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
⧠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
benefites whyche do come by death when he sayethe they are taken from the peryles of synne whiche do make an ende of this lyfe wherein they maye ye do commyt synne so longe as they are in it In the same boke S. Ciprian among other thinges dothe say wherfore syth that thou shalt be with Christ and art suer of the promise of the lord doest not thou receiue welcom and enbrace thaÌ„kfully that thou art called to come is Christ Why art thou not glad that thou doest go from the deuyl and so to be out of his daunger And in another place he sayethe â–ª Yonge chyldren do escape the peryl of the slyppery and brykle age And in another place also he saith Wherfore do we not haste vs and to me that we myght se our countreye and salute oure parentes There do a great number of oure frendes loke for oure commynge of our parentes of our brethren of our chyldren Manye there are â–ª whiche do desyre to haue vs with them beynge on their owne behalf certaine and sewer that they are out of all daunger and peryll beynge carefull for vs also With these and such lyke wordes â–ª that same doctoure openlye in the myddes of the churche doth testifye that the daunger and peryll of synne is to be feared vntyll â—hende of this lyfe leauynge of this body and after that not to be feared that we shall suffer any such thiÌ„g Whiche thinge althoughe thys doctor had not testified what christian man would euer doubt therof Howe shoulde it not haue bene merueylous profitable to hym whiche had fallen so ended hys lyfe myserably Departynge hens to the paynes whiche he hath deserued yf god had taken hym out of this lyfe from these temtations before he had fallen traÌ„sgressed And so this shall be sufficiente to ende this question about the texte of the boke of wysedome â—he is taken awaye lest malyce shuld alter his mynde yf any reasonable aunswer can serue them and wil not be to contentiouse And besyde that matter the same boke of wysedom which hath ben so longe receyued contynued in the churche so manye yeares ought not the lesse to be regarded and set by because it speakethe against them whome humayne meryts do deceaue and beguyle whicauseth them to go against the manyfest grace of god which most of all doth appear in chyldren which some of them dienge after they are baptised and some before they come to baptyme do declare sufficiently both the mercy and iudgement of god that his mercy is giuen frely and his iudgemente is mooste dewe right vnto vs. For yf so be that men shuld be iudged after the merits and dedes which they haue not done by reason thet are preuented by death which merits and dedes they shoulde haue had and doone if they had lengar lyued it should haue ben no profyt to hym whiche is taken out of this lyfe that malyce shoulde not change and alter his mynde and also it shoulde haue ben nothynge at all profytable to the wycked whiche do depart in their wickednes yea thoughe they had ben taken away oute of this lyfe before they fell and were wycked whiche thinge no christen man woulde euer affirme or houlde Therefore these our brethren whiche do laboure take payne with vs in the defence of the catholike faithe impognynge the errour of the Pelagians as we do shoulde not beare so muche with them in this error wherein they do thynke that the grace of god is geuen after our merits that they shoulde appeare to miâ—ish take awaye or improue the authorite of this sentence whiche is both true ryght christian that is he is takeÌ„ away c. whiche thynge the Pelagians them selfe dare not do and so affyrme that whiche we thinke no man wyl not onely beleue yea not so muche as once dreame that any man after his deathe shoulde be iudged accordynge to the dedes whiche he woulde haue doone yf he hadde lyued annye longer tyme. And so it is inuincible which we do saye and defende that the grace of god is not gyuen after our meryts wherefore I meruayle suche wyse men woulde be broughte to speke such thinges as ar not to be harde nor yet so muche as thought on The .xv. Chapter WHat goodlyer laÌ„terne or lyghte of predestination of grace can we haue than our sauyour hym selfe whiche is the mediatour betwene god man the man Christ Iesus By what merites precedinge the grace of god eyther of workes or of fayth dyd the humayne nature whiche is in hym obteine gette that he was made the man Christ Iesus and mediatoure betwene god and man I wolde fayn know with what merits that man Christ deserued that he by y e word which word is with the father coeternal beinge assumpted into the vnite of person was made the onelye sonne of god Shewe me one good thiÌ„g what so euer it be whiche went before this grace What thinge dyd he worke before what dyd he beleue before what dyd he pray and aske of his father before this that he myght thereby be so hygh exalted as he is so hyghe as no man is able to speak Was it not by the worde whiche dyd make and receyue hym y t y t man from y e which tyme of his manhode he begane to be the sonne of god was his onlye begotten sonne Dyd not that woman after she was replenysshed fylled with grace coÌ„ceiue thys onlye begotten sonne of god Was not this onely begotten son borne of the holy ghoste and of y â— vyrgin Marye not thorough any fleshly desyre but by the onli gyft of god Was ther any thing to be doubled and fearid of lest that that maÌ„ Chryst when he shold com to yers of dyscrecyon wold of his own fre wyl synne Or do you thinke therfore that he had not fre wyl in him or rather that it was â—o muche the more in hym howe much the more he could not be subiect seruaunte to â—ynne Truly al these hyghe and meruaylos exelent gyftes whiche do passe al mans reason al other which ar proper to hym only whiche no man hath but he the humaiÌ„ y t is to â—ay our nature dyd receue iÌ„ hym after a syngular fashion without any of his merytts precedinge Here lett man reason with god if he dare and say vnto hym wherfore do not receue these gyftes as wel as he If so be this saying of the apostel O man what art thou wâ—ich dost reason with god wil not pluck the in and stey the but rather make the to be more folyshe that thou wylte saye how do I here these wordes what art thou o man Forsomuch as I am that thinge which I do here that is to say a man as Christ is wherfore theÌ„ am not I as he is I do saye to the that grace made hym such a maÌ„ as he is so greate as he is But for what cause
tyme as thou wylt so that when he left this lyfe he lyued and ended in fayth rather I saye than that man whiche lyued faithfull many yeares before his deathe dyd fall from it though the tyme of his fall before his death was neuer so small The second Chapter THis beyng grauÌ„ted let vs se whither this perseuerauÌ„ce or stedfastnes whereof it is wrytten he which continueth to the ende shal be saued be the gyfte of god or nay If it be not the gyft of god how can the words of the Apostel be trew where he sayth it is gyuen to you for christes sake that ye shall not only beleue in hym but also that ye shal suffer for him Of the whiche sayinge the fyrste parte perteneth to the beginning of fayth the latter part to the ende of the same fayth And yet bothe of these two partes as wel the beginninge as the ending at the gyftes of god For he sayth that both are gyuen to vs as we haue rehersed befor For what better beginning canne a christian man haue than to beleue in Chryste What better end than to suffer for Chryst But as toching the faith or belefe in christe wheras they deuised an obiection wherby they wold proue that the beginning of faith was not y e gift of god but thencrease onli of y â— said faith we trust in the lord y â— it is sufficyentli answeryd to of vs in the fyrst boke But what canne they say why perseueraunce or stedfastnes to the ende sholde not be the gyft of Chryst to that man whiche hath receuyd the gyfte to suffer for Chryst or to speak more plainly to whome it is gyuen to dye for Chryst For Peter declaring this also to be y e gift of god doth say It is better for vs doing wel for to suffer if it be the wyl of the lorde than doing euyl When the Apostel dothe saye if it be the wyll of the lorde he doth shewe that it is gyueÌ„ from god aboue to al seinets that they shall suffer for Christe And theye whome Chryste wyll haue com to the experyence glory of sufferinge canne not those but comme to the kyngdom of god if theye do perseuer and be stedfast in Chryste to the ende But what man can say that this perseuerannce and stedfastnes is not giuen to those men whiche by sycknes of the body or some other way do depart forth of this life in Christe when it is geuen to those men much more hardly and streightly whiche do suffer death for Christ Those men do muche more hardelye perseuer continue to the end when they are persecuted because they shulde be turned broughte from their stedfastnes And therefore they do stande faste yea vnto death that they may be found stedfaste Therfore to the other it is geuen after a more easy fashion thaÌ„ vnto these whiche are thus persecuted But to whom nothing is harde nor vnpossible it is light and easy to gyue it as easely to the one as to the other that it shall not appere more streight thing to y â— one thaÌ„ to thother â–ª For god promised this stedfastnes when he sayed I wyll geue my feare into their hartes y t they may not go from me By the whiche wordes what is elles to be meant but that the feare of me shal be suche and so great in them whiche I wyll geue into their hartes that they shal stedfastly cleaue vnto me But for what cause is thys stedfastnes prayed for of god if he be not the gyuer therof Ys not this a petition to mocke god with all when that a thinge is asked of him which thinge they do knowe he doth not giue but is thoughte to be in mans own powr to haue it without the gifte of god of him selfe And this is none otherwyse but euen lyke as they do which do thanke him for that thing whiche he â–ª dyd nether gyue nor worke But as I sayd in myn other boke so do I saye her agayn begyle noâ— your selfs sayth y e apostle god wil not be mockid O maÌ„ god is a witnes not only of those words which y â— speakest but also of thy cogytacions thoughts If y u dost ask any thing of so rych a lord y t in faith beleue that thou dost receue it of hiÌ„ of whome thou dost ask y â— thinge â–ª wherfore thou prayest Honor thou hym not wyth thy lyppes extollinge thy selfe in thy harte aboue him beleuiÌ„g that thou hast of thâ—Ì„ owne selfe that thing whiche thou woldest seme to ask of him Do we not pray vnto him to haue this perseuerance geuen to vs He y â— doth deny that nedeth not to be conuinced ouercom w t my disputation but to be praied for that he may be reuoked froÌ„ this error by the good praiers of the saintes Is ther any of the godlye which do not deâ—ice iÌ„ ther petitioÌ„ y â— they may perseuer continue stedfast in him when they say the lordes prayer whiche is so called becaus y e lord made it wher in almost nothing els is vnderstaÌ„ded to be praied for of theÌ„ but that thei may perseuer be stedfast I wold therfore haue you rede somtime therpositioÌ„ which y e holi martyr CipriaÌ„ did make vpoÌ„ y e praier in his boke entituled of the lords praier se how many yeres before how gret strong a medecyn was prepared agenst thys foule poysonos heresy of y e pelagiaÌ„s whose tyme being was long after For ther are .iii. pointes aboue al other which y e catholik church doth defeÌ„d agenst theÌ„ One point is that the grace of god is not giueÌ„ after our merits for those same our merits and good workes are also the gyfte of god and by the onli grace of god do the iuste men receaue al there merytts The second poiÌ„t is that no maÌ„ be he neuer so iust doth lyue without synne in this corruptible body The thyrd is that man is borne in the syn of the fyrst maÌ„ fast bound with the bond of damnation except that same offence which he hathe by hys firste byrthe be losed taken away by the new byrth of regeneration Of this last poynt the holy father CipriaÌ„ did not treat in his boke But of the twane fyrst pointes he doth so playnly openly dispute that these newe heretiques enemis to the grace of Christ wer confouÌ„ded many yeres before they wer born Therfore amonge the merytes of the sayntes whiche ar no merytes if they be not the gyfte of God he nameth this perseueraunce for to be speking after this maner We do saye sayth Cyprian on this wyse Lette thy name be halowed not that we do wyshe or praye for god that he myghte be sanctifyed by oure prayars but that we do aske desyre of him that his name maye be sanctified in vs. Who theÌ„ dothe sanctefie god whiche dothe sanctifie and is only the
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
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
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