aduertisement of those coÌ„gregations no les then that which is conteined in these words by you rehearsed Then let vs heare what is writen and spoken by him in this mater I sawe saith he foure Angelles standing vpon the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the windes shoulde not blow vpon the earth c. And I saw an other angell ascending from the vprising of the sonne c. And he cryed with a loude voice to the foure Angelles to whom power was giuen to hurt the earth the sea saying hurt not the earth nether the sea nether yet the trees vntil we haue sealled the seruantes of our God in their foreheades I pray you why were these who were to be marked in the foreheades more called the seruantes of God by the voice of the Angell then others I knowe you will answer because of their good workes and godlie intentions But from whence I praie you did it procede that y e workes and intention of the one sort were good and of the other wicked If you say from their own fre wil and power the holie Gost doth proue you liers as before I haue declared and our Apostle assigneth also an other cause saing And power was giuen to the beast vpon all tribes tongues and natioÌ„s and all those that dwelt vpon the earth did worship him whose names are not writen in the book of life of the lambe who was killed from the beginning of the worlde Here it is plaine that our Apostle against your affirmation teacheth that some do worship the beast and so do finally perish and other do not worship him and attein to life â–ª that because the names of the one are written in the booke of life and the names of the others are not written and that more plainely he speaketh in these wordes Then I loked and lo a lambe standing on the mount Zion w t him a hundreth fortie foure thousand hauing his fathers name written in their foreheades c. and they sang as it were a newe songe before y e throne and before the foure beastes the elders none coulde learne the song except those hundreth fortie and foure thousand which were boght from the earth c. and aftre in the 17 chapt is mencioned of these inhabitantes of the earth who shall wonder vpon the beastwhose names are not written in the book of life from y e creation of the worlde if in these places I say y e Apostle maketh no differeÌ„ce betwext one sort of men an other let y e reader iudge if there be differeÌ„ce betwext boght not boght writteÌ„ in y e book of life not writteÌ„ to learn y e newe â—og not to learne y e same theÌ„ no dowt o r Apostle putteth as plaine a differeÌ„ce as we do yea y e hole scope of his reuelatioÌ„ is to declare y t there is a noÌ„bre of y â— elect called y e spouse of y e laÌ„be whoÌ„ it behoueth to be coÌ„plete before y â— coÌ„sumatioÌ„ of all thiÌ„gs com before y t y e iÌ„noceÌ„t blood that hath bene shed be reueÌ„ged vpoÌ„ those y t dwell vpon the earth and therefore aduise with your selues how ye be able to proue that S. Iohn taught no such doctrine as we teach But admitting that he had neuer spoken nether yet of any nombre chosen that can not fall vtterly from their election nether yet of any nombre reprobate who must nedes be apprehended with the beast and with him be cast into the lake of fyre Is it therefore a good argument that all those that teach such maner of doctryne be fals teachers or that no such doctryne is conteined in the holie Scriptures I wil make the like reason Nether Moises nether Iohn the Baptist in any expressed wordes haue left to vs written â–ª that Christ Iesus shoulde be born of a virgin that he shoulde suffer in Ierusalem â–ª that his disciples should all be sclaÌ„dered and flee from him that he shoulde rise againe and ascending into the heauen shoulde send the holie Gost visibly vpon his Apostles nether Moises I say nether yet Iohn who were excellent teachers haue taught in expressed wordes any such doctrine Ergo the teachers of it be fals teachers it is not written in gods scriptures your argument is no better admitting that the Apostle had neuer made meÌ„tion of any sort elected But now shortly to answer to all which without purpose ye heape to gether in this place I say first ye oght to haue made a difference betwext those seuen congregations where Christ Iesus had bene preached and receaued and the rest of the worlde w c theÌ„ remained or after was to remaine in blindenes error for to those y t haue by publicke profession receaued Christ Iesus be they elect or be they reprobate do appertein exhortations threatning y e doctrine of repeÌ„taÌ„ce consolatioÌ„ propheciiÌ„g reuelatioÌ„ of thiÌ„gs to com but to those y t yet remaine manifest enemies of the trueth apperteine onelie y e coÌ„mon calling to eÌ„brace the trueth with the threatniÌ„g of destructioÌ„ if they contiune vnfaithfull And therefore becaus these former coÌ„gregatioÌ„s as said is had professed them selues to be of gods housholde they were intreated as his domestical seruantes If any aske the cause why are som so amiably and others so strangely intreated I answer no other cause can be assigned but that it pleased gods infinit wisdome and goodnes to make that plaine and euident difference betwext those that once be receaued in his houshold be it by externall profession onely and those that remaine in blindenes that the one he commonly doth visit but the other he doth as it were neglect and destroy for what other cause can we assigne that God so louingly did often call to repentaÌ„ce the people of Israel so often offending from the daies of Moises vnto y e comming of Christ Iesus that he sent vnto them Prophetes to exhort to rebuke and to declare the estate of things to come and in this mean ceason the space of two thousand yeres permitted the Gentiles to walke in their own waies And now after the reiection of the Iewes what cause can we assigne that among vs Gentiles God vseth to stirre vp now one countrie now an other to receaue the trueth to detest and abhorre our former superstition Idolatrie and wickednes and of so long coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce hath left bothe y e Iewes turkes drowned still in their blindnes damnable errors we shall find none other cause I suppose then did the Apostle se when that he said to God are knowen all his workes euen froÌ„ the beginning and that he will reuele his secretes to such as please him ye do not heare in all this reuelation of Iohn that Babilon is exhorted to repeÌ„tance y t the blasphemous beast is rebuked ether of his tyranny ether of his blasphemie with any promes made to
to perdition which ende was appointed vnto them not against gods will but by his will â—mmutable in his eternall counsell For no lesse will he that the seueritie of his iudgementes be sene in the vessels of wrath theÌ„ that the riches of his grace be praised in the vessels of mercie Storme and rage spew furth your venom and blaspheme till ye prouoke gods vengeance at once to be powred forth vpon your owne heades this sentence will he neuer retracte He will haue mercie vpon whom he will haue mercy and whom he will he maketh hard hearted That God in him selfe hath but one will which is holy iust and permanent that in him there is no contraritie that he is faithfull and doth perfourme what soeuer he doth promise What we vnderstand by gods secrete will and how he tempteh no man I haue before sufficiently declared And therefore I will not truble the reader with the repetitioÌ„ of the same Now let vs heare what is your iudgement of vs and how ye extolle your selues THE ADVERSARIE As these goddes be of contrarie nature so do they begette children of a contrarie nature the fals God begetteh vnmercifull proud ambicrouse and enuifull children bloody persecutors of others for their conscience saik euill speakers â—mpacient contenciouse and seditious children And they be like vnto their father in that they speake one thing with their mouth and think an other with their heart They can neuer be without filthy thâ—ghtes wicked 〈◊〉 for such poyson do they receaue of their father The trew God begetteth mercifull humble lowlye and louing children abhorring from blood persecuting no man good speakers patient detesting all 〈◊〉 chiding and brawling and they be like vnto their father in that what soeuer they speak with their mâ—uth they think with their heart they be alwaies moued with good thoghtes and gâ—dly reuelations for such grace receaue they 〈…〉 of their father ANSWER It may seme by the description of these your two goddes for nether of both as ye describe them is the true liuing eternall God that ye studie to renew the daÌ„nable error of the Manichies who imagined two beginners the one of all goodnes and of all good creatures the other of all iniquitie and of wicked creatures affirming further that the good and the mercifull God was ouercome for a time by him that was wicked and euill And because that the plaine scriptures did confute these blasphemâ—es therefor did they denie the authoritie of Moises and the certentie of all other scriptures that made any thing against their error If manifestly ye did take vpon you the defense of those your fathers as that ye do of Pellagius of Donatus and of the Papistes for of all these adulterous fathers ye be adulterous children then wolde I from Augustine whom God stirred vp no doubte in the daies of darckenes most learnedly and most plainely by infallible scriptures to cofute those heresies from him I say I might take artilerie all ready prepared able inough to ouerthrow your buildinges and munitions appere they neuer so strong But because as before I haue said my purpose is not to burden you further then you do confesse I onely admonish the reader to be ware of such pestilences as beginne to call the trueth of God reueled in his holy word in doubt and do persuade men to credite dreames and reuelations how soeuer they appere to repugne to that which is reueled in the word Of such men I say â–ª oght Christes flock to take hede as also of those who make of eguall authoritie such bookes as yet the holy Gost hath neuer coÌ„mended to the Church of Christe with these that are written by Moises the Prophetes the Euangelistes and Apostles and that by inspiration of the holy Gost. That some of you be infected with this most pestilent poison I am able to proue by mo argumentes then one Being at London the the winter before the death of king Edward one â–ª of your faction required secrete communication of me in which after that earnestly he had required of me closenes and fidelitie because that the maters that he had to communicate with me were so weightie and of such importance as sythence the daies of the Apostles the like was neuer opened vnto man In the ende after many wordes which I nether gladly heard nether yet will now write he gaue me a boke written as he said by God euen as well as was any of the EuaÌ„gelistes This his booke he adiured me as it were to reade and required to haue my iudgement of it My answer was that at his request I wold reade it so that he wold be coÌ„tent to reason with me of the chiefe pointes in the same conteined but to pronounce sentence or iudgement that could I not vsurpe being but one man farre inferior to many of my brethern y e preachers of gods word in that realme Alwaies he vrged me to reade his booke And I woÌ„dering what mysteries it should coÌ„teine called to me a faithfull brother who then as pleased God was present with me named HeÌ„ry Farrour marchaÌ„t to whom I opened the mater by whose counsell and in whose presence I beganne to reade his boke The first proposition wherof was God made not the world nether yet the wicked creatures in the same conteined but they had their beginning from a nother that is from the deuill who is called the Prince of the world which proposition plainly repugning to gods word I did impugne and begaÌ„ne to declare vnto him for what cause Sathan had that title to be called the Prince of y e world But he vtterly denying ether to reasoÌ„ and dispute ether yet to be reformed in any point that there was written commaÌ„nded me to reade forward to beleue howbeit I did not vnderstand To whom when I had gentilly said Can any reasonable man will me to beleue thinges directly fighting against gods veritie and plaine word reueled Tusch said he for your written word we haue as good and as sure a word and veritie that teacheth vs this doctrine as ye haue for you and your opinioÌ„ And theÌ„ I did more sharpely answere saing ye deserue the death as a blasphemous person and denier of God if ye preferre any word to that which the holy Gost hath vttered in his plaine scriptures At which wordes he toke pepper in nose and snatching his boke furth of my hand departed after he had thus spoken I will goo to the ende of the world but I will haue my boke confirmed and subscribed with better learned men then you be In me I coÌ„fesse there was greate negligeÌ„ce that nether did reteine his boke nether yet did present him to the Magistrate But yet this argument I haue that your faction is not altogether cleane from the heresie of the Manichies I could name and point forth others who labour in the same disease but so long as their venom doth remaine secrete within them selues I am
them which he had chosen to be captaines he promised much more largely that they should be lordes and gouernours ouer many things naming the Towres and land that he wold giue to eche of them Also he said that only the Lantgraue should be pardoned because he hoped that he wold take his part We spake before of the Conuention appointed at Confluence of the noble men in the prouince of the Rhine in the moneth of DeceÌ„ber Vnto which companie of his owne good will the Duke of Saxon Elector Iohn Frederick ioyned him selfe In this Session it was concluded that for the present ayding of the Bishop there should be appointed furth 300. horsemen and 3000. foote men for sixe monethes The CouÌ„tie of ObersteÌ„ named Vlrik was made general captaine ouer this armye â–ª and of the whole warres It was also there ordeined that the whole estates of the Empire should be desired to ayde in this mater â–ª and because the Emperour was in Spaine that FerdinaÌ„dus the king should be desired for this mater to appoint a coÌ„uention in y e moneth of Aprile And also they sent leters vnto the Citie besieged willing them to giue oner their entreprise being so vnhonest and wicked as nothing could be more which thing if they wold not nether submit them selues againe vnder their lawfull magistrates they should be sure that the Bishoppe which now kept the siege should haue the whole helpe of the Empire against them This was about the end of December They gaue answere the 13. of Ianuarie in the yere of our Lord 1535. with manie wordes but nothing to the purpose yet so that they praysed and defended their entreprise and as touching that which was laid to cheir charge for their creating of a king they made no answere at all but in priuate leters written to the Lantgraue they laboured to excuse them selues speaking many wordes of the slawghter and destruction of the wicked and of the deliuerance and reigne of the godly in this life with these letters they sent also vnto him the boke wherof we spake before called the restitution and aduertised him to repent and not to make warre as did the other wicked Princes against them which were innocent men and the people of God The Lantgraue when he had red their leters their boke he noted those pointes that were not alowable in the same and gaue charge to certen of his learned men that they should answere them And because they in feaw wordes and verie darkely affirmed their king to be more chosen of God then by them he asked them why they shewed not y e places of scripture w c made theÌ„ think it lawfully done why they coÌ„firmed it not before by some miracles signes aboue nature For said he God shewed by all the prophetes long before of the comming of Christe so that it was not onely euideÌ„t of what house and linage he should come but also in what time and where he should be borne They did also desire that their cause might come in question Vnto y e which the Lantgraue answered that it was to late seing y t they had taken the power of the sworde into their handes and had bene the authors of so great calamitie For said he all men may plainly see what is their meaning to wit the ruine of all lawes and common wealthes and as their beginning is wicked cursed so also is the desiring of their mater to come in question nothing but feined and dissembled also that he had sent vnto them faithful Ministres by whome they were wel and godly instructed but seing they had refused their doctrine giuing ouer obedience to Magistrates possessing other mens goods hauing manie wiues chosing vnto them a new king denying Christe to haue taken the nature of man of the virgin Marie affirming man to haue fre wil forcing men to put their goods in common denying pardon to those hat sinne all these opinioÌ„s to be vtterly repugnant both to the law of God and of maÌ„ After they had receiued this answere they answered againe in writing withall they sent a boke set forthe in the dutch toÌ„gue of the mysteries of the scripture In their Epistle they published their cause againe anew and defended their doctrine to be good in their forsaid hoke They deuided the whole course and ages of the world into 3. partes and the first age as from Adam vntill Noach to haue perished with the flood the seconde in which now we be to perish with fyre the third they saye shal be new in the which righteousnes shal reigne But before that the last age shal be reueled this that now is must be purged with fire But that say they shal not come to passe before Antichrist be disclosed and his power be vtterly put downe Then shal the ruined seate of Dauid be erecâ—ed againe and Christe shall reigne vpon the earth and all the writings of the Prophetes shal be fulfilled And as touching this present age it is like to the time of the which Isai speaketh For iustice is put to silence in it and the godly are afflicted But now the time of libertie and deliuerance from so many and great calamities is come as it came vnto the Israelites being in the captiuitie of Babylon and the wicked shal receaue the full reward of their wickednes as it is prophecied in the Apocalypse but this restitution to go be fore the world to come to the end that all the wicked being oppressed the seat of iustice might be prepared When the Lantgraue had redde ouer their boke hegaue charge to certen Ministers of his Church to answere vnto it In Februarie the famine was so great in y e Citie that diuers perished with hunger One of the kinges wiues being striken with pitie towardes the people spake by chance vnto the other womeÌ„ and said that she thoght it was not the wil of God that the people should so dye for lacke of sustenance The king which had good prouision in the house not onely to serue his necessitie but also to waste superfluously knowing of this he broght her into the market place with all the residue of his wiues and there commanded her to knele downe vpon her knees and then he cutt of her head from her shoulders and yet not so content after her death he defamed her with whoredome This being done his other wiues beganne to sing and to giue praises to the heauenly father Then dansed they and the king led the dance he exhorted the people also which had no other victualles left saue onely bread and salt that they should dance and be of good chere Now when the day of Ester was come and that there appered no signe of deliuerance the king which had made them so many goodly and large promises that he might finde some meanes to excuse him selfe with all he feined him selfe to be sicke sixe daies togethers â–ª which dayes being ended he came furth vnto the market
former election when Israel was yong I loued him and called my sonne owt of the land of Egypt forasmuch as Israel was the sonne of God and that also beloued insomuch that the lordled them with cordes of friendship and bondes of loue they must nedes be â—he elect of God yea because they prouoked the lord through their abominations they are cast away â–ª and the lord rewardeâ—h them according to their desertes ANSWER If I should labor to the end of this your most confused worke to reduce euerie scripture by you wrested and abused to the true meaning and vnderstanding of the holie Gost as hitherto I haue done in the most parte of them which ye haue alledged my trauale should be great aÌ„d the work should excede a iust measure Therefor seing that sufficiently by the plaine scriptures of God I haue confirmed the doctrin which we teach beleue and maintein aÌ„d by the same trueth of gods worde I haue confuted your error from hencefurth I inteÌ„d onely to toâ—che the proposition which ye maintein and by confuting the same briefly ether by scripture orels by exemple to shew in what sorte ye wrongfully apply the scâ—iptures to maintein your error offring yet to satisfie to my power such as charitably shall ask of me by word or writing further explanation of any scripture by you alledged by me at this tyme not fully resolued The chief propositioÌ„ which ye maiÌ„tein to y e end of this your book is that the elect may fall froÌ„ their election To the which I answer that if ye vnderstand that those whom God the father hath elected in his eternall counsel to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus may so fall from their election that finally they perish if this I say be your vnderstanding then I feare not to affirme that proposition to be vtterlie fals erroneous and daÌ„nable as it that doeth expressedly repugne to gods plaine scriptures for Christ Iesus doeth affirme that so many as his father hath giuen to him shal come vnto him And to such as do come he promiseth life euerlasting which he hath in him self for the saluatioÌ„ of his flock whereof none shal perish for furth of his hands can none be pulled away But because this before is largely intreated I come shortly to the scriptures which ye abuse First ye proue that those which be elected be sanctified by the spirit and through beleuing of the trueth which we confesse to be most true Thereafter ye alledge that such as be sanctified may after dishonor the spirit of grace tredde doune the blood of the testament so drawe to damnation I answer the cause of your error is that ye make no difference betwext the sanctification and liuely faith which is proper onelie to the sonnes of God which once begonne is perpetuall and that sanctification and faith which is common to the reprobate and therefore it is but temporall If this distinctioÌ„ displeaseth you quarel with y e holie Gost and not with vs for of his plaine workes wordes euideÌ„t haue we receaued it for all Israel were sanctified to be y e kinglie priesthode all were circuÌ„cised yea did drink of y t spirituall drink and yet were they not all inwardly saÌ„ctified vnto saluatioÌ„ life euerlasting The hole tribe of Leuie were saÌ„ctified to y â— seruice of y e Lord in his tabernacle but how many of theÌ„ did stil remaine prophane persoÌ„s y â— scripture coÌ„cealeth not EueÌ„ so all y t great multitude whoÌ„ Christ fed in y e wildernes yea all those y t adhered for a time to his doctrine were after som maner sanctified that is seperated deuided froÌ„ y e rest of y e world But that sanctification was but temporall like as also was their faith we do not denie but that the reprobate haue som maner of faith aÌ„d som sort of sanctification for a time that is that they are compelled eueÌ„ by the impire of the Spirit of God to confesse and acknowledge that all thinges spokeÌ„ in gods sciptures are true And y t therefor their conscience in afeare and terror do seke som meanes to please God for the auoiding of his veÌ„geaÌ„ce For as this is nother the true faith iustifying neither yet the perfect sanctification of the Spirit of God which reneweth y e elect in the inwarde man so doth nether of both long coÌ„â—inue for they returning to their natural prophanation and darknes do leaue the waye of light and life and drawe them selues to death and damnation But hereof without the contumelie of the SoÌ„ne of God and without abnegation of his plaine veritie ye can not conclude that the elect membres of his bodie can be rest out of his hands that those for whom soleÌ„nely he hath prayed that they shoulde be sanctified in the veritie and that they should be one with him as he is one with his father may come to finall prophanation and so to perditioÌ„ we feare not to affirm that to be a thing no les impossible then that it is that Christ Iesus shall cease to be head of his Churche and the sauiour of his bodie In the wordes of the Apostle writeÌ„ in the second chapter to the Ephesians ye seme not to vnderstand his meaning where he saieth ye were soÌ„times without Christ â—for saye you we are sure that without Christ there is no election In which wordes thow that writest plaiest with the simple ignorant reader the vile sophister confounding by the inglishe word without that whiche in latine is moste euidently distincted Doth Paule say Eratis aliquando extra ChristuÌ„ or saieth he not Eratis sine Christo To make the mater sensible to you my deare brethren be you neuer so simple where he saieth without Christ there is no election that proposition is â—rue if it be vnderstand that man was neuer elected to lief euerlasting but in Christ Iesus onlie But if he will affirme that none are elected in Christ Iesus without Christ that is to say before that they come to the true and perfect knowledge of gods mercies in Christ that proposition is most fals and doth repugne as plainely ye may se to the mynde and wordes of the Apostle for he affirmeth that we were elected in Christ Iesus before the fundation of y e world was laid yea wheÌ„ we were dead by sinne ignorant of him strangers from the testament of his promes which S. Paule calleth to be without Christ without God in this world without the league of the testament And by these wordes doth the Apostle magnifie the superaboundaÌ„t mercies of God shewed to the world in Christ Iesus By the which he receaued not onely the Iewes who long had continued in league with God but also the Gentiles to the participation of his glorie albeit that from the daies of AbrahaÌ„ they had liued as dispised reiected of God Let the reader now iudge how strongly ye conclude To the place of the Aâ—postle touching the
most feareful end and I suppose that none wil be so peruerse of iudgement as to denie that none other was appointed to be the salt of y e earth and the light of the worlde except those twelue I verilie beleue that Paule is nothing inferior to any of the chiefest Apostles in that case And so yet I affirme that nether were those wordes spokeÌ„ of all the twelue nether yet of theÌ„ onely If this can not satisfie your curiositie labor you to proue that Iudas was elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus before the fundacions of the world were laid I haue before proued that the elect can not finally refuse nor deny Christ Iesus their head and therefor I will not trouble the reader with the repetition The place of Ezechiell serueth nothing your purpose for there doth he onely intreat of such righteous men as in the beginning of the same chapter vsed this prouerbe The fathers haue eaten soure grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge signifying thereby as before we haue declared that they were iust and innoceÌ„t and that yet they did suffer punishement for the offenses of their fathers Against whom y e Prophet speaketh most sharpely affirming that the soule which did sinne shoulde die in this praising gods iustice that he wolde suffer sinne vnpunished in none of his creatures supposing that some for a time had a shew of righteousnes The prophet doeth further accuse and conuict their consciences for they knew them selues criminall in all crimes which the prophet there recited And therefore to prouoke them to repentaÌ„ce w t this exhortacion Cast away from you saieth he all your transgressioÌ„s whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why wil you die ô house of Israel for I desire not the death of him y t dieth saith the Lord God Cause therefore one another to returne and liue ye Of this coâ—clusioÌ„ I say it easely may appere of what sort of righteous men y e Prophet speaketh not of such as being ingrafted in Christes bodie by the true sanctification of his spirit do daylie studie to mortifie their affections but of such as hauing an outward appearance or shew of holines did notwithstaÌ„ding lowse y e bridle to all impietie In very dede God can not remeÌ„bre y e iustice of any such w c is not but their sinnes must craue iust vengeance y t the rather because by theÌ„ y e name of God is blasphemed Now to y e rest of y t w c foloweth in yo r book THE ADVERSARIE This say you with many other manifest testimonies of the Scriptures ye â—osse and turne vpside dounâ— seking shiftes to maintein your errors where by you declare your self to be of the nombre of them of whom it is written in the same place which do say tush the way of the Lord is not indifferent ye will not that the Lord iudge according to this way set furth in his word but of necessitie by an immutable 〈◊〉 saue a certeÌ„ of necessâ—tie to coÌ„deÌ„ne all the rest ye must not so read gods word studying rather to teache the holy Gost then to learne your duetie of him seking meanes rather to coÌ„firme your preconceaued error then to auoid it what trueâ—â— can he learne at the word of God which worshippeth the idoll of his own phantasie and hath alredie forsaken the mynd of the trueth RemeÌ„bre that the first lessâ—Ì„ of wisdom is to be willing to learne wisdom â–ª Cast away therefor the â—doles of your heartes which made you stâ—mble in your wayes submit your selues to the word as humble and meke laÌ„bes for the lambe onelie was found worthie to open the seales of the book Trust not your error to be the-better because it hath many fauorers specially of theÌ„ which haue the name of learning for such haue bene alwaies in all ages ennemies to the trueth inuenters of sectes errors such like as Iannes and â—ambres resisted Moises so do they the trueth as the learned scribes Phariseâ—s blasphemâ—d the word of God and persecuted Christ the trueth it selfe so do they yet in hu membres And euen as the pharesies said do any of the reulers or of the phareseis beleue in him this comoÌ„ people which know not the law is cursed so say they nowdo any of our learned doctors teach so these vnlearned felowes are cursed for they caÌ„ not vnderstaÌ„d gods word they vnderstaÌ„d onely the english toÌ„gue yet wil they medle with 〈◊〉 as thogh the gifte 〈◊〉 the giftes of prophecying were so bouÌ„d together that God coulde not minister the one without the other but this is no newâ— thing for this was laid to Christ his Apostles charge â–ª that they were vnlearned â–ª But the holie Gost willeâ— vs not to iudge so marke saith Paul your calling how that not many wyse meÌ„ after the fleshe not many migthie not many of hieght degre are called but God haâ—h chosen the weake things of the worlde the vile things of the worlde thinges which are despised of 〈◊〉 reputacioÌ„ to confound the mightie to bring to naught things of reputacioÌ„ how caÌ„ such great meÌ„ beleue seing they seke tobe praised one of an other and to be preferred for their knowledge in the tongues for the multitude of their bookes which they writ such learned meÌ„ are more mete to be in Herodes hall theÌ„ in Christes stable the dore is to lowe â—hey 〈◊〉 stout they may not stowpe so lowe for the disgracing of their grauiâ—ie onely poore shepherds which are accustomed to stables are fouÌ„d mete to haue Christ reueled to them not that I dispâ—se learning or learned men for I knowe that learning is the good gift of God yeâ— as S Paul saith knowledge maketh a man to swel and many in our tyme as in all ages paste do abuse this good gift of God yet not all God forbid for som I know I prayse God to whom it hath pleased God to reuele the trueth of this mater which in perfect knowledge of the soÌ„gâ—es are to be compared with any of your Rabbes Be not deceaued therefore with vaine 〈◊〉 of learning or of worldlie wisdome ifye seke Christ seke him where he is in the poore stable and not in Annas and Caiphas pallasses wiâ—hout ye will se and heare Christ accused to such a banket peraduenture Christ may be called of the learned If you wil haue Christ ye must not go to seke him in â—he vniuersities where you may be praised for your sharp wittes and eloquent tongues but you must go forth vnto him out of the tentes and suffer rebuke with him â–ª knowe ye not that the learned phareseis and lawers coueted to talke somtime with Christ not to learne but to dispute and trap him in his sayinges and so did the learned Philosophers of Grecia with Paul Awake therefore in time be no longer deceaued with heâ—r auctoritie examyn your selues examyn
nomber Israell I answer as the one place repugneth nothing to the other so doeth it not explaine the other in such seÌ„se as ye adduce for it repugneth not to say that God man aÌ„d the deuil work in one fact actioÌ„ as in the histories of Iob Achab Semei and Pharao is manifest God for iust causes giueth his commandement and power to sathan as to his instrumeÌ„t be he neuer so wicked to do what in his eternal cousel was before decreed Sathan of a wicked and rebellious mynd chooseth such instrumentes and vseth such meanes as God likwies hath appointed Men in al wicked actions of their fre and voluntarie motion do folow their corrupt and wicked affections in declaring their pride vanitie malice or crueltie which wicked affections in so farre as they are wicked we confesse that God will not for he can will no iniquitie but yet that his eternal almightie power shall be iudged so ydle that it doeth nothing in such actions but onely suffer we can not admitte for such reasons as we haue before alledged wher that we did examine the differeÌ„ce betwext gods wil and his permission You retein your old nature and iustly I might say the nature of the deuill most maliciously affirming vs to say that what so euer God permitteth he willeth it absoluteâ—â— and so that absolutely he willeth all wickdâ—â—ces Which saying as ye be neuer able to proue vpon vs so do we coÌ„fesse it not onely erroneous but also so blasphemous that who so euer dare pronounce or affirme the same deserueth death for we most constantly in word and writing affirme absolutley God willeth no iniquitie for all his workes in so far as they procede frome his wisedom aÌ„d infinite goodnes are holie and iust and therfor do we make God author of no sinne which onely procedeth frome the fountaines that be corrupted that is from the deuil and frome man as in diuers places most euidently we haue declared Because I do perceaue that greatly ye delyte in your prignaÌ„t wittes I will not say foolish vanitie I will recicite your hole wordes by the which ye wold seme to proue contrarietie in God except that we wold grante a difference betwext gods will and his permission I say saieth the author of your book to vs that ye are the Prophetes if the deuill which teach such filâ—hie doctrine and ye say be the Prophetes of God Now of necessitie one of vs lieth for if ye be the Propheâ—es of God I lie And if ye be the Prophetes of the deuil ye lie And if God will vs to say the trueth he will not that we lie for then he should will two contraries which is impossible yet one of vs lie which must be by permission and suffering of God and not by his will whereof it foloweâ—h that there is difference betwext the suffering and the will of God It appereth that in this description of persons in which ye oppose your selues to vs ye wold more declare what is your iudgement and opinion of vs and what ye wold that we should be estemed of others then that ye greatly do trauale to proue any contrarietie in gods wil by the same for his eternall wisedom seeth the meanes how that his commandement and his will are not contrarious the one to the other albeit that he command one thing and yet for iust causes will wicked men to do the contrary which kinde of coÌ„trarietie and repugnance doeth so blind your eyes that you can not se how God caÌ„ coÌ„mand all men to speak trueth and yet for iust causes before sene and determined in his counsell that he wil y e deuil aÌ„d his slaues to delite in lies Albeit I say that the apperance of this contrarietie blinde you yet will not gods trueth cease of be trueth neither will the libertie of his eternall Godhead be broght into bondage to your corrupt iudgement His commandement and his will do nether debate nether fight betwext them selues but do agree in all thinges euen as do his mercie his iustice his wisedom and his power albeit oftener it is that his iustice doth punish such as vpon whom he hath determined to haue mercie Euen so he commandeth men to obeye his commandementes whom he not onely foresaw to be disobedieÌ„t but for most iust causes willeth his glory to appere euen in their vnrighteousnes lies And this he doth without all contrarietie in his godly will to the full knowledge wherof albeit ye can not atteine yet more profitable it were for you to be ignorant of such thinges as God reserueth to be reueled in the time appointed in his eternall counsell then thus without all reuerence and feare to trouble your foolish braines in deuising such absurdities as may seme to oppugne gods eternall veritie which in the ende wâ—l triumphe to your destruction â–ª shame and confusion if obstinatly you procede as you haue begonne For albeit that he loueth trueth and hateth lies and albeit that he commandeth man to speak the trueth and forbiddeth man to beare fals witnes yet feareth he not to giue a commandement to that wicked spirite to go forth to be a lieng spiritte in the mouthes of all Achabes fals prophetes Yea forther he gaue him power to worke that in the fals prophetes which he forbiddeth all men to do For he commandeth that no man shall deceaue an other and yet giueth he power to the deuill to be a lieng spiritte in the mouthes of the fals prophetes and to them he giueth power to deceaue Achab. If ye list to lay contraritie to the charge of God prepare your winges and with Nabuchadnezer of Babylon saye we will passe vp to the heauens and shall establish our seates aboue the sterres of God we shall passe vp vpoÌ„ the hight of the clowdes and we shall be like to the most highest yea if thus ye will call his secrete counsels to examination and triall ye must be iudges and superiors to him Thus iustly I might illude aÌ„d skoffe y o r reasoÌ„s as vanities most vnworthie to be answered But yet hauiÌ„g respecte to the simple I wil gather your argument and forme it as strongly as your selues can and I will answere so much of the same as ye think nable to be answered your argument is this God can not will two contraries but to speake the 〈◊〉 aÌ„d to lie are contraries Therfor he can not will them both But he permitteth men to lie and willeth them to speake the trueth There is therfor a difference betwene the will and the permission God can not will two coÌ„traries True it is in him selfe in one respecte and for one purpose he who is author of coÌ„cord can not will contrarietie but in consideration of his creatures for diuers respectes and sundrie purposes thiÌ„ges be not coÌ„traries the one to y e other which to our iudgementes haue apperance of contrarietie If you be so wel sene in your artes as some of
stabilitie of faith Rom. 5. 1. Iohn 14. 6 1. Cor. 1. 30 Ro 1. 26 The vnmouable ground of faith Rom. 8. 29 Ephes. 1. 14 2. Thes. 2. 13 2. Pet. 1. 2. 20 Rom. 11. 29 Rome 8 Ham. Ishmael Esau Abshalom Achitophel Iudas The Niniuites Manasses Paul Magdelene The thiefe What humilitie is Ephes. 2. 8 1. Cor. 1. 30 1. Iohn 4. 10 Ephes. 1. 22 The first section Cap. 14. SectioÌ„ 40 Libr. ad bonifa 2. Cap. 6. 40. Retract lib. 1. cap. 2. Stoiâ—â—â— necessitie Cap. 1. 2 â–ª 3. 4. 5. 〈…〉 Why the Anabap. mystlyketh the doctryn of predestination PrescieÌ„ce Prouidence Ioan. 10. Prouerb 20. Prouâ—r 16. Matth. 10 â–ª 29. PredestinatioÌ„ The second sectioÌ„ Liers are the deuilles sonnes Institut Cap. 14. Sect. 5. De aeterna Dei praedestinatioÌ„ Inâ—titu Cap. 14. Sect. 14. Caluin vpon Isaiah The schoeles of Papistes full of blasphemies Inst. cap. 14. sect 17. The third section Two chiefe propositioÌ„s Ephes. 1. Isâ—i 44. Isaiah 55. Isaiah 54 The constancie of Gods promâ—s Isaia 46. Psal. 2â— Isal. 138. Iob. 10. Isaia 46. Iohn 6. Ioan. 17. Rom. 6. 1. Ioan. 4. The fourth section Zach. 3. Act. 17. Isaiah 45 The sayeng of a blaspphemous mouthe Iob. 39. What the aduersary will saye Isaia 66. The workes of God can not be subiect to our reason The reasoÌ„ of Anabaptistes Answer The aduersarie falsly and vnreuereÌ„tly alledgeth this word birth Answer Malac. 2. What we haue in Adam Error of Anabaptistes The affirmations of the trew ChristiaÌ„s Gen. 3. Question Answer The churche of Christe and the serpenteâ—i sede De bono perseueraÌ„t Reply of the aduersary Question Gods purpose was from the beginning to make a difference in mankinde The seâ—â—â—â—de diffâ—â—eÌ„ce This is the cause why all the prophetes almost do de clare gods wrath against Esan and Edome Psea 137 Esaie 34. Ier. 49. Obad. 1. Rom. 9. How S. Paul applieth the wordes of Moises Gene. 25. Promes inade to Isaak Vessels of mercie prepared vnto glorie Gods election dependeth not vpon man Iohn 8. Why the Iewes beleued not in Christe Christe maketh a diffâ—reÌ„rence of one sort from an other Iohn 17. What Christ did for his Christe praied not for the world An answere to the papistical and pestilent obiection of Pighius aÌ„d others his like Deut. 7. Deut. 9. Iosue 24. Ezec. 16 God did not for our workes predestinate vs. 2. Ti. 1. Question 1. Cor. 4. Apoca. 4. 5. A brief rehearsal what is before sufficiently proued The fyft section Isaia 45. Isaia 30. Matt. 7. Psal. 144 Esaia 54 Psal. 29. Isaiah 49 Isaiah 30 Isâ—ia 49 Matt. 7. Luc. 11. The blasphemy of Anabaptistes 〈◊〉 3. Psal. 145 Note the plain difference Exod. 20. Howgods mercy is greater then his wrath The six te sectioÌ„ To the 1. To the 2. 3. 4. 5. Deut. 19. To the 6. The seuenth section To the 1. â— 3. Blindnes and hardnes of hart are effectes reprobation Why God treated maÌ„ good whoÌ„ he ordeyned neuertheles to fall The eight section Ephes. 1. Psal. 49. Iob. 34. 4. Esdr. 8 Sapient 2 Sapien. 9 Matth. 12 The ground of the Anabaptistes error An argument 〈◊〉 prouâ—th that in Adam we could not stand Answer to the scriptures shamefully abused by the aduersaries Matt. 11. The aduersarie wrasteth the scripture in Iob. Iob. 34. Act. 10. An argument directly against the aduersaries argument Influence of the sterres EducatioÌ„ The cause is not in nature of our faethfull obedieÌ„ce What is the cause that some beleue and some remayn vnfaithfull How God respecteth not persoÌ„s 1. Sa. 16. That God hath not respect of persons most euidently coÌ„futeth the error of the aduersaries of gods predestination The cause and effect are diuerse Dâ—ut 7. Rm. 9. Neither was nor is in vs any thing whereby we should deserue to be elected The bookes called Apocryphes Reuâ—reÌ„ce vnto gods holie worde Reade the prologue of Ecclesiasticus and the end of the last chap. of the second booke of Machab. Sap. 2. Deut. 2. Lyke as there be degrees betwext election and glorification euen so there be degrees betwext reprobatioÌ„ and coÌ„demnation The nynte section Galat. 2. Ephes. 1. Ephes. 1. To the. 2. All be not Saintes nor blessed with spiritual benediction Oure regeneration to good workes is by the grace of God The teÌ„th section To 〈…〉 Iob. 36. Castalio is translation The eleueÌ„th section To the 1. To the 2. The iust causes of reprobatioÌ„ are hid in gods eternall counsel but the causes of death and damnatioÌ„ are euideÌ„t in the scriptures The iudgementes of God are a deuoring depth The twelth section The thirteÌ„th section Esaia 50 Esaia 48 To the 1. Ephe. 1. To the 2. Iohn 1. To the 3. Rom. 1. To the 4. Isaiah 55. Iohn 6. To the 5. An argument against the aduersaries forged diuision of gods election To the 6. Matth. 16 Rom. 8. To the 7. Iohn 6. The fre wil meÌ„ iudge rashly To the 8. The perfecdtioÌ„ that the aduersaries pretend in this lyfe Philip. 3. How stroÌ„g the aduersaries wolde seme to be To the 9. The fourteÌ„th section Isaia 48 Esdr. 9. Iâ—rem 2. Esaia 42. 43. The scriptures affirme that there be many fals Christes fals Prophetes But Iesus Christe is our onely Sauior without whome there is no saluation To the 1. Institu 2. Cap. â—ec 78. De eterna Dei proedestinatione To the. 2. Rom. 〈◊〉 To the 3. To the 4. Luk. 16 To the 5. The fiftenth section The 2. argument Rom. 8. Reade the scriptures better be ashamed of your argument Rom. 9. The difference of gode fore knowledge Matth. 7. The six tenthe section Ezech. 18 Reade the first sectioÌ„ The 17. Section O prowde lucifer that darest compare thy knowledledge to the prescieÌ„ce of God To the 1. Galat. 1. 1 Tim. 1 God worketh both in his elect and in the reprobate but in diuâ—rse maner To the â— Read the praier of the Apostles Act. 4. What power Ananias had of his land Act. 5. The eightene section 1. Re. 23. Whence haue ye your assurance To the 1. 2. 3. Matt. 26. Iohn 13. The nynteÌ„th section To the 1. Difference betwext the libertie of Chriâ—tes will and the fredoÌ„ of Adams will Gods prescience is not to be seperated from his will Rom. 9. Prouer. 16. When violence is doÌ„ to the will of a creature The grud geing of the reprobat Rom. 9. Why creatures offeÌ„d wheâ— they most serue gods couÌ„sâ—l Luk. 22. Gods will is fre althogh it chaÌ„ge not as occasion is offered by mens doings The 20 Section Rom. 9. Malach. â— To the 1. Themynd of the Apostle in the 9. câ—apit to the Romains concerning Iacob and Esaw To the â— Esaw som maner of way serued Iacob in the fleshe Gen. 27. 2. Reg. 8. Gen. 28. The place of the Prophete Malachie Why the Apostle maketh neither meâ—tion of Abraham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob being in his mothers wombe The grace of