Rocke seeking to escape the dangerous Whirle-poole For an horrible Presumption it was of Pelagius to thinke that a man by Nature had such Power to choose Good and refuse Evill That hee needed not the Grace and helpe of GOD and a Desperate opinion is this of Others to say That the Predestination of GOD worketh all thinges in Man whether it bee Good or Evill And that a man cannot-choose but doe whatsoever hee doth For no doubt this Opinion maketh a very disordered Chaos and an utter Confusion of all thinges as it were mixing and thrusting together both Heaven Earth and Hell making one confused lumpe of GOD the Divell and the World of Sinne Grace and Nature turning all doings into Dreames all Truth into Traunces all Verity into Fables all Prayer and Meditation into vaine Imagination For if GODS Predestination be the onely Cause of Adams fall and filthy Sinne and consequently the onely Cause and worker of all Evill yea even with compulsion and force as they shamefully and plainely affirme then will no man deny that on the other side GODS Predestination worketh as violently in all thinges that are Good So then if Gods Predestination worke All without all exception both in Evill and Good then all other thinges whatsoever they be although they appeare to worke and doe some thing yet doe they indeed utterly nothing So that the Divell doth nothing Man doth nothing Lawes doe nothing Doctrine dath nothing Prayer doth nothing But GODS Predestination doth altogether and is the efficient Cause yea and the onely cause of all Thinges Against this Opinion the Word of GOD is exceeding plaine and manifest not onely in the places before rehearsed but also in these following here briefly noted in the Margine yea and abundantly throughout the whole Scripture Against this evill opinion also doe All the ancient Doctors with one consent vehemently write as they themselves cannot deny except onely Augustine which because of his exceeding obscurity and darknesse in divers places liee is often alledged of both parts Also against this opinion writeth earnestly Phillip Melanchton the chiefest and best learned of all the Germans In like manner doth Bullinger the chiefest and most excellent of all the Switzers The same doth also Erasmus Sarcerius and many other of the best learned Protestants whose sayings were profitable beere to rehearse but that their Iudgement in this matter is well knowne to all the Learned and my determination is at this present rather briefly and simply to declare what part of Doctrine I and many other mistike than with long discourses and many Authorities to disproove the same Wherefore to conclude Take this one Note in this matter of Cannot choose or of Necessity both for the better understanding of the thing it selfe and also of those which write thereupon They commonly speake of two kindes of Necessitie The One is of Necessity absolute and the other of Necessity of consequence or Meere necessitie and necessity upon Condition Which division all Learned and good Authors doe use and it is very profitable to be considered For touching the One there is neyther Reason Law Counsell or Doctrine neyther Faire promise nor Sharpe threatning nor any other thing whatsoever it bee which may hâ—lpe or kinder adde or take away hurt or profit wherefore there is never any of all the aforesayd wayes or meanes used in any of all those thinges which came to passe by Absolute necessitie As for Example It is of meere Necessity that the Divell is and ever shall be Damned That the Soule of man shall be Everlasting and not come to an End like to the Life of Beasts nor the life of Beasts bee Immortall as the soule of Man and such like Wherein it were more than madnesse to endeavour eyther by Reason Law or Counsell or any other way whatsoever it were to alter change with-stand or remove any of those thinges seeing of Meere necessity they must needes bee so and cannot be altered For as Augustine sayth Omne enim quod prohibetur ideo prohibetur ne quia potest fieri fiat Si autem Fati esset non posset fieri neque prohiberetur Whatsoever is forbidden sayth AVGVSTINE therefore it is forbidden because it might be done and yet ought not to bee done But if it were of Destinie then could it not be done nor should not be forbidden These wordes of Augustine being few containe much matter if they be truly weighed Now to the necessity of Consequence or necessity of Condition whereof Melancthon sayth Neque enim haec consequentia libertatem voluntatis tollit Neyther doth this Consequence take away the liberty of the will And this necessity is not-repugnant to diligence Prayer Lawes or Doctrine For therefore that I may use againe the words of AVGVSTINE things are forbidden to bee done because they might be done but ought not to be done And this necessity groweth upon former causes granted or wrought As it is of necessity or needs must bee that Sects and Heresies shall grow in the Church because the wicked seeke their owne glory and Sathan stirreth their hearts to imagine and set forth abominable Errors wherein they serve the Devill with all the diligence of their power Wherefore it must follow that Sects and Heresies shall grow Neither doth This necessity proove that they could-not-chuse but commit such Evills But seeing they doe refuse the Light and embrace the Darknesse this must necessarily follow this must needs be the end that Heresie and much mischiefe shall spring or As when a man Presently beholdeth with his eyes Murther Theft Drunkennesse or any other wickednesse it must needs be true that such things are committed according to that which a man doth see plainely before his eyes Yet doth not follow that those wicked doers could-not-chuse but commit those outragious Crimes but seeing that they doe commit such things it must needs be true by the necessity of Consequence that such things are committed of them These two kinds of necessity doth AVGVSTINE notably declare how and in what sort they spring out of GODS Predestination First of all faith AVGVSTINE it is horrible iniquity to say that GOD doth Predestinate any thing saving onely that which is good But of Predestinations some be of binding or of bondage and others be of condition These are of Iustice and Those of Power And that it may be the more manifest it shall be declared saith he by Example which are of binding and Power and which are of condition and Iustice GOD created Heaven and Earth and Sunne and Moone Further he did Fore-ordaine or Predestinate that the Heaven should ever bee turned and the immovable Earth should be in place of a Center unto the turning heaven The Sunne and Moone should rule the day and Night the day and night should succeede one another in certaine times appointed These Predestinations are of power and of binding for Every one of these things aforesaid is so bound unto his worke by the
both their Goods and their Lives against that Filâ—â—y and detestable Sect. And as for those Errours which Pelagius the old Hereticke with Calestinus and Iulianus his Adherents did hold and also Revoked the same in the Iudiciall Councell of Palestine I thinke it good to Rehearse them First in Latineâ— and after in English as they are gathered together by St. Augustine And then to shew according to your request what part of their Doctrine which they teach under the name of Predestination My selfe and others doe mislike To the end that you and others may the better Iudge who are indeed worthy to bee called Pelagians and whether some part of their Doctrine be not for just cause misliked The words of St. Augustine are These Obiectum est Eum dicere 1. Quia Adam sive peccaret sive non peccaret Moriturus esset 2. Et quòd Peccatum ejus Ipsum solum â—eserit Non genus Humanum 3. Et. quòd Infantes in Illo statu sunt quo Adam fuit ante praevaricationem 4. Et quòd neque per Mortem vel praevericationem Adae Omne Genus humanum moriatur neque per Resurrectionem Christi Omne Genus Humanum resurgat 5. Et Divites Baptizatos nisi Omnibus abrenuncient si quid Boni â—â—sâ— fuerint facere non Reputari illis nec cos habere posse Regnum Dei 6. Et Gratiam Dei Adjutorium non ad Singulos Actus dari sed in Libero Arbitrio esse vel in Lege atque in Doctrinâ 7. Et Dei Gratiam secundùm merita nostra dari 8. Et Filios Dei non posse vocari Nisi omninò absque peccato fuerint effecti 9. Et Non esse Liberum Arbitrium si Dei indiget Auxilio quoniam in propriâ voluntate habet vnusquisque facere aliquid vel non facere 10. Et victoriam nostram Non ex Deâ— adjutorio esse sed ex libero Arbitrio 11. Et quòd Poenitentibus venia non Detur secundùm Gratiam Misericordiam Dei sed secundùm Meritum Laborem eorum qui per Poenitentiam Digni fuerint misericordiâ Haec omnia Pelagius Anathematizavit The First of Pelagius's Errors which St. Augustine heere citeth is That ADAM should have Dyed whether hee had Sinned or not Sinned This is as you heare One of Pelagius his wicked Errors That Sinne is not the Cause of Reprobation or casting away Death sprung out of Gods Ordinance or some other way and came not of Mans Sinne. For saith Hee Whether Man had Sinned or Not sinned yet Hee should have Dyed Contrary to the Manifest Scripture which sayth That By One man Sinne entred into the world and Death by the Meanes of Sinne. And the Wiseman saith That GOD Created man to bee undestroyed And againe hee saith God hath 〈◊〉 made Death neyther hath Hee pleasure in the Destruction of the living Hee created All things that They might have their Beeing yea All the people of the Earth hath Hee made that they should have Health That there should bee no Destruction in Tlum And that the Kingdome of Hell should not bee upon the Earth For Righteousnesse in everlasting But Vnrighteousnesse bringeth Death Wicked therefore and abominable was This Error of Pelagius which affirmed That whether Man had Sinned or not Sinned Hee should have Dyed And heere in the very Beginning of Pelagius's errours I report me to Themselves even to Them I say that blow the Trumpet of Defamation against others with the Tearmes of pestilent Pelagians whether Those whom they so accuse now to bee Pelagians doe hold this Errour Or whether they Themselves which would take some Mote of Errour out of other mens Eyes have not this Pelagius Beame sticking fast in their owne Let they-themselves be Iudges or â—et their owne Doctrine Iudge both in Print and Preaching whereof some part shall bee hereafter rehearsed Yeâ— let All the world judge which haue heard the Doctrine of both parties who they are which in this point ought worthily to bee called Pelagians The Second Errour which St. Augustine rehearseth is That ADAMS Sinne did onely hurt Himselfe and not the whole generation of Man This is another vile and Detestable errour which Pelagius held That the Sinne of Adam brought not Misery and Death upon all his Posteritie Contrary to the open Scripture which sayth That By the sinne of One condemnation came upon All men And the Holy man Esdras sayth O Adam what hast thâ—n done For though it was Thou that sinned yet Thou art not fallen alone but All wee that come of thee The Third depending also upon the Second is this Thas Infants being new borne are in that state that Adam was in before his Transgression Which Errour seemeth onely or chiefly to extend to the Innocencie of Children For if his mind were that in All points Infants were in Adams state then should it bee over-Brutish For who seeth not that Babes new-borne suffer oftentimes Paine and Griefe Which Adam did not before his Transgression But to affirme that Infants are not Borne and Conceived in siâ—ne is to deny Originall sinne which is an old ard a Diveâ—â—sh errour and utterly against the Scripture which sayth plainely Behold I was borne in wiskednesse and in sinne hath my Mother conceived Mee The Fourth errour is That Neyther by the Death and Transgression of Adam All the Generation of Man dyeth nor that by the Resurrection of CHRIST All the Generation of Man doth rise againe I doe noâ— understand that Felagius here spake of the last Resurrection at the Day of Iudgement as though hee had after the manner of the Sadduces denyed the Resurrection of our Soules and Bodies at the last Day For then were all their Disputation in vaine of the Manner how wee should bee saved Whether by the Grace of GOD or by the Deserving of Man if Salvation or Resurrection had of eyther part beene denied altogether Neyther doth the Scripture attribute the last Resurrection unto CHRIST as though the Soules and Bodies of Men should have dyed like Beasts and not have rison againe unto Iudgement if CHRIST had Not come yea no Doubt all men should have risen againe and That unto the Iudgement of everlasting Damnation if CHRIST had not come But I understand that Pelagius in this Article denyed the Generaâ—â—tie of Redemption by the Death of CHRIST by which wee 〈◊〉 as it were arise from Death because of the State of Life and Salvation whereunto we are brought in Christ by Redemption like as wee were in the state of Death and Damnation in ADAM by sinne Not that any Man is purged from the Corruption of Sinne unto the Innocency of ADAM but because the Sinne is covered in Christ and pardoned for His sake And further there is to bee Noted that the First part of this Errour is manifestly the very same which is the Second and Third Errour before rehearsed and by the same
asfirme and confesse That Man So hath Freedome or Choice that Neverthelesse he hath continually need of the Helpe and Grace of God Who they are I say which in This point also ought worthily to be called Pelagians let All men Iudge The Case is so cleare that No lacke of knowledge but onely wilfull Blindnesse may helpe to Cloake the Matter There followeth the Tenth and Eleuenth Errours which are these That our Victory commeth not of Gods-Helpe but of Free-Choice And that Remission of sinnes is not given to them that repent according to the grace and Mercy of God but according to the Deserving and labour of them which by Repentance are worthy of Gods Mercy O Blasphemie Intolerable O Filthy Puddle and Sincke most Execrable full of stinking Errours full of Damnable Presumption like to the Pride of Lucifer most Abominable The detestable vilenesse whereofis such that rather by Exclamation I thought it Good to Reâ—â—unce it Than with Scripture or Reason to Confute it Seeing All Reason and All Scripture giveth All glory vnto GOD and this Blasphemous Errour raketh away all the glory of all Goodnesse from the Father of all Mercy and GOD of all Consolation and giveth it unto vile and wretched Man which hath of Himselfe Nothing that is Good but doth altogether receive it from the mercy and goodnesse of GOD. Heere concludeth St Augustin with the Errours of Pelagius and saith That All these Errours He Revoked and Renounced in the generall Councell of Palestine Thus have I set forth in English these Errours of Pelagius together That thou which art willing to know the Trueth and understand the Matter even as it is mayest bee Able to Iudge who they are that hold Any of these Errours and not credit the Malice of certaine which to cloake their owne False Opinions accuse Other to bee Pelagiaus who indeed from their very Heart and Soule abhorre All these wicked Opinions and have beene many yeares willing to bestow their lives against all these Abominable Errours Yet there is One thing whereunto Pelagius was Compelled to Subscribe which I haue not rehearsed among the Errours aforesaid because the Deniall thereof is of all our Gospellers as I suppose received for no Errour The Article is This Quòd Infantes non baptisati non solùm Regnum Calorum verùm etiam vitam aeternam habere non possint Hereunto did Pelagius subscribe That Infants which are not Baptized cannot have the Kingdome of GOD nor Eternall life Which cruell Opinion That All un-baptized Children are damned St. Austin in many places of his workes doth boldly and vehemently maintaine But Calvin saith Explodendam esse Illorum Glossam palà m est qui Omnes non-Baptizatos aeternae morti adiudicant It is cleare saith hee that their Glosse is worthy with hissing and clapping of Hands to bee driven out of Doores which Condemne unto everlasting Death all those which are not Baptized And because Calvin is with so Many of us which are Gospellers in Authority fully-sufficient to encounter with Augustine I thinke it good for shortnesse in this Article to say no further There remaineth then as before I promised briefly to Note those things which I thinke worthy to be reprooved about the Doctrine of Predestination as it is Now-a-dayes taught of many VVHerein lest I should seeme to speake without assured Ground and because wordes in Preaching in Talke or Disputation wherof I have heard great abundance in this Matter may rashly passe with small advisement and eyther easily bee Denyed or soone forgotten I am determined to touch Nothing but their very words which are set forth in Print And because the taking and answering of their whole Bookes were a matter long and tedious Being commonly stuffed on the oneside with an heape of Opprobrious and outragious wordes against such Private persons as they tooke in hand to write And on the other side filled rather with obscure Subtilties than with plaine Affirmations I have thought it best therefore to take certaine Sentences which contayne manifest Affirmations out of Divers late Printed English Bookes wherin the Summe effect of this Doctrine which Many doe for iust cause mislike is Fully plainely and simply declared I reade in an English Booke set forth by Robert Crowly and entituted THE CONFVTATION OF 13. ARTICLES c. These words viz. Adam therefore being so perfect a Creature that there was in Him no lust to Sinne and yet so weake that of himselfe hee was not Able to withstand the assault of the subtile Serpent No Remedy the onely Cause of his Fall must needs bee the Predestination of GOD. Thou seest Dearely beloved in the Conclusion of this Sentence one Point declared wherein the Contreversie doth consist For where Hee plainely affirmeth That GODS Predestination is the onely Cause of Adams Fall which is the Fountaine of All sinne Others having much more Reverend opinion of GOD and of his Holy Predestination doe set their Foot or rather their Heart and Soule against their said Conclusion Esteeming it farre better to bee Torâ—e in many thousand pieces than to thinke or say that Gods fore-Ordinance or Predestination is the Cause of any Sinne or Evill I beseech Thee Let not thine Eyes bee blinded nor thy Mind muffled with malice eyther against the One party or the Other but in the Ballanâ—e of an upright Iudgement weigh the Difference The One saith as in this Conclusion manifestly appeareth And as afterward yet more plainely hee affirmeth That the Predestination of GOD is the onely Cause of Adams sinne and so Consequently of All evill The other affirmeth directly Contrary that GOD or his predestination is the Cause of No Sinne or Evill but the onely Cause of all Goodnesse and Vertue And Herewith agreeth the Holy and Divine Apostle S. Iohn in his Epistle saying All that is in the world as the Concupiscence of the Flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of life is Not of the Father All Good things that are in the world are no doubt of GOD our Heavenly Father But what soever in the world is Concupiscence Lust Sinne Evill or Wickednesse That same it not of GOD our Heavenly Father as S. Iohn doth plainly and precisely affirme The like plainnesse useth also the holy Man Iesus the Sonne of Syrack in these words Say not Thou It is the Lords Fault that I am gone by For thou shouldest not doe the thing that GOD hateth Say not Thou Hee hath caused me to goe wrong For He hath no Need of the Vngodly The very same thing is plainly declared in these Scriptures following and in other places almost innumerable Psal 5. a. Prov. 19. a. Ierem. 7. c. 19. B. Ose 13. c. Iob. 34. b. 36. B. Rom. 7. b. c. 1. Cor. 4. F. Iam. 1. c. Exod. 34. A. Deut. 5. D. 2. King 14. b. Psal 81. c. 144. b. Prov. 1. c. Wisd 1. c. 2. D. 11. D. 12. B. C D. 15. A. Eccl. 2. D.
his pleasure is Let them say therefore what they can or will This meere Necessitie which our Men doe â—each is the very Same which the Stoickes did hold Which opinion because it destroyed the State of a Common-wealth It was banished out of Rome as St. Augustine declareth Lib. Quast vet Nov. Testam Where Hee notably refelleth that Opinion in these few words saying Quâ ratione Nati dicuntur c. By what reason saith Augustine were they borne which banished MATHEMATICOS the setters forth of Destinie out of Rome 〈◊〉 Which law was kept and they were but Heathen How were these Things done by Destinie which make against Destinie But surely if there bee a Destinie it doth nothing against It selfe saith St. Augustine For so were Destinie no Destinie Of at the least Destinie fighting against it selfe Or to speake the Same in those words which Our Men by abuse taken out of Scripture to maintaine the very same Matter If it bee GODS Predestination that men should write and speake against his Predestination as they say some doe Then is GODS Predestination a Kingdome not onely divided but also fiercely Fighting against it selfe O miserable Absurdity which any Child may perceive must needs follow If All thinges come to passe with absolute Necessitie by GODS Predestination as They teach This same Doctrine also That all 〈◊〉 springeth out of GODâ— ordinance Or that Gods Predestination was the Cause of 〈◊〉 fall and of All wickednesse is plainly maintained in an English Booke laâ—ely set forth and 〈…〉 led Against a Prâ—vie Papist c. Where among many Open and plaine Sentences upon this matter I finde an Argument made in these wordes Major Whatsoever 〈◊〉 in Adam was in Him by Gods will and Ordinance Minor But Sinne was in Adam Conclusio Ergo Sinne was in Him by Gods will and Ordinance The Maior of which Argument being understood of Adam after his â—all is manifestly false and therefore the Conclusion also is false For if it may be said of Ad 〈…〉 〈…〉 fter his Fall as by the Minor you well perceive that he so understands it Then may it also bee sayd â—ow of any Man That what execrable wickednesse soever is in Any man that same is in him by GODS Will and Ordinance Hee goeth about also to proove the same by another Argument which hee maketh speaking of the lying Spirit saying Major God commanded him to Sinne Minor But God commanded nothing which hee ordayned not Conclusio Ergo So hee ordayned him to Sinne. Which argument it is 〈…〉 vayle that Any man could be so Blinde is not to see how it might with much more Strength and Force and much more manifest Trueth be Turned against Himselfe in This sort speaking of Adam yea and of all men saying Major God commanded Adam and doth command all men to Absteyne from Sinne. Minor But He commandeth Nothing which Hee ordaineth not Conclusio Ergo God Ordained Adam and all men to absteyne from Sinne. If GOD then Ordained ADAM and all men to absteyne from Sinne Then did He not Ordeyne Adam or any man to commit Sin So was not Sinne in Adam or in any man by Gods will and Ordinance Not GODS Ordinance the Cause of Adams Fall or of any Mans Sinne. And Therefore Their Opinion is vtterly False Also if GOD in his SECRET COVNSELL doe predestinate appoint and ordaine man to Sinne and yet give unto Him a strict law and commandement Not to sinne is not then His SECRET WILL contrary to his Open WORD And his Eternall Ordinance repugnant to his WRITTEN LAW All Their Faire words and Fine framed fetches cannot avoide it Yet would I further aske them a Question Seeing it is the Decree Ordinance and Will of GOD expressed in his word That man should not sinne How crept they into That SECRET COVNSELL where God Ordained Decreed and Willed the Contrarie That is to say That man should Sinne But I heare their Answere already published in Print standing in the Third leafe and second page of the First Blast of that Traiterous Trumpet set forth against the REGIMENT of weomen Where fol. 2. pag. 2. he briefely and covertly toucheth this Close and Privie Counsell of God in these words The SECRET COVNSELL of God excepted But in fol. 3. pag. 2. he saith I am assured than God hath Reveiled to some in this our Age that it is More than a Monster in Nature That a WOMAN shall Reigne and have Empire above Man This may be the Apocalyps of some men in Our Age But sure I am it is not in the Revelation of St. Iohn the Evangelist nor of Any Other old Apostle or Prophet THESE NEW REVELATIONS which are reveyled to Men of our Age out of a SECRET COVNSELL Decree and Ordinance of God CONTRARY to the OPEN word and commandement of God are meete for Those which delight in Damnable Dreames of some doating Destinie and may well bee called the Inspirations of old Arians Revelations of blind Anabaptists or un-written Verities of Superstitious Papists rather than the secret Counsell of GOD revealed to Men of our Age. But to conclude That Angell or Spirit which contrary to the manifest WORD of GOD hath revealed unto Men of our age that a WOMAN being Right Inheritour to the Crowne of a Realme ought not to bee Ruler thereof That same Spirit and Angell of Darknesse hath Revealed unto Men of our Age that Caine was Predestinate to Murther his Brother Abel and that the most wicked Traytors Murtherers and Theeves that live are Ordayned of GOD in his SECRET Counsell contrary to his Open Word to bee wicked even as they are and to commit such Murther Theft and Treason even as they doe The same Conclusion and New Revelation is also plainly set foorth in the other late-printed English Booke before Named translated out of French into English Where anon after the Beginning speaking of GODS Will he saith By vertue whereof All thinges are Made yea even those Thinges which are Evill and Execrable Yet when hee hath plainly affirmed that by vertue of GODS Will evill and execrable Thinges are made lest the Horrible face of Sathan should be perceived in the Burning flame of Those terrible Wordes The matter is afterwards trimly covered with a cloake of unsavorie Subtiltie For hee declareth his mind to be That those evill and execrable Thinges which are wrought by the vertue of GODS will are not Evill and Execrable Sc. In That they are wrought by his Divine Counsell As if hee should say Though they bee indeed Evill and execrable thinges which the Counsell of GOD worketh yet are they not Evill in that respect or Therefore evill because GOD worketh Them But for as much saith hee as They proceed from the Prince of the Ayre c. Or to speake it in more usuall termes because the Divell or wicked Men doe worke It which neverthelesse as they plainly hold and affirme are but the Instruments of GOD appointed thereunto and in doing the
Predestination of GOD that it cannot be mooved from the same But GOD created Man and did Predestinate him That if hee were obedient and did abstaine from the taste of the forbidden Apple hee should Live but if hee were disobedient he should abide the sentence of Death This Predestination is of Condition and of Iustice For GOD before the Fall of man did not by power of binding so Predestinate him to Dye that of necessity hee must needs dye but under that condition if hee Sinned Because therefore Man did Sinne it was a righteous thing that he should Dye If he sinned not hee should not be bound to Death by any chaine of GODS Predestination All these are the wordes of AVGVSTINE And this division is often repeated and commended by the best learned of the Protestants Many thinges doe offer themselves in this matter to bee spoken but my purpose of briefenesse causeth mee to grow to an End I have thought good therefore in few wordes to note one point more of evill Doctrine which now adayes is taught and it springeth also cut of this aforesaid Proposition That GOD's Predestination causeth all sinne and wickednesse And this it is That Sinne is not the cause of Reprobation nor of GODS hatred towards the wicked which are Damned Which thing indeed to bee short I grant must needs follow if the former Conclusion bee true That Sinne commeth of GODS Predestination or that GODS Predestination was the cause of Adams Fall which was the Originall of Sinne For if Sinne or the Originall thereof came of GOD or of his Ordinance and from GOD commeth nothing but that which is Holy Iust and Good then is Sinne no sinne and cannot bee the cause of GODS hatred towards them that perish Except wee should say that GOD hateth them for that thing which is Holy Iust and good And lest I should bee thought through pretence of brevitie to passe over without plaine proofe of that which I say that this part of Doctrine is also set foorth and taught I will rehearse One sentence of theirs published in Print which is so open and manifest that it may serve as well as a Thousand I reade in the fore-named Booke translated out of French into English towards the latter end of the Booke upon this place thus noted in Figures and these very Wordes follow Rom. 9. c. 11 12 13. Hee sayth not onely that Esau was ordayned to bee hated Before hee did any Evill For in so saying hee should not seeme to Exclude any thing but actuall Sinne and Incredulitie But hee sayth Expresly before hee was Borne Whereby hee excludeth Originall Sinne and all that which might bee considered in the Person of Esau by his Birth from the cause of Hate Touching the Text whereupon it is spoken assuredly Inke serveth not 〈◊〉 to make Ivorie white than these Wordes to open the minde and sence of the Apostle as it were easie to proove if shortnesse would suffer to make a digrâ—sâ—ion But touching that part of Doctrine a tho 〈…〉 seâ—est that hee speaketh of two Opinions The one that Actuall Sinne or Incredulitie should bee the cause of GODS hatred towards the wicked The other that Originall Sinne is the cause of GODS hate towards them This man against them both taketh occasion upon this example of ESAU To Exclude all that is in Man eyther outward Sinne or inward eyther originall Sinne or actuall from the cause of GODâ— hate So that if it bee true which they say GOD doth hate men neyther for their outward wicked Life not for their inward Dâ—vellish lust but for his owne pleasure onely The very same thing sayth KNOXE in the 14â— Page of his aforesaid Booke where his words are those Further I say That if ESAU was Hated for his Evill deserving then must needes follow That IACOB was Loved for his Well-deserving by the Argument following of the nature of Contraries As well it might be sayd It must needs follow by the contraries That if a King or Prince hate one man which hath Well-deserved his hate by stealing from him his Ring his Chaine or some great Iewell then doth hee not love any other man but hee which hath well deserved his Love by giving to him a Ring a Chayne or some great Treasure As though hee should say because Iustice worketh on the one side therefore Mercy hath nothing to doe on the other side or as though GOD were not both Iust and Mercifull Iust in Damning for theyr offence those which are damned and Mercifull in saving without their desert those which are Saved And who seeth not that neyther Simile nor Disâ—imile neyther like thinges nor thinges contrary doe hold in all points For nothing is So like which in some thing is not unlike neyther any thing so contrary which doth in all thinges vary CHRIST is likened to a Lyon but did hee ever Ravish Devoure and shed any Innocent blood Latimer wisheth That All the Byshops were like Byshop Devill in diligence then ought not the Devill and a Byshop to differ in any thing And most especially and plainely doth the Scripture beate in our heads above all other thinges That the natures of Contraries doe not hold in both sides of GODS reward and Mans deserving For as they are inseparable Relatives in the one part so on the other side the one hath never any relation to the other For as GODS Hatred and Vengeance hath ever Relation to Mans ill-deserving So hath GODS Love and Mercy never any relation to Mans merit Yea all the Scripture teacheth us That GOD never Hateth or punisheth Man without his owne Deserving For as the Wise man sayth Et eum qui nullam poenam commerit 〈…〉 s sit condemnasse à tuâ potentiâ indic as alienum And thou Lord saith hee esteemest it a thing contrary to thy Power to have condemned him which hath not deserved Punishment What should bee sayd of the Caananites and the Israelites If the nature of Contraries doe alwayes hold and have such relation of the one to the other Must it not then necessarily follow as hee sayth by the nature of Contraries That if the Caananites were cast out of the fortunate-Land that flowed with Milke and Honey for theyr Evill-deserving That on the other side the Israelites were brought and Planted into that same happie and blessed rest for theyr Well deserving But what sayth the Scripture Speake not in thy heart after that the Lord thy GOD hath cast them out before thee saying For my Righteousnesse the Lord hath brought mee in to possesse this Land Nay but for the wickednesse of those Nations the Lord hath cast them out before thee So plainly speaketh the Holy Ghost here that thou mayest easily perceive how grosse and vaine their saying is which affirme That if GOD Hate an Evill man for his owne Evill deserving then must it needes follow that hee Loveth a good man for his owne Well-deserving For the hatred of GOD and
18. B. Esa 5. A. 3. D. 55. B. 65. A. Lament Ier. 3. Cap. Ezek. 18. c. D. 24. b. 33. c. Ioel. 2. A. 4. Esdr 1. c. 2. a. 7. c. 8. c. Math. 23. E. Act. 17. G. 1. Tim. 2. A. 4. c. 2. Pet. 3. B. The same saith St. Augustine also plainely in these words Non ergo Casuâ— Ruentium neâ— Malignitatem iniquorum neque Cupiditates Peccantium Predestinatio Dei aut EXCITAVIT aut SV ASIT aut IMPVLIT sed planè pradestinavit IV DICIV M suum quo unicuique retributurus est prout gessit sive Bonum sive Malum Quod IV DICIV M futurum Non esset Si Homines Dei VO LVNT ATE peccarent Neither the Falls of them that Fall nor the wickednesse of them that are wicked Nor the Lusts of them that offend hath the predestination of God either PROVOKED MOOVED or COMPELLED but without doubt He hath Fore-Ordainâ—d his IV DGMENT whereby He will recompense every man according as He hath done whether it bee Good or evill The which should bee no Iudgement if Men did sinne by the WILL of God And although There bee some places of Scripture whereupon They would ground this Opinion That Men should sinne By the WILL of GOD or that GOD should predestinate or ordaine men to sinne as where it is said That God hardened the Heart of Pharaoh and such like yet pertayneth it Nothing to that purpose if it bee weighed with the Rest of the Scripture For as St. Augustine saith Ipse quasi eos indurat quia Iusto Iudicio indurari sinit He doth saith St. Austin as it were Harden Them because that with his Iust Iudgment he suffereth them to be hardned And in his Booke De lib. arbitr gra C. 21. He saith Where at any time we reade in the Scripture That Men bee SEDVCED or Their Hearts HARDNED of GOD There may we not doubt but that Their wicked DESERVINGS went BEFORE Lest ye run saith he into the saying of Salomon Insipientia viri violat vias eius Deum autem causatur in corde suo The Foolishnesse of a Man Defileth his wayes but hee saith in his heart GOD is the CAVSE Of this HARDNING of Heart Melancthon in his Common-places speaketh very plainely saying Nee Figurae illae verborum offendunt c. Neyther saith he do these figurative speeches offend as I will HARDEN the Heart of Pharao and such like For it is Certaine that in the HEBREW Phrase they signifie a PERMISSION or Suffering and not an Effectuall WILL of GOD. As Leade us not into Temptation That is to say SVFFER us not to bee lead into Temptation These are Melancthons words And Marke what Hee sayth of the HEBREW Phrase For All Men know Him to be a Man Learned But to bee short It is surely to bee marvailed at that although They doe thus accuse Gods predestination to be the onely Cause of of ADAMS FALL which is indeed Not onely Sinne but also the very Well-spring of All wickednesse And the Filthy-Fountaine of all our Vncleannesse That yet THEY dare affirme THEMSELVES to bee the ONELY Friends and Lovers of Gods Predestination and All Others to be the Enemies of GODS Holy Predestination who doe not subscribe unto This their fantasticall Imagination Moreover if it should be said That They make GOD the Author of Sinne They would cry Nay and say They were slandered But whether GOD be not the Author of That whereof He is the onely Cause Let the un-corrupted Heart Iudge Also to say the Truth when They see their Time and Place They are Bould-enough yea even to use the Terme Author in that same manifest sense as in a Booke set forth by Iohn Knoxe Against an Adversarie of Gods Predestination as He calleth Him Wherein Hee Page 158. sayth thus viz. Therefore whatsoever the Ethnicks and Ignorant did attribute unto Fortune WEE assigne to the PROVIDENCE of GOD. And straight wâ—y he saith Wee shall Iudge nothing to come of Fortune but that All commeth by the Determination of His Counsell And further It Displeaseth him when we esteeme Any thing to proceed from Any other So that wee doe Not behold and know him Not-onely the Principall Cause of All Things but Also The AVTHOR appointing All things to the One-part Or to the Other by his Counsell Marke well his wordes and the very Sense thereof All commeth from God saith Hee GOD is the principall Cause and God is the Author of it whatsoever it be God appointeth All things both to the One part and to the Other both to the wicked and to the Godly All THINGS Nothing is excepted As well DAMNATION as Salvation as well Sinne as Vertue as well Wickednesse as Holinesse yea if it hap to bee MVRTHER it selfe For THAT a little before by Name Hee rehearseth Whatsoever it be it Proceedeth from None other saith Hee but from GOD. GOD so hath appointed it God is the Principall cause of it Yea not onely the principall Cause but also the Author of it Here thou seest those Plaine-termes which sometime for a little nice lisping they Cannot or will not Speake Sc. That God is the Author of all MVâ—THER and Mischiefe As for Fortune I know it to bee an Heathenish-Fable But where He saith that God is not onely the Principall Cause but Also the Author of all things without any exception and that whatsoever the Ethnicks attributed to Fortune That same wee ought to ascribe unto the Providence of God It is such a Wide WANDRING and Large BLASPHEMY as hath not beene lightly heard For who knoweth not that unto FORTVNE the Ethnickes ascribed Treason and crafty Conspiracie As where they call Her Insidiosa perfida Malefida Vnto Fortune they ascribed cruell Murder and tyrannicall Mischiefe As when they call Her Aspera Dura Sava Truculenta Vnto Fortune they ascribed filthy Lust and impudent Bawdry as when they call her Lenocinans Bruta and Impudens Vnto Fortune they ascribed scornefull Pride and Vaine-glory calling her Imperiosa Procax and Superba Vnto Fortune they ascribed beastly Blindnesse and rude Ignorance calling her Caeca and Exoculata To conclude unto Fortune the Ethnickes ascribed All perverse and Pestilent wickednesse and all abhomination Detestable calling her Nefaria Abominanda and Improba Yet say these Professours of Destinie whatsoever the Ethnickes ascribed unto Fortune That same ought wee to attribute to the Providence of GOD. Yea and GOD is the very Author the Principall cause and the Onely cause thereof But now to returne againe to Mr. CROVVLY After that hee hath written that GODS Predestination is the Onely cause of Adams Fall Then goeth hee forth in the same Booke and the same Article unto the NEXT execrable Wickednesse committed in the world saying Now what say wee of CAINE Was Hee not Predestinate to slay his Brother No say the Free-will men Here thou seest Dearely Beloved Who they are that so Odiously are noted with the Name of Free-will-men
not onely the Papist against whom Hee pretendeth there to write but Namely all Those that say GOD Hath not predestinate any Manto commit Murther or such-like wicked Abhomination These They call FREE-Will-Men These They call Pelagians Indeed Such as So maintaine Free-will That a Man by Free-will without the Grace and Helpe of GOD may absteine from Evill or doe Good As the blind Papists doe and as before is proved that Pelagius did hold or as before rehearsed William Samuel saith That men may Deserve God Those I say might worthily bee called Pelagians because They hold eyther All or Some part of His Errours But Those which Teach that all Murthâ— and Mischiefe springeth out of GODS Fredestination or That Any Man-slayer is predestinate of GOD to kill his Neighbour or any Adulterer to lye with his Neighbours wife or any Traitor predestinate of God to Conspire against his Prince or any Rebell to Rise against his Soveraigne as These men most plainely affirme They hold in this poynt the Error of the Manicheans Which was as yee heard before by the words of Saint Augustine Hominem peccatum vitare non posse That a Man cannot eschew Evill or cannot choose but commit sinne These Men I say which affirme That Cain was predestinate to murther his Innocent Brother Abel and as in the same Booke and same Article also he saith that The most wicked Persons that have beene were of GOD Appointed to be Wicked even as They were They hold the Errour both of the Stoicks and also of the Maniâ—heans That is to say as AVGVSTINâ— declareth That evill hath his Originall of Gods Ordinance and not of mans Free-will For if Murtherers Adulterers Theeves Traytors and Rebels be of GOD Predestinate and Appointed to be Wicked even as they are and cannot choose but of meere Necessity by the Ordinance of GOD commit all such wickednesse even as they doe Then what is our life but a meere Destiny All our Doings Gods Ordinances and All our Imaginations Branches of Gods Predestination And I doubt not but the Stoicks and Manichaeans would also Temper the matter with great Discretion of words as These men will say that wee must speake more Reverently of the Matter But seeing they plainely hold these Principles and when they see their Time speake plainely thereof Themselves as you may well perceive by that which hath beene already and shall yet more at large be rehearsed I see no cause why it should not of All men be plainly declared Againe if it be a Truth why should it not bee plainely spoken If it bee a Truth that Traytors are predestinate of GOD to Conspire the Destruction of their Princes and Rebels predestinate of God to make insurrection against their Soveraignes If I say it bee a Truth that GOD hath so Predestinate them and that They must of Necessitie and cannot choose but commit such wickednesse why should it not bee plainely spoken Except a man should bee ashamed to speake the Truth But in what Scripture is That written Or is it not rather written For thy life shame not to say the Truth And surely to say as it is I see not well How any man can speake more plainely in this matter than they themselves doe For what can bee more plainely spoken than that Gods Predestination is the onely cause of Adams Fall And That Cain was predestinate to slay his Brother And That God is both the principall Cause and also the Author of All things both on the One side and on the Other appointing all things to All men And whatsoever Ethnicks ascribed to Fortune that same wee ought to attribute unto the Providence of GOD And That that the most wicked persons that have beene were of GOD appointed to bee wicked even as they were And further in the same Booke and same Article hee sayth Yea I am sure that you will grant that if God doe Predestinate a man to doe things rashly and without any deliberation He shall not Deliberate at all but runne headlong upon it bee it Good or Evill that hee doth He makes also an argument after this sort saying Maior What soever God foreseeth and predestinateth must Necessarily come to passe for his Prescience and Predestination are infallible Minor But He Fore-seeth and Predestinateth all Things Conclusio Ergo. All things must come to passe of Necessitie The Minor of which Argument is apparantly false For Though GOD fore-seeth all Things yet doth hee not predestinate all things For His Fore-sight doth extend Both to Good and Evill But His Predestination is ONELY of things that bee Good As the Scriptures and all ancient Writers prove And here againe it is to bee noted also how plainely they make GOD the Author of Sinne. For if this Maior be True viz. That GOD doth not onely fore-see but also predestinate all things yea even Sinne and Evill As the fall of Adam the Murther of Cain and the wickednesse of all them that have beene most wicked Then may this Minor be truely annexed viz. That GOD is the Author of all that he predestinateth And so must this Conclusion needes follow viz. That GOD is the Author of all Sinne and Evill The First Part viz. That GDD predestinateth all Things Or all that hee Fore-seeth is a Proposition of their owne Assertion without any Ambiguity or doubtfull meaning The Second Part viz. That GOD is the Author of all that he predestinateth is My affirmation which is so True and Manifest that they have scarce any manner of Colour to Deny it For what is it to predestinate any thing But First to Purpose Decree Appoint and Ordaine it to bee done Now Hee which First Purposeth Decreeth Appointeth Ordaineth or Inventeth a Thing to be done is not Hee The Author of the same Or is not Hee rightly called Causa Origo Fons Radix Principium Author The Cause Originall Fountaine Roote Beginning or Author of the same He which first Purposeth Decreeth Appointeth and Ordaineth an Insurrection or Rebellion to be made against his Prince is not he to be Apprehended as the very Author of all the Sedition And worthily or Rightly so to be judged and called What man can bee so Ignorant as not to perceive it For all the world knoweth that for None other Cause One is sayd to bee the Author of any thing but onely for that eyther Hee is the first Inventor or else the first Purposer Appointer and Ordainer of the same And also whosoever is the first Inventor or else the first Ordainer of any Thing most properly Hee is said to bee the Author of the same Maior Now marke againe the Argument and see how the Conclusion followeth God Predestinateth All things yea even Sinne and Evill Minor And God is the Author of all that he predestinateth as hath beene plainely prooved Ergo. Conclusio He is the Author of Sinne. This must needs follow if the first Proposition be granted viz. That GOD predestinateth or ordaineth all things or All
that he Fore-seeth Wherefore the old Writers in Confutation of the Manichaeans laboured in nothing somuch as to prove that although God did fore-see all things Both good and evill yet did hee onely-Fore-see and Not Predestinate those things which are evill As by an Infinite Number of places out of the ancient Writers if shortnesse would suffer I could easily prove But one place of St. Augustine I will rehearse which doth not onely resolve clearly this matter Betweene Fore-sight and Fore-ordinance or betweene the Praescience and Predestination but also most plainely teacheth all that is to be said of Predestination Prosper rehearsing the words and defending the Opinion of Augustine where he prooveth that the Divell can scarce be called the Author of Sinne because it came of Mans owne Will and asketh by what Madnesse and Frensie Men doe attribute that unto God which canot be altogether ascribed to the Divell at the last hee concludeth with these words of AVGVSTINE Nihil ergo Talium Negotiorum Deus praedestinavit ut fieret Nec illam animam nequiter turpiterque victuram ad hoc ut taliter viveret praeparavit Sed Talem futur am non ignoravit de Tali Se Iustè Iudicaturum esse praescrvit Atque ita ad praedestinationem eius nihil aliud referri potest nisi quod aut ad debitam Iusticia Retributionem aut ad indebitam pertinet gratiae largitatem Therefore saith he God hath predestinate no Part of any such Doings neyther the Soule which afterwards lived wickedly and filthily hath he prepared to that end that it should so live but Hee was not ignorant that such a One it would bee and of such Hee foreknew that he himselfe would â—ustly iudge And so Nothing may bee referred to the Predestination of GOD but onely that which pertaineth to the due recompense of his Righteousnesse or to the undeserved guift of his Grace These are the words of S. Augustine which surely are marvailous full of pyth containing the whole Summe of that which may bee said in this matter of Gods predestination and are therefore most worthy to be noted yea and to bee committed to memorie For being thorowly weighed They doe plainely set forth the full resolution of all this Question But to returne againe unto Those that Contrary to the Scripture and all ancient Writers doe teach that GOD doth not onely Fore-see but also Predestinate both Good and evill as well the Murder of Cain as the Holinesse of Abel and thereby make God plainely the Author of Sinne when they perceive the outragious Blasphemy to be over-much Apparant and manifest Then doe they Sometime closly rowle it vp in a Riddle again which for the Darke speach thereof may serve at the least to Blinde the eyes of some As where among many other wayes they plainely make God the Author of Sinne Saying that God is not onely the Principall Cause but also the Author of All Things without Exception both on the One Side and on the Other if they be then urged with the Consequence That God is the Author of sinne They will Answere That in All Abomination God is the Author of the Fact but Not of the Crime As of the Fact Deede or worke of Adulterie Sodomitry Murther and Idolatry God is the Author Say They but not of the Fault or Crime This Aenigma have I heard some men use and it is also written in a Booke intitled A Briefe Treatise of Election and Reprobation lately set forth and printed in the English Tongue where He saith thus Though we be Compelled to say that God is the Author of the Fact yet wee must answere but Not of the Crime Areade Areade what is that God is the Author of the very Fact and Deede of Adultery Theft Murther Treason and yet he is not the Author of Sinne. And why The subtilty of the Riddle is This viz. Thaâ— Sinne is No-thing The theife is not hanged for the Deed which he hath committed For GOD is the author thereof but he is hanged for the sinne and that is For No-thing For when they say God is the author of all things Then Nothing is excepted but sinne is Nothing And therefore he is not the Author of sinne The thiefe is hanged for nothing The Murtherer is put to death for nothing The traytour looseth his Head for nothing The wicked are punished in everlasting fire for nothing A Marvelous Sophistication a strange Paradox and cautelous Riddle But to be short though many wayes this subtilty might be answered I will take only the Definition of Sin as I find it written in the same booke where he saith very Truely The Nature of Sinne is Defined by the authority of Scripture to bee a Thought Word or DEEDE Contrary to the will of GOD. Now because They say that God is the Authoof all evill DEEDES though not of the CRIMES Let us passe over the evill Thoughts and evill WORDS and speake onely of the Deede it selfe which He himselfe Defineth to be Sinne and contrary to Gods will If God then be the Author of that FACT or DEEDE which Deede is Sinne and contrary to Gods will How can Hee then say that GOD is the Author of the FACT but not of the FAVLT Seeing hee himselfe setteth forth not onely a Thought or a Word but also a DEEDE to be Sinne. And if God be the Author of that SAME DEEDE which DEEDE is Sinne Is it not a thing most plaine that God is the Author of Sinne And All this their Travell is to prove That the Ordinance and Predestination of GOD doe so carry men even Headlong unto all actions bee they never so Mischievous That of Necessity they must Needs and Cannot Choose but commit the same As though Gods Predestination were like a Tempest of winde â—o blowing in the Sayles of Mans heart That by It He is carried Headlong to all things whatsoever he doth According to the saying of the Poet Iam magis atque magis Prâ—ceps agit Omnia FATVM Now more and more DESTINY hurleth all things headlong But surely This STOICALL Necessity maketh such a Confusion of all things That let them colour up the matter with as much cunning as they can and Qualifie it with as Faire words as may bee yet shall there never the State of a Common wealth in England stand if this persâ—â—asion may once take Perfect Roote among the PEOPLE besides that it is vtterly repugnant to the Holy Scripture and against all ANCIENT Writers aâ— shall bee hereafter briefely prooved And whereas They deny this Doctrine of Theirs to be the Stoicall Opinion because the STOICKS say they fained that Nature with such Order of Causes as she hath Tyed together doth bring all things to passe By Necessity But They affirme that GOD by his Fore-ordinance aternall Predestination and Providence bringeth all things to passe By a like Necessity Thus the Best-learned of them make the Difference But a plaine Delusion it is to blinde the
Everlasting damnation are Iust rewards of Mans Evill-deserving But the Love of GOD and Everlasting life are free guifts of GOD for CHRIST'S sake without any part of Mans owne deserving Take therefore this Saying of theirs No Sinne neyther Originall nor Actuall is the Cause of Gods hate or Eternall death and put the same into the one side of the Ballance then take and put into the other side this saying of Saint PAVL to the Romans Was that then which was good made Death unto me GOD forbid but Sinne was made Death unto me Then weigh both these Sayings together with the hand of good advisement in the indifferent Ballance of upright Iudgement and put not in above three graines of wilfull Partiality thus shalt thou plainly see that the Apostle agreeth farre better with the Maiesty of GOD and hath a much more Reverend opinion of his Iudgements than these men have yea thou shalt easily perceive whatsoever they say that neyther GODS Pleasure nor GODs Ordinance or Predestination nor none other thing that is good is made Death or the Cause of Gods hatred against any man But Sinne is the very grounded Cause why God hateth taketh vengeance and punisheth Man by Death and destruction According to that which the same Apostle sayeth Death is the reward of Sinne. And the wordes of HOSEA are also manifestly plaine where hee sayth O Israel thou doest destroy thy selfe but in Mee onely is thy helpe In which wordes of the Holy Ghost thou seest how manifestly God doth as it were purge himselfe from being the Cause or worker of Mans destruction so that the Perdition and destruction of Man is altogether to bee attributed unto Himselfe And GOD beeing cleere neyther accessary nor partaker thereof as the chiefe and high Iudge of Heaven and Earth unspotted and without blame giveth sentence of Everlasting death upon Man for his owne wicked deserving and offence But on the other side sayeth God unto Man In Me onely is thy helpe In GOD onely onely in God is our helpe and Salvation In him onely and of him altogether and not of our selves commeth our Salvation and all whatsoever belongeth thereunto The same is also set forth by all those Scriptures which are before rehearsed to proove that Sinne and Evill commeth not of Gods Predestination For upon that Conclusion dependeth also this Proposition That Sinne is not the cause of Reprobation or of GODS hatred towards Man And upon the same Article dependeth also another part of Doctrine which they Teach worthy to be misliked of All men as well for that it importeth a Sophisticall search of bottomlesse Secrets in the very Essence and Nature of GOD as also for that it clearely withdraweth us from CHRIST the onely stay and comfort of our weake Conscience delivered unto us in the Word of GOD. For that they might bee surer to hold fast the former Principle That All thinges come of GODS Predestination as Running streames out of a deepe Fountaine They affirme that the free Mercy of GOD in Christ is but an Inferiour cause of Election and that wee are taught to ascend unto a higher Cause as unto the Eternall Purpose and Predestination of GOD which hee determined onely in Himselfe So sayth the Printed Booke before named Translated out of French into English That same thing wee reade also late set foorth in English Print in the Glosse of the last Translated Bible Rom. Cap. 9. With these Words AS The onely Will and Purpose of GOD is The chiefe Cause of Election and Reprobation So his Free Mercy in CHRIST is an Inferiour cause of Salvation c. But for my part I trust in minde never to ascend unto that high cause of Election and in Heart never to taste of that Eternall Purpose or Predestination which GOD hath determined onely in Himselfe without or above his Free-mercy which is in CHRIST For surely That Eternall Purpose which commeth not of GODS free Mercy in Christ is to Destroy and not to Save Againe if that Eternall Purpose spring out of Gods Free-mercy then is that Free-mercy of GOD the Chiefe cause and not an Inferiour cause why hee purposeth to save us For a great dishonour it were to the Mercy of GOD To bee put in an Inferiour place touching Election and Salvation of Man For if Ever GODS Mercy bee above all it is in the Saving of miserable Man And Mercy there is not in God towards Man but onely in Christ. Therefore St. PAVL calleth it the Eternall Purpose which hee purposed in CHRIST IESU our Lord In CHRIST therefore was this Eternall Purpose and For his onely sake GOD the Father Eternally purposed to Elect and save us Consider and marke it well whence commeth this Purpose or Will of GOD to save us But of his free Mercy If his Purpose to save us spring out of his Free mercy why is then his Mercy inferiour to his Purpose Or how is the Fountaine inferiour to the Springs that come thereof Also what may bee sayd in GOD at any time or in any respect to bee higher or greater than his Mercy Seeing it is written That his mercy is as great as Himselfe Yea and most especially it is so to bee sayd That his Mercy passeth All when we speake of this matter For of this it is written That mercy reioyceth against Iudgement and why All the Iudgements of God in this behalfe are not to be compared unto his Mercy For though it were not true which DAVID sayth That his mercy is above all his workes Yet were in cleare that in Election Redemption and Salvation of man GODS mercy in Christ hath Ever the highest place And Those which in the Salvation of our Soules make the Free mercy of GOD an Inferiour cause how base a Roome will they assigne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy in nourishing and preserving our bodyes Let them reach as high as they can I trust to goe no further but to hold me fast by the Everlasting Mercy of GOD and by the Hemme of CHRIST's garment For the Scripture describeth GOD unto me without Christ as a wrathfull and most terrible Iudge but in Christ and for his sake as a Father whose wrath is pacified and Hee well pleased reconciled agreed and at one And to speake of a higher cause or purpose to Elect and Save onely in GOD beside or without this Free-mercy in Christ or that Christ and Gods free-mercy in him is not the chiefest Cause which worketh and obtayneth the decree and purpose of God to Elect and save it is plainly nothing else but to deny the mercy of God in Election Reconciliation Redemption and Salvation by Christ in Christ and for Christ As easily it may be perceived if a man doe but weigh and consider what Eternall purpose an Election and a Reconciliation is Seeing Christ is our Advocate Mediator Peace Reconciliation and Attonement as in these Scriptures following and many other it doth plainely appeare Psal 84. a.
shall be damned Howbeit wee know by the Scripture that notwithstanding this imperfection of Faith many shall be saved And likewise notwithstanding that Gods promise be generall unto all people of the World yet many shall be damned These two Points therefore must be diligently discussed First how this faith being unperfect is accepted of GOD. Then how we be excluded from the promise of Grace that extendeth to all men I will not rehearse now the mindes of other but as briefly and as simply as I can declare the minde of the Scripture in this matter Saint Paul calleth this servitude of Sinne naturally remaining in our Nature corrupted some times Apeitheian then Amartian at another time Asthenian The first word signifieth an Impersuability diffidence incredulity contumacy or inobedience The second signifieth Errour sinne or deceit The third betokeneth Weaknesse imbecility or imperfection So writeth Paul Mans body to be first borne in imbecility Also that God concludeth all men under infidelity In another place That the Scripture doth conclude All men under Sinne. In those three places thou mayest see the three wordes that I rehearsed before By which PAVL describes the infirmities of Man which infirmities are translated into CHRIST Not so that wee should be delivered from them as though they were dead in our nature or our nature changed or should not provoke vs any more to ill but that they should not damne us because Christ satisfied for them in his Body And Paul sayth That Christ dyed for Sinners that were infirme and calleth those sinners the Enemies of God Howbeit he calleth not them Theostygas in the Scriptures to wit Contemners of GOD. Every man is called in the Scripture Wicked and the enemy of God for the privation and lacke of Faith and love that hee oweth to GOD. Et impij vocantur qui non omninò sunt pij That is they are called wicked that in all thinges honour not GOD beleeve not in God and observe not his Commandements as they should doe which wee cannot doe by reason of this naturall infirmity or hatred of the Flesh as Paul calleth it against God In this sence taketh Paul this word Wicked when he saith that Christ dyed for the wicked So must we interpret St. Paul and take his wordes or else no man should bee damned Now we know that Paul himselfe Saint Iohn and Christ damneth the Contemners of GOD or such as willingly continue in sinne and will not Repent Those the Scripture excludeth from the generall promise of Grace Thou seest by the places afore rehearsed that though we cannot beleeve in God as undoubtedly as is required by reason of this our naturall sicknesse and disease yet for Christs sake in the iudgement of God we are accounted as faithfull beleevers for whose sake this naturall disease and sicknesse is pardoned by what name soever St. Paul calleth the Naturall infirmity or originall sinne in Man And this imperfection or naturall sicknesse taken of Adam excludeth not the person from the promise of God in Christ except we transgresse the limits and bounds of this Originall sinne by our owne folly and malice and eyther of a contempt or hate of Gods word we fall into sinne transforme our selves into the Image of the Divel Then â—ee exclude by this meanes our selves from the promises and merites of Christ who onely received our infirmities and originall disease and not the contempt of him and his Law Further the Promises appertaine to such as Repent Therefore Esay sayd without exception That the infirmities of all Men were cast upon his blessed shoulders It is our office therefore to see wee exclude not our selves from the generall Grace promised to all men It is not a Christian mans part to attribute his salvation to his owne free-will with the Pelagian extenuate originall Sin Nor to make God the author of ill and our damnatioÌ„ w th the Manichee Nor yet to say God hath written fatall Lawes as the Stoicke and with necessity of Destiny violently pulleth one by the haire into Heaven and thrusteth the other headlong into Hell But assertaine thy selfe by the Scripture what be the causes of Reprobation and what of Election The cause of Reiection or damnation is Sinne in Man which will not heare neyther receive the Promise of the Gospell or else after he hath received it by accustomed doing of ill falleth eyther into a contempt of the Gospell and will not study to live thereafter or else hateth the Gospell because it condemneth his ungodly life and would there were neyther God nor Gospell to punish him for doing of ill This sentence is true howsoever Man judge of Predestination God is not the cause of Sinne nor would not have Man to sinne Thou art not the GOD that willeth sinne And it is sayd Thy perdition O Israel is of thy selfe and thy succour onely of me The cause of our Election is the Mercy of God in Christ. Howbeit he that will be partaker of this Election must receive the Promise in Christ by faith for therefore wee be elected because afterward we are made the members of Christ. Therefore as in the justification or remission of Sinne there is a cause though no dignity at all in the receiver of his justification and so we judge him by the Scripture to bee Iustified and hath remission of his sinne because he received the Grace promised in CHRIST So wee iudge of Election by the event or successe that hapneth in the life of Man those onely to be elected that by Faith apprehend the mercy promised in Christ otherwise wee should not judge of Election For Paul sayth plainly That they that beleeve by the spirit of God are the Children of God and that the spirit of God doth testifie with our spirits that wee are the children of God being admonished therefore by Scripture wee must leave sinne and doe the workes commanded of God or else it is a carnall opinion that we have blinded our selves withall of fatall Destinie and yet will not save us And in case there follow not in our knowledge of Christ amendment of life it is not lively Faith that wee have but rather a vaine knowledge and meere presumption Iohn sayth No man commeth to me except my Father draw him Many men understand these wordes in a wrong sence as though God required in a reasonable man no more than in a dead poast and marketh not the wordes that follow Every man that heareth and learneth of my Father commeth to me GOD draweth with his Word and the Holy Ghost but Mans duty is to heare learne That is to say Receive the grace offered consent to the Promise and not repugne the God that calleth GOD doth promise the Holy Ghost unto them that aske him and not to them that contemne him We have the Scripture daily in our hands reade it and heare
It fareth many times with us that we goe long to schoole in divinity and yet never good divines as it fareth in the schoole of rethorike whereas if at the beginning the scholler profit not as Aristotle saith he shall never be good orator Therefore Moses saith God gaue you not a heart to understand eyes to see nor eares to heare untill this present day Here doth Moses speake ironice and seemeth to deny the thing he would affirme As Aristotle or Cicero might say when they haue applyed all their labour and done the best they can to make their schollers learned yet profit nothing then depart out of the schoole say unto their audience I never opened unto you the science that I taught you Not that the fault was in him but in the auditors that neglected their diligence and Doctrine So doth Moses now speake of God not that the fault was in him that those unkind people understood not the doctrine hee taught but in themselues as it appeareth in the text for he useth now the rod of persecution punisheth them beateth them yea and killeth them because they would not learne the thing he taught them yea further he sheweth that his pleasure was they should choose the good and leave the ill to be in wealth and avoid the woe This argument he proveth of his owne nature which is amiable loving and holy inclined to doe well unto man and to be at peace with him But because man of his owne malice contemneth the word and doctrine of God he is not onely rigorous and severe against man but also hee waxeth so angry for sinne as he that chafeth and moveth himselfe that all men may perceive by his countenance he is offended therefore saith the text the fury of God shall smoake against the sinner Our gospellers be better learned than the Holy ghost for they wickedly attribute the cause of punishment and adversity to Gods providence which is the cause of no ill as he himselfe can do no ill and of every mischiefe that is done they say it was Gods will The Holy ghost putteth another cause that is to say Sinne in man and contempt of his holy word Further the paine is not inflicted by predestination to lose man but both predestination and the affliction extend to call man from damnation The blinde southsayers that writ of things to come are more to bee esteemed than these curious and high climing wits for they attribute the cause of ill to the ill aspects and sinister coniunctions of the planets Refuse not therefore the grace offered not once received banish it not with ill conversation If wee fall let us heare almighty God that calleth us to repentance with his word and returne let us not continue in sinne nor heape one sinne vpon another lest at last wee come to a contempt of God and his word for remission is promised to as many as repent as Moses sheweth and likewise all the scripture and examples thereof But remember what the text saith that thou must convert unto God and that by the meanes and mediation of Christ and that with all thy heart and then thou maist finde remedy Convert not to superstition and buy not a masse for thy sinnes nor loke for helpe of any Saint but onely of God as his word teacheth for he that strooke thee for sinne can heale thee againe say not in aduersity as Cicero did Except God or some good hap doe save vs wee cannot escape For there is nothing in Heaven nor Earth that saveth but God alone CHAP. 19. 6. Ignorance THe sixt let or impediment wherewith men excuse themselues from the obedience of the law of GOD is the pretence of ignorance the which they doe thinke shall excuse them Thus they say the Scripture hath so many mysteries in it selfe and is too hard for our capacity Sometime the letter sometime the spirit and sometime both must be understood Further they say the Doctors braule and chide between themselves and how should the unlearned understand it aright Who can tell saith another whether this be the true law or not If it were the true law of God then should it containe all verities haue no need of mans lawes Now the greatest part of such as have the name of Christianity say Gods lawes save no man instruct no man aright no it is not wholesome for man except it be held and ayded by the law of the Bishops This the world owes to the Bishops decrees that have called the authority of the holy Testament that containeth all trueth whose sufficiency and verity is scaled with the precious bloud of Christ into doubt and not into doubt onely but cleane abrogated it and preferred their owne lawes Conferre their preachings and ministration of the Sacramints with the holy word and law of God and see Other say I have no wit to understand the Word of GOD and if I had yet have I no leasure to learne it Against this obiection Moses answereth and saith this law is sufficient is simple and plaint easie to be understood a perfit doctrine and required of all men Thus he proueth it the Commandement that I prescribe unto thee to day is not farr above thee nor put farre from thee reade the last halfe of the chapter By the which words it appeareth that GOD hath made his will and pleasure simply and plainely open unto his people with apt sentences and open words and also put the same to us that we should not seeke it with great danger of our life to saile into the Indies for it or looke it in Heaven above as those that receive all things by revelation or apparitions of Angels or other such meanes But Moses saith it is no need of any such ambassadors and so saith Abraham For man may learne out of the Scripture what is to be done and what not to bee done what is the condition of the good and of the bad No need to seeke the knowledge thereof in Aegypt Athens or Rome But the word is present and at hand with thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou shouldest doe it By these words we see that in the greatest sinner that is is a certaine rule and knowledge to live well thereby if he did follow it So confounded St. Paul the Gentiles of sinne because they knew the evill they did was condemned by the testimony of their owne conscience For the law of God to doe well by is naturally written in the heart of every man Hee that will diligently search himselfe shall soone find the same and in case man should behold his owne Image both in body and in soule although there were no law written nor Heavens over our heads to testifie the goodnesse and the iustice of God and the equity of an honest life mans conscience would tell him when he doth well and when evill Further the iudgement and discourse of
we well and then we my bee sure that we are ordained to Everlasting life But you will say How shall I know that I am in the bookof life How shall I try my selfe to be Elect of God to evelasting Life I answere First we may knâ—w that wee may and time be in the booke and another time come â—t againe as it appeareth by DAVID which was writen in the booke of life But when he sinned hee at that same time was out of the booke of the favour of God until hee had repented and was sory for his faults So weâ—ay â—ay bee in the booke one time and afterward when we â—rget God and his word and doe wickedly we come out of the booke that is out of Christ which is the booke And in that Booke are written all beleevers But I will tell you how you shall know when you are in the booke And there are three especiall notes whereby wee may know the same The first note is if you know your sinne and feele your owne wretchednesse and filthinesse which is a great matter for the most part of people are so drowned in sinne that they no more feele the same for sinne greeveth them no more According to the saying of Salomon Impius quum in medium peccatorum venit contemnit That is The ungodly man when he entreth into the middest of all sinne and mischiefe despiseth the same he regardeth Sin nothing at all neither is he sory for it But as I said the first note is when you know your sinne and feele the same then are they heavy unto you and greeve you Then followeth the second point which is faith in Christ that is when you beleeve most stedfastly and undoubtedly that God the Heavenly father through his Sonne will deliver you from your sinnes When you beleeve I say that the bloud of our Saviour is shed for you for the cleansing and putting away of your sinnes and beleeving this most stedfastly with an unfained heart then you have the second Point The third point is when you have an earnest desire to amendment and hatred against Sinne study to live after Gods will and Commandements as much as is possible for you to doe then have you the third Point And when you finde these three Points to bee in you Namely first when you know your sinne and be sory for the same and afterwards beleeve to bee saved through the passion of Iesu Christ And Thirdly have an earnest desire to leave sinne and to fly the same when you find these three things in your hearts then you may be sure that your names are written in the booke and you may be sure also that you are elect and predestinate to everlasting life And againe when you see not your wickednesse and that sinne grieveth you not neither have you faith or hope in our Saviour and therefore are Carelesse and study not for amendment of life then you are in a heavy case and then you have cause to cry and lament your wretchednesse For truely you are not in the booke of life but the Devill hath power over you as long as yee are in such a state Here you see now how you shall try your selves whether you be in the booke of life or no c. And againe THe Evangelist saith hee when Iesus was borne What is Iesus Iesus is an Hebrew word and signifieth in our English tongue a Saviour and Redeemer of all Mankind borne into this world This title and name to save appertaineth properly and principally unto him for he saved us else had we beene lost for ever Notwithstanding the name of Saviour is used in common speech as the King is called a Saviour for he saveth his subiects from all danger and harme that may ensue of the Enemies Likewise the Physitian is accompted a Saviour for hee saveth the sicke man from the danger of his disease with good and wholesome medicines So Fathers and Mothers are Saviours for they save their Children from bodily harme that may happen unto them So Bridges leading over the waters Likewise Ships and Boates great and small Vessels upon the Seas are Saviours for they save us from the fury rage and tempest of the Sea So Iudges are Saviours for they save or at least should save the people from wrong and oppression But all this is not perfect saving for what availeth it to bee saved from Sicknesse Calamities and Oppression when wee shall bee condemned after our death both body and soule for ever to remaine with the Devill and his Angels Wee must therefore come to Iesus which is the right and true Saviour And he it is that hath saved us from sinne Whom hath hee saved His people how saved hee them First by Magistrates he saveth the poore from oppression and wrong The Children hee saveth through the Tuition of the Parents from danger and perill by Physitians hee saveth from sicknesse and diseases but from sinne hee saveth onely through his Passion and bloudshedding Therefore he may be called and is the very right Saviour for it is hee that saveth from all infelicitie all his faithfull people and his salvation is sufficient to satisfie for all the world as concerning it selfe but as concerning us hee saved no more but such as put their trust in him And as many as beleeve in him shall bee saved The other shall be cast out as Infidels into everlasting damnation Not for lacke of Salvation but for Infidelitie and lacke of Faith which is the onely cause of their damnation He saved us from what even from sinne Now when he saved us from sinne then hee saved us from the wrath of God from affliction and calamities from Hell and Death and from Damnation and everlasting paine for Sin is the cause and fountaine of all mischiefe Take away sinne then all other Calamities wherein mankind is wrapped are taken away and cleane gone and dispersed Therefore hee saving us from sinne saved us from all affliction But how doth he save us from sinne In this manner that sinne shall not condemne us Sinne shall not have the victory over us He saved us not so that we should be without sinne that no sinne should be left in our hearts No he saved us not so For all manner of imperfections remaine in us yea in the best of us so that if God should enter into Iudgement with us wee should all be damned For there are more nor ever was any man borne into this world which could say I am cleane from sinne except Iesus Christ Therefore he saved us not from sinne in taking cleane away the same that wee should not be inclined unto it but rather the power and strength of the same sinne he hath so vanquished that it shall not be able to condemne those which beleeve in him for sinne is remitted and not imputed unto the beleevers So likewise he saved us from sinne not taking
Salvation That is to say not GODS Servants They lacke the renovation or Regeneration they be not come yet to CHRIST Now these persons that bee not come yet to Christ or if they were come to Christ be fallen againe from him and so lost theyr Iustification as there bee many of us which when wee fall willingly into Sinne against Conscience wee lose the favour of GOD our Salvation and finally the Holy Ghost all they now that bee out of the favour of GOD and are not sory for it Sinne grieveth them not they purpose to goe forward in it All those that intend not to leave theyr Sinnes are out of the Favour of GOD and so all their workes whatsoever they doe bee deadly sinnes For as long as they bee in purpose to sinne they sinne deadly in all their doings Therefore when wee will speake of the diversity of Sinnes wee must speake of those that bee Faithfull that bee regenerated and made new and cleane from theyr Sinnes through Christ. To these two Holy Martyrs and learned Bishops I adde a third who when hee lived was in place the First and in Grace not inferiour to any It is Archbishop CRANMER Hee speaking of the merit of Christs Death writeth on this wise viz. THE IVDGEMENT OF Archbishop CRANMER Archbishop CRNMER'S Preface to the Reader in his Answere to Doctor GARDINER Bishop of Winchester Touching the Holy Sacrament Printed by Iohn Day 1580. and written by the said Father Anno 1551. OVr Saviour CHRIST IESUS according to the Will of his Eternall Father when the time thereto was fully accomplished taking our Nature upon him came into this World from the high Throne of his Father to declare unto miserable sinners good newes to Heale them that were sieke to make the Blinde to see the Deafe to heare and the Dumbe to speake to set Prisoners at libertie to shew that the time of Grace and Mercy was come to give Light to them that were in darknesse and in the shadow of Death and to preach and give Pardon and full remission of Sinne to all his Elected And to performe the same hee made a Sacrifice and oblation of his owne Body upon the Crosse which was a full Redemption satisfaction and propitiation for the Sinnes of the whole world And in another place CHRIST was such an high Bishop that hee once offering himselfe was sufficient by once effusion of his blood to abolish Sinne unto the worlds end He was so perfect a Priest that by One oblation hee purged an infinite heape of Sinnes leaving an easie and a ready Remedy for all Sinners that his One sacrifice should suffice for many yeares unto all Men that should not shew themselves unworthy And he tooke unto himselfe not onely their sinnes that many yeares before were dead and put their trust in him but also the sinnes of those that untill his comming againe should truely beleeve in his Gospell So that now wee may looke for none other Priest nor Sacrifice to take away our Sinnes but onely him and his Sacrifice And as hee Dying once was offered for All so as much as pertained to him hee tooke all mens sinnes unto himselfe To which we ioyne B. Iewel in his Apologie towards the End thereof Certò Animis nostris persuademus Illum id est Christum esse propitiatorem pro peccatis nostris Eius Sanguine Omnes Labes nostras deletas esse Illum pacificasse Omnia Sanguine Crucis suae Illum unicaÌ„ illâ Hostiâ quam semel obtulit in Cruce OMNIA perfecisse Eâ causa cum Animam ageret dixisse CONSVMMATVM Est Quasi Significare vellet Persolutum jam esse Pretium pro Peccato Humani Generis That is Wee doe assuredly perswade our Mindes That Hee Christ is the obtainer of forgivenesse for our sinnes And that by his Bloud ALL our spots of Sinnes be washed Cleane That he hath Pacified and set at One All things by the Bloud of his Crosse That he by the same One Onely sacrifice which hee Once offered upon the Crosse hath brought to effect and fulfilled ALL thinges And that for that Cause Hee said It is Finished as though hee would Signifie That the Price or Ransome was Now Fully-paid for the sinne of Mankind To this GOD the Sonne together with GOD the Father and GOD the Holy Ghost bee ascribed all Honour Worship Praise and Glory for ever FINIS a For Ieyden was made an Vniversity not past 56. yeares agone by Wil 〈◊〉 Prince of Orange Anno 1574. Merit Merit Epist 100. Tom. 2. The Errours which â—elâ—gâ—â—â— held and 〈◊〉 â—aâ—ted in â—he â—ouncâ—il of Palâ—s 〈…〉 PELAGIVS his first Errour Rom. 5. Wisdom 1. 13. 14. 15 16. I he Second Errour Rom. 5. 18. 〈◊〉 Esdras 6. The Third Psal 51. The Fourth C. N. P. Rom. 5. N. B. 1. Iohn 2. The 〈◊〉 1 Timotl 6. The Siat 2. Cor. 3 5. The Seventh Rom. 11. 6. The Eight Errour 1. Iohn 1. Iames 3. The Ninth Aug. de verb. Apost Seâ— 192. Or Free-will Philip. 4. 4. Esdâ—aâ— 9. N. B. The tenth and element iâ— Errour The Conclusion of the first part of this Treaâ—ise N. 〈◊〉 The Second Part of this Treatise 1. God is not the Author of Sinne. 1. Ioh. 2. Ecclus 15. Note August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 N. B. August retraâ—â— l. 1. c. 9. 16. Eccl. 4. d. Prospor ad Object Vinc. N. B. Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 5. Cap. 1. vix K. Henry the seaâ—enth Math 〈…〉 is often taken as S. Augustine useth it heere for Geâ—â—thliacus whose profession was to declare mens Fortune or Destiny by the Time of Nativitie Which in Esa 2. The translation of Zurich calleth Mathematicos and our Translator calleth it Talkers of mens 〈◊〉 Prosp Respons ad Object Gall. cap. 6. Deut. 30. Iosuah 24. Iud. 10. Luke 10. Psalm 119. Esay 65. Esay 66. N. 〈◊〉 Gen. 4. a. 〈◊〉 King 24. b. 1. Para. 21. b. Prov. 3. d. Ecelâ—s 25. 〈◊〉 4. â—sâ—r 7. b d g 〈◊〉 9. 2. Luk 10. d f. Iohn 1. b. Acts 5. a. 1 Cor. 7. g. 9. a. 10. c. 14. f. 2 Cor. 13. 〈◊〉 Phil. 4. c. Heb. 14. Aug. Quastâ—e Nov. â—estâ—n Quaest 115. Lib. de Pradest Cap. 2. II. Sin the Cause of Reprobation N. B. Rom. 9. c. 11 12 13. Sap. 12. c. Dâ—â—t 9. Rom. 7. 13. Rom. 6. Ose 13. c. N. B. III. GODS Free Mercy in CHRIST the Chiefe cause of Election N. B. Genera Bible Rom. 9. 〈…〉 s 3. b. Eccl. 2. d. Iam 2. b. Psal 149. b. Psal 84. a. Math. 1. a. Ephes 1. a. 2 b. Rom. 5. a b. Colos 1. c. 2 Cor. 5. d. 1 Iohn 2. a. Heb. 5. b c. 〈◊〉 a b c d c. 2 Tim. 1. c. Why the Law was given Deut. 4. 13. Math. 7. 12. What the ten Commandements containe Gen. 17 7. 22 16. Ierem. 〈◊〉 7 23. The condition on Gods behalfe Eâ—od 19 56. Deut. 4 20. Math. 11 28. The condition on mans
part Exod. 19 3. c For whom the Law was made and given Gen. 3. Gen. 6 6. Math. 25 24. Deut. 9 5. 7 8. Onely Mercy provoked God to the covenant Deut. 9 6. Gen. 3 15. 12. 3. 15 5. 1â— 4. The Death of Christ the meanes Heb. 9 28. Heb. 7. 1. Apoc. 13 8. Gen. 3 â—0 All the prom 〈…〉 seâ— made in and for Christ Iohn 10. 9. Iohn 14. 6. Iohn 1. 12. 3. 16. c. 6. 32. c. Esa 53. 4. 5. Iohn 1 29. Iohn 14 30. Rom 5 17 18. Gen 3 15. Gen. 15. 4 5. 17. 1. Galat. 3 28. Colos 3 11. Rom. 5 15. 2 Pet. 2 1. 3. Malac. 1. 2. 3. Rom. 9 13. See B. Iati 〈…〉 part 2. fol. â—2 Christ shed as much blood for Iudas as for Peter c. Ionas 1 2. Gen. 25. 23. Mal. 1. 2 3. Gen. 25. 23. 27 28 29. Rom. 9 11 c. Rom. 11. 32. Galat. 3 22 Mark 16 16. Math. 11. 28. Rom. 11. 32. 1. Tim. 2. 4. How Faith bâ—ing unperfect is accepted of God Rom. 11. 32. Galat. 3 20. Esa 53. 4 5. Iohn 1. 29. Rom. 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Vid. Melanet 2. part Operum pag. 268. Quanto magis Pater vester dabit sp Sanctum petentibus cum Non ait Cantemnentibus How wee are called the enemies of God Rom 8 7. Rom. 5 8. How wee are excluded from the promise of Grace that is extended to all Christ received our infirmities but not the contempt of the Law and of God The cause of Damnation in man Psal 5 4. Ose 1 3 9. The cause of mans Election Rom. 9 16. Ephes 1 5. Rom. 8 29. Rom. 8 15. 15 16. What declareth a lively Faith Iohn 6. 44. How God draweth unto Christ a Nec tamen habeut se Mens voluntas vt statua ideo diueruÌ„t â—eteres Praecedente gratia comitante voluntate bona opera fieri Melauâ—th part 2. OperuÌ„ p. 268. pag. 248. b In illo loco Ieannis decitur Omnis qui audâ—t a Patre et discit veniet ad me Discere iubet id est Audire vocem Doctrinae traditaem aâ— ipso assentiri non indulgere diâ—â—edentia Melanâ—â—h ibid. Exod. 14. 1. Sa 〈…〉 18. 11. See B Latimer part 2. fol. 54. Math. 12 32. Mark 3 29. Luk. 12 10. 1. Iohn 5 16. Heb. 10 26. Gen. 3 45. D. F. Handum pag 214. a Sinnes of Infirmity are committed against the Power of the Father Sinnes of Ignorance against the Wisdome of the Sounâ— Sins of Malice against the goodnesse and grace of the Holy Ghost 1. Sam. 15 15. Iohn 8. 26. Psal 145. 17. The iustice of God intendeth it selfe to two divers ends Ionas 2. Mat. 25. 31 c. 1. Cor. 11. 32. The fourth impediment Deut. 19. 29. Deut. 30 19. Deut. 29. 4. Deut. 30. 19. Deut. 29. 27. Ezech. 33. 1. Cor. 11 Psalm 119. Reuel 3. Esay 26. Hebr. 12. Deut. 30. 1. 2 Iohn 15. Cic. lib Epist 16. a First they of the Church of Rome b Meaning the Popes of Rome Deut. 30 1â— Enthusiasts Luk. 16 29. Rom. 1. 21. Rom. 2 15. a Nemo adeo ferus est vt non mitoscere possit Simodo c. b Hoc est nesâ—ire sine Christlo plurimasâ—irâ— Curious interpretations of Scriptures are wicked and odious Enter not into the inscrutable Mysteries of God Enter into Christ and there seeke thy Salvation Christ is the Booke of Life wherein our Names be written if we beleâ—ve in him Iohn 6. Iohn 1 3. How you shall know when you are in the Booke of life Psal 19. Rom 10 18. 1 Tim. 2 4. God would that All should be saved Our stubbornnesse and lacke of Faith is the Cause of our Damnation A right Doctrine to try our Election Iob 34. Ioh. 3 10. Christ is the Booke of Life The unbeleevers are not in the booke of Life The right way how thou maist be assured of everlasting life Idem Part. 3. sol 207. In his Sermon on the First Sunday after Epiphaniâ— 1 Tim. 2. 5. We ourselves are causes of our owne damtion I'â—m Part. 3. fol. 198. In his Sermon on the third Sunday after Epiphanic Act. 13 48. A lewd opinion of Predesti nation 1 Tim. 2. We our selves procure our owne Damnation Christ the Booke of Life How we may know when we are in the state of Salvation and when Not. Three markes whereby wee may know whether we be in the booke of Life or no. The first The second The third An evident and plaine Doctrine that sheweth you when you are out of the â—â—â—or of God Idem Part. 3. fol. 183. In his Sermon on the first Sunday after Epiphaniâ— The terme Saviour is used in sundry common speeches Iesus Christ is our onely Saviour How many wayes Christ saveth us Christs Death is onely our Salvation Si is the onely cause of Dam How wee be saved from Sinne. Christ onely is â—oyd of sinne The Power and Force of Sinne is taken away by Christ Idem Part. 2. fol. 64. In his First Sermon preached in Lincolushire Anno 1553. upon These words The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a certaine King Math. 22. There is a Sin against the Holy Ghost So long as men are alive wee cannot Iudge whether they have committed the Sinne against the Holy Ghost or not Christ knew the hearts of the Pharisees and therefore iudged of them Christs promises are generall to All Mankind Ioh. 6 47. Rom. 5 20. 15 v. Mat. â—â— 28. Idem Part. 2. fol. 92. In his fourth Sermon preached in Lincolnshire upon Philipp 3. Iudas lacked beleefe and therefore was not saved Idem Part 2. fol. 132. In his eight Sermon in Line upon Luke 21 25. Erunt Signa Iohn 3. Vâ—â— In the destruction of Ierusalem c. Bzech 33 11. The Cause why God sware The reward of the Obstinate and stiâ—uecked People Idem Pag. 114. In a Sermon preached on Rom. 13. 11. Idem lib. 51. pag. 372. A plaine declaration of the Sacrifice of CHRIST B. Iewel Deâ—eus Apolog. Cap. 19. Devis 1. 〈◊〉 Oenus 〈◊〉 Mankind that is All that haue the Nature and Kind of Man in them all that are 〈…〉 ted of Men.