and an other I will pray to God to open his Eies that he if gods good pleasure be may se the light that so brightly shyneth Other places for this present I omitte For of these precedents I suppose it be euident that in the eternall counsel of God there was a difference of mankynd euen before the creation which by his own voice is most plainely declared to vs in tyme. Now to that obiection which Pighius that pestilent and peruers Papist and you all after him doth make To witt that God did predestinate according to the workes and faith which he foresawe to be in man I might obiecte to the contrary that if Predestination procedeth from gods purpose and will as the Apoâ—â—le affirmeth it doth that theÌ„ the purpose and will of God being eternall can not be moued by our workes or faith which be temporall And that if the purpose of God be stable and sure that then can not our workes being vnsure be the cause thereof But to auoid prolixitie and tediousnes I will by plaine scriptures proue that of fre grace did God electe that of mere mercie doeth he call and of his onelie goodnes without all respect had to our dignitie as to be any cause first mouing him doeth he perfourme the worke of our saluatioÌ„ And for the proofe of the same let vs take Abraham and his posteritie for example Plaine it is that he and his sede were preferred to all the nations of the earth the benediction was established to spring frome them the promes of the land of Canaan was made vnto them and so were they extolled to the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods peculiar people But let vs consider what either faith or obedience God found in them which might haue moued him thus to preferre them to other naâ—ions Let vs heare Moises The Lord they God saieth he hath chosen the that thow shoul dest be a peculiare people to him aboue all the peoples which are vpon the face of the earth God hath not so vehemently loued you and chosen you because you are mo in nombre then other nations seing ye are fewar then all other people but because he hath loued you and wold kepe the othe which he made to your fathers And after it foloweth Say not in thy heart my power my streÌ„gth aÌ„d my hand haue prepared this aboundance to me and think not in thy heart it is for my iustice that the Lord hath broght me into this land Of these places it is plaine that Moises leaueth no cause neither of gods election neither yet of perfourmance of his promes in maÌ„ but establisheth it altogether vpon gods fre loue and good pleasure The same did Iosua in that his last and most vehement exhortation to his people a litle before his death in which plainely he affirmeth that Abraham and his father were idolaters before they were called by God w c place Ezechiel the Prophete most euidently declareth rebuking the vnthaÌ„kfull defection of the Iewes from God who of mercy had giueÌ„ theÌ„ life honour and dignitie they of all others being the most vnworthy For the saieth Thus saieth the Lord God to IerusaleÌ„ Thy habitatioÌ„ aÌ„d they kiÌ„red is of CanaaÌ„ thy father was an amorrhean and thy mother an Hittite and in thy natiuitie wheÌ„ thow wast born thy nauill was not cutt thow was noâ— washed wiâ—h water to soften the thow was not salted with salt neither yet was thow swadled in clowtes By the which the Prophete signifieth that all was imperfect all was filthie all was corrupt and stinking as touching their nature he procedeth none â—ie pitied the to do any of these vnto the for to haue compassioÌ„ vpon the but thou wast cast oute in the open field to the contempt of thy person in the day that thow wast borne And when I passed by the I saw the polluted in thine own blood aÌ„d I said vnto y e wheÌ„ thou wast in thy blood y t is in thy filthie sinnes y u shalt liue And this he repeteth to the eÌ„d y t he may beat it more deply in their myndes I saieth the Lord said vnto the beiÌ„g in thy bloode thou shalt liue and so he procedeth declaring how that God did multiply them did giue vnto them beautie streÌ„gth honour and dignitie These thre places do plainely witnes what perfection God did find in this people whom thus he did preferre to all others And what obedience did they render vnto him after the vocation of Abraham the hole Histories do witnes for perfection and obedience was not found in Abraham him self yea neither in Moises nor in Aaron but contrarie wise the inobedience of all we find noted to the same end y t Moises hath before spokeÌ„ to witt that none shall boast that either iustice proceding or folowing was the cause why God did choose and elect that people For how shall God choose for that which the holie Gost plainely denieth to be in any man discending of the corrupt sede of Adam For Isaiah plainely doeth affirme that all our iustice is as a clothe most polluted and spotted If our iustice be polluted as the Prophete affirmeth it to be and God did predestinate vs for our iustice what foloweth but that God did predestinate vs for that which was filthy and imperfecte But God forbid y t such cogitations shoulde take place in our heartes God did choose vs in his eternall purpose for his owne glorie to be manifested in vs aÌ„d that he did in Christ Iesus in whoÌ„ onely is oure full perfection as before we haue said But let vs yet heare som testimonies of the new testament sainct Paul to his disciple Timothie saieth Be not ashamed of the testimonie of our Lord neither be thow ashamed of me who am his prisoner but be thow partaker of the afflictions of the EuaÌ„gile according to the power of God who hath made vs safe and hath called vs with an holie vocation not according to our workes but according to his purpose and fre grace which was giuen to vs by Christe Iesus before all tymes but now is made patent by the appering of our Sauiour Iesus Christe Here plaine it is that neither are we called neither yet saued by workes much les can we be predestinate for them or in respect of them Trew it is that God hath prepared good workes thaâ— we should walk in them but like trew it is that first must the tree be good before it bring furth good fruite and good can neuer the tree be except that the hand of the gardiner haue planted it To vse herein the plaine wordes of saint Paule he witnesseth that we are elected in Christ to the end that we should be holie aÌ„d without blemishe Now seing that good workes spring furth of election how can any man be so foolish as to affirme that they are the cause of the same Can the streame of water flowing from the fountaine be the cause of the
originall spring I think no man will so holde nor affirme euen so it is in this mater for faith and a godlie life that ensueth our vocation are the fruites proceding from oure election but are not to the causes of the same And therefor the Apostle to beat downe all pryde asketh what hast thow ◠mā which thow hast not receaued And if thou hast receiued it why gloriest thow as thogh thow hadst not receaued it The Apostle in that place speaketh not of one or two graces but what so euer is necessarie to saluation that he affirmeth to be receaued and that of fre grace as he yet more plainely doeth witnes sayeng Of grace are ye saued by faith and that not of your selues it is y e gift of God ād not of works lest any should glorie Now if man hath nothing but that which he receaueth of grace of fre gift of fauour and mercie what odious pryde and horrible vnthankfulnes is this that man shall imagine that for his faith and for his workes God did electe and predestinate him to that dignitie euen as if two or thre beggers chosen from the nomber of many were of the liberall mercie of a Prince promoted to honour should after brag and boast that their good seruice was the cause that the Prīce did choose them Shuld not euerie wise man mocke their vanitie yea might not the Prince iustly depriue them for their arrogant vnthankfulnes Might not the Prince haue left them in their wretched estate And what then shoulde haue become of their seruice Is it not euē so with mā lost in Adam whose fall in gods prescience and purpose was before his creation of which masse or lompe God of his owne fre grace did choose ād predestinate vessels of his mercie prepared vnto glorie that they should be holie as before is said shall these thē that finde mercie to worke good wordes boast as thogh workes were the cause thereof God forbyd For if the posteritie of Abraham did not obteine the inheritāce of the land of Canaan for any iustice that was in them yea if God did not choose them neither to the temporall nor eternal felicitie but of loue and fre grace onely as Moises doth witnes how shall we thinke that the Eternall inheritāce or gods election to the ioy and life euerlasting dependeth vpon any qualite within vs. Wonder it is that the Apostle sainct Paul intreating this mater of gods fre election was ignorant of this cause if it be sufficient For by that meanes in few wordes he might haue put silence to many dogges which then as men do now barked against this doctrine For if he had said God hath chosen afore all tymes to the participatiō of life a certein nomber because he foresaw that they should be faithfull obedient to his commandemēts and holie in cōuersation and vpon the other parte he hath reiected and reprobate others because he foresaw that they should be vnfaithfull disobediēt and vnclean of life this I say if those causes had been sufficient had ben a sensible maner of doctrine But the Apostle alledgeth no such reason but first beateth doune the pryde of man as before we haue touched and there after brusteth furth in this exclamation O the hieght of the riches of the wisdō and knowledge of God how incōprehensible are his iudgements and how vnsear cheable are his wayes This exclamatiō I say had bene vaine if either workes or faith foresene had bene the cause of gods electiō S. Augustin doeth mock the sharpe sight of mē that in his daies begā to se more depely then did y e holie Gost speaking in y e Apostle And we fear not to affirme that the men w c this day do attribute electiō or predestination to any vertue or qualitie within man do holde defend to their greate dāger that which none inducd with the Spirite of God hath left to vs written within the holie scriptures either yet that any of the chosē shal cōfes in their greatest gloric Let the hole Scriptures be red and diligently marcked and no sentence rightly vnderstand shal be founde that affirmeth God to haue chosen vs in respect of our workes or because he fore sawe that we should be faithfull holie and just But to the contrarie many places shall we finde yea euē so many as intreat of that mater that plainely affirme that we that we are frely chosen accordīg to the purpose of his good will ād that in Christ Iesus And what shall be the confession of the hole bodie assembled when they shall receaue the promissed glorie is expressed in these wordes of the 24 elders who casting their crownes before him that sitteth vpon the throne do say Worthy art thow o Lord ād our God to take honour and glorie and power For thow hast created all things and by thy will they are and were created And after they fall before the lambe ād sing a new song saying Worthie art thow to take the book and to open the seales thereof for thow wast killed and hast redemed vs to God by thy bloode and hast made vs to our God kings ād priestes ād we shall reigne vpon the earth No mention is here made of any worthines of man the creation is geuē to God and that all thinges are in that perfecte state which thē the chosen shall possesse is attributed to his will The death of the lambe is assigned to be the cause of the redemption yea of that great dignitie to which they are promoted I am fully persuaded that if any cause of gods electiō and of the fruite proceding of the same were or could be in mā that the holie Gost who is authour of all iustice wold not haue defrauded man of any thing which of right did appertein vnto him But seing that in no place the holie Gost doeth attribute any parte of mannes saluation to his owne merites or worthines I fear not to affirme that this pestilēt opinion is the instigation of sathan laboring by all meanes to obscure the glorie of Christ Iesus and to retein man in bōdage whom he infected with that first venom which he made hī to drink Saing ye shal be as gods Thus far with such plain simplicite as it pleased God to minister vnto me for the tyme haue proued y t gods electiō is Eternal y t it is stable y t he hath made a difference betwext one sort of mē and an other w c differēce althogh it came to know ledge of mā in time yet was it in gods purpose ād counsel before all tyme no les thē his creatiō was And last y t gods electiō depēdeth neither vpō o r workes nor vpō our faith but procedeth frō his Eternal wisdō mercie ād goodnes ād therefor is it īmutable ād cōstāt Now shortly will I go throughe if God permi me y e reasons of yo r booke Nothing vpō y e one parte y e imperfectiōs of y
the deuill which did manifestly ganesay gods reueled will And therefor do we affirme that neither was the purpose nor counsell of God any cause of sinne but we say with the Apostle that by one man did sinne enter into the world The cause whereof was the malice of the deuill and that fre consent of man to rebelliō whose will was neither inforced neither yet by any violence of gods purpose compelled to consent but he of fre will and redie mynd left God ād ioyned with the deuil Conuict vs now if ye can that we make gods absolute ordinance which maner of speaking I say we abhorre to be the principall cause of sinne Albeit that ye wold be sene subtill in adding your ▪ Logicall termes Causa causae ād Causa causata yet doeth your similitude which ye bring furth for demonstration of your purpose declare that either ye haue not learned orels that ye haue forgottē the chief and principall point of right reasoning which all reasonable men confesse to be rightly to diuide For if ye can not diuide betwext the will of God working all thinges for his own glorie ād the operation of creatures be they Son Moone sterres rayn or dew who can work nothing but as God hath appointed I will not folow you as a God We say not that gods ordinance is the cause of reprobation but we affirme that the iust causes of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God and knowen to his godlie wisdō alone but the causes of sinne of death and damnation are euident and manifestly declared to vs in the scriptures to witt mānes fre will consenting to the deceiuable persuasiō of the deuill wilfull sinne and volūtarie rebellion by which entred death into this world the cōtempt of graces and gods mercies offered with the heaping vp of sinne vpon sinne till damnation iustly came These causes I say of sinne death and damnation are plainely noted vnto vs in gods holie scriptures But why it pleased God to shew merice to som and deny the same to others becaus the iudgementes of God are a deuoring depthe we enter not in reasoning with him but with all humilitie render thankes to his Maiestie for the grace and mercie which we doubt not but of his fre grace we haue receaued in Christ Iesus our onely head When you shall further charge vs that we make God autor of euill we haue good hope plainely to conuict your vennemous tongues of a most malicious lie Now to your wordes THE ADVERSARIE The Lord reasoneth with the inobedient Israelites which did forsake him saing O my people what haue I done vnto the or wherein haue I hurt the giue me answer If the Israelites had ben so well learned as you they might haue answered Lord thow hast preordinate us by thy immutable decre to fall away frome the so that of necessitie we must perish in this hast thow hurt vs with an vncurable wounde ANSWER How so euer we be learned if ye betimes repent not your vnreuerēt skoffing ād iesting at gods eternal predestination ye shall learn in experience that the immutable decre of God is most iust by the which y e fyre which neuer shall be quenched is prepared for the deuill and his angels and for all such as with trembling do not fear his godlie Maiestie and with sobrietie do not contemplat his iudgementes incomprehensible And thus I leaue your blasphemous boldnes to be repressed by the power of him whose iudgementes you mocke THE ADVERSARIE Now I intend with the helpe of God to answer to the arguments which they that be intangled with this error vse to alledge for the proof thereof leauing such as be ▪ but vaine and ingender rather contention then edefying answering to such as some most weghtie collected of certen places of the scriptures wherby it may be thoght that they may be deceaued beseching the gentill reader to wey the mater with an indifferent balance and first heare before thow refuse and God willing thow shalt not repent the of thy labor but forasmuch as the autor ād maīteners of this error do often make mention of election whereby they wold cloke their absurditeis I will first declare how election is taken in the scriptures thre maner of waies that is generally specially and most specially of all first we be all chosen and created in Christe Iesu as Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians in the first and second chapter and conforme to this election he lightned all them that cam into the world and calleth all men to repentance bothe greate and small riche and poore Iew and gētil male and female of all estates without respect of any person And all that be thirstie he calleth to come to the water of lief Secondly he commandeth them which com at the first calling to renounce father ād mother wief and childe with all other earthlie thinges yea and them selues also This is the secounde election where there departed an innumerable multitude which will not forsaik such thinges but for their own lustes Here departed Cayn with the monstrouse Giātes cruell tyrants and bloodie hypocrites and all persecuters which shed innocent bloode here departed Epicurus with all his bellie gods among which was the riche glotton which dispised Lazarus there departed Sardanapalus accompanied with venus and all that be drowned in the lustes of the fleshe Among which was Herodias There departed Cresus with many rich welthie persons among which was the rich yong man of whom we read in the Gospell that with a sorie countenance he departed frō Christe There departed Tarquinius the proude with such as be puft vp with the Pompe glorie of this world Among which was Herode◠of whom we read in the Actes of the Apostles that for his pryde he was striken of God and eaten of lyse There departed Demetrius the siluer smithe with such as will not forsak◠their filthie lucre Amongest which were the maister and mastres of the damsell possessed with a spirit that prophecied There departed a hole band of Stoikes with their destinie plaing fastor loose and that of necessitie which passeth all iuglers coming Among them are all such as defend that of mere necessitie a few nōber must be saued and of mere necessitie all the rest of the world must be condemned Who so abideth this seconde election and calling Christ commandeth them to take vp their crosse and folow him And thus to continue to the end this is the third and last election of which saieth the Lord I haue chosen the in the fire of tribulation here the seuentie disciples departed for they can not abyde this hard saing here doeth Iudas trudge they which remayn suffer greate assaultes in so much that som tyme they turn there backes to their enemies as the Apostles did when Christ was taken and there do worthie soldiours stagger stumble and fall as Peter when he denied his master and swore he knew him not And Thomas
referred to the subsequentes your malicious myndes compell me often to repete one thing Your reasoning of the preterit and future tence is so foolishe that it nedeth no confutation For we confesse that God spake not those wordes to Rebecca but that the Prophete as is declared spake them after by the which he sendeth them to the ancient loue of God which begaÌ„ before that euer their father could know or serue God In which is to be noted that he maketh neither meÌ„tioÌ„ of Aâ—raham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob in his mothers wombe to pull doune this pryde which ye with the Pelagians and Papistes haue conceaued of your workes going before and foresene by God to folow in you But the Prophete of God did so dauÌ„ton the stowt heartes of that his people were they in other thinges neuer so wicked that they did not alledge that any cause was either in their father or in them why that they or he should be preferred to other nations and specially to the Edomites who discended from Esau in all thinges like to Iacob gods onely grace excepted I praise God that so far ye will confes of gods eternall trueth that it was not for their righteousnes that Israel receaued the inheritance but onely becaus God frely loued their fathers But why so sodanly ye slyde frome the principall purpose leauing Esau and his posteritie aâ—d do enter to speak why y e Cananites were cast furth â— se no iust cause for neither doeth Moses in the first oracle of God neither the Prophete Malachie in explaning the same neither yet our Apostle in applying boeth those places to the spirituall benediction lay the sede of Iacob against the Cananires but Iacob is set against Esau and the people discending frome the one against the people that discended from the other The question there might iustly haue bene demanded what prerogatiue hath Iacob aboue Esau Moises the Prophete and the Apostle do answer assuredly none except onely grace which made difrence betwext them whom nature in all thinges had made equall for bothe were come of Abraham bothe of one father both of one mother both conceaued at once both fostered vnder one climate region influence of sterres and yet it was said The elder shall serue the yonger We know that the Cananites came of a cursed father whom if Paule should haue compared with the Israelites they should haue complained of iniurie done vnto themâ— And his reasons had bene easely dissolued for if he had said y e electioÌ„ of God is fre aÌ„d hath respect to no workes and had broght in the sede of Abraham elected and the sede of Cham reiected and accursed for probation of the same they sodanly should and iustly might haue replied C ham mocked his father and therefor was he and his posteritie accursed and so had God respect to workes But the Apostle loketh more circumspectly to so graue a mater and therefor did choose such an example as wherin the witt nor reason of man can find no cause of inequalitie Of this I thoght good to put you and the readers in mind lest perchance ye should imagin that as greate cause of reprobation was found in Esau before he was born as Moses laieth to the charge of the Cananites And so I perceaue in a part ye do for in the end and after ye haue affirmed that the cananites were cast owt of the land by reason of their wickednes ye return to Esau repenting your selues I trust that so imprudentlie ye had slipped froÌ„ one linage to an other And these wordes ye affirme That Esau is hated it commeth of his own euill deseruing conforme to the saying of the Lord Thy destruction â— Israell is of thy self and thy health cometh of me In which affirmation and pretensed probation of the same I fynd no les negligence in you then before I haue sheweÌ„ aÌ„d proueÌ„ for as most impudeÌ„tly before ye coÌ„founded y e sede of Abraham who by gods own mowth was blessed with the sede of Cham who in expressed wordes was accursed so here ye confound Israel elected of God to be his people in Iacob with Edom reiected from that honor in their father Esau before that either the one did good or the other did euill The wordes of the Prophete which ye bring to proue that Esau was hated for his euill deseruing were neither spoken to him nor to his posteritie but they were spoken to that people whom God had preferred to all nations of the earthe to whom he had shewen his manifold graces and to whom he had bene saluation and help euen in their most desperate calamitie But then fore their defection from him and for their Idolatrie committed were become most afflicted and miserable dailie teÌ„ding to further destructioÌ„ To these I say aÌ„d not to Esau nor yet to his posteritie did God say ô Israell thow hast destroied thy self or ô Israell it hath destroyed the for so is the hebrew text for in me is thy health In w c wordes he repressed the grudgeing aÌ„d y e murmuriÌ„g of the people who in their miserie did rather accuse God of crueltie theÌ„ repeÌ„t or acknowledge their sinnes and Idolatrie to be the cause of their ruyne as in Ezechiel well may be sene to such God saieth Israel thow art in moste extreme miserie thy honor is decayed and the glorie of thy former aige is now turned to ignominie and shame What is the cause it lieth not in me for as I am eternall and immutable so is not my hand shortned this day neither yet my power diminished more then when I did deliuer the frome the bondage of Egipt In me is thy health now as it was then yf that thy sinnes did not make seperation betwext the and me Plaine it is first that here no mention is made of Esau nor Edom but of Israel onely and secondarely that God speaketh nothiâ—g in this place why he did first elect Iacob and reiect Esau but why it was that Israel which some tymes was honorable aÌ„d feared of all nations was then becom most miserable and afflicted on all sides Except that you be able to proue that Esau committed as manifest Idolatrie before he was borne and before that Iacob was preferred vnto him as Israel did before they came to destruction yâ— haue proued nothiÌ„g of your affirmation further I say that if Esau was hated for his euill deseruing then must it nedes follow that Iacob was loued for his well deseruing by the argument folowing of the nature of the contraries But that directly repugneth to the wordes of Moises to the interpretation of all the Prophetes and to the mind and strong reasons of the Apostle who plainely denie workes by past or to cum to be any cause of gods fre election Trew it is we be elected in Christ Iesus to be holie and to walk in good workes which God hath prepared But euerie reasonable man knoweth
what difference there is betwext the cause and the effect Election in which I include the fre grace and fauor of God is the fountaine frome which springeth faith and faith is the mother of all good workes But what foolishnes were it therefor to reason My workes are the cause of my faith and my faith is the cause of my election Thus gently I put you in mynd with greater reuereÌ„ce and circuÌ„spection to interpret aÌ„d applie the sacred word of God Thus ye procede THE ADVERSARIE Their fourth argument Hath not the potter power ouer the clay euen of the same lompe to make one vessel vnto honor aÌ„d an other vnto diâ—honor of this they inferre that God hath ordeined and made som to saluation and som to destruction and damnation But for the more perfect vnderstanding of this place afore thow go any further reade the xviii chapter of leremie and thowsâ—alt perceaue this to be the meaniÌ„g As the Potter hath the clay in his hand so hath God all men in his power and as the potter breaketh the vessell wherin is found an incurable faulte so God destroieth the man in whom there is found obstinate wickednes which can not be amended It is not the meaning of this place that God without any iust cause doeth make any man to destruction for as the Potter maketh no vessel to breake yet not withstanding he may but he will not lose both his clay and his labor but onely breaketh such as will not frame to be good notwithstaÌ„ding he made them to be good As euerie good artificer wold his work were good so God created no man to lose him but onely loseth them which will not be good whom he created to be good as the Lord saieth I planted the a noble vyne aÌ„â— a good roote whose sede is all faithfull how art thow then turned into bitter vnfrutefull and strange grapes God wold all men were good and that all men should be saued forasmuch as he is good himself and all that he maketh is good But as the Potter maketh of the same clay som vessels to serue at the table som in the kitchen or in the priuey so God hath som men to be in the bodie of Christ as eies eares and hands as Princes Prophetes Apostles som to be as fete and other secrete partes as laborers and other of the inferior sorte for whom he hath not besâ—towed so many and so excellent gyftes yet musâ—t thow vnderstand that it is not all one thing to be made to be broken and to be made to vnhonestvses Euerie vessel which is eâ—ill is broken whether it be made to honest or dishonest vses yea thogh it were made of gold And as it appereth plainely in Ieremie where the Lord saieth so thogh Conias the son of Ioacim King of Iâ—da were the signet of my right hand yet will I pluk him of aÌ„d therafter this maÌ„ Conias â—halbe lyke an image robbed and torne in peces hath a maÌ„ any thiâ—g appointed for a more honest vse theâ— his signet yet seest thow that if it becom noght it shall be broken distroied Againe euerie good vessell whether it be made to honest or diâ—honest vses it is kept and not broken Asâ—e the Potter and he shall answer the ihat he will be lothe to break any vessell but if any chance to be naught he sheweth his power in breaking of it Ask the husbond man and he shall answere the that he planted no frute tre to be barren but if it chance to be barren he cutteth it doune and plaÌ„teth an other in stede of it Ask the Magistrate aÌ„d be shall answer the that it is not his will to kill any of his subiectes for he wold that they were all good but if any becom a theif and murtherer he sheweth his power eueÌ„ ouer him in killing him Euen so saieth God I will not the death of the sinner but rather that he conuerte and liue I will not that any man be euill and therefor I forbyd all euil but if any man contrarie to my commandement and will of his own fre chose and mynd refufe the good which he might haue accepted and doeth the euill which he might haue left vndone then do I shewe my power ouer him in that I caâ—t him away like the shardes of a naughtie Pott which serueâ—h to no good vse ANSWER Why for the more perfect vnderstanding of Paules mynd any man should rather read the wordes of Ieremie writreÌ„ in the xviii chapter of his prophecie then the wordes written in xlviii chapter of the Prophete Isaiah I se no iust cause for plaine it is that the Prophete Ieremiâ— in that place hath no respect to gods eternall Election he disputeth not why God hath appointed in his eternall couÌ„sell â—om to lief and some to death but reteineth him self within the limites and boundes of the mater which theâ— he intreated Which was to assure the Iewes that God wold eieâ—â— them from that same land which to Abraham he had promised and had giuen to his posteritie and yet wold he preserue theâ— to be a people such as he thoght good This doctrin was strange and to many incredible for it appereth to repugne to gods promes who had pronouÌ„ced that to Abrahaâ— aÌ„d his sede he wold giue y t laÌ„d for euer Much trooble ad coÌ„tradiction as may be sene did y e Prophet suffer for the teaching and affirming this former doctrine And therefor it pleased the mercie and wisdom of God by dyuers meanes to strengthen and confirme him in the same AmoÌ„gest w c this was one V t coÌ„manding hiÌ„ to go downe to a potters house he promised to speak w t him there That is to giue vnto hiÌ„ further knowledge and reuelatioÌ„ of his will who when he cam found the potter as is writeÌ„ making a clay pott vpon his roteâ— and turning whele which Pot in his presence did break but the Potter immediatly gathering vp the Pot sherdes did fashion and for me it a new and made it a nother vessell euen as best pleased him And theÌ„ came the worde of y e Lord vpoÌ„ y e Prophete saing may I not do vnto you ô house of Israel euen as this Potter doeth Behold ye are in my hand ô house of Israelâ— euen â—as the clay â—is in the hand of the Potter By which fact sene and wordes after heard was the Prophet more confirmed in that which before he had taught To witt that God for iust causes wold destroy ad break downe the estate and policie of that common welthe and yet neuertheles wold repair and build it vp againe to such an estate as best pleased his wisdome as the sequele did declare for that great multitude corrupt with sin he hrak downe dispersing and scattering them amongest diuerse nations and yet after he did collect gather them togither and so made them a people of whome the head of all iustice Christ Iesus did spring But what hath
before was secrete in gods eternall counsell is by the promes and worde of grace notified vnto maÌ„ so that tollerably it may be spoken man is assured of his election by the promes which he willingly embraseth but to be sure in the election by the promes is not the phrase of the holie Gost further of this we shal examine in your seconde reason which is this Election hath no promes without faith trew faith is gods worke by his grace and is also mannes worke partely by consenting thereto wherefor Paul calleth the righteous â—oynt workers with god because they worke to gether with him Now say you if maâ— for his part according to his nature be inconstant in his faith then is he out of the promes whereby he was made sure of his election yet Gods election remaineth sure and stable in Christ Iesus The first membre of your reason is darcke and obscure and the manner of speaking so strange that in the scriptures I am assured it is neuer to be founde In one of two senses is election taken in the scriptures The former for the elect them selues as when Paul saieth the electioÌ„ did obteine it that is the elect of God obteined mercie And in the same sense is Paule called the vessell of election that is an elect vessel and if in this sense ye affirme y t electioÌ„ that is to say the elect haue no promes without faith albeit I wil not greatly contend in that behalf yet by manifest scriptures I may proue the contrarie for the posteritie of Abraham by gods fre election had this promes that he shoulde be their God And sainct Paul affirmeth that the children of the faithfull were holie and yet all coulde not haue faith when the promes was made for then had AbrahaÌ„ no sede at all but of this I say I will not contend Otherwies election is taken in the scriptures for the eternall counsell of God by the which he hath appointed life euerlasting to such as he hath giuen to his Sonne before all worldes as Paul saith For yer the children were borne when they had neither donne good nether bad that the purpose of God which is by his election that is not by workes but by him that calleth might stand sure it was said vnto her the elder shal serue the yonger c. And after euen so at this time is there a remnant left through the election of grace and so furth in diuers other places and in this sense if ye vnderstaÌ„d that election hath no promes without faith I answere that gods free election in Christ Iesu nedeth nether promes nor faith as touching the parte of God for he in his election respecteth nether of bothe but his own good pleasure in Christ his sonne so I wold haue wished greater plaines in the first part of your reason then there is but I perceaue the ground of your error by that which followeth Trew faith say you is gods worke by grace and it is also partlie mans worke by consenting thereto which secoÌ„d part of this secoÌ„de membre is vtterly fals for faith is no parte of mannes work no more then the childe begotten of the father and conceaued of the mother is the worke of the self but faith is altogether y e worke of God for as he begetteth vs by the worde of veritie and by the power of his â—olie spirit maketh our heartes to conceaue and retein the sede of life so by his power are we kept by faith to saluatioÌ„ w c is prepared to this end y t it shal be manifested in y e last time therefor saith y e Apostle through grace are ye saued by faith y t not of your selues ye must compel the holie Gost to recaÌ„t w c I thinke he wil not do for your threatning before ye be able to proue y t faith is any part of mannes work The wordes of the Apostle you shame fully abuse for in that place he intreateth onely how God vseth the ministers of his worde and blessed Euangil to be helpers with God in so far as they are the embassaders of reconciliation as in an other place he calleth them he meaneth nothing nether what man doeth in the worke of his own saluation by his own faith or by his owne workes And therefor althogh ye as a blinde man go forwarde to your own perdition saying now if man for his part according to his nature be inconstant in his faith then is he out of the promes c. yet must we pull you backe and say that because faithe is no part of mannes worke therefore doth nether his faith nor his election depend vpon the inconstancie of his own nature but God of his soueraign bountie ouercomming what imperfectioÌ„s soeuer be in his choseÌ„ childreÌ„ hath grouÌ„ded their electioÌ„ in him self in Christ Iesus his Sone an other error I se in this your reason w c because I haue sufficiently confuted I wil here touch it onely Ye make faith the eÌ„brasing of y e promes our obedience to be causes of gods election wheÌ„ in verie dede they be but the effectes of our electioÌ„ for nether faith nor obedieÌ„ce make vs to be gods elect but because we were elected in Christ Iesus therefore are we called made faith full obedient and sanctified by his fre grace To admonish you yet of one thing so to put end to yo r vnresonable reasons WoÌ„der it is y t ye will attribute to electioÌ„ that w c ye denie to y e elect you affirme y t electioÌ„ is sure in Christ but not y e elect say you be like ye imagin electioÌ„ to be a certen speculatioÌ„ or imaganation without any certen substaÌ„ce to the w c it must be referred but S. Paul teacheth vs y â— coÌ„trarie saing he hath cho seÌ„vs in Christ he saith not y t electioÌ„ was in Christ but we were elected in Christ Iesus before y t fundacioÌ„s of the worlde were laid This geÌ„tly I put you in mind to grouÌ„d your reasons more substaÌ„cially if y t by them ye enteÌ„d to proue any thing A short answer I might giue you to all your examples to witt that we speake not of election to offiâ—es or to possession temporall but of election to life euerlasting from the which ye are neuer able to proue any to haue bene finally secluded that in Christ Iesus was thereto elected before the fundacion of the worlde was laied But yet to gratifie you some what I wil passe through your examples and coÌ„municat with you my iudgement God grant you heartes to vnderstand It is a thing most certen that albeit Adam and all men in him might and did fall from God by sinne yet can not the elect of God who be elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus so fall from their election that finally they perishe the reason is that as Christ Iesus the brightnes of the glorie of his father
wil coÌ„uicte you of a lie for he affirmeth the same to the scribes pharisies to whome principally he spake in that place that they were not of his shepe that therfor they could not be gathered to his folde that they were not of God therfor that they could not heare his voice y t he did not pray for y â— world and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God You must declare howe y t God wold y t those Israelites whose carcases fell in y e wildernes should entre into y e land promised If you say by any other will theÌ„ by his generall precepte giueÌ„ y t they should go possesse it â—e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I haue declâ—red causes most iust and most sufficient why God shall command that which is iust right laudable albeit that man neither can perfourme his commandementes neither yet that it was gods eternall will counsell that all men should so do And forther I haue declared iust causes why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie and yet that he choseth a certeÌ„ to attein therto entre the same And so I say ye must proue y t God did other wayes will them to entre into the laÌ„d theÌ„ by his general commaÌ„dement before you be able to proue that any thing is done against the eternal and immutable will of God I can proue that gods will was so plaine reueled that none of them should entre into the laÌ„d promised y t it behoued y e hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al coÌ„sumed Yea further I caÌ„ proue y t Moises him self could not obteine y t priuiledge to entre in nor the people albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same â–ª proue if you can that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons Iosua Caleb onely excepted y t they should entre in it And theÌ„ may you say that either God did chaÌ„ge his wil purpose orels that some thing was doÌ„ne against his will which he did permitte but not will I will answer there is no better argument to proue that God hardened the heart of Pharao then that same w c you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart and y t God doeth suffer it to be hardened but doeth not will it This ye write All the children of Adam haue a hard and wicked hearâ—â— vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull stubbâ—rne heartâ— â–ª your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them and giue them a hearte of flâ—sh no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same which you alledge for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equall and that onely grace maketh the difference then we demaÌ„d ask whether that grace be giuen to some and denied to others y t by permission sufferance as you speak or if it be the determined will of God that his grace aÌ„d mercie by Christ Iesus shal be frelie coÌ„municated with some and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others albeit the causes to vs do not appere during the time of this our martalitie If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stonie hearte and in giuing the fleshie hearte be nothing elles but onely a permission sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharao and of the rest of the reprobat there is nothing elles but a bare permission without any efficacie of gods spirit But if it be God that worketh in vs the good will and perfourmance of the same and that he hath mercie vpon whome he listeth theÌ„ is it likwies that God hardeneth whome he will Mark note y â— wordes of the Apostle He saieth not he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened but palinely he saieth y t he hardeneth whome he will The Apostle sawe none other cause why mercie was shewed to some and others were left in induratioÌ„s but gods will Trew it is y t the reprobat of nature haue and froÌ„ their mothers woÌ„be doth tary with them the mater of their induration But the question is What is the cause that y t pestileÌ„t mater is remoued from some and why dothe it remaine with others If you answere because som receaue grace offered and som refuse it Ye haue said nothing as more plainely I haue before declared â–ª for alwayes we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God and why is the will of the other rebellious considering that all by nature are equall Althogh that you trauell to confounde the heauen and the earth yet shall ye be broght to this principall that God hath mercie vpon whome he will and whome he will he maketh hard hearted And therefor as of his mercie and free grace God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit softnes y â— feling of mercy so doth his iust iudgementes iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan work in the others hardnes obstinacie y e sense of his wrath You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vnto him theÌ„ could not it be heardened more theÌ„ a stone a fore y t it was mollified â–ª this yo r reason I say is more then foolish â–ª for I suppose y t you be not so brutishe y t you wil affirme y t the heart of any tyraÌ„ne at any tyme in naturall hardnes I meane to grope fele is coÌ„perable to y e hardnes of a stone but y t is a figuratiue speach by y e w t is declared y e vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching y e naturall power of the same foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe so can neuer maÌ„ by any gift which nature hath of it self come to that humilitie and obedience w c is acceptable before God But doth it therof insue that one man is not nor can not be more cruell then an other yea that one and the same may not procede frome euil to wors and by contempt of grace make him self more hard and more hard althogh his heart was neuer fully mollified I think you will not affirme the contrarie for the holie Gost giuing this exhortatioÌ„ This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes doth confirme my affirmacion which is that men procede from hardnes to hardnes yea from one sinne to an other till their sinnes be becomme inexcusable and so finally irremissible because that obstinately they refuse grace offerâ—d as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes if I had not com and spoken vnto them they should
not haue sinne but now haue they nothing to cloke their sinne for they haue sene and hated not onelie me but also my father No man wil be so fond as to affirme that the Iewes before Christs preaching and miracles were cleane without sinne but the coÌ„tempt of grace did so augment and increase their sinne that it became inexcusable euen so say I that Pharao did harden his owne heart frome time to time becomming more vnthankfull vnto God and more cruell to his people And y e fouÌ„teine of this induration and hardnes I confesse to haue bene borne with him and that to raige against gods people he neded no impulsion of gods parte but rather a brydle to impede his fury But yet the question is not resolued as before I haue noted for still we ask why was not that fountein shutte vp why was not the naturall venim purged and his heart mollified searche where you list ye shall fynd none other reason nor cause for the which the subsequent induration of Pharao did principallie procede but y t God in his eternall counsell for causes knowen to his wisedom alone had most iustly denyed to communicate his graces effectually with him but had raysed him vp to haue his power shewed forth in him And so God did hardeÌ„ Pharaos hearte not by permission onely but willingly withdrew his Spirit froÌ„ him as before is said Wonder it is that amongest the ancient doctors ye will seke patrocinie or defense in this mater seing it is a statute amoÌ„gest you that ye will beleue nor admit the wordes nor authoritie of no writer in any mater of con trouersie but all things you will haue decided by the plaine scripture And truly I am not contrary to your mynd in that case so that you vnderstand that ye will not admitt the authoritie of man against gods plaine trueth nether yet that you will beleue maÌ„ any furtherthen that he prouethe his sentence by gods euideÌ„t scriptures If you had produced any doctor who had confirmed his interpretation by the plaine worde of God of reason I oght to haue answered ether by the same or by some other doctor of equall authoritie orels to haue improued his interpretatioÌ„ by the plaine scriptures but seing that ye produce none ye leaue me at greater libertie and yet I will shewe you the mynd of one doctor coÌ„parable to any that euer wrote before him ether in the latin or in the greke Churche I meane of Augustine who writing against Iulian the appostate and against Manacheus who did affirme the self same thing that you do to witte that God was a passiue God that is he did suffer all euill and that against his will but he did work none Against him I say he thus writeth wilt thou say saieth Augustine to Iulian that the wicked that be giuen ouer to their owne desires are to be vnderstand onely left by gods suffering but not compelled to sinnes by power as thogh that the Apostle had not ioyned the suffering and power of God to gether where that he saieth if God willing to shewe wrath and to declare his power fuffered in great patience the vesselles of wrath prepared to destruction w t of these two saiest thou is written And also if the prophet do erre and shall speak I the lord haue deceaued him is this suffering or is it power And after adducing the same w c we before haue alledged of Achas he addeth did God these things ignorantly or doth he any thing iudgeing or doing rashly or vniustly God forbid it is not without cause that it is said Thy iudgemeÌ„tes are a great deapth it is not vaine that the Apostle crieth out Oh the hieght aâ—d depenes of gods iudgementes And after in the same place expounding these wordes lead vs not into temptation after that he hath affirmed that God giueth ouer some for iust causes to their owne lustes and blyndnes as he gaue ouer Roboam to beleue the fals and foolishe counsell of the young men he saith all these things doth God worke by wonderous and vnspeakable meanes who knoweth howe to worke his iust iudgementes not onelie in the bodies but also in the heartes of men he who maketh not the willes euill but yet he vseth them as he will seing that he can will nothing vniustly Thus far haue I alleged vnto you the mâ—nd of one doctor in this our controuersie â–ª when â—e shall bring forth the mynd of any so well grounded vpon scriptures as he dothe this his sentence â–ª I promyse to answer if I can I am not ignorant that diuers of the doctors yea and Augustine him self in some places may seme to fauor your opinion at the first sight But if their wordes in one place be compared with their plaine mynd and with the scope of their disputation in other places it shall plainely appere that none that liue this day do more plainely speak against your error then some of them haue written The places of Iob manifestly and in plaine wordes fight against you for it is said in the one place thou hast excluded their heart from wisedome and therfore this mater shall not be to their praise and in the other God hath taken wisdom from the Estrich and hath not giuen vnderstanding vnto her dare you affirme that in these wordes there is nothing but a bare permission of gods parte is there no difference betwext away taking and suffering to be taken away if any difference be betwext these two maner of speakings God giueth wisdome and God taketh away wisdome then is your interpretation foolishe and absurd nether yet is there any phrase of scripture vnderstand it as you please that can make God to call back that sentence which he hath pronounced to witt that he hath raysed vp Pharao to be an example to all generations folowing what shall be the ende of those that obstinatly resist God Who albeit he tempt no man to sinne by the power of his spirit yet as before I haue proued he iustly giueth them ouer to the inordinat lustes of their own corruption yea he giueth them ouer into the hands power of sathan to be pricked and stirred forward to all iniquitie that their damnation may be iust and also that his vengeaÌ„ce iustly deserued may the more sodenly falle vpon them The mynd of saint Iames is onely to bring men to the right examination and triall of them selues lest that by flattery they beginne to seke y e originall cause of their sinne in an other then in them selues And yet doth that nothing impede but that God in his maner which alwayes is iust doth hardeÌ„ the heartes of those whome before he had reprobated We confesse that no greater plague can chance vnto man â–ª then that he be left to his own lewde mynd â–ª for theÌ„ of him can procede no good nor permanent frute But as the earth lacking rayne dewe and moisture must nedes be barren and so
steadfastly to cleaue and stick to the trueth whose force effect they se alwaies to haue bene one frome the begīning The giuers of these offēses shall no doubt sustein the wo pronounced against them by Christe Iesus But yet must the childrē of God vnderstand that of necessitie it is that such offēses come that the elect may first be tryed and after be partakers of that blessing pronoūced by our master in those wor des Blessed is he that is not offended in me The cause of these my former wordes is that as Satā euer frome the beginnīg hath declared him self ennemie to the fre grace and vndeserued loue of God so hath he now in these last and moste corrupted daies most furiously raged agaīst that doctrine which attributeth all praise and glorie of oure redemption to the eternall loue and vndeserued grace of God alone By what meanes sathā first drew mākynd frome the obediēce of God the scripture doeth witnesse To wit by powring into their hartes that poison that God did not loue thē and by affirming that by transgressiō of gods cōmandemēt they might attein to felicitie and ioy so that he caused them to seke life where God had prounced death to be This same practise hath sathan euer frome the beginning vsed to infect the Church with al kynd of heresie as the writings of Moises of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the godlie in the primatiue Church do playnelie witnes But alas to such blasphemie did neuer the deuil draw mākynd as now of late daies in the which no small nōbre are become so bolde so impudent and so irreuerent that opēly they feare not to affirme God to be vniust if that he in his eternal coūsel hath elected more one sort of mē thē an other to life euerlasting in Christe Iesus our Lord which thing of late daies is more planely come to oure knowledge thē before we could haue suspected and that by the sight of a book moste detestable blasphemous cōteinyng as it is intiteled The cōfutation of the errors of the careles by necessitie with that odious name do they burden all those that either do teach ether yet beleue the doctrine of gods eternall predestination ▪ which booke writtē in the english tōgue doeth cōtein as well the lies and the blasphemies imagined by Sebastian Castalio and laid to the charge of that moste faithfull seruāt of God Iohn Caluine as also the vane reasōs of Pighius Sadoletus Georgius Siculus pestilēt Papistes expressed ennemies of gods free mercies The dispitefull railīg of w t booke the manifest blasphemies in the same cōteined togither with the earnest req̄sts of som godlie brethren moued me to prepare an answere to the same others I dowbt not might haue done it with greater dexteritie but with reuerēce feare do I lay the talēt cōmitted to my charge vpō y e table of the Lord to brīg to his church such aduātage as his godli wisdō hath appointed But lest that some shoulde thīk that my labors might better haue bene bestowed in some other exercise I thoght expediēt to admonish all brethrē charitably to requyre of thē not to esteme the mater to be of small weight importāce ▪ for seing that gods fre grace is opēly impugned disdainfully refused I iudge it the duetie of euerie man that loketh for life euerlasting to giue his confession to Christe Iesus whose glorie is by these blasphemers to y e vttermoste of their power suppressed Some do thinke that because the reason of man can not atteine to the vnderstanding how God shall be iust making in his counsel this diuersitie of mankīd that therefore better it were to kepe silēce in al such mysteries then to trouble the braynes and myndes of men with curious disputatiōs I willingly confesse that al curiositie oght to be auoided and that with great sobrietie we oght to contemplate beholde that incomprehensible mysterie of our redēption But yet I say that the doctrine of gods eternal predestinatiō is so necessarie to the Church of God that without the same can faith neither be truely taught nether surely established mā cā neuer be broght to true humilitie knowledge of him self nether yet cā he be rauished in admiration of gods eternal goodnes and so moued to praise him as apperteineth And therefor we feare not to affirme that so necessarie as it is that true faith be established in o r har tes y t we be broght to vnfined humilitie y t we be moued to praise hī for his fre graces receaued so necessary also is y e doctrin of gods eternall predestination For first there is no way more proper to buyld and establish faith thē whē we heare and vndoubtedly do beleue that our election which the Spirit of God doth seale in our hartes cōsisteth not in our selues but in the eternal and immutable good pleasure of God And that in such firmitie that it cā not be ouerthrowen nether by the raging stormes of the world nor by the assaultes of sathan nether yet by the wauering and weaknes of our own fleshe Then onely is our saluation in assurance whē we fynd the cause of the same in the bosom and counsell of God For so do we by faith apprehend life and peace manifested in Christe Iesus that by the directiō and guyding of the same faith we looke farther to wit out of what fountaine life doth procede In Christe Iesus now presētly do we fynd libertie ād life he is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes and sanctification and redēption and in the promes of his Gospel is foūded the stabilitie of our saluation But yet we haue a ioy which far surmounteth this For albeit that we should heare that the mercies the graces of God were offered vnto all men and albeit also that we should fele that our heartes were somwhat moued to beleue yet onles the very cause of our faith be knowen oure ioye and comfort cā not be full For if we shall think that we beleue ād haue embrased Christe Iesus preached because our wittes be better then the wittes of others and because that we haue a better inclination and are of nature more tractable then be the cōmon sorte of men sathan I say can easely ouer throw all comfort buylded vpon so weak a ground for as the heart of man is vain and inscrutable so may it be that those that this day be tractable and obedient hauing also som zeale toward godlines yea and also bothe sense and feling of gods mercie such I say may shortly here after become stubborn in some cases disobedient in maters of greate importance tempted with lustes and finally they may be left so barren that rather they shal tremble at the sight of gods iudgemētes thē that they can reioyse in the free adoptiō of his children And therefor I say that except our comfort be
â–ª this notwihstanding I say we vse not boldly to pronounce whether of the nobres shal be the greater but w t all sobrietie we exhorte the people coÌ„mitted to our charge not to folowe y â— multitude to iniquitie For if they do there is no multitude that can preuale against God And so to vs in this behalf ye are greatly iniurious But yet in y e secoÌ„d parte your malice is more manifest for ye burdeÌ„ vs that we should affirme that the end of the creation of the reprobate was none other but their eternall perditioÌ„ From which calumnie master Caluin clearly purgeth vs in these wordes All oght to know saieth he that which Salomon saieth y t God hath created all for him self aÌ„d the wicked also to the euill day CoÌ„sider aÌ„d mark that we instructed by the holie Gost do first affirme that the cause and end why the reprobate were created neither was nor is not their onlie perdition as ye burden vs but that the glorie of God must nedes appere and shyne in all his workes And secondarely we teach that their perdition doeth so depend vpon gods predestinatioÌ„ that the iust cause and mater of their perditioÌ„ is found within them selues and that albeit the decre and couÌ„sel of God be incomprehensible to mens vnderstaÌ„ding yet neuertheles it is most iust and most holie And thus haue I so plainely and in so few wordes as conueniently I could expound in what pointes ye are malicious liers what ye haue added of hatred to our wordes and what ye suppresse that the equitie of our cause should not appere to men God grant you if his good pleasure be with greater modestie to write and with more humilitie to reason in those hieghe mysteries which far surmount the reatch of mannes capacitie But now I procede to the preface of your confutation which thus beginneth THE ADVERSARIE The confutation of the first error To proue this true they can bring furth no plane testimonie of the worde For there is no such saieÌ„g in the holie scripture that God hath reprobate man afore the world But the senteÌ„ces which they alledge be far set and forged coÌ„trarie to the meaning of the holie Gost as God willing it shal planely appere And where scripture will not serue they patch their tale with vnreasonable reasons for theire hole intention is contrarie to true reason ANSWER In verie dede if all were true w c ye haue heaped vp in your vniust accusation I for my parte wold not ashame to confesse that more were affirmed then plane scriptures do teach but your additioÌ„s which before we haue touched being remoued and that added which of malice ye haue omitted I hope that our propositioÌ„ shal be so plane and simple that the reasonable man if he be godlie shall neither lacke good reason nor plane scriptures to confirm the same Albeit that ye are bold to affirme that we haue neither scripture nor good reason and that our whole inteÌ„tion is contrarie to true reason But now let vs forme our own propositioÌ„s God in his eternall and immutable counsels hath once appointed and decreed whom he wold take to saluatioÌ„ aÌ„d whoÌ„ also he wold leaue in ruyne aÌ„d perditioÌ„ Those whome he elected to saluation he receaueth of fre mercie without all respect had to their own merites or dignitie but of vndeserued loue gaue theÌ„ to his onelie son to be his inheritaÌ„ce aÌ„d theÌ„ in tyme he calleth of purpose who as his shepe obey his voice aÌ„d so do they attein to y â— ioy of that kingdom which was prepared for them before the foundations of the world wer laide But to those whom he hath decreed to leaue in perdition is so shut vp the entrie of life that either they are left continually corrupted in their blindnes orels if grace be offered by them it is oppugned and obstinatly refused or if it seme to be receaued that abideth but for a tyme onely aÌ„d so they returne to their blindnes aÌ„d croked nature aÌ„d infidelitie agane in which finally they iustly perishe Becaus the hole coÌ„trouersie standeth in this whether God hath chose any to lief euerlastiÌ„g before the begiÌ„niÌ„g of al tymes leuiÌ„g others in their iust perditioÌ„ or not my purpose is first by plane scriptures to proue the affirmatiue and after in weying the same aÌ„d other scriptures that by Gods grace shal be adduced so planely as I caÌ„ to shew vnto you what horrible absurditie ineuitably foloweth vpon your error in which ye affirme that God hath chosen no man more one then an other â–ª that either your blindnes remoued ye may turne with all humilitie to the eternall soÌ„ne of the eternall God against whom you arm your selues orels that your damnation may be the more so dayne and iust for your refusall of the plaine light offered That God hath chosen before the foundation of the world witnesseth the Apostle saing Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christe who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenlie things by Christe as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world was laid that we should be holie and without blame before him by loue Here the Apostle in expresse wordes affirmeth that God hath chosen a certeiÌ„ nombre for he speaketh not to the hole world as you either ignorantly orels maliciously do after alledge but to his beloued congregation of Ephesus who with all obedience had receaued the word of lief offered and with great pacience had continewed in the same euen after the departure of their Apostle from them yea after his boÌ„des and impresonnement Such I say doeth the Apostle affirme that God hath chosen and that before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid So that we haue Gods election before all beginning planely proued Here might I bring furth many places but I hauing respect to breuitie stand content with this one place That this he hath done once in his eternall and immutable couÌ„sell without respect to be had to our merites or workes which you alledge to be causes of Gods election witnesseth the same Apostle proceding as foloweth who haeth prâ—destinat vs that he should adoptat vs in children by Iesus Christe according to the good pleasure of his will that the glorie of his grace by the which he hath made vs deare by that beloued may be praised In whom we haue redemption and by his blood remission of sinne according to his aboundant grace of the which he hath plentifully poured vpon vs all wisdom and prudence opening to vs the secrete of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him self to the dispeÌ„sation of the fulnes of tymes summarely to restore all things by Christe bothe those that be in the heauens and those that be in the earth by whom we are chosen in a portion or lott predestinate according to the purpose of him by whose power are all thinges made according to the
euidently declared in Isaakes two sonnes being yet in their mothers boson â–ª before they had done either good or bad as the Apostle affirmeth It was said by the voice of God the elder shall serue the younger By which voice of God reueled did Isaak aÌ„d Rebecca plainely vnderstand what was the cause of the battell which the mother felt in her bosom aÌ„d wombe to witt that because from her wombe were two peoples and nations to procede which could not be of equall honour and dignitie For the one had he determined in his eternall counsell to elect for his peculiar people the other to reiect and to leaue them in the common corruption as the other nations as the sequel in processe of tyme did euidently declare For the Edomites discending of Esau were cut of from the bodie of the church and became manifest enemies to the posteritie of Iacob becaus that their father was subiect to Iacob and pronounced to be his seruant Such as vnderstand this place of corporall seruice and worldlie riches or dignitie onely do nothing els but shew their own ignoraÌ„ce corrupting the meaning of the holie Gost. For sainct Paul in the 9. chapter to the Romains after that he hath affirmed that the promes and â—lection of God were sure albeit that many of the carnall sede had refused Christe preached he bringeth in this former sentence to remoue all sclaÌ„der Saing All are not sonnes because they are the sede of Abraham that is those that be y e soÌ„nes of the fleshe are not therefor the soÌ„nes of God but those that be the sonnes of promes are accompted for sede And so to proue that which before he had affirmed to witt hat all were not Israelites that came of Israel he added these wordes Not onely this but also wheÌ„ Rebecca had coÌ„ceiued of one our father Isaak while the children were not borne while they had neither done good nor cuill that the purpose of God shoulde by de according to electioÌ„ not of workes but of the caller it was said to her The elder shall serue the younger Such as be not more then blind may easely perceiue that the Apole looketh to an other end then to worldlie dignitie For his purpose was not in that place to dispute and reason who should be riche in this world and who should be poore who should be lordes temporall and who shoulâ— be seruants but his purpose and mâ—nd was to declare tâ— whom did that benediction promised vnto Abraham appertein and to whom it did not apperteine So that the holie Gost speaking by sainct Paule is a commentarie of the wordes spokeÌ„ to Rebecca And I doubt not but so she did vnderstaÌ„d them To witt that y t promes which appered to haue ben common with all the sede of Isaak of whom it was spoken In Isaak shall thy sede be called was now restreined and made proper to one head and to the people discending of him that is to Iacob who after obteined the name of Israel So that bothe the peoples neither were reputed neither yet in very dede were the Church aÌ„d chosen people of God but the one was chosen and the other was refused The one by grace and of the caller was honored with the name and priuiledge of his churche The other was cast owt as strangers vpon the one remained the benediction of the which the other was depriued In this maner I say did bothe Isaak Rebecca yea Iacob and Esau in proces of tyme vnderstand this oracle of God But yet becaus this former place of the Apostle is by many euill vnderstand and by som maliciously wrested from the simple meaning of the holie Gost in as few and plain wordes as I can I purpose to declare how aptly and properly the Apostle vseth the testimonie and wordes of Moises Christ beiÌ„g preached to the iewes who were reputed the chosen people of God to whom and for whose comfort and deliuerance the Messiah was especially promised The most part of the iewes remained vnfaithfull refused the Sauiour who was sent blasphemed him and cruelly did persecute him and his meÌ„bres This could not be withoute a greate offeÌ„se aÌ„d sclaÌ„der to many thousandes bothe of the Iewes and gentiles The Iewes puffed vp with pride because they were the peculiare people because to them were giuen the law promesses aÌ„d oracles did brag and boast that God could not reiect theÌ„ except â—hat he should be found a lier For to Abraham and to his sede had he made a promes And the geÌ„tiles might be troubled with the like cogitations for they might think if God shall refuse his own people which so many yeares he tenderly had norished what stabilitie can we loke for thogh we should receyue this Christ preached Against bothe these sortes of men most valiaÌ„tâ—y fighteth the Apostle and most aptly alledgeth the scriptures to the confutatipn of the one and comfort of the other First against the Iew he reasoneth that albeit they be Israelites after the flesh yet it may be y t they be not the verey israelites of God neither yet is God endebâ—ed vnto theÌ„ thogh they be discended of Abraham The reason is that God made no promes to the hole sede of Abraham but to a parte of it to Isaak And if they should say but we are of Isaak he granting that doeth neuertheles proue that God doeth not choose y e hole sede of Isaak but in the mothers woÌ„be as said is by his own decre he made the differeÌ„ce And if further they should replie ô but we are of Iacob he then commeth to the proof of his first proposition affirming that albeit they were of Iacob yet did it not thereof folow that they were all the elect people of God for what prerogatiue wold he say can Iacob haue aboue his father Isaak or what can Isaak haue aboue Abraham Abraham who many yeres faithfully obeyed God could not obtein that all his posteritie no not Ismael for whom he prayed should be reconed to be his sede Neither could Isaak obtein the same but God appointed and did chose whom it pleased him And shall Iacob haue greater prerogatiue theÌ„ had they bothe shall he that of grace was preferred to his brother when neither the one had done good neither the other had done euill giue that priuiledge to all his posteritie that without exception they shal be the chosen people of God No will the Apostle conclude but God noâ— after the reuelation of his dear Sonne Christ Iesus doeth make the same difference in the posteritie of â—acob that somtymes he made in the sede of Abraham aÌ„d Isaak That is he chooseth whom it pleaseth him aÌ„d reiecteth also such as in whom he hath no pleasure aÌ„d that not onely amongest the Iewes but also amongest the gentiles and that to make the riches of his glorie knoweÌ„ towardes y e vessels of mercie which he had prepared vnto glorie whoÌ„ he hath called euen
burdē God with iniustice in defending his own innocētie At which reasons Elihu offended after that the other three were put to silēce takīg vpō him to reproue Iob affirmeth that the wisdom the power the iustice and the iudgementes of God were incomprehensible that God could do nothing vniustly how that euer it appered to mannes iudgement and amongest other thinges he saieth wilt thou say vnto a king thou art wicked or vnto princes ye are vngodlie How muche les to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes and regardeth not the riche more then the poore For they be all the worke of his handes They shall dye sodenly and the people shal be trobled at midnight and they shall passe furth and take away the mightie withoute hand for his eies are vpon the wayes of man and he seeth al his goings Thus haue I noted partly y t none shall think that these wordes may seme to fauor your error and partly that your vntruethe in wrasting such places may more manifestly appere Ignorance of the tongues may be some caus in you but in some of you I can manifestly proue that malice blindeth knowledge and compelleth you to speake and write against your vnderstanding God touche your heartes with true repentance and giue you his holie spirit with greater reuerence to intreat his scriptures But now to the scriptures that ye alledge God say you hath no respect of persōs Ergo wil ye cōclude he hath no election Your conclusion is fals and my reason is becaus that gods fre election depēdeth not vpon the persones of men but vpon his own promes and good will ▪ But to make this mater more sensible I wil make an argumēt directly against yours God respecteth not the persons of men But yet amongest men is found great diuersitie bothe in vertue ād in vice Therefor there must be som cause from whence this diuersitie procedeth Of the first part I know ye doute not and the secōd parte is confirmed by common experience and by euidēt scriptures for how diuerse be the inclinatiōs of mē none cā be ignorāt except such as do not obserue the same Such as attribute the caus of such diuersitie to the sterres and to the influence of the Planetes are more then vaine education and vp bringing doeth somwhat bow nature in that case but neither of bothe is the cause of such diuersitie for how many haue bene norished in vertue togither and yet haue after fallen to moste horrible vices and in the same perished And contrarie wies how many haue bene wickedly broght vp and yet by grace atteined to an holie conuersation If the cause of this diuersitie I say shal be inquired and soght it shall not be found in nature for thereby were and are we all borne the sonnes of wraith if in education and vp bringing we se how oftē that faileth The cause thereof thē must be of necessitie without man To make the mater yet more plaine by an exēple Paule preached Christ Iesus to be the onely Sauior of the world both amongest the Iewes and gentiles to som his preaching was the sauour of lief and to others it was the sauour of death from whence commeth this diuersitie from the obedience will and faith of the one say you and frome the stubborne inobedience and infidelitie of the other you say somewhat but not all for true it is that faith and an obedient will is that which we call Causam propinquam that is the next cause to our apprehension but what is the cause that the will of one is obedient and the will of the other stubborne that the one doeth beleue and the other doeth blaspheme How so euerye do shift the holie Gost in many places plainely affirmeth the cause not to be in nature nor yet to procede of man nor of his fre will but to be the fre grace of the caller as Christ Iesus doeth witnes None can com vnto me excepte my Father draw him No mā can se the kingdom of God except he be borne againe and that neither of blood neither of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God who toucheth and openeth the heartes of so many as he hath ordeined to lief to aduerte and beleue the thinges that be truely preached As those that be the shepe of Christe Iesus who heare his voice and know the same These and many places mo do most plainely declare what is the cause that some beleue and others beleue not to witt that som are born of God and som are left in nature som are shepe som are goates the heartes of som are touched and opened by the finger and Spirit of God as it was said to Peter flesh and bloode hath not reueled this vnto the but my Father which is in the heauen and the heartes of others left in their own blindnes and hardnes If ye demand how is it then that God respecteth not the person of man I answer if ye did vnderstād a right what is mēt by acceptation of persons or what it is to respect persons ye should not doute in this behalf Acceptatiō of persons is when an vnworthie person is preferred to a worthie either by corrupt affection of those that do preferre him either yet for some qualitie or externall beautie that appereth in man As if to the office of a king or of a bushope should one be elected that neither hath godlynes knowledge wisdom nor yet the spirit of gouernement because he is riche noble of bloode fare and lustie and the persons hauing giftes much more excellent should be contemned this is called acceptation of persons As Samuel seing Eliab and considering his beautie and stature doeth boldly pronounce in his own heart assuredly before the Lord this is his anoīted Such acceptation of persons is not with God for neither looketh he to blood riches nobilitie vertue strength nor beautie temporall in his eternall election but onely to his own good will and eternall purpose by the which he hath elected vs in Christe Iesus If ye shall consider the same place depely ye shall find that none within the hole scriptures of God more confuteth your error then it doeth For as God respecteth not the person of mā so respecteth he nothing that is or can be within man as the chief cause of his election For what can God forese consider or know to be in man that good is which floweth not from his fre mercie and goodnes as it is written we are not sufficient of our selues to think any thing that good is but all our sufficiencie is of God who worketh in vs bothe to will and performe Then if all vertue what so euer be in vs be the work of God can the work folowing be the cause of gods eternall purpose If the cause and the effectes proceding of the same be things diuerse then are our vertues and fruites not
the cause of gods election but are the effect and fruit which of the same procede and spring as the Apostle doeth witnes saing God hath chosen vs that we should be holie aÌ„d without blame And Christ Iesus saieth you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and haue appointed you to go and to bring furth fruite This I am compelled oft to repete becaus in it most shamefully ye erre arrogating to your seluses that which is proper to gods onely mercie and fre grace If you vnderstand this former place of scripture which affirmeth that God hath no respect of persons as your book doeth witnes to witt that God careth a like for all that he no more loueth the one theÌ„ the other except that it be for their obedience the hole scripture of God doeth witnes against you Was the loue of God no greater to Abraham and to his posteritie then it was to the rest of the nations Moises and Dauid do witnesse the contrarie Saying he hath not done so to any nation and his iudgemeÌ„ts he hath not shewed to them onely the hath he chosen of all nations and people that be vpon the face of the earth that thow shouldest be vnto him a peculiar people And what was the cause of this their dignitie and prerogatiue before we haue declared to witt no vertue no obedience no good qualitie that was in them but onely his fre loue fre grace and vndeserued mercie as he hiÌ„ self doeth plainely affirme I will haue mercie vpon whom I will haue mercie and saint Paule it is neither of the willer neither yet of the runner but of God that sheweth mercie to such as pleaseth him And thus I say you can not iustly nor rihtly conclude that God hath neither chosen nor reprobated any man becaus he hath no respect of persons for as before I haue said his eternall election dependeth neither vpon man neither yet vpon any thing that is within maÌ„ but is purposed in him self and established in Christ Iesus in whom we are elected becaus that in our selues there neither was neither yet could be any worthines which could merite or deserue such honour and dignitie And so God respecteth not the persons of men their vertues nor qualities in their election but finding them all equall in creation and corruption maketh difference betwext them according to his eternall purpose respecting Christ Iesus and not their merites How that euer the prowde and vngodlie storme at this I nothing doute but the children of God do thereof receaue moste singular consolation as that it is the chefest cause why that without all trembling and feare they stoupe before his Maiestie and giuing thankes for these inestimable benefits do craue of his mercie such a puretie of lief as becometh his children To your scriptures which ye alledge from the book of wisdom and frome Esdras his fourth booke I will shortly answere That albeit ye will ten thousand tymes deck aÌ„d decore them with the title of the holie Gost I wil not the more creditt them Not that I deny but that in them there be thinges conteined profitable to edification but if that therefore ye will vpon any place written within them conclude a doctrine contrarie to the rest of the canonicall scriptures I will answer with the ancient writers that they were not written that vpon them should our faith be established Lett theÌ„ serue if so please you to exhortation but for confirmation of any doctrine shall they neuer serue vnto me Neither yet this do I say that I do think any of these places rightly vnderstand to make any thing for your purpose but that I will by gods grace giue euer that reuerence vnto the veritie of God that the voices of men shall not with me be coÌ„parable vnto it It may be greatlie suspected what som men now a daies do meaÌ„ to ascribe that to y â— holie Gost which the authors them selues did onely ascribe to their own diligence and trauelle and were also compelled to ask perdon of the readers that they could not atteine no not euen to the proprietie of the toÌ„gue in the which they did write Vseth the holie Gost I pray you whose power lowseth the tongues of the dombe in that maner to be suppliaÌ„t vnto meÌ„ and for his imperfection to begge pardon at their handes Consider and impute nothing vpon the holie Gost which becometh not the Maiestie of God but lest that ye should complain that yet your scriptures are not resolued I will giue you a generall answer to all which is this That neither the booke of wisdom neither yet Ecclesiasticus neither yet Esdras in these places that be alledged do intreat any thing of election or reprobation but the writers in all those places which ye alledge do studie to amend the corrupt maners of their aeges and to impose sileÌ„ce to the wicked tongues of many of whom som accused God as author of sinne which entred in by malice of the deuill who did corrupt the good creature of God created to his own image to reule in equitie and iustice who doeth not se but that this writer who so euer he was reteineth him self within the reache of mannes vnderstanding laboring to conuict their coÌ„science which maliciously imputed vnto God that which he did not worke in them But that they of their own fre will did follow aÌ„d obey iniquitie and that therefor they should suffer their iust condemnation And that this my interpretation of their myndes is true let their own wordes witnes for thus it is writeÌ„ They haue said with them selues not righteously iudgeiÌ„g our lief is troblesom aÌ„d short neither is there any remedie against the death of maÌ„ neither hath he bene knoweÌ„ that hath returned from the helles we were bâ—rn without purpose and we shal be as we neuer had ben â—or the spirit is but a smoke in our nosethrels c. in proâ—es of tyme our name shall com to obliuion neither yet shal any man remember our workes Therefor let vs vse the present prosperitie Let vs oppresse the poore man being iust let vs not spare the widowe neither yet lett vs reâ—erence the loÌ„g aeged aÌ„d white heares of the ancient but let the strength of our power be the law of iustice and so far furth he accuseth their open tyranny and then concludeth these thinges they thoght and did erre for they were blinded by their own malice neither haue they knoweÌ„ the mysteries of God I wonder that ye marked not this place neither haue they hoped for the reward of holynes for God created maÌ„ to immortâ—litie here I note your falshode for ye write God created man to be vndestroyed and made him to his own similitude Now let the indifferent reader iudge whether you or I do nerer attein to the mynd of the wryter you I say that do affirme that he denieth that God hath either elected or reprobated any man or I
that deny that to be any parte of his mynd but say he reproueth mannes malicious blasphemy and manifest impietie The argument which ye gather of the nynthe chapter of the same book and wold seme to confirm by the wordes of Christe spoken in the seuenth of Mathew hath no greater force then the former for the writer defineth not what God had determined in his secrete and eternall counsell but what he hath expressedly coÌ„mitted to mannes charge by his law and by his holie Spirit speaking in his Prophetes and that him self doeth plainly witnesse For after that he hath asked wisdom righteously to iudge the people committed to his charge he thus speaketh what man is he that knoweth the counsell of God or that can comprehend in his mynd what God wold The cogitations of mortall men are fearefull and our opinions deceauable c. scarsly by coÌ„iecture can we attein to the thiÌ„gs that be in earth and w t trauale fynd we those things w t be amoÌ„gest our haÌ„des But who shal searche oute those thiÌ„gs y t be in the heaueÌ„s and who knoweth they couÌ„sell except that thow shall giue wisdom and from the hiest places shall send thy holie Spirit for so the wayes of those that dwell vpon earth haue bene directed and they haue learned those things that haue pleased the. Cry now as pleaseth you that because man was made lord ouer creatures in earth for that is the veritie of the text to reule the world in holynes That therefor there was no man reprobated and he writer will answer for him self and will affirme that he searcheth not what God hath determined in his eternall counsell and what shall become of euerie man for that confesseth he to be incomprehensible but he declareth what God commandeth in his law and what he hath expressed by his holie Prophetes To the which if man be found inobedient resteth no excusation seing that gods will is manifestly declared as Moises saieth in these wordes The secretes appertein to the Eternall our God but those things that be reueled appertein to vs and to our children for euer that we may do all the wordes of this law Your argumentes which ye think most strong gathered of these wordes in the 7. aÌ„d 12. of Mathew are most weak and vaine For as we do not denie that man was created iust so do we coÌ„stantly affirme that in iustice he stood not but became altogether vniust and therefor God did not condemne man before he was giltie as you falsly gather of our doctrine Wonder it is that ye se not degrees and iust causes which com betwext the purpose of reprobation and the iust condemnation of man This is your argument God purposed to reiect man before he was created Ergò he did damne him before he was criminall or glitie Your consequent is fals far no part of gods iudgements was put in execution before man did sinne for grace was offered to AdaÌ„ after his fall Cayn was admonished aÌ„d rebuked of his crueltie his posterities aÌ„d sede had raged in their furie and finally all flesh had corrupted their waies befor that gods vengeance and most iust iudgement were poured furth and put in execution against the rebellious and vnthankfull world If you be able to proue that the sentence of death was executed vpon Adam before he offended or that Cayn was accursed by gods mouth before he had murthered then hath your argumeÌ„t som apperance but if the iust causes of condemnation be found in man and so founde in man that God in vowies can thereof be accused then oght you to be ashamed to burden vs with that which ye your selues most folishly collecte And further ye shall vnderstand that as the Apostle putteth certen degrees and causes which are sensible vnto vs betwext the eternall election of gods childreÌ„ aÌ„d their glorification euen so put we the contrarie degrees and causes betwext the reprobation and the iust condemnation of the wicked for as those whom God hath chosen before all tymes in time he calleth aÌ„d that of purpose to Christe Iesus his soÌ„ne aÌ„d whoÌ„ thus he calleth he iustifieth and that more and more vntill that flesh and the corrupt affectioÌ„s thereof being mortified they attein to their glorie So by the contrarie be the reprobate either left all together in blindnes neuer called to the light and knowledge of gods fre mercie or if they be called they either do condeÌ„ne it orels sodanly fall from the same and so abiding in their corruption do still heap sinne vpon sinne till at the last their measure being full God executeth this most iust iudgements against their continuall rebellion Inferre now as many absurdities as please you vpon our doctrine you procede THE ADVERSARIE You say that God reprobated and ordeined man to damnation the most parte of the world afore the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid and yet in the creation God made all meÌ„ after his own image good and righteous as the scripture witnesseth for as we were all created in one man that is Adam So were we all created in one estate that is after the image of God to lief then if your opinion be true the ordinaÌ„ce of God in his election afore the world is not coÌ„forme to his ordinance in the creation And the hâ—lie Gost saieth If I buyld vp agane that which I haue cast doune before I declare my self to be a transgressor if God created man to his own image vnto lief whom before the creatioÌ„ he had reprobat aÌ„d cast away declareth he not thereby him self to be inconstant and a traÌ„sgressour Ye can not escaip here with your bare solutioÌ„ where ye say afore the world God hath not ordeined all but som vnto damnation for in our creation all were ordeined vnto lief for so much as we were all created after the image of God of the ordinance of God in our electioÌ„ afore the world The Apostle writeth thus we be blessed saieth he with al maner of spirituall blessinges in heauenlie thinges by Christe according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the world were laid that we should walk in theÌ„ Here do we learn that gods ordinance in his electioÌ„ afore the world and also his ordinance in the creation is alwaies one For as we are chosen in Christe Iesu so we are created in Christe Iesu and as we are chosen to be holie and without blame so are we created vnto good workes Wherefor gods ordinaÌ„ce in his holie electioÌ„ and his mightie creatioÌ„ is one aÌ„d of like streÌ„gth and surenes further seing we be as the Apostle saieth bothe elect and created in Christe Iesu. and forasmuche as there is no damnation to them that are in Christe Iesu then is there no damnation either in the election or creation ANSWERE Because that aswell your forged lies as the vanitie of your reasons haue ben declared I will not trooble the reader with repetition of the
proue it to be sothen oght you to be ashamed to burden God with such vnrighteous iudgement Doeth not God rather forgiue the offence alredie committed Let him be your God which condemneth the innocent afore he offend But he shall be my God which perdoneth and forgiueth the offence alreadie committed which in his verie wraithe doeth think vpon mercie And so with Iob will I conclude The great God casteth away no man ANSWER How ignorantly and how impudently ye confounde the eternall purpose of gods reprobation with the iust execution of his iudgementes I haue before declared and therefor here onely resteth to admonishe the reader that most vniustly ye accuse vs in that ye say that we hold and teache that God damned man before he offended This you be neuer able to shew in any of our workes for constantly in worde and writing we affirme that man willingly fell from God and made him self slaue to sathan before that death was inflicted vpon him and so neither make we death the reward of gods ordinance neither do we burden him with vnrighteous iudgement But say with the Apostle that death is the reward of sinne and that our God is righteous in all his workes and therefor be ashamed and repēt your manifest lie That God forgiueth the sin committed and doeth remēber mercie euen when he appereth in his hote displeasure to punishe his Churche with thankes giuing and ioy we acknowledge But that thereof ye cōclud ▪ as ye say w t Iob that the great God casteth away no man we can not cease to admonishe bothe you and the readers that either ignorantly orels maliciously ye corrupt and depraue the minde of the speaker in that place Elihu saieth not as ye alledge The great God casteth away no mā but saieth Behold the mightie God casteth away none that is mightie and valiant of courage He main teneth not the wicked but he giueth iudgemēt to the afflicted And in this behalf your master Castalio who notwithstanding that he vseth to take large libertie in translation where any thing may seme to serue his purpose is more circumspect and more faithfull then you be for thus he translateth that place Althogh that God be excellent yea excellent and strong of courage yet is he not so dissolute y t either he will kepe y e wicked or denie iudgemēt to the poore Althogh I say y t here is a greater libertie thē I wold wish a faithfull translater to vse yet hath he not so corrupted y e sense as ye haue done Elihu reasonīg against Iob affirmeth that albeit y e power of God be infinit yet cā not his workes be vniust but that they are wroght in all perfectiō of iustice how beit that often as we be dull and blinde we do not vnderstand nor se at the first the causes of the same yet God giueth daily declaration of his iustice in that the preserueth and somtyme exalteth the verteouse that before were afflicted and deiecteth from honors the wicked and the cruell oppressors Be iudge your self what this serueth for your purpose THE ADVERSARIE Some other be that grant that sinne was à cause why man is reprobate and there with they hold that gods absolute ordinance is also the caus this saing conteineth cōtradiction in it self for if it be gods absolut ordinance then is it not in respect of any other thing but as they say because it hath so pleased him if they ment that gods ordinance is the cause why sinners suffer death or that God ordeined that sinners for their sinne should suffer death I could agre with them but that were contrary to that which they haue said that God absolutly ordeined any man afore he was yea afore the world to death because so it pleased him for if death be the reward of sinne and for offence and sinne we do die then cometh not death by gods absolute ordinance And if I do grant that both gods absolute ordinance and also sinne are the causes of damnation after your meanyng marke well what inconuenience foloweth thereof first ye must grant me that gods ordinance is the principall and chefest cause for it can not be inferior to any other cause secōdly ye will grant that the first or principale cause called Causa Causae is the cause of the secōd ād inferior cause called cause causate so to cōclude gods ordināce which is Causa causae shal be the cause of sinne which is Causa causata As for a familiar exemple the heate of the son and the dew cause the grounde to be frutefull and God also is the cause thereof for he maketh the barren ground frutefull but forasmuch as God is the principall and first cause he must be also the cause of the same which is but the second cause Thus it is clerely proued that if gods ordināce were the cause of reprobation then gods ordinance should also be the cause of sinne and God should be autor of euill contrarie to the hole scripture contrarie to the opinion of all godlie men and contrarie to our faith But forasmuch as God willing I intend to answer at length to this wicked opinion in the confutation of the third error I will speak no more hereof in this place ANSWER No further answer nedeth to be giuen to these your most vniust accusatiōs then those which we before haue giuen for neither do we so vnreuerētly speake nor write neither yet do we vnderstād nor affirme that gods absolute ordinance is the principall cause of reprobation of sinne and of damnation but simplie we do teache that God in his etternall counsell for the manifestation of his own glorie hath of one maste chosen vessels of honor whom before all tymes he hath geuē vnto Christe Iesus that they in him should receiue lief And of the same masse he hath left others in that corruption in the which they were to fall and so were they prepared to destruction The cause why the one were elected we confesse and knowledge not to be in mā but to be the fre grace and the fre mercie shewed and frely giuen to vs in Christe Iesus who onely is appoīted head to giue life to the bodie Why the others were reiected we affirme the cause to be most iust but yet secrete ād hid frome vs reserued in his eternall wisdome to be reueled at the glorious comming of the Lord Iesus This one thing do we compelled by your blasphemous accusations repete oftener then we wold to the end that indifferent men may se what doctrine it is which you so maliciously impugne How so euer ye ioyn gods absolute ordinance and sinne togither we make so far diuision betwext the purpose and eternall counsell of God for absolute ordinance we vse not in that mater and the sinne of mā that we plainely affirme that mā when he sinned did neither looke to gods will gods counsell nor eternall purpose but did altogither consent to the will of
The first argument of them which abuse gods holie predestination is easely soluted their argument is this where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same sorte But God elected som men afore the foundations of the world Ergo he reprobated som other men afore the world The first part of this argument is false That wher so euer there is election there is also reprobatioÌ„ of the same sorte for gods election afore the world hath no respect vnto his coÌ„trarie reprobation afore the world Yea there is no such word nor phrase in the hole scripture but gods election afore the world is generall to all men as his calling is generall without respect of persons This is all redie sufficiently proued yet som of you do grant gods calling to be generall but not his election And in this ye accuse God of hypocrisie you wold make him a dissembler lyke vnto your selues which often times with your mouth do offer and promes that which ye mind neuer to perfourme But God is faithfull which is willing to perfourme all that he promiseth euen to them that refuseth him And thogh they attein not the promes because of their vnbeleue yet all the tyme of their calling be they in the generall election as those whom the king called to the mariage Notwitstanding they came not yet were they chosen to be partakers of the mariage and the seruant to whom the master forgaue all his debtes was chosen notwithstanding he atteined not that wherunto he was chosen but became a reprobate abusing the goodnes of his master God is no hypocrite which calleth men owtwardly and forgeueth debtes onely with the mowth but eueÌ„ from the hearte willing to giue salâ—ation to all them to whom he offereth it And the cause why such do perish is their obstinatnes to gods grace and as the Lord saieth their stifneck which hath an yron vaine and their browes of brasse which dispyse the goodnes of God they became cast awayes Becaus as saint Iohn saieth they loue darknes better then light And as Esdras saieth thei kept not that which was soweÌ„ in them whereof we may gather that they becom reprobates because they rather refuse the grace offered and grafted in them then that they are refâ—sed NotwithstaÌ„ding both may be conueniently spoken for because they haue forsaken me I will also forsake them saieth the Lord. And agane saieth the holie Gost. Cometh not this vnto the because thow hast forsaken the Lord thy God further that this is vntrew where so euer there is election ther is also reprobation of the same kynd it may be easelie proued by the inconuenieÌ„ce which cometh therof Christ is the elect and chosen of God As then Behold this may seruant vpon whoÌ„ I lean my elect in whom my soule is pacified And in an other place Thow art my witnes saieth the lord and my seruant whom I haue chosen and wile you say therefor that there be mo Christes which be reprobate for ether this saying where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same kynd is false orels there must be mo Christes That were much lyke to the saing of a Iew which when he had talked with a faithfull man verie much concerning the temporall and worldlie dominion and honour of Messias the christian proued by the prophecie of Daniel aÌ„d also by the prophecie of Isaiah that Messias should be euill entreated euen of the Iewes and put to death as an offender Here the Iew being driuen to a narrow shift rather then he wold applie and confesse the trueth he rather confessed that there should com two Messias of whom the one should be dispysed and the other magnified And if ye be so mynded that rather then ye will departe from your error ye had leuer confesse mo Christes of which som be chosen and the others reprobate Surelie then I think it is no faithful mans duetie to reason with you ANSWERE Easie it is in dede to solute those argumeÌ„tes w c in our names ye falsly forge either by adding such patches as in our writings caÌ„ neuer be fouÌ„d orels by so peruerting our mindes yea and the minde of the holie Gost that if possible it were ye wold obscure the brightnes of the son aÌ„d take frome creatures the benefitt of the same to the end that in your darknes ye might still remaine And therefor â— can not but complain of your deuilish malice which causeth you to peruerte aÌ„d writhe wordes well spokeÌ„ and reasons godly and substancially made Shew if ye can in any of our writings that we affirm that where so euer there is election there is also reprobation of the same sorte Shew that clause I say of the same sorte and I will confesse that ye haue red more then I haue done of that mater which neuertheles I hardly can beleue But to the end that the simple reader may vnderstaÌ„d how we do reason of election and reprobation by the contrarie effectes I will adduce not our reasons lately inuented but twentie yeres ago committed vnto writing by that notable instrument of God Iohn Caluin who thus speaketh wonder it is saieth he that Chrisostom did not call to mynd that it is the election of God w c maketh difference betwext men We feare not to grante that which S. Paule in greate coÌ„stancie doeth affirm To witt that all together are wicked and giuen to malice but with him we adde That by the mercie of God it cometh to passe thaâ— we abyde not in wickednes Therefor seiÌ„g that naturally we all labor w t a like sicknes These onely receiue health and amend to whom it hath pleased the Lord to put to his curing hand others whom by his iust iudgement he passeth by do languishe in their corruptioÌ„ till they be consumed Neither yet from any where els doeth it com that som continue to the end and others fall in to the curse which was begonne for because that persuerance it self is the gift of God which is not commonly giuen to al but he frely giueth it to whom it pleaseth him If the cause of the difference be soght why som constantly continue and why others fall away by instabilitie none other cause may be assigned but that the eternall God susteineth and streÌ„gthneth the one sort by his own power that they perishe not and vnto the others he giueth not the strength that they may be documeÌ„tes and witnes of maÌ„s incoÌ„staÌ„cie c. Thus vse we to reason by y e diuersitie w c we sein meÌ„ y t one sort are elect and others are reprobate and not as ye ymagin vs to do We say that nature hath made vs equall as concerning corruption and yet we se great diuersitie amoÌ„gest men We ask what is y e cause of this If ye answere education w c som Philosophers do that will be prouen fals as before I haue declared if ye say mans fre will
yet are spokeÌ„ of God vnto Rebecca none of vs denieth but that which ye thereof inferre to witt that therefor they are not to be referred to that sentence which Paul alledgeth before the childreÌ„ were borne and yer they did either good or badd procedeth either of your blind ignoraÌ„ce orels of your malicious despite which agaiâ—st the fre grace of God ye haue conceaued for establishing of your own iustice Trew it is these wordes were spoken by Malachie the Prophete after the reduction of the people frome the captiuitie of Babylon But when we haue a litle considered the scope and purpose of the Prophete then shall we first consider whether he did vnsterstand the loue of God and his hatered to appertein to the two peoples onely and not also to the two original heades And after we shall see whether the mynd and plaine wordes of Paul will suffer and bear your interpretation or not Shortly after that the people of Israel I mean the tribes of Iuda Beniamin and I â—eui were by the miraculous work of God after the bondage of 70. yeres set at libertie and broght againe to Ierusalem in which they did reedifie the temple repaire the walles aÌ„d beginne to multiplie and so to grow to som streÌ„gth within the citie and land they fall to their old nature I mean to be vngrate and vnthankfull vnto God the people were slothfull and the priestes who should haue prouoked the people to the remembrance of those great benefites were become euen like to the rest The Lord therefor did raise vp his Prophete Malachie who was the last before Christ sharply to rebuke and plainely to coÌ„uict this horrible ingratitude of that vnthankfull nation who so shamefully had forgotten those so great benefits recently bestowed vpon them And thus beginneth he his prophecie I haue loued you saieth the Lord in which wordes he speaketh not of a common loue which in preseruing and feding all creatures is commoâ— to the reprobate but of that loue by the which he had sanctified and seperated them from the rest of nations to haue his glorie manifested But becaus they as all vngrate persons do did not consider wherin this his loue towardes them more then towardes others did stand he bringeth them to the fountein demanding this question was not Esau brother to Iacob saieth the Lord and neuertheles Iacob haue I loued and Esau I haue hated and this he proueth not onely by the diuersitie of the two couÌ„treis which were giueâ— to their posterities but also by that that God coÌ„tinually shewed hiÌ„ self louiâ—g to Iacob and to his posteritie reducing them againe after long captiuitie declaring him self as it were ennemy to Edom whose desolation he wold neuer restore but wold distroy that which they shoulde go about to build Let now the godlie reader iudge whether that the mynd of the Prophete was to seclude Iacob in his person from the loue of God and Esau from his hatered or that it was not rather to rebuke the vnthankfulnes of the people who did not consider that vndeserued loue which God did shew to their first father whiles he was yet in his mothers bosome for where he saieth was not Esau brother to Iacob he wold put them in mynd that Iacob had no prerogatiue aboue Esau yea that the was inferior to him as coâ—cerning the law of nature and therefor that he oght to haue bene subiect vnto him but God of fre grace did preferre the yonger to the elder which loue and preferment he constantly did kepe to his sede after him This I am assured can no godlie man denie to be the verey meaning of the Prophete Trew it is that he doeth include both the peoples the one loued and the other hated But what reason is it that the heades shall be secluded seing that the begiÌ„ning of the diuersitie did first appere in them and the Prophete plainely saieth Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Now to the mind of the Apostle you say that these wordes afore the children were born are not to be referred to the sentence which followeth Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated and the cause ye add as we before haue declared I answer that the most iust iudgementes of God are fearefull and your blindnes oght to admonishe all men to examin them selues with what conscieÌ„ce they go to intreate gods secrete mysteries If that sentence before the children were born oght not to be referred to these wordes Iacob haue I loâ—ued and Esau haue I hated I pray you to what wordes oght they to be referred Did the Apostle speak theÌ„ at all aduenture without respect to any thing folowing I trust ye will grant asmuch as God spak to witt that before the children wer born God said The elder shal serue the yonger and then I pray you answer whether ye think that the preferment of Iacob to Esau proceded frome loue or frome hatred or if the subiectioÌ„ of Esau to his brother was not a declaration of gods hatred If you denie yet will the Prophete condemne you as before we haue proued ye can not escaip with the solution which a writer defending fre will giueth which is this That there mention is made onely of temporall and carnal benedictioÌ„ ment vnder the name of loue and of pouertie with barrennes of grounde vnderstand by the name of hatred which solution is so colde that it perisheth in the self for I think no man to be so blynd but that he seeth the mynd of the Apostle to be beÌ„t vpon the spirituall benediction as in his hole disputation is euident But let it be that the corporall benediction which we vtterly exclude not be there vnderstaÌ„d and meÌ„t yet that neither helpeth him nor you for where so euer gods establyshed loue is there is lief where so euer his established hatred is there is death but vpon Iacob and vpon his sede spiritual I mean was established the loue of God as the Prophete affirmeth and our Apostle most pro foundely alledgeth and vpon Esau and vpon his posteritie was established and confirmed the hatred Ergoâ— vpon him and them remained death CoÌ„sider now how that the Apostle after these wordes The elder shall serue the yonger ioyneth this senteÌ„ce as it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau I haue hated In which wordes the holie Gost agreeth together the wordes of the Prophete and the wordes of God spoken to Rebecca and maketh the one to interprete the other for where God saieth the elder shall serue that expoÌ„deth the Prophete God hated Esau and where he pronounceth dominion to the yonger that the Prophete explaneth saiÌ„g Iacob haue I loued And when did God thus loue the one and hate the other pronouncing the one to be Lord and the other to be seruant While they were yet saieth he in their mothers wombe and before they had either done good or bad Denie now if ye can that the former wordes oght not to be
his vessell plaÌ„te a tre to be barren or kil any of his subiects we send you as befor to ask couÌ„sel at the plaine scriptures whether â—in God there is not a greater knowledge greater power aÌ„d a iustice more perfect althogh it be incoÌ„preheÌ„sible to o r dulseÌ„ses theÌ„ y t their is in y e potter husboÌ„d maÌ„ or Magistrate How that God wil not the death of the sinner but rather that he may conuerte and liue we shall shortlie God wiliÌ„g after speak And therefor omitting that which indigestly you heape togither I procede to that which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE Where ye replie w t that it lieth not in maÌ„nes will or ronning but in the mercie of God I answer by the same senteÌ„ce y t we may both will aÌ„d roÌ„ne which is coÌ„trarie to your hole purpose aÌ„d doctrine aÌ„d yet saieth the Apostle our saluatioÌ„ depeÌ„deth of the mercie of God for it is his fre gift The GeÌ„tiles w c for their wickednes wer reiect of God in vaine should they either wil or ronne w tout God exteÌ„ded his mercie towardes theÌ„ as he doeth now preseÌ„tly Lyke as on the other side the Iewes which for their sinnes be now abiect in vaine should they either wil or roÌ„ne without it pleased God to extend his mercie ouer theÌ„ as he shal do after that the fulnes of the GeÌ„tiles become in as witnesseth Paul â–ª for there we must vnder staÌ„d that wheÌ„ it pleased God to offer vs his mercie yet without we both will and ronne we shall not obtein the reward notwithstanding neither for our willing or ronning are we worthie to receaue saluation for it is the fre gift of God which he giueth to vs onely for his own mercies saik God offered saluation to Ierusalem not for the deseruing but of his mâ—rcie yet obteined they not saluation because they wold neither will nor ronne As Christ saieth how often wold I haue gathered thy children as the hendoeth her chekens and thow woldest not so the scribes and the Phariseis made the counsell of God towardes them of none effect for they dispised it Gods will was to saue them but they wold neither will nor ronne but kepe still their old passeâ— so they perished Wherefor vnto our saluation is required chiefly the mercie of God as the onely sufficient and the efficient cause thereof wherby we being vnworthie and his ennemies be reconciled and receaued vnto the feloship of the saintes Secondly is required that we both will and ronne not as the cause but rather as the effect anâ— frute of our reconciliaâ—ion declaring our selues to be thankfull for the benefits which we haue frely without our merits receaued otherwies the kingdoâ— shal be â—aken from vs againe and geuen to such as shall boâ—h will and ronne bringing furth the fruts thereof ANSWER Your ancient father Pelagius coniured ennemie to the fre grace of God did bragge and boast as you do that in man there was a will and a ronning But the probation of bothe is one that is to say your affirmation must suffice for auctoritie You boldly write that of those wordes of the Apostle neither it is of him that willeth neithâ—r yet of him that ronneth but of God hauing mercie it is plaine that we bothe will and ronne But how is this proued your long discourse in which it semeth that ye haue forgotten your self proueth no part of your purpose for the question is not what either the Iew or y e geÌ„till doeth ImeaÌ„ after they haue receaued the grace of God For theÌ„ we confesse that they haue yet not of theÌ„ selues a will aÌ„d studie to walk in godlines but the question is whether this wil aÌ„d studie which now by grace they haue receaued was anie cause of their election the contrarie whereof we haue before proued We do not imagine the faithfull meÌ„bres of Christes bodie to be stockes or stones insensible without will or studie of godlines â–ª but we affirme that it is God that worketh in vs the good will and the good thoght for of our selues we are not sufficient to think one good thoght We further affirme that except with all humilitie the fre grace offered with thankes giuing be receaued that they serue nothing to the saluation of the coÌ„temners But therewith we adde that it is God onely who taketh away the stonie and stubborne heart and giueth to vs a fleshie heart In which he by the power of his holie Spirit writeth his law maketh vs to walk in his wayes draweth vs to his Sonne Christ Iesus giueth vs into his protection I mean as faith assureth vs in our conscience aÌ„d so we acknowledge God alone by Christ Iesus his sonne to be the beginning the middes and the end of our sanctification godlie lief and saluation I for my part do yet againe praise God that his veritie is of that strength that somtymes it will compell the verie ennemies to bear testimonie to it And I pray God to retein you in that mynd that vnfeanedly you may beleue aÌ„d coÌ„fes that what vertues or good motions that euer be in you be the onely effects or fruites as ye call them of your reconciliation and neither cause of your election nor yet of your iustification That Ierusalem and the scribes refused grace and therefor iustly were condemned we consent with you but that euer it was the eternall couÌ„sell aÌ„d will of God to giue them life euerlasting that we constantly deny Our reasons we haue before alledged and after will haue occasion to repete som againe And therefor we procede Thus ye write THE ADVERSARIE Here with great vehemencie ye alledge these wordes of Paule who hath ben able to resist his wil of which saying ye inferre that God without any cause knowen to vs hath reprobated and damned many against which wil no man can resist These wordes did Paule write because he did foresee that of his former sainges som deuelish disposed persons wold take occasion to burden God with vnrighteousnes as ye do making him the author of euill for ye say that God hath a secrete will whereby he willeth the most parte of the world to be condemned which will because it can not be resisted therefor of mere necessitie by the immutable decre of God so many do perish further ye this affirming God to be the cause of damnation onely because it so hath pleased him ye cause many other to burst owt and say Sithe his will and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self and not to vs if any sinne be committed and surely for my parte were it not I abhorre your horrible doctrine wherwith ye cruelly affirme gods ordinaÌ„ce to be the cause of damnation I wold not medle further in this mater but with reuereÌ„ce behold the workes of God forasmuch as I se thankes be to God no work of God wheriÌ„ his mercie doeth not clerely shyne But if your saying were true
blynd libertines attribute vnto him And assuredly the God of these men is an Idole which oght to be more execrable then all the idoles of the Gentiles And so furth to the end of that chapter he proueth that God committeth no sinne in none of the wicked of the earthe c. Thus far haue I recited the mynd and most part of the wordes of that godlie writer written by him now twelue yeres ago agaiÌ„st the libertines By the which the indifferent reader may iudge whether that iustly you accuse him and vs that we make God author of sinne In the name of God and of his deare Son Christ Iesus whose glorie ye studie vtterly to suppresse I require as before of all those that be placed in auctoritie by his worde whose handes he hath armed with the sword of iustice that earnestly as they will answer before his fearefull throne of iudgement they take triall in this mater that if we be found either in life either yet in doctrine as we be accused that God may be glorified in our iust punishments but if we can not be coÌ„uicted as we fear neither triall nor iudgement that then our accusers may acknowledge their offence The second thing which is laid to our charge is that we cause many other to brest owt and say Sithe his wil and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self aÌ„d not vpon vs if any sinne be committed If the blasphemies of the vngodlie should be laid to our charge becaus that we teach a doctrin most true and most comfortable to the childreÌ„ of God then can not the Apostle saint Paul be excused for the same blasphemies were vomited first against him aÌ„d the doctrine which he taught Som crying let vs do euill that good may com of it others let vs abyde in sinne that grace may abound soÌ„ furiously roring as ye do did dispitefully cry wherefor doeth he coÌ„plean who caÌ„ resist his will But was the doctrine therefor damnable or was the Apostle criminal for teaching the same I suppose ye will be more fauorable in this cause then so rashly to condemne him whom God hath absolued If then our doctrine can not be impugned by the plaine scriptures of God why should we sustein the blame of other mennes blasphemies Howbeit in verie dede the blasphemies of none come so plainely to our eares as yours do â–ª for the verey Papistes and the insolent of the world are yet ashamed so impudentlie to lie vpoÌ„ vs. Who althogh they will not folow the puretie of the doctrine taught by vs yet either are they put to silence by the power of â—he holie Spirit orels they inâ—ent som coulorable lies and do abstein from such open blasphemies as you cast owt against God and vs. We lay to your charge say you none other thing then ye your selues do confâ—sse for ye affirme that God worketh all things according to his will and pleasure We answer that maliciously and deuilishly ye wrest our wordes contrarie to our mynd for alwayes we make a most plaine difference betwext the will of God and the will of the wicked and betwext the purpose counsell and end of God and betwext the purpose and end of man as in all this hole processe before intreated the indifferent reader may well consider If ye continue in your blyndnes and furiously cry But ye afâ—irme that without his will and against it nothing is done therefor that men think that euen when they sinne they obey gods will I answer by the wordes of the same writer whoÌ„ before I haue alledged Touching the workes which we committ the will of God is to be considered as he him self hath declared it for in vaine hath he not giuen his law by the which he hath discerned good from euill As for exemple when he commandeth no man to be hurt no man to be iniuried but that equitie and iustice be indifferently kept to all that no man steal defraude his brother that none committ adulterie fornicatioÌ„ or filthynes but that euerie man kepe his own vessell in sanctification and honor Here is the will of God euident and plaine What further pleaseth him in these cases oght no maÌ„ to inquire for we know that if we do these and other thinges that be coÌ„manded and do abstein from all things that be forbidden that then we obey the will of God And if we do not that we can not be acceptable to him If that any man shall steall or committ adulterie and shall say that he hath done nothing against the will of God he lieth most impudeÌ„tly for in so far as he hath transgressed the commandement of God by the which he was taught what was gods will he hath done against his will Let all men now iudge if that we giue occasion to man to flatter him self in sinne and to think that when they committe iniquitie against the expresse commandement of God that then they obey his holie will If any demand whether that any thing can be done against gods will that is if God may not if he wold stay and impede the sinne of man before I haue answered by the mowth of Augustine and now again by Iohn Caluine that nothing is nor can be done which he may not impede if so it please his wisdom yea vtterlye we must eschew that we inquire not of his prouidence which is hid frome vs when that the question is of our duetie His word declareth vnto vs what he approueth and what he condemneth with that we oght to stand content and by the same oght we to reule our liues leauing the secretes to God as by Moises we are taught To make the mater more plaine the case supposed that I be tempted with concupiscence and lust a nother mans wife in the which I long striue and in the end â–ª fathan obiecteth to me this cogitation follow thy purpose for by that meanes thow maest perchance be further humbled aÌ„d after thow maest taste more aboundantly the mercie and the grace of God Should I therefor louse the bridle to my wicked affections should I declyn from the plain precept and enter into the secrete prouidence of God God forbid for that besides the violating or breaking of his commandement were horrible temptation of his godlie maiestie and so in one fact were coÌ„mitted dooble impietie The sinnes I know of gods derest children are greuous â–ª and many and wonderous is the prouideÌ„ce of God working in his saintes but neuer or seldom it is that such perilouse cogitations preuale against them for the spirit of God so rewleth in them thaâ— commonly this sentence of SalomoÌ„ is before their eies such as vnreuerently search out gods Maiestie shaâ—be oppressed by the glorie of the same And so must it nedes com to passe as Iohn Caluin affirmeth that the pryde of such must be punisâ—ed and that with an horrible punishement the pryde of
iudgementes against the inobedient and do consider how prone and redie they them selues be of nature to rebellioÌ„ against God except they were coÌ„ducted by his spirit they com to a more liuelie feling of gods fre mercie grace by the which onely they are exempte frome the rank and societie of the reprobate Albeit that these endes causes of gods long suffering of the vesselles of wrath do not satisfie you yet I doubt not but gods afflicted childreÌ„ wil and do take comfort of the same you thus procede in your sophisticall Sorites If he be sorie say you then hath he no pleasure in their destruction And that where in he hath no pleasure he willeth it not and that which he willeth not he doth not ordein it wherefor seing God suffereth them to fall with greate pacience he hath not ordeined them to fall Your foundation being fals your hole building falleth by y e own weight Before ye procede any further ye must proue y t God did suffer in the vesselles of wrath that which he nether could nor might remedie and therefor that he fell in greif and sorow that his power was no greater and his wisdom no perfiter Wo be to your blasphemies for they coÌ„pell me to write that which I gladly wold not I haue before said that God nether hath pleasure in destructioÌ„ nether yet that he will the death of the sinner absolutely y t is hauing none other respect but to their torment and pain onely But albeit pryde and malice will not suffer you to grante that God hath created all thinges for his own glorie yet will not he be suppliante vnto you that ye shall suffer him to vse his creatures at his own good pleasure Where vpon these wordes of the Apostle doest thow dispyse the riches of gods goodnes not knowing that the kyndnes of God leadeth the to repentance ye inferre that the cause why God suffereth with long pacience is that we should repent and amend If you vnderstand that God suffered his elect euen in the tyme of their blyndnes yea and after their horrible falles and offenses with great lenitie and gentlenes to the end that afterward they may repent I do aggre with you for so he did with Dauid Manasses Paule and many others who after their conuersion did not dispyse gods lenitie but did magnifie and praise the same as in all their confessions may be red But if you vnderstand Paules wordes so that God hath none other end in that his long suffering but that the reprobate shal repent and amend their wickednes because the holie Gost assigneth other causes as before we haue declared I must preferre his iudgement and sentence to yours To your vnreuerent bolde and furious question in which ye aâ—k to what purpose did God suffer them with loÌ„g pacience whom before he knew shoulde neuer repent nor amend I can answer none other wies then I haue done before except that this I adde that if ye be not conteÌ„t that gods iust wrath and greate power shall aswell be manifested both in this world and in the life to com vpon the vesselles of wrath as that his mercie the riches of his glorie shall be praised and extolled in the vesselles of mercie that experience which the common prouerbe calleth maistres to fooles shall teach you that it nothing profited the Gyantes of whom the poetes do speak to heap vp mountane vpon mouÌ„tane of purpose to besiege Iupiter in the heauens To vse the wordes of scripture if be tymes ye cease not so vnreuerently to questioÌ„ with God you shall fele for euer what torment is prepared for such as with humilitie can not be subiect to his iudgementes incoÌ„preheÌ„sible for if ye shall constrein his Maiestie to giue you a reason which ye may vnderstand and apprehend what do you elles theÌ„ go aboute to spoile him of his Godhead We stick none other wies to the literall sense of these former wordes of the Apostle then the rest of scriptures permitt and do teach vs. But how proper be your phrase and common maner of speaking by the which ye labor to obscure the plaine wordes of y e Apostle we briefly shall examin Ordeined to damnation say you after the common maner of speach doth signifie no more but whose end is damnation To grant you som what I wold know of you who hath ordeined damnation to be the eÌ„d of the reprobat I perceaue by your exemple that ye dare not say God for thus ye say we vse to say of a man that is cast to be hanged this maÌ„ was born to be hanged notwithstanding that was not his mothers mynd to bear him to be hanged Besides the foolishe rudenes of this exemple I wonder at your madnes that you can neuer make difference betwext God and earthly creatures Dare you say that God hath no greater power nor foreknowledge in directing and appointing his creatures to their endes then the mother hath to direct forse and appoint the end of her child after that she hath born him she knoweth not what shal be his naturall inclination althogh she instruct and correct him yet can she not bow aÌ„d expell his crooked nature when he is absent from her presence she seeth not his conuersation If he be deprehended in theft or murther and so cast to be hanged she can not althogh she wold delyuer him from the handes of the iudge But is there any of these imperfections in God Consider yet and let reason at length put silence vnto your foolishenes Where of the wordes of Moises of Hoseas Ieremie and Paul aÌ„d of the fact of Ieroboam ye go about to proue that phrase in that sense w c ye adduce to be common in scriptures I am in dowt whether that first I shall lameÌ„t yo r blynd ignoraÌ„ce or abhorre detest yo t abhominable lies horrible prophanatioÌ„ of gods most holie worde It is impossible â— t ignoraÌ„ce hath so blynded you all y t none of you caÌ„ se y e diuersitie betwext tho semaner of speaches God hath suffered y e vesselles of wrath ordeined to destruction these Pharao shall not heare you y t many woÌ„ders may be wroght c. Giue not of thy sede to be offered to Moloch c. I will set my face agaiÌ„st such aÌ„ maÌ„ I will rout him out from the midest of his people because that he hath giuen of his sede to Moloch that he might defyle my Sanctuarie prophain my holie Name And so furth of all the rest for onelie the place of the Apostle after the english phrase and speach may be rightly translated to condemnation I appeall to thy conscience thow manifest corruptor of gods scriptures if in all the places by the alledged there be not this particle Vt which is a causal and not the preposition In which is in the wordes of S. Paul And hath malice so bereft the of knowledge that thow canst make
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
certen securitie And therefor the wordes of our master spoken to his disciples and the admonition of Paul to the Churches in his daies doth much profit comfort and confirme vs for by the same we are so armed against offences and sclanders which daily do chance that albeit we se that froÌ„ amongest our selues arise such as bring in damnable sectes which lead many to perdition yet we do not therefor detest nor ahbore Christs simple veritie but being prouoked by that fall deiection of others with great solicitude and care we call for the assistance of gods holie spirit en those most miserable and most wicked daies That ye affirme vs to be lieng prophetes not seÌ„t of God but such as runne of our selues calling to our coÌ„gregation the people whom after we prouoke to a careles libertine life we answer not to you but to our God Iudge vs ô Lord in this cause according to our innocencie according to the puretie which thy spirit hath formed in our heartes destroy all lyeng lippes and confound thou those that of malice trouble thy afflicted flock Let your frieÌ„des enemies to gods eternall trueth proude boasters of their own iustice and suppressers to their power of Christes glorie giue eare if they list to your admonition absenting them selues from all well reformed congregations We will not cease to exhort all the faithfull to frequent and hant the places wher Christes Euangil is truely and openly preached his holie sacrementes rightely ministered according to his own ordinance and institution And also where disciplyne is put in practise according to that ordre which he him self hath commanded Nether yet will we cease to affirme that your priuie assemblies and all those that in dispyte of Christes blessed ordinance do frequent y e same are accursed of God We do not deny but that Iudas Achitophell BalaaÌ„ and many mo willingly and of determined purpose did wickedly most vnthankfully offend but what is this to your mater It resteth alwaies to be proued that they were elected in Christ Iesus by the eternal counsel of God Your foolish question demanding if Adam or any other maÌ„ can be saued by Christ. which doth forsaik him I haue before answered plainely prouing that the elect children can not finally forsaik and conteÌ„ne the ordinance of their father Nether yet can the membres refuse the lief whiche they receaue froÌ„ their head And that because the Spirit of God drawing them to Christ maketh them to fele their necessitie which they haue of him And therefor with al thank fulnes and ioy do they receaue him who is made to vs from God wisedom iustice satisfaction redeÌ„ption and lief To me it appereth a very foolish questiâ— if any should demand if a man perfect in witt memorie and reason feling him elf so pressed which honger or thirst that of necessitie he must perish except nature were supported to ask I say if such a man willingly and obstinatly wold refuse holsom meat and drink appereth foolish and vaine And such is your question for the elect children do fele their own miserie honger thirst and pouertie yea they labor vnder the burden of their sinnes which they hate of the which they wold be releued And therefor they can not refuse the iustice lief and assured redemption which is offered to theÌ„ in Christ Iesus To whom be all praise glorie and honor for euer The place of the Apostle I haue before answered and therfor I shortlie com to that wich ye call THE ADVERSARIE The third error of the careles by necessitie God hath two maner of willes one reueled will and a secret will which is onely knowen â—o him self â–ª by gâ—ds reâ—â—led will men should not com to nought but they which porâ—sh 〈◊〉 perishe by his secrete will in respect of gods commandement It was nâ—t gods will that Adam should sinnâ— but in respect of gods secrete will God wold Adam to fall ANSWER How maliciously ye peruerte our wordes and how impudently ye forge vpon vs a form of doctryne which did neuer enter into our thogthes shall appere God willing bv answering to that which ye call the confutacion of our third error which thus beginneth THE ADVERSARIE The authors of this wicked opinion when they could not sufficiently confirme their errors by the auctoiite of gods word they inuented a new shift to approue it by gods secrete will for say they Thogh God by his reueled will will all men to be saued yet by hiâ— secrete will he willeth many to be damned by his reueled will he will no wickâ—dnes but by his secrete will he will Pharao to be hard hearted Sâ—mâ—â— to curs Dauid the patriarkes to sell their brother Ioseph c. by his reueled will he wold 〈◊〉 that Adam should full but by his sâ—cret will be willeth Adam to ful I maruel much where ye haue founde out this maner of doctrine for nâ—ther Moses and the prophetes nether Christ and his Apostles vse any such maner of doctrine further what profit do yeto the peâ—ple wiâ—h this dâ—â—trine Sure I am that 〈◊〉 cause many to conceaue an euill opinioÌ„ of God hereby But now for asmuch as the secrete will of God â—â—kâ—oweâ— to none but â—o him self alone who hath râ—â—eled it to you how can ye sâ—y this is godâ— secrete will â—f it was gods secâ—eâ—â— will â—hat Adâ— should fall and you 〈◊〉 it then it is both secrete and 〈◊〉 both reueled and unreueled both knowen unknowen what greate absurditie is this can a maÌ„ call that which he knoweth vnknowen or that which is secret reueled so may a maÌ„ say hearing is not hearing light â—s no light By this straÌ„ge doctrine you wolde be counted wyse but you are so much from the right way that you are become foolish you can not content your self with such thinges as it hath pleased God to reuele in his word for our comfort but will nedes knowe gods secret will Search not saith Sirach out the ground of things as are to mightie for the but looke what God hath commanded the and looke vpon that alwaies and be not curious in many of his workes for it is not nedefull for the to se with thine eyes thinges that are secret the medling with such thinges hath beguyled many a man and tangled their wits in vanitie And in the Prouâ—rbeâ— Eyke as it is not good to eate to much honie euen so he that will searche out hiegh thinges it shal be to heauie for him wo be vnto them saith the Lord that are wyse in their own sight and think them selues to haue vnderstanding for he that presumeth to know the secret will of God and thereby will confirme his error he can not be reformed by gods reueled will which is the worde Be not wise saieth Paul in your own opinions And the holie Gost be not wise in your own conceat but fâ—are the Lord and depart from euill
And albeit that such as in gods eternall election finde no swetenes nor comfort fret fume storme and rage at the onelie mention of it yet neither dare we nor can we coÌ„ceale and suppres gods eternall trueth infinite loue and incomprehensible liberalitie towardes vs neither eshame we to confesse our owne wretched pouertie and iust condemnation into the which oure father Adam willingly wrapped him self and vs. And therefor we constantly affirme that as we were elected in Christ Iesus before all tymes so it behoued vs in time to fall in Adam to the end that the bright glorie of God might after shyne appere before men Angels Proue nowe if you can contrarietie betwext gods will reueled his secrete will How vaine is the difference which you put betwene his will his permissioÌ„ we shall shortly examin in this which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE The reason where with you go aboute to persuade this to be of trueth is very meane if a man say you could do any thing coÌ„trary to gods will then were not God omnipotent wherefor what so euer 〈◊〉 doÌ„ne it must nedes be donne by the will of God whose will no man caâ— resist I answere that God is goodnes it self his will is alwayes good yet man apt to do may do euill contrary to gods will noâ— withstanding God remaineth omnipotent suffering mâ—n to do euill whome he might destroy before he did the euill if so it pleased him Pharaâ— obstinatly refused to obey the will of God yet was God omnipotent for if God had list he might haue destroied Pharaâ— at the first and the arrogaÌ„t tyraÌ„nâ— was well worthie to be destroyed yet God vsed towards him by littel and litell such encreasse of punishemeÌ„t as he might therwith haue ben amâ—Ì„ded had not his malice ben and impedimeÌ„t Christ as he witnesseth hiÌ„ self wâ—ld haue gathered the Ierâ—solimâ—tans together as the heÌ„ her chickeÌ„s yet wâ—ld they not God wold that the Israelites should entre into the land of Canaâ— and they wold not wherefor they were caried back again through the wildernes where they perished Againe when God wold not that they should entre they wold nedes entre and were put to flight of the Cananites Thus we se plainely that many things be donne coÌ„trary to the will of God which shal be more largely declared hereafâ—er where we shal shewe howe God often suffered many things which he wold not yet to maintein this vntrueth ye alledge that which is written in Exodus thâ— 9. the Lord hardened the heart of Pharâ—o To the which I answere that which is writteÌ„ all most in the eÌ„d of the same chapter Pharaâ— hardened his heart he and his seruants and that which is written in the chapter of â—he first bâ—ke of the kinges wherefor should you harden your heartes aâ— the Aegyptians and Pharao hardened their heartes by these places I may prou◠〈◊〉 well that Pharao hardened his owâ—e hearte as you caÌ„ proue that God mâ—de him hard he arted by that other text â–ª wherefor tâ— vnderstaÌ„d howe these places do aggrâ— we must note first that al the children of Adam haue a hard wicked heart vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as Iâ—remie witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest al things liuâ—â—â— not maÌ„ hath the most deceafull stubborn heart the lord saieth that he will take the stonie heart froÌ„ theÌ„ and giâ—â— theÌ„ a heart of flesh â–ª without they had a stoâ—e heart he could not take it 〈◊〉 theÌ„ If Pharaâ— had a stonye heart as it doeth well appere in that he 〈◊〉 oppressed the people afore Moyses spak vnto him theÌ„ coulde it not be hardened more theÌ„ a stone afore it had bene millified which was not doÌ„ne for he refused to knowe the Lorde seâ— nâ—t his heart to gods miracles but at the first meting with Moises said I knowe not the Lord â–ª therfor Pharao willingâ—y wittingly did indure retaine his hard stiâ—e heart notwithstaÌ„ding he aÌ„d his sorcâ—rers were â—oÌ„uict to graÌ„t the miracles to be doÌ„ne by God in so much that he desired Moises Aaro to pray for him coÌ„fessing his office â–ª but yet after that he was deliuered froÌ„ the present plâ—gue he indured his heart both he aÌ„d his sâ—ruaâ—s so thaâ— as the Apostle saieth wheÌ„ they kâ—ewe God they glorified him not as God neither were they thaÌ„kful wherfor they were leâ—t to their owne lewd miâ—des which is the cause of hardâ—ing â–ª for maÌ„ being left of God is nothing els but a hard obstiâ—ate wicked creature and coÌ„forme to this meaning do the ancient doctors interprete this place God hardened Pharaos heart that is to say God suffered Pharaos heart to be hardened as this leade vs not into toÌ„p tacioÌ„ â–ª that is suffer vs not to be ledde into reÌ„ptacion So Iob saieth â–ª God hath takeâ—â— wisâ—dim from the Estriche that is as it 〈◊〉 there God hath notâ— giuen her vnderstanding And of his fâ—iends Iob saieth Thou hast wiâ—hholden their hearts froÌ„ vnderstanding that is thou hast not giueÌ„ theÌ„ vnderstaÌ„ding And thus maÌ„â—er of speaking is coÌ„mon in the scriptures not onely of God but also of maÌ„ as these nowe you haue â—idd the childreÌ„ of Israel out of the haÌ„d of the Lorde that is you haue not caused thâ— to 〈◊〉 inâ—â— the haÌ„d of the lorde The phrase of the scripture being this truely vnderstaÌ„ded â–ª the maâ—er shal be the easier for seing that God as Iames saieâ—h 〈◊〉 no maÌ„ â–ª that is to siâ—ne then did God neither hardeÌ„ the heart of Pharao not 〈◊〉 him to do wickedly but suffered him gaue him ouer to the obstinate hard heart which he had already aÌ„d this is the greatest plague that chanced to man to beâ—est to his owne lewd mynd as Saul because heÌ„ wold not obey the Lorde he was leâ—t of gods good spirit taken with an euill spirit theÌ„ from thence forth he became worse and wâ—rse likwyes Iâ—as king of Iuda because he wold not heare â—he voice of Zachariâ— the Prophet he was lest of God slaine in his owne bed with his owne seruants fouÌ„d vnworthie to be buried in the sepulâ—hars of the kings his sonne Amasias because be refused to heare the Prophet of the lord and soght câ—uÌ„sel of the Edâ—mites goddes he as lâ—â—e of God ouer coÌ„me by the king of Israel afterwards by treasâ—â— his subiectes coÌ„spired against him killed him Thus we see that there caÌ„ be 〈◊〉 greâ—ter plague then to beleft to our selues to be destitute of the grace of God Aâ— the yearth can be â—o more gryueously punished theÌ„ to lack the sunne dewe So the lord doeth punish his vineyaâ—d not wasting 〈◊〉 him self â–ª but taketh the hedge and raine from it â–ª suffereth it to be wasâ—ed and ouertrode by others So Iob was plagued of God onely by suffering him to be plagued notwithstanding Iob sayâ—th the Lord hath giuen aÌ„d the
Lord hath taken which is not to be vndersâ—aÌ„d that the Lord did take his goods but oâ—ely suffereâ— the deuil to take them So the Lord punished his people not that he touched them but I will hide my face from them will see what their end shal be saieth the Lord. After the same maner oght that place God hardened the heart of Pharao 〈◊〉 be vnderstand that it God suffered the heart of Pharaâ— to be hardened or left him in the hardnes of his heart which appereth to be so of that whâ—ch is wriâ—ten Exoâ—â—â—e 10. chapter how long refusest thou to submit thy self vnto me to let my people goe by this we see that the will of God was that Pharao should let the people gâ—o Secondly that Pharao â—id not subrnit himself to God that his â—ind was not conforme to gods mynd Thirdly â–ª in that he refused to let the people go it was his owne dede and actâ— not gods for if I should graâ—t that it was gods will that he should râ—fuse to let the people goo then did hâ— subrâ—yt him selfe to â—he will of the Lord which is coÌ„trarie to the word theÌ„ should God aÌ„d he haue bene both of one mynd And the will of God is all wayes good and iust â–ª whâ—ch you can not deny then Pharaâ— refusing to let the people go did well â—ustly forasmuch â–ª as it was gods will he should so doâ— wherfor Pharao oght not tâ— be punished for this good iust dede These such like 〈…〉 â—skape affirming Pharaos heart to haue been actually indured of God ANSWER How meane that euer our reasons be yet great cause we haue to giue thanks vnto God that ye in laboring w t all your wittes to oppugne obscure them are yet compelled by the inuincible grace of gods mercie to iustifie and illustrate the same which shall plainely appere by this your first answere which you make concerning the omnipotencie of God forasmuch say you as God is goodnes it self his wil is alawayes good yet maÌ„ is apte to do and may do euill contrary to gods will notwithstanding God remaineth omnipotent suffering man to do euill whome he might destroy afore he did euill if so pleased him and so ye bring forth y e example of Pharao I will not take in all points that aduaÌ„tage of you w c I think you wold take of vs most gladly if you had vs in such a streit as you haue here coÌ„cluded your selues for if maÌ„ may do euil contrary to gods will so that God for no respect for no end nor purpose wold that such wickednes should be donne for thus you must applie your words orels ye say nothiÌ„g against vs and yet that it pleaseth God not to destroy the wicked doer but to suffer him to do euill whome he might haue destroied before the iniquitie coÌ„mitted What shall I pray you ensue but that either there shal be in God two contrary willes one that willeth no wickednes in no wyes to be donne and an other that suffereth wickednes yea and that is pleased to suffre not to destroye the wicked maÌ„â— orels that there is a power aboue gods wil which compelleth him to suffer that which he wold not one of these two can you not auoyd But I wil dealle more fauorably with you Ye grant that God suffereth the euill and that he might destroy the wicked maÌ„ before iniquitie be committed if so pleased his godlie maiestie and wisdome Do ye not coÌ„sider that in this your confession is no les â—onteined then any of vs hath either written or spoken in this mater for if gods omnipotencie remaineth as no doubt it doth so perfecte and hole that he may not impede onely wicked men of their interprises but also y t he may destroy eueÌ„ SathaÌ„ him self if so pleased his eternal wisedoÌ„ what can be coÌ„cluded but y t God willingly for causes knoweÌ„ to his wisedome alone permitteth suffereth things to be doÌ„ne w c aâ—ter he will most iustly punish And thus I say doth you own answer confessioÌ„ iustifie o r doctrine for we do not teach y t wickednes pleaseth God in so farre as it is wickednes neither yet that God will sinfull actes to be donne in so farre as they are sinfull without any other further respecte But we say that as the actioÌ„s cogitatioÌ„s of the godly please God in Christ Iesus because they are wroght aÌ„d inspired by y e power of his holie spirit so y t the good workes as patieÌ„ce iustice chastitie suche lik God will to be doÌ„ne eueÌ„ because the works be good agreable to his owne nature so say we that God will yea and hath determined the works that be most wicked to be donne for y â— purposes causes coÌ„cluded in his eternal couÌ„sel Which thing if we be able to proue by the euideÌ„t scriptures of God theÌ„ oght you not to be offended althogh we preferre God to maÌ„ and his plaine trueth to your sophisticall euasioÌ„s colde interpretations of such places for the auoiding the prolixitie of many I will choose but two at y â— most plaine and most euident Is it not a great horrible sinne that a fals prophete shall come and deceause the people Yea is it not likwyes sin to deceaue y e Prophet and yet God feareth not to attribâ—t to him self bothe the one and the other for no fals prophete dothe arrise whoÌ„ God for one of two purposes doth not stirre vp to witt ether to trie and examin the coÌ„stancie fidelitie of his seruaÌ„tes orels to execute aÌ„d blind those who delite not in the veritie For Moises witnesseth in these words if in the middest of the there arrise a Prophet and he shal giue vnto the a signe and yet should say let vs go and serue straÌ„ge goddes heare him not for y e Lord your God tempteth you whether that ye wil loue your Lord your God with all your heart in all your fowle if it be the propre office of God to trye tempt and examin y e heartes of his people of his chosen children as the holie Gost affirmeth it to be Then must you confes that the fals prophetes be gods instrumentes appointed for that purpose And that God deceaueth the fals Prophet Ezechiel in plaine wordes doeth witnes saying aÌ„d if the Prophet deceaued speak the word I the Lord haue deceaued that Prophet and I will extend my hand against him and I will roote him out from the midest of my people Israel And the same doeth yet God hiÌ„ self more plainly vendicate to him self in that solemned proclamatioÌ„ made in the eares of the prophet Micheas aÌ„d boldly by him pronounced in audience of two kings Achas Iosaphat as foloweth who shall deceaue Achas to vs or who shall persuade him that he may passe vp and fall in Ramath galaad and there passed out a certen spirit standing before y e lorde he said I
others w c tyrannously and vniustly they by violeÌ„ce spoyle And thus doth y e diuersitie of the myndes of the workers make y e plaine differeÌ„ce betwext their vorkes An other God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom and in commanding Semei to curse him had respecte to his owne iustice which can not suffer sinne vnpunished euen in his derest children thereby leauing exaÌ„ple to all ages folowing y t such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes And this I think will all men confesse to be a work in so farre as it is wroght by God most iust and most equall for as God doth honor theÌ„ who do honor him so must they be contemned who coÌ„temne him But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller of Absalom the incestuous adulterer and of Semei the blasphemous curser The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne as after should neuer be reconciled The vnnaturall monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell thoght to bind vnto him the heartes of the people And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all meÌ„ and to haue broght him if possible had bene to vttermost desperation powred forth y e vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte stinking stomock The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God in which the great and vnsearcheable loue of God towardes vs doeth shyne so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God proceded from loue from mercie iustice but touching the instrumentes whome God vsed in execution of the same as in an other place I haue said they looked nothiÌ„g to gods counsell but were altogether caried to iniquitie some by auarice some by pride and by ambition some by malice hatered and enuie so that amoÌ„gest them all none was found that studied to obey God nor his holy will reueled And thus it is euident â–ª why the work of God in such cases is iust aÌ„d good as it that is wroght in wisedom mercie and iustice and that for most iust cauâ—es purpose ende And why the workes of wicked men supposing y t God in some respect will theÌ„ are yet vniust and repugning to his will neuer doÌ„ne to obey him aÌ„d therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction veÌ„geance damnation pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie Nowe let vs examine your reasons If it was gods will say you that pharaâ— should refuse to let the people go then did he submit him self to the word of the lord I deny y e coÌ„sequent for neither did Pharao knowe y e holiewil of God neither did he submit him self to y t w c was coÌ„manded reueled vnto him The will of God was in y t people to giue an exaÌ„ple testimonie to y e world y t y e onely benedictioÌ„ of God was sufficieÌ„t to giue multiplication encrease to his Church euen against the determined fury of sathan and of all wicked that he wold giue vnto his Church being afflicted most ioyful and most wonderous deliuerance and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe shal in the end escaâ—p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined y e people in bondage for any of these endes I think not then did he not submitt him self to gods will â–ª but obstinatly did resist so farre of gods will as was reueled vnto him And therfor I say that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes and most contrary mindes God williÌ„g his Name his power aÌ„d his wisedome to be preached and praised to the eÌ„d for the deliuerance of his afflicted people But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall boÌ„dage the people whom God commanded him to set at fredome libertie to serue him as he should commaÌ„d And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument by whom those things were broght to passe yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne but tyrannously and most obstinatly did he fight against God And therefor in the end most iustly was he punished Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued burst then I am assured you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit veaue the same to your great shame perpetuall condemnation except that spedely you repent Now to the rest which foloweth in these words ADVERSARIE As for the senteÌ„ce which ye alledge God maketh hard hearted whom he will and of whom he will he hath mercie this place hath bene very vnresonably wrested of some of you so that therby you haue burdened God to be the cause of condemnation who at his pleasure receaueth or resiseth such as haue either of paine or pleasure deserued nothing at all God forbid that any man should conceaue such a phantasie of God but we must first learne how God lightened all men that cam into this world which light who so refuseth him the Lord by long sufferance with bountifull benefites and fatherly corrections doeth call to repentance But if we louing darknes better then light will vtterly refuse light or after we haue bene by the goodnes of God partakers of gods grace do forsaik the couenant of the Lord then hath he mercie on whom he will and that for his own saik and others he maketh hard hearted that is he giueth them ouer to their own hearts lustes So that the cause of their induration is not the will and pleasure of God which doeth nothing without a iust cause but their obstinate wickednes which will not be reformed These suffer iustly and the other receaue grace by the mercy fo God which may when he will haue mercie on whom he will and that besides his couenant ANSWER Because that nothing resteth to the end of this y o r book your blasphemies and raling excepted which is not sufficiently before answered I inteÌ„d onely to touch those things which you vniustly lay to our charges and fraÌ„kly coÌ„fesse in what pointes you and we do manifestly dissent in opinion and doctrine and first I say that most vniustly you accuse vs laying to our charge that we burden God to be the cause of coÌ„demnation the which we all with one coÌ„sent impute to maÌ„ to sinne and to y e deuil the first soliciter to sinne And therfor except that ye can note and euidently conuict some one or mo of vs that so hath written or affirmed of God ye can not be purged from the horrible crime of vniust accusatioÌ„ aÌ„d detestable sclaÌ„der We vtterly dissent from you that God lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world in such sort as you affirme that is hat he calleth all
to repentance offereth light of saluatioÌ„ to all so that God refuseth none except such as vtterly refuse light or such as haue bene partakers of gods grace and do forsaik the couenant of the Lord. for besides the euident testimonies of the scriptures the common experience froÌ„ the begiÌ„ning doeth witnes that God in that maner hath not illuminated euery man for how many do perish in their mothers bellies how many sodenly die before their reason can iudge of good and euill how many are depriued of natural reason vnderstanding Yea how many remaine wylde brutishe liuiÌ„g like beastes and eating one another how many do continewe all their life without any other knowledge of God theÌ„ the visible creatures of God do teach them which I think ye will not affirme to be sufficieÌ„t illuminatioÌ„ to prouoke them to repentance or to atteine to life I pray you what light had Esau refused when God pronounced this sentence the elder shal serue the yonger vpoÌ„ the which the Apostle as before we haue declared doeth conclude that yer the children had donne either good or badde the one was loued the other was hated That God doeth nothing without a iust cause most willingly we coÌ„fesse But that there is no iustice in God to the groud whereof your blind reason doeth not pearse we constantly deny And therfor we must nedes affirme that to seke an other cause of gods workes then his holy will is more theÌ„ impietie for the causes be knowen to his wisedom alone why some he hath chosen to life euerlasting in Christe Iesus his SoÌ„ne and why that others are left in perdition the cause may be secrete as Augustine speaketh but vniust can it not be because it procedeth from gods will which is the perfecte rule of al iustice and equitie If that ye crye till that the mountaines resound againe the obstinat iniquitie of the reprobate will not be reformed and â—hat is he cause of their induration in fewe and sobre wordes we aÌ„swere That in maÌ„ there is no wickednes which God may not reforme if so be his godlie wil and good pleasure Albeit of these your wordes God may haue mercie when he will on whome he will and that besides his couenante some suspition may arise that greatly you do not esteme that inestimable benefite granted vnto vs in Christe Iesus his onely SoÌ„ne yet will I so fauorably interprete your wordes as I can If ye vnderstand that such as this day be ignorant of God ennemies to his trueth persecuters of his saintes may sodenly or after this be called to the trew knowledge of y t communioÌ„ which is betwext God and man by Christ Iesus I do fully agre with you for so was Abraham so was Paule and so were the Gentiles who long did liue without trew knowledge of God and without as touching their owne apprehension the assurance of his couenant and league But if you vnderstaÌ„d that God can or will receaue to mercie at any time such as he hath not elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus his Sonne before all times we vtterly abhorre that error as a pestilence most perniciouse Now to that which foloweth ADVERSARIE That place of the booke of â—he kinges The Lord commandeth Semei to curse Dauid I vnderstaÌ„d so forasmuch as God is the author of all goodnes â–ª aÌ„d of no euill he gaue not a wicked mynd to Semei But willing to exercisâ— his seruant Dauid vnder the crâ—sse and finâ—ing Semei a naughtie and euill mynded man specially towards Dauid he gaue him the bridell which being left of God he by the intisement of the deuill which was alredie in his heart did curse Dauid â–ª and Dauid being gouerned by the spirite of God did paciciently suffer the wicked to curse him hâ—ping that God wolde turne his cursing into blessing â–ª for this did Dauid knowe that without the permission and suffering of God Semei coulde no more curse him then Balaam might curse the Israelites it foloweth not therfor that God did effectually mâ—ue Semei to do the wicked dede but onely sâ—ffered 〈◊〉 yet if ye will seke to the litterall sense of this place and aâ—â—â—rm that Gâ—d did effectually command Semei to curse Dauid then I must go this way to work with you all that the Lord commandeth is iust if 〈◊〉 be iust to â—â—mmand to curse It is iust to obey to curse for the righâ—â—ousnes of the dede is knowen by the righteousnes of the commandemeÌ„t as it is uniust to obey an vniust coÌ„mandemeÌ„t so is it iust to obey a iust coÌ„mandemeÌ„t wherefor Semei obeing the coÌ„mandement of God which is iust did iustly you wil say thaâ— Semei did not obedienâ—ly thaâ— is to obey God but of an euill mynd cursed Dauid I answer you after your ownâ— saying that this was also the wâ—ll of God that Semei should haue an euill mynd and not to please God cursed Dauid â–ª for you say that God gaue him an euill mynd to curse Dauid wherfor in thaâ— he of a disobedient mynd cursed Dauid he was obedient to God and aâ— we haue said to obey God it is iust I pray you then why commandeth Dauid his sone Salomon to punishe Semei for this iust acte they which feare â—hey hore frost saieâ—h Iob the snowe shall fall vpon them likwies so long as you stick to your error when you think to auoyd one danger you shall fall into a greater ANSWER You do euer decline from the principall scope and so mak ye a fals conclusion for we do not deny but God finding in Semei at that time a wicked mynd towardes Dauid did lowse the bridle to his corrupted affections but in two things do you and we differre The first is that whether he found any wickednes in him which his godly power might not haue remoued if so he had determined to haue donne from the beginning And secondarily if so he gaue him the bridle that he might not haue impeded the sâ—me if such had bene his godly will and therefore where you affirme that God did effectually moue Semei to that wicked dede if you vnderstand that in so farre as the dede was wicked the Spirit of God I meane the holy Gost did not moue him therunto I subscribe with you for so outrageously to curse Dauid in the day of his great calamitie he was moued by that venime which loÌ„g had lurked in his breast and by the instigatioÌ„ of the deuill But if thereupon you conclude as that you seme to do by your manifest wordes that God did nothiÌ„g elles but onely suffer him Because I say that such ydle permissioÌ„ can neither agre with gods power nor with his iustice we must nedes affirme that when God giueth ouer the wicked into a lewd aÌ„d reprobate mynde that theÌ„ as iustly he punisheth sinne by sinne so doeth he more theÌ„ onely suffer There is more required that a fact be iust aÌ„d iustly and obediently
all traitours they are all I say traitours euery brother deceaueth another All men contemne me all men hold me in execration If these and other lyke places shal be vnderstand so vniuersaly as they appere to be spoken then must we be compelled to say that no true fearer of God remayned in Ierusalem when the Prophetes did preach but that all were blood thirstie all auaricious all idolaters and all dumme dogges the contrarie wherof is euidently declared For Isai had the children whom the Lord had giuen vnto him who albeit they were holden as monsters amonge men yet did they patientlye abide the Lord. Ieremie had Baruch his faithfull scribe not withstaÌ„ding his weakenes and infirmitie Abedmelech feared the Lord was fauourable to the Prophete and therefore saued he his soule for a praye and was deliuered from that day of vengeance And therefore these vniuersall sentences must also be restreyned and kept within their own boundes like as these All haue left me all seke the thinges that apperteine vnto them selues and not those thinges that be of God Which senteÌ„ces except they be restreined we shall condemne the dearest children of God who in Paules daies did valiaÌ„tly fight against the prince of this world These examples of the one sorte of the other I haue adduced to lette the simple vnderstand that such generall sentences of necessitie must be so restreined that difference may be kept betwext the elect and the reprobate For els we shall do nothing in explaning scriptures but confound light with darcknes For if the wordes of our Master Christe Iesus saying All shal be taught of God shal be so generally vnderstaÌ„d that no exception be admitted then of necessitie it is that all men and euery persone shall come to the true knowledge of Christe Iesus â–ª for of that knowledge doth he speake in that place But the contrarie thereof is moste euident euen by Christe Iesus his owne wordes who putteth a plaine difference betwext them that be giuen to him by his father and betwext them that be not giuen But now let vs briefly consider what sinners they are whose death God will not but rather hat they conuert lyue Sainct Ihon in his Epistle saith If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the veritie is not in vs. If we coÌ„fesse our sinnes he is faithfull iust to remitte to vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes c. And after Who soeuer commiteth sinne transgresseth also y â— law for sinne is the transgression of the law And ye know y t he is reueled to take away our sinnes and in him is no sinne As many as byde in him y t is in Chriiste Iesus sin not who soeuer sinneth hath not sene him nether hath knoweÌ„ him c. He y t coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuill for the deuil sinneth froÌ„ y e beginning c. who soeuer is borne of God committeh not sinne for his sede abideth in him nether can he sinne because he is borne of God Of w c wordes it is euideÌ„t y t there be two sortes of sinners the one be they who mourne lameÌ„t and bewaile their owne wretchednes and miserie vnfainedly before God coÌ„fessing not onely that their hole nature is sinfull and corrupt but also y t dailie they so offend y e Maiestie of their God y t most iustly they deserue the tormentes of hell if Christes iustice Christes mediation w c by faith they embrase should not deliuer them from the wrath to come To these is not sinne imputed for y e blood of Christe purgeth them from all sinne his aduocation and intercession maketh to theÌ„ an enterance to the throne of their fathers grace To theÌ„ is giuen the spirit of sanctification w c from time to time as it reueleth their sinnes so doth it mortifie purge the same Not that euer in this life gods elect hath bene are or shal be so cleane purged from sinne y t the flesh lusteth not against the spirit as some times affirmed the Pellagians those that then were called Cathari that is cleane purged and now also do the Anabaptistes renew the same most pestilent error by the which Christ Iesus his iustice his office and perpetuall mediation is vtterly destroyed in such sort I saye are not gods childreÌ„ purged in this life that nether they fele sinne nether yet the motioÌ„s entisemeÌ„tes of the same But they are so purged y â— sinne raigneth not in their mortall bodies for the sede of God which is the vertue power efficacie and operation of his holie spirite suffereth them not to delyte in sinne but as they are first called from darcknes to light froÌ„ the bondage of sathan to the libertie of gods children so when they sinne as there is none that sinneth not they are called againe by true repentance to their former societie and felowship with Christe Iesus The death of such sinners did God neuer will nether yet can he will for from all eternitie they were his elect childreÌ„ whom he gaue to his deare Sonne to be his enheritaÌ„ce whom the Sonne receaued into his protection and sauegard to whome he hath manifested and to the ende shall manifest him selfe and the louing kindes of his heauenlie father In whose heartes he writeth the law of God and maketh them to walke in his commandementes â—uer thirsting to a further and more perfect iustice then they find within them selues by reason of their corruption The death I say of those sinners God will not but he will that they repent and liue The Apostle saint Peter saith The Lord that hath promised is not slow but he is long suffering toward vs while that he will none to perish but will receaue all to repentaÌ„ce The Apostle here meaneth not y t al without exception shal be receaued to life by true repentance but y t the cause why God so long deferreth as it were y e extreme iudgement is y â— the electnomber of gods children may be complete as answere was giuen to those y â— cried vnder the aulter to be reuenged vpon the tyrannes that dwell on the earth of these his elect children God will none to perish as before is said But there is an nother sort of sinners farre different from these For nether are they displeased w t theÌ„ selues nether yet hate they iniquitie but against gods expresse coÌ„mandementes furiously they runne w t Cain to murther the innocent with Pharao to oppresse the people of God with Iudas to betray the knowen and professed veritie and finally so delyte they in all filthines impietie that they can not repent The eyes of such be blinded their heartes are hardened they are giuen ouer in to a reprobate minde And for theÌ„ doth not Christe Iesus pray and therefore they can do nothing but headlonges runne from euill to worse as the deuill to whose tyranny they are committed doth driue them till finally they come