson is and so take hede beware therof in time And lykwis as this boke is to be set abrode to conuince them which do stond in y â— denial of the predestinatioÌ„ of god which this godly doctor dyd wryght agaynst certayne heretiques that denied the grace of god to be a fre gyft proceding of hys owne goodnes not of our deseruings euen so it semed to me a thing very necessari for this present tyme against these venemose beastes which do enfect al most al meÌ„ whoÌ„ they do but look on with the dedlieys of ther poysonos docryn I do mean the anabaptysts and fre wyl masters â–ª whych are so mych more daungerouse as ther myschefe is cloked with a dobl face of holines ten tyms more religious to sem to than were y â— supersitious arrogant papystes whych beastes say do holde a contray heresy to those whoÌ„ saynt Augustin did imponge graunting that the beginnyng of our belefe is the gyfte of god which theye denied but with toothe and nayle defendyng that al good workes are of our selfe which thother ascribed to y e gift of god and that al good workes are in our own power ether to do theÌ„ or to leaue them vndone procediÌ„g of our owne fre wyl affyrmyng al so moste erronyosly that his workes do none otherwyse take effect in vs than we wyl of oure selfe receaue them making his heuenly maiesty bound to a sorte of encarnate deuyls for how maye he be called omnipotent if any parte of his omnypotency stondeth in the wil of man I thoughte it I saie necessari to ioyn to this his forsaid boke of y â— predestination of saints the seconde boke which he wrot of the vertu of perseuerance or continuance in goodnis to the ende y e forsomiche as they do condemne al men of thys age whiche are of a contrary iudgment vnto them we might nowe se what fault they can fynd in thys great doctor by what reasoÌ„ ther erronyos opinioÌ„s shold not be condemnid as moste detestable and dangeros to be sufferyd born y e lytel flok of Chryst But I suer they wil not come abrod For they do lork iÌ„ cornats they do crep secretly into mens bosoms seking whoÌ„ they may sting lyke vnto snakes which do lye hid vnder y â— greâ— grasse I wold couÌ„sel al men to beware of theÌ„ For the end of al there studys and labors how holy a pretence soeuer they haue at not only the destruction of y â— souls of men but also the vtter confusion subuersion of whol commen welthes declaring therby y â— they at a more pestelent sect than euer wer the papistes Which papistes althoughe they were right nought for y â— soul yet were they good and profytable for the body for ciuil common welthes for the meÌ„tinaunce of cyuil iustice al good politique orders But as for thes thei ar nether good for y e body nor for the soule yea they ar most mortal enemies and cruell murtherers to both Forthermore by these two smalle workes your grace shall perceaue howe necessarye a thynge it is that the predestinatioÌ„ of god shulde be knowen amonge the people y â— ignorance wherof what is it els but the veri lacke of knoledge of y â— grace of god And that not knowen as it ought to be how can the glori of god be praised as it shold be yea howe is it not by that meanes obscured and hidde frome them whiche shoulde haue it and so geue to god his right praise To the confusion therfore and shame of thos detestable shamles heretiques and for the erudition of the rest of the people whiche are vnlerned and easi to be deceaued I haue brought thes workes into oure mother tounge that all men maye â–ª vnderstonde them beinge so boulde vnder your graces fauour as to dedicate them to your grace as to a faythfull mother of all good workes that thereby the trewth may be knowen and god praysed in all thinges whose spiryte I beseche to be with youre grace that your soule maye be edefied and made strong in hym whiche is the only author of al godlynes So be it ¶ The fyrste booke of the great doctor Aurelius Augustyne whiche he wrote of the predestination of sainctes The fyrst Chapter WE are certayne that the Apostell Paule spake to y â— Philippians after this maner sayeng To write of the selfe same thinges to you againe shall greue me nothinge at all and to you it is a sure thinge The same Apostell wrytynge to the Galathians after he perceiued that he had ben long ynough with them that he had done as much as was necessarye in teachynge preachynge vnto them sayd these wordes Hereafter let no man mosest and trouble me But as touchynge vnto my self
the pelagians them selfe do se to be very false farre from al reason H. CYprian wrote a boke of the mortalitie of manne whiche worke is muche sette by of them which haue al godly writings in estimation is almost in euery mannes hande wherein he saieth that death is not onely not vnprofitable but verye coÌ„modiouse profitable vnto the faithfull bycause it doth plucke delyuer them from the peryll and daunger of synne settynge them in a securitie and safenes for to sinne no more But what doth that profyt if those synnes whiche a man hathe not doone are punyshed as they doo saye The sayde Cyprian sayeth furthermore very copyousely and fruitefully â–ª that in this lyfe there is alwaye perill daunger of synne whiche after this lyfe ceaseth and is no more And that same his saying he proueth by the testimony taken out of the boke of wisedome where it is thus writteÌ„ â–ª he is takeÌ„ away lest malice shuld haue altered his vnderstondinge Whiche testimoni beynge alleged of me you say they do make lighte as a thinge written of no canonicall writer as thoughe if the testimonye of this boke were not at al the thinge it selfe whiche we wolde proue by this testimonye were not cleare and manifest ynough without it For what christen man can deny but that a iust man is at rest yf he be taken forth of this lyfe while he is iust Whosoeuer doth say thus that he is at reste is there any man so mad that wolde go againste it Also yf a manne woulde saye yf a iuste manne doothe fall from from the right waye in the whiche he hath long and many a day continued and so dyeth in that vngodlynes wherein he is fallen wherein he lyued but one yeare yea peraduenture but one daye that he so departinge doth go to payne dew for wickednes and that his rightwysenes whiche is paste wherein he lyued before he fel so loÌ„g time shall profit him nothinge at all is there any faithfull man which can deny this open and manifest veritie Furthermore if a man woulde demaunde this question sayenge what and he dyed wheÌ„ he was iust whichâ—r shulde he finde paine or rest shulde I doubt to make aunswere and say that he shâ—ld fynde reste This is altogether wherfore it was said written He is taken awaye lest malyce shulde corrupt and alter his mynde This sayeng was spoken concerning the peryl and daunger of this lyfe and not touchyng the foreknolege of god whiche foreknowledg doth know before that thinge whiche shal be in dede not that which shal not be That is to saye he knewe that he woulde geue to hym a shorte lyfe that he shoulde be taken away not felynge any thinge what temptation is It was not in his prescyence that he should synne when he would not suffer him to continue and to abyde the temtacion of syn For as touchinge this lyfe it is redde in the boke of Iob. Is not the lyfe of man vpon the erth temtacion But the cause why it is giuen to some to be takeÌ„ forth of the perils of this lyfe whyle they are iuste and some whiche are iust are suffered here to abydestyl so loÌ„ge tyll they do fall from their ryghtewisenes who doth know theÌ„ mind purpose of god And yet by this we doo know that those iust man whiche do lyue in godlynes and vertu tyll they be very oulde men ye to the later day of their lyfe haue no cause to reioyce and be proude in their own merits but in the lord because that he whiche toke away the iuste man from this lyfe that he shoulde not lyue lengaâ— afterwarde fal that same I say preserued also the iuste man tyll the very extremitie and vttermost end of his yeares that malyce should not alter and turne his mynde But for what cause they dyd not cleaue and sticke â—aste vnto hym whiche myght take the iuste man forth of this life before he doth fal his iudgementes are moost rightwise and lykewise vnserchable Syth that these thinges are thus the sentence of the boke of wisdom oughte not to be refused whiche hath deserued to be redde so longe tyme in the church and to be herde with all godlye veneration of all Christen men both of the byshops and of the lay men from the highest to the lowest For truelye if I shulde proue confirme thys sentence of the boke of wysedome by the iudgementes of those whyche haue ben writers before my tyme vpon the holye scripture whiche nowe we are constrayned to doo muche more diligently and copyousely then we were wont to doo against a newe error of the Pelagians defendynge that the grace of god is not geuen after our merits but that it is geuen frelye to whome it is gyueÌ„ for it is neyther in the willer nor in the runner but in god whiche take the pytye and compassion and that to whom it is not geuen it is by the iust iudgmente of god for there is none vnrightwysenes with god If we do proue I say this sentence and make our defence good â–ª by the authorities of the wryters vpon the holy scripture whiche haue bene long before vs then would these brethren as ye do wryghte me by your letters be satisfyed pleased fuâ—l aunswered But what neede haue we to serche theyr workes for that matter which before thys heresye dyd springe vp had no nede to spende their time and labour in dyscussynge this harde question whiche thinge without doubt they woulde haue done yf they hadde ben constreyned therto as we are And therfore they dyd but breifly â— as it were passyng ouer touche this matter in certayne places of their workes declaryng their iudgement and mynde as touchynge the grace of god and spente more time and matter about those thinges whiche they dysputed against other enemyes of the churche and in their eâ—hortatioÌ„s to vertu how men shoulde liue godlye that they myghte please God come to the true eternall lyfe In their godly conuersatioÌ„s prayers y e grace of god apeared what thing it was For those thinges which god commaunded to be done should not be desyred praied for of god except they shoulde be geuen of hym to them that they might be done But these persones whiche woulde be instructed by the sentences wrytinges of doctours I would haue them prefer this boke of wysdom wherin this sayinge is wrytten he is taken awaye lest malyce should alter his mynde before all the doctours writars which haue written because they them selfe whiche were nexte to the tyme of the apostles did prefer that same boke before their own iudgements which I saye alledgynge that same boke as wytnes and as a confirmation of their writiÌ„ges beleued that thei dyd alledge nothinge but the heaueÌ„ly testimonies of god And truly it is manifest that the ryght vertuouse and godly man Cypryane dyd dyspute in the commendation and praise of the
theÌ„ sufficieÌ„tly proued y t y e grace of god is not gyuen after the merits of theÌ„ but after y e pleasure of his wyll to the praise glory of his grace that he which doth reioyse may reioyce not in him selfe but in the lorde which doth gyue his grace to whoÌ„ it pleaseth hym because he is merciful And although that he wolde not gyue it yet were he not therefore vniust Also he doth giue it to none but to whome it is his wyll to geue it that he may make knowen the ryches of his glorye vpon the vessels of mercye For in that he doth geue it to some whiche do not deserue therin he wil shew his grace to be fre without deseruyng â–ª so to be grace in the right kinde And again in that he doth not giue his grace to al men he doth declare what al meÌ„ do deserue He is good in his liberalitie towarde some he is iuste in takynge punyshment vpon the other and yet he is good in all thinge For it is a good thinge when that deuty right is payde And he is iust in all thinge For it is a iust thinge when that y â— deutye and right is payd without doinge wronge to anye man But we do hold defend that the grace of god is geuen withoute meryts And that is in dede the ryght and true grace And althoughe it were true as the pelagians do say that yong chyldreÌ„ which ar taken out of this lyfe after thei are baptysed are not deliuered pluckt away from the power of darknes because thei had no synne in them wherof they shulde be gyltie as they do think but y t they ar no more but transposed takeÌ„ out of this lyfe into the kyngdome of the lorde yea so it is graunted that the kingdome of god is gyuen frely withoute anye merits or good workes to whoÌ„ it is not giuen it is not w tout their euyll merits that they haue it not And thus do we make aunswer agenste the Pelagians when they do obiect vnto vs castyng vs in y â— teth that we do attribute ascribe grace vnto desteny because we say that it is not gyuen after oure merits But they rather do make the grace of god in yonge children to be destenye whiche do saye that wher as no merit or deseruing is there is destenye For accordynge to the saying of the pelagians ther can be found no merits in younge chyldren for the which some of theÌ„ are sent vp to heauen and som shit forth from thens And lykewise as I haue declared and proued now that the grace of god is not giuen after any merit whiche thinge I thought good to proue as well by their own wordes sayinges as by our iudgements mindes that is by our opinion which do hould that yonge children ar born in original syn and by theirs which do deny y â— there is original syn And yet for all that we haue made our matter good and prouid it trew bi ther owne saying we muste in no wyse doubte but that yonge chyldren haue in them that whiche he must forgeue to them which doth saue his people from ther synnes Euen so was I fayn in the thyrde boke whiche I dyd wright on frewyl to resyst the Manaches with ther owne sayings as well as w t oure demonstrations proffes about that question whyther ignorance hardnes of harte were the ponyshment of oure nature comming of iuste damnatyoÌ„ as we do saye or ells as thei do say nothing other than naturali infyrmitie weaknes perteiniÌ„g naturally to al men for no man is borne without them or naye And yet I am not of there mynd And also in y t same boke I proued suffycyently y t ignorance hardnes of harte ar not y e natural beginnyngs of man as he was fyrst instituted made but y t it is the playn ponyshment of maÌ„ whiche is condemnyd Therfore they do labor in vaine in y t thei do go about to bring y t my bok which I wrot a greate whyle ago nowe against me that I shold not nowe dispute the cause of yong chyldern as I ought to do and so to proue euydently that al men maye se perceue the truth that the grace of god is not gyueÌ„ for the meryts of men For and if what tyme I dyd begynne fyrst to wryght thos bokes which I dyd wryght vpoÌ„ fre wyll being at Rome wheÌ„ I was a temporal man endyd them in Afrik after I was prest I had byn as they do say in doubt as tochinge the condemnation of infants not regeneratyd yet I do think no maÌ„ to be so vniust but he could be content y â— I shold amend increase in knolege rather thaÌ„ to contynue alwaye in doubt But yet if it hadde pleased them they myght haue vnderstod the matter other wyse that I dyd not then doubt therof asthough I had doubted in ded but bycause I thought that waie best to ouercome the aduersarys that whyther ignoraunce and hardnes of heart were the ponysshmente of the original syn which is in chyldren as the truth is or not as many being out of the right waye do suppose yet for al that the error of the manaches could not make vs to beleue that there is a myxture of two contrary naturs in god of good euyl God forbyd we shold be so negligent in the cause of yoÌ„g chyldren that we shold doubt whither those chyldren which do dye after thei be regeneratid do depare to eternal saluation and they whiche are not to the second deth For that same scripture by on maÌ„ syn enteryd into the worlde by sinne death and so into al men can non otherwyse be vnderstonded And also from eternal death whiche is most worthely rewarded for syn no man olde or yong can be deliuered except he whiche suffered death for to forgeue both our original and oure owne syn also hauing in him self no maner of syn doth delyuer vs. But wherfore he doth deliuer som more thaÌ„ som I haue tould you diuerse tyms yet wyl tel the agayne O thou maÌ„ what are thou which wylt reason with god Hys iugments ar inscrutable hys ways ar inuestigable And more than that I wyll saye vnto the â–ª Serche not for thos thinges which do excede thy capacyte and such thinges as are myghtiar stronger thaÌ„ thy selfe mâ—del not with them Do ye not se how foul an heresy it is how farre from y â— purnes of our faythe to hold opynyon that yong chyldren wheÌ„ thei do depart hens do receue ther iudgment acording to those workes which god knewe before that thei wold do if they had lyued any lenger tyme on the yerth Into this error which al men hauing any reason in the worlde specially those whiche haue professed Christe do abhore ar they constreyned to fall in which haue so forsaken the pelagiaÌ„s errors y t yet they
not before that he wolde gyue them But and if they be gyuen of him and he knewe also before that he wold gyue them then are they predestenid of hym Lykwyse then as they them self do exhort to chastyte to charyte to loue toward god to other godly vertues whiche they do confesse to be y â— gifts of god knowen of him before he gaue them so can not deny but they are predestenid and that their exhortacions ar nothing hindred by the preching of the predestination of god that is to say bi the prechiÌ„g of y e prescience of god in those gifts which shal be geuen euen so let them think that their exhortacions vnto faith to perseuerance therin ar nothyng hyndered although they ar the giftes of god sene before of him y t is to say predestened to be gyuen but rather y â— by this preching of predestinatioÌ„ y t same pernicious dauÌ„gerous error is pluckt back hindered ye subuerted which defendeth that y â— grace of god is giueÌ„ after out merits that by y e preching of predestination they which to reioyce may reioyce not in them self but in the lord And let them to whoÌ„ it is geueÌ„ to haue a quiker wit to perceue things w t les speking take it pacieÌ„tly be coÌ„tent w t my ofteÌ„ râ—peâ—ig of somthinges which thing I doo for ther coÌ„modite which ar soÌ„what dul hard of vnderstaÌ„ding y â— they may perceue it y e better Thapostel Iames doth say if any of you do lacke wysdom let him ask it of god which giueth to al meÌ„ aboundaÌ„tly casteth his gift in the teeth to no man it shal be gyuen to hym For it is wryten in the prouerbs The lorde doth gyue wysdom And as toching continency or chastise of lyfe it is wrytten in y t boke of wysdom whose authorite hath byn alowed of gret lernid meÌ„ which haue trauelid in y e scripturs loÌ„g befor our time It is wrytteÌ„ Isai w t these words wheÌ„ I dyd know perfectly y t no man can be chast except god doth gyue to him y e gyfte therof this thing also perteined to wysdoÌ„ to know whose gift it was These then that is to say wysdoÌ„ chastyte as wel as all other vertues which I do pas ouer are the gyfts of god And so do thes men say also For theye are not as the pelagians which with obstynate heretiqual stobernis do conteÌ„d against the manyfest and open veryte But yet thes our men do say that our fayth doth impetrate and obteyn of god y e thes vertuse shold be gyuen to vs which fayth saye they doth begyn in vs of our selfe by oure own pour The beginniÌ„g wherof as wel as the continuance to the end they do holde defende to be of theÌ„ self as though we had not this also of the gyft of god as wel as the other And in this point they are against the apostel which sayth what haste thou that thou hast not receuyd They are also against the holy martyr Cypryan which sayth we must be proude of no thinge forsomuch as we haue no thing of our selfe For al thys that I do speke and many other wordes more whiche I am wery to reherse and repeat so often and for al that I haue prouyd that the begynninge of oure fayth and the perseuerance therin to the ende are the gyftes of god and that there ar none of his gifts but he knewe before what gyfts they were whiche he wold gyue to whom he wold gyue them and so by that reason that they also ar predestenyd whome he doth delyuer and crown they do make answer and say that the openinge of predestination doth let and hynder the commodyte of preching in exhortation bicause as they do supposâ— when men do here the matter of predestination spoken of declared vnto them they wyll not for any thinge that a man can doo by exhorting to vertu or repreheÌ„ding of vice and noughtines endeuour them self and studye to be y â— better And by these their wordes thei wil not that any man shulde preache that the first commyng to faith the continuance therin are the giftes of god least that desperation shuld beare more ruele among meÌ„ than good and godly exhortation when the hearers do with theÌ„ selfe consider that no man can tell such is maÌ„s ignoraunce to whom god doth gyue these hys gyftes and to whom not Wherfor then do they as well as we preache and teache that wisedome and chastitie at the giftes of god And if so be when these are taught to be the gyftes of god and so preched by them there exhortation is not let nor hinderid by the which they do exhort men to be wyse and chaste what cause is ther I praye you wherfore they shold thinke that the exhortation which is to fayth and to the contynuans therin shold be hinderid more than ther exhortation which is to wysdom and chastite And if these be the giftes of god as by y e scripturs which ar witnes of them selfe we haue prouyd let vs nowe let passe and spek no more of the gyft of chastyte but only in thys place disput and reasoÌ„ of the gyft of wysdom For the sayde Apostâ—l Iamys of whom we spake of sayth thes wordes The wysdom whiche is from aboue is al chaste pure it is also peassable quiet it is sober gentyl easy to be entreatyd treated ful of mercy good fruits without grudging dissimulatioÌ„ Do you se perceiue I pray you how many how greate vertues this wysedome hath whiche commeth doune froÌ„ the father of light For euery good gyft euery perfecte gyft as he sayeth is frome aboue commeth doune frome the father of lyghtes To be short we do rebuke those which ar vnchaste and contentios persons and yet we do preche and teche vnto them that the wysdom which is chaste and gentyl is the gyft of god hauing no doubt nor fearing lest they whom we do exhort when they are not certayne to whom god doth giue this wisdom shulde by this preachinge take occasion to fall into desperation rather than to receiue any fruyte of good exhortation And agayne fearing nothing that they by oure rebukyng of their vyce shulde not only not be moued agenst them selues but agenst vs because we do rebuke them which haue not those vertues which vertues we do say are not broughte forth by the wyll of man but ar geuen liberallye by the bountefull goodnes of god Wherfore did not the preachinge of this grace pluck backe the apostell Iames frome rebukynge of them and saying vnto them these wordes Yf you haue the zeale of anger and strife in your hartes be nothinge proude therat nor yet ly not against the veritie For that is not the wysedome which commeth downe from aboue but it is an erthly wysedome a beastly and a deuelysh wysedome For where as zeale and contention
me good so to do For when he speketh those words he denieth not but that it pleased god that he shuld so be For the wyll of men is prepared of god For it is also the grace and gyft of god that he shuld be honoured of his saynetes Also in the self same worke that is to say in the exposition of y â— said ghospel when he cam to this place wher we do rede that the Samaritans wold not receue Christ comming toward Ierusalem â–ª marke also sayeth Ambrose lern this w t you y â— Christ wold not receue them whiche were not with a symple and an vnfayned harte mind coÌ„verted vnto hym For if he wold he might haue made them deuout and godly wher as they were not But the cause whye theye receuid him not y â— EuaÌ„gelist him self opeâ—iâ—h sayng Bycaus he had tornid his face awaye to go to IerusaleÌ„ But his disciples wold fayn haue byn receuid But god doth cal whom he wyl maketh holy whoom hym pleaseth What thinge more euident and plain than this do we loke for in the holy wrightars and expositors of the worde of god if we haue any pleasure to her lern of them that thing which is open and manifest in the scripturs But although these two doctors were sufficient yet will we ad and ioyn Gregory for the therd man vnto them whiche witnesseth that both to beleue in god also to confesse that thing which we do beleue is a gyft sayinge after this wyse We pray you confesse the trinite of on deyte and we wyl praye vnto god that the voyce of that confession may be giuen to you of the holye goste that is to saye he shal be desired that he wold suffer the voice to be gyuen to you with the which voyce ye may confesse that which ye do beleue he wyll gyue it I knowe wel For he whiche dyd the fyrst wil gyue also that foloweth And he which dyd gyue to you the gift to beleue wil giue to you also the gyft to confesse your beleffe Forsomych then as thes whiche are so noble doctors do saye that we haue nothing as of our self to be proud of but that it is the gifte of god whatsoeuer we haue yea that nether our harts nor our thoughtes ar in our own power wher wherby we do geue al to god knoledging confessinge that we doo receyue al of his liberalite that we may so continew and be conuerted to god and that that thinge which is good may appeare also to vs to be good and that we may wyl the same that we may honor god receue Christ â–ª that of vndeuout vnholi we may be made vertuouse godly fynally y t we may beleue in the trinite contes that same with our mouths al euery one of these things these forsayd doctors do attribut to y e grace of god knolegiÌ„g y t they at y â— gifts of god so testifieng y t we haue al thes good things of hym not of our selfe Is ther any man which wil say that these men dyd so knowledge and confes the grace of god that they durst or wold be so boulde to deny his prescyence and forknowlege which not only the lernyd but also the rude vnlerned do confes alow Finally if these men did so know that god was the geuer of these thinges that they do graunt that he knew the same before that he wold gyue them that he could not be ignorauÌ„t to whom he wold geue his gyftes doubtles if they knew al this them knew they alsoo predestination which the apostels preched we do defend al that we may withal diligence agenst a sort of new heretiques And yet for al that when they preched obedience and exhorted men diligently to the keping therof no man could well and iustly say to them If you wil not haue obedieÌ„ce wex cold whervnto you do exhort vs and make it faynt in our stomachs prech no more to vs this grace of god whiche we confesse that god doth gyue and you do exhorte vs alsoo a that we sholde woorke it The .xx. Chapter WHerfore syth the Apostels doctors of the church which succeded after them did both that is to sai both preche truly the grace of god whiche is not gyuen after our merits also wyth holsom precepts lessons tech exhort men vnto godly obedience what cause haue thei against the invincible veryte that they can somych as think y e they do speke wel in that they do saye although it be trewe that is spoken of the predestinatioÌ„ of the benifits of god yet it shold not be taught a brode to the people Yes truly it oughte and must be preched that they which haue ears to here may here Yf any doth not perceue and vnderstond it let him refuse it and medel not w tal so y t he which doth receue and vnderstond yt may receue it to him self drynk it into his hart and so lyue For lykwise as the loue to god warde must be preched that god maye be worshiped of him which hath ears to here with and lykewise chastite that he which hath ears to here may commit no vnlauful and vnclean dede with his fleshly members and so charite that of him whiche hath ears both god and his neighbour maye be loued euen so as wel must the predestination of the benefits of god be preachid that he which hath ears to here may reioyse not in him selfe but in god But as to that which they do saye that it is no nede that the harts and the minds of the vnlernid and of those which haue smal intelligence vnderstonding shuld be trobled w t such doubtful disputatioÌ„ reasoning forsomich as y â— catholyque vniuersal fayth hathe byn many yeres wel sufficientlye defended yet this matter of predestination not medelyd with all both against the erronious opinyons of diuerse specyally against the pelagyans in so many bokes works of good catholyque men ye in myn own workes also before thys matter was taken in hand I do much meruayl at their thus spekyng that hey do not consyder way I wyl not spede of other meÌ„s doyngs those yea min own works which I wrot set forth befor ther was any name or mention of the pelagians wherin they may se that not yet kowing of any heresi y â— pelagian shulde be author of in manye places of my bokes I beleued and also taught the same grace by the which god doth deliuer vs froÌ„ euil opynions and noughtie maners which grace no good works or me â—ituose dedes do preced god working that same grace acordinge to his bounteful and fre mercy This matter I begann to perceue more fully in that disputation which I wrot vnto the holy father SympliciaÌ„ of most godly memory byshop of the church of MylaÌ„ what tyme I was fyrst
although I cannot deny but that I am very sorye that the word of God beynge so many fold and also so manyfest whiche worde teacheth vs the grace of God whiche in no wyse can be grace yf it be geueÌ„ after our merites is not beleued nor credeted as it ought to be yet your godly desyre brotherly loue my derely beloued chyldren Prosper and Hylary wherby you declare your selfe so sory for theyr error so desirous of their amendment that although I haue wrytten many workes and epistels also as touchynge that matter yet you woulde that I sholde wryte hense therof agayne That same youre brotherly loue and desyre of their amendment I saye I do coÌ„mend and prayse so much that I cannot speake and expresse it and yet not so muche as I am bounde to doo Wherfore here I do write again vnto you and although that I am not present with you yet by you do I the selfe same thinge agayne which me thought I had done before sufficiently After that I had redde your lettres and pondered them well I iudged with my self that those brethren for whom you do take care and godly thought lest they shuld take the opinioÌ„ of the Poet which sayth lette euery mans truste and hope be in hym selfe and so sholde runne and falle into that whyche is spoken not of the Poete but of the Prophete sayinge Cursed are all men whiche haue their truste in man I iudged I saye that they muste be handeled after that fasshyon as the Apostell dydde those to whome he dyd saye and if ye be otherwise mynded God shal open this thynge alsoo vnto you For yet they are blynde in the question whiche is of the predestinacion of saynctes But yf they be in that poynt of any other mynd and iudgemente they haue alreadye ynough whereout God shal make the matter open and manifest vnto them yf they do abyde walke styll in that wherto they are come alreadye For the whiche cause when the Apostell sayde yf ye be of any other mynd god shal make that also open vnto you yet he added these wordes also let vs procede and go forwarde in that wher vnto we are come Those brethren for whose sakes ye do take al this godly paine and laboure haue profited so muche are growen so farre that as the churche of Chryst doth so they do beleue that al mankynde is borne gylty of the synne of the fyrst man and that they cannot be delyuered from this euyll any otherwyse thaÌ„ by the iustice of the seconde man They haue ben yea they are brought to this point that they do graunt the wyll of man to be preuented by the grace of God so by their owne confession and wordes no man is able or sufficieÌ„t of him self eyther to begynne or to make an ende of any good worke If they do kepe these thinges well in their mynde wherto they are come they shall declare them selues to be far from the error of the Pelagians â–ª Wherefore yf they doo walke in these thynges and praye vnto him whiche doth gyue vnderstanding and knowledge yf they do thynke at this present anye otherwyse of predestination then theye owghtâ— for to thynke he shall at the leÌ„gth open this also vnto them Yet let vs also for our parte shewe and declare the affection of the same loue which we do beare toward theÌ„ therin and bestow our labor and diligence in teching so muche as pleasethe hym to gyue vnto vs vpon whom we do call that in these our wrytyngs we may say speak those thiÌ„ges whiche sholde be meete and proffitable for them For what can we tel whyther oure lorde wyll worke in them by thys our seruyce wherin we do serue to them in fre loue and charyte yea or nay The second Chapter Fyrst therfore we muste proue that sayth by the which we are ChristiaÌ„s is y e gyft of god if it be possyble for vs to do it with greater diligence than we haue done alredy in so greate and many bokes which we haue wrytten therof before this tyme. But now as I do perceiue we must make answer vnto them whiche do saye that the testymonys of the scripture which we haue allegyd for this matter in other of our workes do serue and make as they saye that we sholde beleue that fayth it selfe hath the begynnyng of our selfe but that y e encrease of that same fayth wherby it is made greater is of god as thoughe fayth it selfe were not gyuen to vs of god also but only encreasyd and made greater in vs by hym as a thinge by vs deserued to be had at hys hande bycause we dyd fyrst of oure self begyn to beleue And herein they do varry and dyffer nothynge from that mynde and opinion whiche Pelagian in the synode or counsell of the byshops helde at Palestyn as the register and actes of that same counsell do beare wytnes was coÌ„pelled to deny condemne whose opinion was that the grace of god is geuen after our deseruings as thoughe the begynnyng of our beleif or to begynne to beleue in vs shoulde pertayne nothynge to the grace of God but that thynge only whiche is added thervnto that is to laye that we doo more fullye more perfectli and more feruentli beleue And by this their reason we do fyrst geue vnto God the begynnynge of oure â—aithe that he myght rewarde vs agayne with the increase therof and geuyng to vs other thinges whiche we doo aske of hym faythfully But against this their savenge â–ª wherfore do we not giue eare and herken to the wordes of the Apostel whiche doth saye What man hath geuen any thynge fyrst vnto god and it shal be rewarded to him agayne For of hym by hym and in hym are al thinges And then â–ª the begynnynge of oure fayth of whom shoulde it be but of hym We eaÌ„ not say this thing excepted all other thinges are of hym But al thinges are of him by him in him But what maÌ„ wil say y t he whiche begynneth to beleue of him self deserueth nothyng of hym in whoÌ„ he fyrst beleued So that by this reason al other thinges are geuen to hym for his owne deseruynge as a reward geuen to him of god and so the grace of God is geuen as we do merit and deserue Whiche opinion beynge layd to PelagiaÌ„s charge he did reproue condeÌ„ne bicause he wold not be coÌ„deÌ„ned hiÌ„ selfe Therfore who so wyl clene voyd be out of y e danger of this daÌ„nable opinioÌ„ let hym truly vnderstaÌ„d y â— which y â— apostle spake saying To you it is giueÌ„ frely for christes sake y t you shold not only beleue in him but also y t you shold suffer for hym The Apostle doth teach vs that bothe to beleue and to suffer for hym are the giftes of god in that he doth saye y t both to beleue in hym also to
temptation of contumacye or â—â—obernes wherby he shold deserue to lease the gyft of continuance in holynes But yet â–ª thou wyl say to me Who so euer forsaketh god dothe forsake hym with his owne wyll that he may deserue worthely to be for sakeÌ„ of god again What man wil denie y â— to be trew And for y e cause do we aske and desyre of god that we shoulde not be broughte in to temptation leste we shold by oure owne forsaking of god deserue to be forsaken of hym againe For there is nothing don but ether he dooth it or he suffereth it too be done Then is he able to torne the willes of menne from euyll to good and to convert theym whiche are readye to fall and to sette them in that waye whiche pleaseth hym to whome it is not spooken in vayne when wee doo saye O LORDE when thou dooeste converte vs thou gyueste vs lyfe And agayne gyue not my foote to moue foorthe of the waye And also delyuer me not o lorde from my desyre to the synner And finally to passe al other testimonies whiche we myght reherse this saying is not spoken in vain wheÌ„ we do say Lede vs not into temptation For whosoeuer is not led into temptation forsoth he is not brought into the temtation of his owne euyll wyll And he which is not broughte into the temptation of hys owne noughty wyl is brought into non at all For euery maÌ„ is tempted as it is written being enâ—ysed abstract from godlynes by his owne concupiscence noughty lust For god doth tempte no man with any temptatioÌ„ that shal hurt hym For there is a temptacion whiche is profitable when we are not deceiued and ouercome w t temptation but proued only as it is writte proue me o god tempt me Thecfore that same temptacion whiche the apostle doth meane when he doth saye least peraduenture he shuld tempt you which is the tempter and then ye should labour in vayne that same I saye is an vnprofitable temptation ye and an hurtefull vnto you For god doth tempt no man as I haue sayde that is to saye he enduâ—eth nor leadeth anye man into temptation For a man to be tempted not to be brought into temptation is none euyll thynge yea it is good and proffitable For that is as muche as to be proued Therfore when we do say to god Lede vs not into temptatioÌ„ what other thinge do we saye than suffer vs not to be brought into temptatioÌ„ And with those wordes many vse to make their prayer when they do praye as it is wrytten in many bokes â—suffer vs not to be ledde into temptation And so dothe holy Cyprian wryght it But after the ghospel as it is wrytten in the greke toonge we do not fynde in any place any otherwyse than lede vs not into temptation And therfore we do lyue more surely and withoute danger if we do ascrybe and gyue al the whole vnto god not gyuinge part to hym and reseruinge part to oure selfe as this reuerent and godly martyr dyd wel perceiue For when he dyd expound that same part of the lords prayer after other wordes whiche he spake he sayde these folowinge But when we do praye sayth he that we may not com in to teÌ„ptation we are put in mind of oure infyrmite weaknys in that we do make that petition bycause that no man shold sullenly and proudly extol hym selfe that no man sholde vendicat and chaling anye thinge vnto hym selfe arogantly that no man I say shold saye wheÌ„ he confesseth gods truth and suffereth for Chryst that it is and commythe of hym selfe forsomuche as the lorde hym selfe teachinge vs humylyte dothe saye watch and pray lest ye do com in to temtation the spirit truly is redy but the fleshe is weake that when an homble and a lowly confessyon doth go before gyinge the whol praise of al thinges to god what so euer I saye we do aske of hym humbelye with feare might by his goodnys be performed vnto vs The .vii. Chapter THerfor if ther were none other thinge wherebye we myght be instructed thys prayer of the lorde oneli were sufficient for the matter of grace which we haue taken vpon vs to defend For thys prayer I saye doth leaue nothing vnto vs wherin as in that which is our owne we shoulde reioyse be proude For it doth teache vs â–ª that it must be geuen to vs of god that we do not go departe from hym when it teacheth vs that we must aske and praye for it of god For he whiche is not brought into temptation dothe not departe from god This thinge in no wyse can be in the power and strengthe of fre wyll suche is the weaknes now of man It was in his power frewil before he dyd fal Which strength power of frewyll howe greate and stronge it was in the first state condition of mankind when he was fyrst made it dothe appeare in those aungels whiche when the deuyll with his company fell doune dyd stand fast in the veritie and so deserued to come to that certayntie neuer for to falle in the whiche we do knowe for a surety that they are in at this present But after the fall of the fyrst man god woulde not haue it pertayne to any other thynge than to his grace onely that man shoulde come to hym and that alsoo that man shoulde not departe and fall from hym This grace â–ª God hath set and leyde vp in him in whome we haue obteined our enheritans being predestined after the mynde and purpose of him which worketh all thinge And so by this reasoÌ„ as he dothe worke that we shold com vnto him so dooth he woorke that we shulde not depart from hym For the whiche cause it was sayde vnto him by the prophete Let thy hand be vpon the man of thi right hande and vpon the sonne of man whome thou haste confirmed to thy self that we do not depart and fall from the Truely this man is not the first Adam in whom we dyd fall from god but it is the laste Adam vpon whom the hand of god is that we shulde not depart from hym For Christ with al his membres defeÌ„deth y e church which church is his body his fulnes Therfore when the hand of god is vpon him that we shuld not depart from him theÌ„ doth the worke of god come vnto vs. For this thinge is the hand of god because it is done by the work of god that we may abyde styll in Christe with god not as we were in Adam departing going from god For in Christ we haue obteyned the enheritance we I say whiche ar predestinated after the purpose of his wyll which worketh al thinges This is therfore the haÌ„d of god and not our hande that we do not go from god I do say that â–ª it is the hande of hym
answer to make to thy demand If thou askest me wherfore I cā fīd no aunswer to make I do say vnto the that in this matter as hys wrathe and angere is moste iust and rightwyse so is his mercy greate and his iudgmentes inscrutable Yet let hym make an other obiectiō vnto me say for what cause hath he not gyuen to somme men which haue faythfully beleued worshipped hym the gyft of perseueraunce and stedfastnes to the ende that they myghte continewe styl in ther good beleffe to the end ▪ Wherfore thinkest thou But because he is no lyar which saith they went forthe from amonge vs but they were not of vs for if thei had byn of vs they wold haue contynnuyd styl wyth vs. Are men then made of two natures God forbid Yf there were two naturs of men then were the grace of god nothīg then saluation and delyueraunce from condemnation sholde not be of the fre gyft of god if it wer the deseruinge of nature To mans iudgement it semeth that al those men which do apere good faith ful oughte of dewtye to haue the gyft of perseuerance continuance to the end gyuen vnto them But god iudgeth a better waye than that and that it sholde be a thinge more conueniente for his pourpose to haue som among his sayintes which wolde not contynew to the ende And also that his sayntes sholde not be carles w t out all feare which is not profytable for them so to be For being in this feare doothe abate the arrogancy and pryde of men that thei shoulde not thinke ought of them selfe accordynge to the sayinge of the Apostell Wherfore that man whiche doth thinke hym selfe too stand lette him beware take hede that he falleth not For he whyche falleth doth fall by his owne consent and wyll but he whiche standeth doth stand by the wil of god For god is able to stable hym and to make him stedfaste then not he hym selfe but god It is good therefore not to be hyghe mynded nor to be to wyse in a mans owne selfe but to feare For euerye man in his knowledge doth ether stand or falle For as the Apostell dothe saye whose sayinge I haue rehersed in my fyrste booke We are not sufficiente of oure selfe to thynke anye thinge as of oure selues but all our sufficiencye is of god The whiche wordes the blessed man Ambrose was not afrayde to rehearse as foloweth For our hartes and our thoughtes sayth he are not in our owne power as euery humble and true faythfull man knoweth to be true and nothinge more true These wordes Ambrose dydde speake in a certayne booke whiche he wrote entituled of the flyenge from the world wherin he taught that we shulde voyde shone the incommodities of this worlde not with the body but with the mynd And that thinge he prouyd vnpossible to be done of oure self w toute the helpe of god For these are his words We do talke mich and make many wordes howe we shoulde flye and aparte vs frome thys worlde but I woulde that that our hartes were as ware and as careful therfore as our tonges are busy to talke therof But there is a worse thing For often tymes the entisementes of the yerthly desyres do come stealing and creping on vs and an heape of vanities doth ouerwhelme our myndes in so muche that that thing whiche thou wuldest haue furthest of frō the thou do doest moost of all thinke on beynge therwith in thy mynde moste troubled whiche is harde for any man to beware of and so to put it clean out of his head that he be no more combered therwith it is vnpossible And fynally thou mayste sooner wysh and desire to haue it taken from the than to bringe it to effect thy selfe as the prophet witnesseth sayinge Inclyne turne my hart to thy testymonies and not to auaryce For our hartes and thoughtes ar not in our owne power which beinge sodenly ouerwhelmed do confoūd both our wittes our mindes settinge vs in that case that we can not tell what to do pluckinge and drawynge our myndes otherwise than we were purposed They do call vs awaye other whyle to seculyar worldlye busines they doo thrust worldlye matters into oure heades they do put vs in mynd of suche such pleasures diuers entysementes are layde before vs ye and when we are most readyest to lyft vp our mynde then being fylled vp with suche vaine cogitations are often times sodenly throwen doune to the grounde It is not then in the power of man that men shuld be made the children of of god but in the power of god For of hym truely they do receiue that same poure who gyueth to mēs hartes good thoughts wherby they may haue fayth whiche worketh by loue Whiche gifte y ◠we maye ether receue or kepe styl and so to contynew stedfastly in it to the ende we cann of oure selfe thynke no maner of thing whiche is able to performe it but al oure abelnes is of god ī whose power ar our hartes and al our thoughtes Therfore of the two yonge chyldren which are bounde wyth the bond of original syn wherfore the on is taken to mercy ▪ and the other not and also of y e it persons being both of lawful age ▪ bothe wycked why the one is so called y ◠he dothe followe the caller the other ether is not called or ells is not so called that he dothe followe the caller I say the iudgments of god herein are inserutable But of this one point al faythful mē must be certayne and oute of doubte that the on of them is predestined the other not For if they were of vs sayde one of them which were predestyned and dronk this secret out of the breste of the lorde they wolde truly haue bydden styll w t vs. I praye you what is ment by these words they were not of vs for if they had bynne of vs theye wold haue taryed w t vs Were theye not bothe creatyd of god Came theye not bothe of Adam Were they not bothe made of the yerthe and receuyd of hym which sayed I mad al thinges that hath breathe sowls al of one nature making and fynally were thei not both called Did they not both folow y e caller wer thei not both iustified from there owne wyckednes And wer thei not both renued by y e foūtayn of regeneratiō beīg so made new persons But if so be a man hard these wordes whiche knoweth what they are what y ◠meaning of them is he myght wel aunswere and saye that all these words are true And after the reason of these wordes it can not be denied but that they were of vs. But after another difference respect they were not vs. For if they had ben of vs they woulde haue contynued with vs. What difference is that I pray you whiche
maketh that they are not of vs The bokes of god are open ynoughe that you may rede them Let vs not wynke shit our eyn from theÌ„ They were not of theÌ„ bicause they were not called after the purpose of the caller They were not elected in Christ before the worlde was made They obteyned not the enheritance in him Thei were not predestined accordinge to the purpose of him whiche doth worke al thing For if they had ben so then had thei ben of theÌ„ had without doubt continued styl with them What shuld I say y â— it is possible to god to conuert tourn the frowarde and malycyous myndes of men to faythe and so to woorke in their hartes that they shall gyue place to none aduersitie nor yet by any maner of temptation departe from god forsomuch as he can as the apostle witnesseth so woorke that he shall not suffer them to be tempted more and aboue that thei are able for to beare The ix Chapter I Wold say also y â— god myghte it had ben his pleasur forsomuche as he knewe befor that they would syn haue taken theim forth of this lyfe before they had committed any sin But what shal we medel w tthis matter any more What nede we dyspute againe of this thinge or labor to shewe how greate absurditie it is to be sayde that god doth iuge meÌ„ whiche are dead accordiÌ„g to their syns which they wuld haue commytted if thei had lyued longer tyme. It doth so much abhorre anye mans eaâ—se to hear it spoken much more a christian mans eares y â— I am ashamed to spend ani more time in writing agenst it TheÌ„ must we say y t y e gospel which hath beÌ„ declared opened greate labours paynes and bytter sufferings of the saynes hathe byn taught and preched in vayn if that men myght be iudged w tout any hearing of the euangill according to the proude and heddy stobernis which god knew before certainly that they wold haue if they had lyued tyl it had bynne preached vnto them By that reason Tyrus and Sydon sholde not haue byn condeÌ„ned although they are more gently delt with all than those cyttes where our lorde wroughte his myracles and yet was not beleued For if those myracles had byn wrought in those cyttes as theye were in the other they had done penaunce sitting in ashes and sakcloth as the scriptur doth testefye in the which wordes the lorde declared to vs the secret mystery of predestination If it shold be demanded of vs for what cause so great and many miracles wer wrought among them which miracles for al y â— they sawe them done before their eyes wold not beleue or rather wherfore they wer not wrought among theÌ„ whiche wold haue beleued if thei had sen them What shal we answere therto Shal we saye as I sayd in a certaine boke wherin I made answere to syr questions whiche y â— Paganse dyd put vnto me nothiÌ„g preiudicating by myne answer the causses of predestination whiche causses wyse and sober men maye serche out I dyd answer as ye do know wel what tyme they demauÌ„ded of me the cause why it was so longe or Christe came that at thos tymes and in those places wher when his gospel was not prechyd he knew before that al they at his chinge should be founde suche as were many at the time of his being here in his corporal presence which wolde not beleue in him yea when he dyd rayse vp the deade forth of their graue giuinge lyfe agayn to them whiche had lost it Lykewise in the selfe same boke a littel after I did say about the same question what meruayle is it said I if that Christ when he knew before howe ful of vnfaithful people the world wold be in those ages woulde not that his euangell shoulde be preached vnto them and that worthely whom he knew before wold not be leue neither that which he woulde speake or worke Thus much truly we caÌ„ not say of Tirus Sidon yet in them we do know fynd that the iugementes of god do pertain to y e causes of predestination Whiche causes beynge secrete and hydde I sayde then shoulde should remayne as they were nothyng preiudicated by my answer For a man may easly put the fault therof in the infidelite of the Iews which infidelitie doth come of fre wyll which Iewes I say after soo manye and soo greate miracles wrought yet wolde not beleue For the which infidelitie the Lord rebuked them sayinge Wo be to y e Corolaâ—m and Bethsaida for if thos vertues had ben shewed â—one in Tyre and Sydon whiche haue ben in you they wold loÌ„g ago haue repented them sitting in ashâ—s â–ª and â—acke clothe But canne 〈◊〉 say now that the people of Tirus Sydon did not beleue when suche myracles were wroughte among them or that if ther had ben wrought that they would not haue beleued then The lorde hym selfe doth wytnes that they wolde haue taken great repentaunce w t all lowlynes humilitie yf these tokens of the heuenly power had byn shewed amonge them and yet for all that they shall be ponyshed at the day of iudgement although not so greuously as the other cities whiche woulde not beleue wheÌ„ they saw theÌ„ wrought before their face After this the lord sayth But I say to you Tyrus and Sydon shall be more easely entreated at y e day of iudgement than they shal It foloweth theÌ„ y â— these cities shall be more sharpely ponished and the other more gentilly yet thei shal be both ponished But after al thes words if dead men are iudged according to y e works dedes which they wolde haue wrought if they had lyued then truelye the people of Tyrus and Sidon which wold haue beleued if the myracles had ben wrought among them and the gospel preached shal not be ponysshed But thei shall be ponyshed Then it is false that men as they do say are iudged accordinge to the workes which they wold haue done if they had had lenger respete to lyue Yf this be false then can they not laye as touchynge infantes which do perish departing without baptyme that they do deserue iustly to perysh bycause god knewe before that if they had lenger lyued the gospel also preached vnto theim thei woulde not beleue It doothe therfore follow that they are only â—asâ—e bounde with originall synne and for that onely they do go into condemnation For we doo see the other yong chyldern which ar in al one staâ—e condition that they are none otherwise forgeuen than by the grace of god in their regeneration and that by his secrete iuste iudgement For there is none vnrightwisenes with god Some meÌ„ also we do se which after their baptyme thorow their yll lyuing haue peryshed whiche haue ben kepte styll in this lyfe tyll they haue soo offended that thei do perysh whiche
whiche doth stand maye take hede he doth not fal and he whiche reioyseth may reioyse in the lorde not in him selfe But what is the matter that these men whiche do holde with vs against the Pelagians as tochinge original syn which syn by one maÌ„ enterid into the worlde and by on man al men are gon into condemnation â–ª wherfore wyll theye not graunt that the cause of saluatioÌ„ and damnation which is in yonge chyldren sholde not be compared and lykened vnto the cause which is in persons of more age This thinge the Manaches also do not vnderstond which do not only set lyghte by the testimonies of y â— olde testament but also those scripturâ— whiche are of the new testamente â–ª as though they had a priuiledge to do with them what thei wolde they do abuse at their own plesur For they wyl take forsake what them lysteth as they shal appeare to make or marre for or agaynste their pourpose alowing or disalowinge them Agenst those Manaches I dyd wryte in the bookes whiche I wrote vpon fre wyll out of the whiche bokes these men do take hold agenst me And wher as in the sayde bokes many greate and weighty questions cam in the waye besyde the principal matter I wold not dyscusse them exactly nor go thorough with them least the work shuld haue ben to great and specially because I sawe that the authoritie of the holy scriptures dyd preuayl nothyng agenst such peruerst vngodly persons And yet I myghte as I dyde althoughe I dyd not expresly and plainly determyne the verytie of euery on of those matters after a certayn fashyon conclud that god is in al thinges to be praysed with out any necessyte that I shold beleue as they wold haue vs that there ar two substances coeternal both to gyther of good and euyll in god To be short in my fyrst boke of retractations which worke ye haue not yet red when I cam to retract those boks whiche I dyd wryght vpon frewyl I spake after thys wyse In these bokes sayde I are dysputed so manye matters that many questions do com betwene which questions ether bycause I coulde not dyscusse to the vttermoste or els bycause at this tyme they do requyre lengar space and more busines I wyll so put them of tyl an other tym that what part so euer ye do consyder of thos questions wher as I could not fynde the truthe out yet my reasoninge dyd so conclud that whyther this or that parte were the trueth or in which soeuer of them it did lie hid god was alwaye beleued at the lest he was declared in al thinges to be praysed For truly I toke y e dysputatioÌ„ in hand bycause of theÌ„ which do denye that the originall and beginning of oure euel commyth of fre wyl which also do earnystly hould defende that god being the maker of al naturs is to be blamed enteÌ„ding according to ther wycked error I do mean the Manaches to introduce and briÌ„g in this â—oulle error that there is in god a certayn natur of euyl which is immutable coeternall euerlastinge with him And a litel after in an other place I said these words I dyd speake saide I of the misery which synnars most rightwisly susteyne rom the whiche men are delyuered by the grace of god For man can fall by him selfe that is to saye by his own frewill so can he not ryse vp again Vnto the which misery of iust damnation ignoraÌ„ce hardnes of hart do pertayn whiche diseases al mankinde hath eueÌ„ from the begynning of his byrth And from this euyll no man is delyuered but by the grace of god This misery of blyndnes hardnes the pelagians do denye for to comâ— procede of iust damnation For thei do denie originall synne And as touchynge ygnoraunce hardnes of hart yf they wer nothiÌ„g els but the natural begynnyng of man â–ª yet god is not to be blamed but to be praysed according to my disputatioÌ„ in that same third boke whiche disputation shulde be had agenst y e Manaches which do not vnderstond the scripturs of the old testament by the whiche originall synne is declared and taught And what soeuer is redde therof in the writinges of the Apostels they do saye with a detestable and shameles bouldnes that those their wrytynges are depraued and corrupted of syche as haue thrust such seÌ„tences into their writynges as thoughe the apostell dyd not speke and write all those wordes whiche are found in their writinges But agenst the PelagiaÌ„s we must defende that there is original syn which the scripturs both olde and new do confirme And yet thei say that they do professe hould with the scriptures as well as we These wordes did I speake in my first boke of retractation when I did cal in those bookes whiche I made of fre wyll And beside these wordes whiche I haue rehersed I did speak mich more as touching those bookes of frewyll which I thought to longe to reherse in this work and not necessary as ye wyll I knowe well saye when ye haue red them all Therfore althoughe in the thyrde boke which I wrote vpon fre wyl our disputation was such as touching yong children that although it were true that the PelagiaÌ„s do say that ignorance hardnes w tout the which no man is born into this world are but the natural begynnyngs of euery man not rather the ponishment of natur yet y â— Manaches should be ouercome put to silence whiche do hold that ther ar in god two natures that is to say of good euyl from before the begynnyng coeternal But although that were trewe that ignorauÌ„ce and hardnes are but the naturall beginninge of humayne nature and not the punysshmente or pain of that same nature as it is in dede should therfore our fayth which the catholyke church dothe defend against the Pelagians be forsaken or doubted of which doth holde that there is original synne the gylte or faute where of beinge got to vs by our first generation can none otherwise be losed but by the seconde byrth which is our regeration And therfore if these our brethren doo confesse that same as we do for to be true â–ª that we they both together may destroy y â— error of the Pelagians wherfore sholde thei doubt but that god doth pluk yonge chyldren to whome he doth giue his grace by the sacrament of baptime from the poure of darkenes transportynge them into the kyngdome of the brightnes of his son Therfore in that he doth gyue his grace to some and to some not wherfore do they not therin synge laude and praise to the mercy and iudgement of the lorde But whye he dothe gyue it to one more than to an other who knoweth the mind of the lorde Who is able to serche his inscrutable iugments Who is able to seke out his ways which ar inuestigable The .xii. Chapter IT is
did I not write it a good mani of yers befor Let theÌ„ also rede that epistel which I wrote to Sixtus the eldar of thee churche of Rome what time we contended most vehemeÌ„tly against the Pelagians and they shal fynd it siche an other as that was whiche we sent to Paulinus Hereby thei maye cal to remembrans that diuers yers past thes thinges wer both spokeÌ„ of and also put in writiÌ„g which I do meruayl mich now to discontent ther minds And yet I wold not that any man shold so mich regard and make of my workes that they sholde follow me in any thinge but wherin thei do perceue and se that I do not erre but wher as I am in the right waye For for that cause do I now wryght certain bokes wherin I go about to retract my work as that I maye testefye and shew howe that in all thinges I didde not folow min own self But yet I trust that by the helping mercy of god I did good with my wrytings although at the beginning I was not perfect in al thinges For euen now I shold both lye speke arrogantly if I sholde saye that I am com to sich a perfection yea being so olde as I am that I am with out al error in writing But ther is a gret difference bitwene how mich and in what things a maÌ„ doth err and how quickly he wil amend it that man which stobernly wyl stonde in the defence of his error For that man truly is happy whiche hath lerned profited so well that at the last day of his lyfe hath that thing gyuen to him which he wanted al his life before therfor may be then iudged rather worthy of perfection which hath so proffited thaÌ„ of punyshment for y e contrary Wherfore if I ought not to be vnthankful to theÌ„ which did fauor loue me becaus they had som profit by my woorks yea before they dyd loue me howe muche more ar we bouÌ„d to be thaÌ„kful to god whoÌ„ we could not loue except he had loued vs first made vs to be his louers For loue charite doth come of hym as thos godly men do bear witnes whom he hath made grete oratours myghtye preachers of his name What thing caÌ„ be more vnthankeful than to deny y e grace of god which is in that we saye it is gyuen after our merits Thys saying dyd the catholyque vniuersal fayth abhorre in the Pelagians as a cryme of most haynous wickednes This error Pelagian hym self dyd condemne not for ani loue he did bere to the veritye but for feare lest he hym self shuld haue ben condemned Whoso euer wyl sey that the grace of god is giuen after our meryts agenst the beleif of al faythful men doth not deny y t faith is of the grace of god by the which grace he hath obteyned to be faythful by that same reson let hym also gyue to the grace of god the gyft of perseueraunce to th end as wel as thother by the whiche grace he obteyneth mercy which perseuerance he prayeth for dayly in y t he desyreth y t he might not be brought into tentacion In the myds betwene the begynnyng of fayth th end whyche is perseuerance to the end are al thos vertuse wherwith our lyfe appeareth good and godly which vertuse thei them self do graunt to be the gyfts of god at the respect of faith But God knew that he wold gyue to them whom he hath called al thos thinges that is to sai both y e beginning of faith al other his giftes euen to the ende It were therfore a matter of to mich contention other to spek against predestination or ells to doubt any thing therof Yet men must take hede be ware now after what manner thei do prech yt to the people And that thei do not so preche it that bi there rude preching amonge the vnlearned people it shold be sclanderyd spoken euyl of as apereth they haue done by the prescience foreknoledge of god which trueli they canne not deneye As if theye wolde saye vnto the people whither you do slepe or wake as god who can not be deceuid hath you in his foreknoledg that same shal you be For crafty and vnlerned phisicions do often tims ley and bynde a good playster vnto a man after that fashion that it doth not only not profet the parte which is syk but maketh him often tymes worse But they shold rather haue sayd to the people So roon that ye maye come to that you do roon after And in your ronning ye shal perceue and know that ye ar so for knowen of god that ye shulde run wel And if they can deuyse anye other waye to preach and teach the prescience of god by the whiche theyr teaching man myght be driuen from his sloggishnes I wuld they shuld vse it Cap. xxii ALthough this be the certaine and determinid wil of god concerning predestination y â— som haue receuid the wyl of obedience and ar tornid from ther infydelyte vnto fayth in Christe and so haue the gyfte to continew in the same som other which do lye styl in the delyghte pleasur of ther damnable synne if they be also predesteâ—yd therfore ar they not yet rysen vp from ther sin bycaus the help of grace which is pyttyful take the mercy hathe not lyft them vp For if there be som which ar not yet called whom thoroughe his grace he hath predestyned to be hys elect chosen theye shall also receue that same grace wherby they may haue the wyl and desire therof be also elected in dede And again if there be any which do obeye that ar not predestined to his kyngedome and glory those are but tymlyngs and shall not continue styl in that same obedience to th end Although therfore I say these thinges are true yet they must not be spokeÌ„ of after so plaine a fashion to a multitude of herers as thoughe the wordes were spoken vnto theÌ„ which ar the hearars or after sych a fasshion as ye do wryght me of in your lettres as if a man shold say This is the wil of god in his predestination y t som of you shal receaue y â— wil to be obedient and torn from youre infydelite to fayth What nede is it here to say som of you For if we do speake to the churche of god if we do speke vnto none other but such as do beleue wherfore do we say somof you are com to y e fayth For in so sayinge we do apper to do wrong vnto the rest when we myght spek more comly and aptli if we shold saye This is the very wyl of god in his predestination that ye shold receue the wyl of obedience torn from youre vnfaithfulnes to belefe and to receue the gyft of perseuerance that ye maye continew therin The reste of the words
these folowing We shal al stand â—eyth he befor y â— iudgment seat of Christ that euery man may receue after the doing work which he hade don in his body ther good or euyll The Apostel seyth which he hath done not adding therto or shal do But how or which waye this reason shulde fal into their heades I cannot tel that the merits which are to come whiche shall neuer be any yf they do dye in their infancy shuld be rewarded or condemned For what cause is it written that man shall be iudged after the dedes that he hath doone in his bodye when we do se and know that many things are done and committed in y e mind onely not by the body nor by anye member belongynge to the bodye yea often tyme so great offences y â— they deserue most iust punyshmeÌ„t as amonge other offences whiche I passe ouer this one is mencyoned The vnwyse man sayd in his harte there is no god What now shall we saye to the wordes of the Apostel which are accordynge to the workes whiche he hath doone by hys bodye but that it is mente after the dedes whiche he hathe done in the time of his body while he was here in lyfe that by the bodye we shulde vnderstand the time of the bodye For after the beynge once of this body no man shall be in it agayne vntyll the last resurrection whiche shal be not to do any newe meryts but to receyue accordynge to the olde rewarde and praise yf they were good or punishmente if they were euyll In the meane time betwene the forsaking of the bodye the rysyng vp therof agayne as they haue doone durynge the tyme of their bodyes so their soules are ether at reste or in payne Vnto the tyme of the being of the body in yearth alyue origynall synne is referred whiche the Pelagyans do deny but the churche of Christe â–ª doth confesse it that original synne is either by y e grace of god pardoned or not pardoned accordynge to his iudgement that I say infantes by the merit of regeneration do departe from euyll to well or els by the meryte of originall synne they do go from euyl to euyl Thys thinge the catholyque faith knowledgeth to be true wherein certayn heretiques do not agre with vs. But that a maÌ„ shuld be iudged not onelye after the meryts whiche he hathe doone in his bodye but after those whiche he hadde not doone butt myghte haue doone yf he hadde lyued longer in the bodye I can not tel howe or whiche waye they beynge so greate wyse men as by youre letters they shoulde appeare to be coulde thynke it yea I wolde not beleue that they weare of anye suche mynde weare it notte not y e I must nedes beleue y â— thing to be true whiche you do wryte certifye so to be But I trust god wyll teache them put into their heades that they shall se as touchinge those synnes which are not yet commytted yf those same synnes maye be iustlye punished in theÌ„ which at not baptized that by the grace of god they maye aswell be forgeuen in those which ar baptised For who soeuer doth say that transgressions to com whiche are not done maye be punyshed by the iudgement of god maye not by his mercye be also forgeuen let hym consydre what greate iniurye he dothe vnto god to his grace in that he doth say that sinnes not commytted are in the foreknowledge of god to be ponyshed but that it is not in his power to forgeue them If it be a greate absurditie so for saye then is it expedyent necessary that infantes shulde be succoured by baptyme syth they do dy in theyr yonge age and shulde haue ben more greuouse offendours yf they had lyued lenger tyme. The .xiii. Chapter BVt if so be theye do saye vnto me that they whiche do repente haue forgyuenes of their synn therfore those chyldren do dye w toute baptysm in their yong age bicause they are in the foreknowledge of god that they woulde not repent yf they shoulde haue had lenger lyfe those which are baptised after theyr baptyme do dy in their infancy are also in the foreknowledge of god that if they had liued lenger they would haue repented and byn sorye for their synne lette them take hede what they do saye marke well if it be so as they do say that thou original synne is not punyshed in them whiche do dye without baptyme but those synns onely which they wold haue commytted if they had lenger space of lyfe And also let them perceyue y â— by their reason those whyche are baptysed are not by the fountayne of baptime washed clensed from theyr original synne â–ª but froÌ„ those synns whiche they woulde haue commytted yf theye hadde lyued anye lenger tyme. For tyl the time of more perfection of yeares they coulde not synne But because god knewe that some woulde repente and some woulde not therefore some were baptised before they dyed and then departed and thei whiche woulde not repente departed without baptyme If the Pelagians harde this their reason they woulde not stycke much to vtterly denye originall synne and seeke some other place of reste for chyldren for somuche as they are perswaded that they cannot haue lyfe euerlastynge which haue not eateÌ„ the fleshe and dronken the bloude of Christe and agayne because they are thus perswaded that in theim whiche haue no synne baptyme is of none effecte â–ª which baptyme is geuen in the remyssyon of synne For they woulde saye that there weare noo orygynall synne at all but that infantes departynge frome thys lyfe in their infancye eyther are baptysed acacording to the good dedes which theye woulde haue done in longer time or not baptised acordinge to the euel dedes And lykewyse they wold saye that after the same reasoÌ„ of meryttes good or bad they dooe eat and drynk the flesh and bloud of Christe or other wyse withoute the which no man can haue lyfe eternal They wolde saye also that yonge chyldren are baptised in the trew remyssion of synn althoughe theye toke no synne of Adam bycause thei ar taught that y e sinnes whiche infants wolde haue donne wherof god knew thei wold haue repentyd if they had lyued ar clensyd and taken awaye by baptyme After this fasshion thei might easly handel the matter and haue the victory which do denye originall syn to be in man holding opinion that the grace of god is gyuen non otherwise but after out deseruiÌ„g But bycause the workes 〈◊〉 dedes which are not yet done are nothiÌ„g at all because thei are not done as euery man maye easelye perceiue neither can the Pelagians muche lesse the other either say or defend any suche thinge Truelye it greueth me very muche and more thaÌ„ I can speake to se that these men whiche most catholykely do condemne the error of the pelagians do not se and perceiue that thinge whiche