of his heauenly kingdom of what estate condition or degre soeuer they be whether thei be kinges or subiects poore or ryche Iewes or gentiles Dy. But thys troubleth me sore that the Apostle saith that god hath closed vp al vnder vnbeliefe that he mighte haue mercy on al. Who wold not gather by these words that God wil haue al men to be saued PHI. The holy Apostle doth sufficiently expounde him self in another place Gala. iii. when he saith that the scripture did shut vp al vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesu Christ shuld be geuen vnto them that beleue Here do we learn plainly what they be vnto whō this promise doth perteine EV. It appeareth that it perteineth vnto al them that take holde vpon it by faith vnto none other But only thei that be ordeined vnto life euerlasting can take a sure hold by faithe vppon the promises of God as it hath bene already sufficiently proued by manye and sondrye places of the scriptures Therfore this promise dothe pertaine vnto them onlye And on all them that be ordained vnto lyfe euerlastynge and so take holde by faythe vppon the swete promyses that be offered vnto vs in the scryptures God wyll be merciful wythout dout PHILALETHES More ouer we must consider that ther in that place the blessed Apostle S. Paule dothe speake of the Iewes and of the gentiles declaringe and prouinge vnto them that they had no cause to boaste one agaynste an other For by the scriptures and word of God they wer conuinced found to be vnder synne and vnbeliefe But leaste they shoulde dispaire he dothe adde by and by that God wyll haue mercye on theym all not that he did speake of the hole body eyther of the Iewes or of the gentiles but of al them that shuld beleue of them both I meane from among the Iewes and the gentils DIDY Obiectiō It cannot be denied but that the fyrst part of the sentence or saiyng of Paule doth pertayne to the hole bodye bothe of the Iewes and of the gentiles For it is mooste playne and euydent that they were al synners and shut vp al vnder vnbelief Why shuld not the last part pertayne to the hole bodye of them both also PHILALETHES Because Aunswer that the promises of gods mercy do pertain only vnto those that take hold vpon them by faith But none do flye vnto the mercy of god and take hold vpon it by faith sauyng only those that god doothe lyghten and illumynate wyth hys holy spyryt But none dothe he illumynate and lyghten but those only whome he hathe ordained vnto lyfe euerlastyng As for the place An Aunswer to the place which is aleaged oute of Eze. iii xxxiii that he haue aleaged oute of the prophet Ezechiel it doth only declare that God is readye to pardon and forgeue any synner and to delyuer hym from the death that he hath deserued through hys synne trespace if he wyll repente and turne But what synners canne repente and turne vnfaynedlye excepte it be geuen them of God Ye knowe what Sainte Iames sayeth Iames. i. how that euery good gyfte cometh from aboue desendinge from the father of lyghts but to repent and turne agayne vnfaynedly vnto God and to take sure holde vpon hys mercy throughe faythe is a speciall good gyfte therefore it comethe of God and dothe descende from the father of lyghtes But thys specyall good gyfte dothe the Lord geue onely vnto hys electe and chosen I meane vnto them whome he hathe ordayned and appoynted vnto saluation from the begynninge euen afore the foundacions of the worlde were layed EVTRAPELVS we haue a notable example of the same in the two theues that hong with Christ They both receaued the lyke doctrine dyd see the like signes and tokens wherby they myghte haue knowen Luc. xxiii that Christ was the true Messias the only begottē sōne of god Yet one of thē only did repent and turne the other blaspheminge styl with thē that did put our sauiour Iesu Christ to death What other cause can we bringe of this but only that the one was chosen and the other was not ALBION I doo perceaue by youre sayinges that the promyses of God do then take effecte when they be receaued taken hold vpon by faith but where no faythe is there they be of no valewe Obiectiō Rom. iii. Why then doth Saynt Paul saye that the vnbelief of men can not make the promyses of god to be of nō effect Aunswer PHI. What say ye brother Albion cā the blindnes of any man make that the lyght of the sun shal be no light AL. the light of the sun shal be lighte thoughe all men were blinde PHI. Yet ye wil not saye that a blynde man can receiue any profit by the lighte of the sunne AL. There is a good cause why sith that he lacketh hys eies sighte PHI. And yet notwythstanding they that haue their eies sight do receiue profit of it I mene they haue the fruition of the lyghte of the sun and enioy the commodities of it AL. That is moste true PHI. So iudge ye of the promises of God they that haue faith take hold vpon them by it they receyue an vnspeakable profit of them and by them but they that haue no faith but contemne despise them can haue no profit by them that is to saye the promises of god are vnto thē of no effect whiche commeth not of the nature properti of gods promises but of mens vnfaithfulnes and vnbelief ALBION Nowe do I perceyue that they onely do enioye the benefit of Goddes promises that take holde vpon them by faith but this true faith is onely geuen vnto thē that are chosen ordained vnto life euerlasting wherby we may well conclude that the promises of God do only pertain vnto thē This thē shal be the sum of al A shorte sum of whiche hath ben sayed before that hath ben saied before how that god hath frō the begynninge ordayned and appointe some for to be felow heyers with his son Iesu christ of his heauenly kingdome and some againe for to be euerlastingly dampned in hell fyre and that whome he hathe ordayned before to enioy and possesse euerlastyng life them he hath chosen in hys sonne Iesu Christe afore the foundacions of the world were layde and that of hys free mercy and goodnesse and without any respect at al of theyr owne deseruinges or merites for to sette forth the glory of hys grace and to declare his mercye through out all the hole world But whom he hath appoynted to be the vessels of hys wrath them he hath accordynge to his righteous and vnsearcheable iudgements stirred vp for to be the examples of his iustice and for to be glorifyed by their dampnation wherin he dothe them no manner of wronge sithe that he rewardeth them accordinge to their naturall corruption whiche they haue of their first
A FRVTEFVL treatise of Predestination and of the deuyne prouidence of god as far forth as the holy scriptures and word of god shal lead vs and an answer made to all the vain and blasphemous obiections that the Epicures and Anabaptistes of our time canne make ¶ Set forth Dialoge wise by Ihon Veron To the most Godlye vertuous and mighty Princesse Elizabeth by the grace of God Quene of England Fraunce and Irelande defendor of the faith and supreme gouernor of this realme aswell in causes Ecclesiastical as temporal her humble subiect Ihon Veron wysheth grace long life and encrease of honour from God the father through hys sonne Iesu Christe our Lord. SOm peraduēter mooste myghtie princes wil meruail and wonder that I beyng but a pore strāger dwellinge here wythin your graces dominion dare be so bold to dedicate any maner of booke vnto your maiestye beynge so seriously occupied in the waighty affayres of the common weale and also so earnestlye geuen that to the greate comforte of all youre louinge subiectes that heare of it to the study of deuine letters and diligent reading of the godlye and learned workes of the auncyente fathers of the primitiue churche But they shall I truste cease from meruailing when they shall both call to remembraunce thys saying of Paul there is neyther Iewe nor Grecian ther is nether bond nor free Gala. iii. there is nether man nor womanne For ye are all one in CHRIST IESUS and also when they shall sette before theyr eyes the exceadynge greate Clemency and Princelye goodnesse that your grace is most richly endued withall Whyche onlye at thys presente haue so comforted mee that puttinge all vaine feare a syde I dare nowe wyth all due submyssyon and subiecte lyke reuerence offer thys my rude laboure vnto youre soueraygne Maiestye not doubtinge but that youre Grace wyll accordynge to youre wonte and accustomed bountuousnesse accept this my good wil that I beare both to your person and also to the faithfull congregation of Gods people For whose sake I haue at thys time enterprised and taken in hand to wryte and setforthe thys small treatyse of Predestination and of the deuine prouidence of God to this end that I might enarm and fence the true churche of God againste the pestiferous sect of the fre wil men of oure time Why the free wyll men are enemies vnto the doctine of Predestination which are for non other cause enemies vnto the most comfortable doctrine of Predestination which is plainlye inough if men wil haue eyes to see setforth vnto vs in the infallible worde of God and sacred scriptures conteined in the canonicall bokes of the old and new Testament but because that they wyll haue part of our saluation to be attributed vnto oure selues to the merites of oure owne workes and not the hole glorye thereof to be geuen vnto Christ and vnto the merites only of his death passion and bloudshedding Suche hathe bene alwayes the subtyl and crafty wilynesse of that most ancient serpente who deceyued in times past oure fyrste Parentes Adam and Eue for to make vs before the deuine maiestye of God rancke sacriledges I mene traitors robbers of Gods glory For whatsoeuer of our saluation we doe adscribe eyther vnto our selues or vnto our owne merites and deseruyngs the same we do most sacrilegiously plucke take away frō the gratuite and mere mercye of god from the merits of the death passion bludsheding of his son Iesu christ our lord sauior I do here let passe that by thimpugnyng of this doctrin sathan the deuil goeth about as much as in him lieth to ouerthrow the infalliblenesse By what meanes we are certifed of oure election and certainty of our election wherof we be certified by the preaching of Gods word by thinward workyng of the holy ghoste and also by iustification which we do obtain frely by faith in the only begotten son of god For take away the right vnderstāding of the matter of predestination the assurance of our saluatiō which springeth of the fre electiō of god wherby we are chosen in Christ Iesu afore the foūdacions of the world wer laid is clean ouerthrowne Ephe. i. the whole doctrine of iustification by faith as builded vp on a sandy grounde is moste easy to be blowne downe by the daungerous blaste of the wicked temptation of the spirit of mistrust misbeleue or of wauering doubtfulnes I know most gracius princes that I shal haue many ennemies for wrytīg of this work but I wil desire thē all in the bowels of our sauioure Iesu Christ that they will vouchsafe to read the whole tretise through with patiēce sobriety and iudgemēt and then I do not dout but that their āger will be pacified their mindes satisfied if at least thei be so reasonable that eyther the scriptures or the authorities of the ancient fathers can in any wise satisfy them And as for those Obiectiō that do obiect that this doctrin of predestinatiō doth hinder the preaching of gods word causeth that it cānot profit Aunswer August de bono perseuerantia cap. xiiii I wil answer them by s Augustine who wryteth on this manner As though this doctrin had hindred the Apostle s Paule to do his duetye who so often times did commend vnto vs and teache the doctrine of Predestination yet neuer ceased to preache the worde of god Againe As he that hath receiued the gift cā better exhort preache so he that hathe receiued the gyfte doth hear the preacher more obediently and with greater reuerence And a little after we do therfore exhort preache but they onli which haue eares to hear do hear vs quietly or obediently to theyr owne comforte and in those that haue them not thys sentence is fulfilled that hearing with their eares they do not hear for they hear wyth the sēce of the body but not with the consent of the hart Now that some haue eares to hear some haue not it is because that it is geuen of the father to some of them to come vnto the sonne and to thother not geuen Rom. xi Who knewe the meaninge of God or who was a counsell with him What mā art thou that doste aunswer God Rom. ix Muste that be denyed whych is plaine because that can not be knowne whych is hidden and secreat And in a other place I pray you saith this holy father if som vnder the shadow of predestination Augu. de bono per se ca. xv geue them selues to slouthful negligence and as they are bent to flater their own flesh so followe their owne lustes must we therfore iudge that this which is wrytten of the foreknowledge of god is fals Now surely this is very hansome and to the purpose that we shal not speake that whiche by the scripture is lawful to speake But we feare wyll some say least he shuld be offēded which is not able to
were hys shepe and of hys flocke they coulde not peryshe Whyche thynge may be proued by hys own wordes and sayinges whych haue bene rehearced alredy before and now for to make the matter more playne maye be rehearced again My shepe saieth he heare my voice and I know them Iohn x. and they folow me and I geue them life euerlastinge and they shal neuer perysh and no man shal plucke them oute of my hand My father which gaue me them is greater then al and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hande Here we haue The properties of the true shepe of Christ as it were set out before our eyes the propertyes of the true shepe of Christ Fyrst and foremost they heare his voice and folowe hym But they that forsake the knowen truth and turne to their olde vomyt agayne doo neyther heare hys voyce nor yet folowe hym Again as Christ geueth lyfe euerlastinge vnto hys true shepe so doth he promise that thei shal neuer perishe and that no man shal plucke them oute of his hande But they whiche after that they haue beene once lighted do fall awaye againe from the good word of God Heb. vi wherof they had tasted haue not lyfe euerlasting for as the Apostle saith it is impossible that they should be renewed vnto repentaunce they do pearyshe and are pluckt out of the shepheardes hand Therefore they are none of the true sheape And the cause whye the true sheape can not pearyshe nor be pluckte oute of the shephardes hande is onlye this because that the father which gaue them is greater than all and no manne is able to plucke them out of hys hande If Sathan than were able to bryng the true sheepe of Christe into perdition we shuld be fain to cōfesse that he is greater than the heauenly father and that he is of more power than the onlye begotten sonne of God I wold woulde wishe that they whiche do so boldlye affyrme that the electe and chosen of God and true shepe of oure sauioure Iesu Christ canne pearysh would but read this place of the Gospel where it is said that there shal arise many false Christes and false Prophettes Math. iiii whyche shall doe greate tokens and wonders in so muche that if it were possyble the verye chosen shoulde be broughte into error also Wher we do learne that though the elect be manye tymes tempted wyth erroures and wyth false and lyinge sygnes yet they can not be pluckte awaye from the truthe of oure sauioure Iesu Christ For they that are geuen hym of hys father can neuer pearyshe nor yet be pluckte out of hys hand ALBION Why dothe Saynte Paule say then Obiectiō i. Cor. x. Rom. xi Let hym that thincketh hym selfe to stand take hede least he fall And againe Art thou grafted in the people of God Be not thou hye mynded therfore but feare For God is able to cutte the of agayne and to grafte other in Feare I say seynge God hathe not spared the natural braunches least he also spare not thee Moreouer oure sauioure Iesus Christe saieth Math. xii that when the vncleane spiryte is gone oute of a manne if he chaunce to come in again the ende of that man shal be worse than the beginning Wherby we do learne that though a man be sanctified in our sauiour Iesu Christ and delyuered from the spirit of infidelitye and vnbeliefe yet he may fall into it againe Yea if the elect of God can neuer pearish what nead they to be exhorted at any tyme or to be admonished and rebuked What neade haue they that Gods worde should be preached vnto theym or that they shoulde make anye prayers vnto God PHILALETHES Aunswer As for the fyrste place that ye haue aledged oute of the tenthe chapyter of the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians it shall easelye be vnderstanded if we wyll but marke the circumstances of it We muste consider that there Sainte Paule doth wryte agaynst certayne of the churche of Corinthus whyche did liue in a carnall securitye and that beynge puft vp with a vaine confidence did forget theyr owne infirmity and weakenesse and so did fall into horrible sinnes Such vaine confidence and carnall securitye did the Prophets rebuke in the people of Israel But because that Sathan the Deuel is wont to wraste thys place for to put menne in dout of theyr saluatyon whereby it commeth to passe that manye mennes consciences are horriblye tormented we shall note and marke that there is a certain security confidence whiche is most holy godly and which cannot be separated from the true faythe By it we do wholelye reast vppon the promises of God beinge fullye perswaded in our consciences that God as a mooste mercifull and louinge father will alwaies healpe aid and assiste vs. Therefore putting a side al vaine dread and fear we do reioyce and triumph against sathan the deuell againste sinne Notwithstandinge remembrynge stil our owne infirmity and weakenesse we do withal lowlinesse and humilitye of mynde commyt oure selues vnto the mercifull kepynge and protection of almighty GOD oure heauenlye father and abyde through faith vnder the shadowe of his winges Rom viii Of this sure confidēce and trust doth the Apostle speake in many places but most specially in the viii chapiter of the Epistle to the Romains wher he saith Who will seperate vs from the loue of God trouble or anguishe persecution or hunger nakednesse or pearill of the swearde I am sure that nether death nor life neither aungell nor rule neyther power neyther thinges presente nor thynges to come nor yet any creatures either aboue or beneath shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesu our Lorde There is an other securitye or confidence Vngodly securitye and confidence which dothe rise and come of a luskishnesse when men beyng pufte vp with the giftes that they haue receiued do behaue them selues as though they were wythout all gonne shot and were in no pearil at all wherby it cometh to passe that the enemy hath them alwaies at his auauntage Therefore the blessed Apostle S. Paule doth diligently warne the Corinthians to take hede and beware of such vaine confidence and carnal security because that he did perceiue that some of them were geuen to it did please them selues in their own conceites and folishe opinions but he dothe not bid them to doubte of the good wil of god towardes them or to be in feare Against whome Paule doth speake in the .x. cha of .i. Cor. i. as vncertain of their own saluation which they haue throughe Christe in whome we are chosen afore the foundacyons of the world wer laid To be short Saint Paule dothe here speake agaynste those that were hie myneded and puft vp with a vaine confidēce and trust which was grounded vppon men and not vpon god But when he speaketh of the true securitye or quietnesse of
the which Ephe. ii in tymes past ye walked accordinge to the course of this world and after the prince that ruleth in the ayre namely after the spyrit that workethe nowe in the childrē of vnbelyef Among whom we had also oure conuersation in tyme past in the lustes of our flesh and dyd the wyll of our fleshe and of the mynde and were naturallye the chyldren of wrathe euen as wel as other Again Remēber that ye had no hope and that ye were without God in this world Againe Ye were sometimes darkenesse but now ye are light in the lord walke as the childrē of lyght Obiectiō DIDY this is to be referred to the ignoraunce of the true God which they do not denye to be in al that elect afore they be called PHILALE Wherefore then doth he by and by conclude vpon those sayinges Aunswer that they ought to put awaye lyinge and to steale no more as they had don in tymes paste When the blessed Apostell wrytinge to the Corinthyans had sayed i. Cor. vi that neyther whoremongers nor adulterers nor thefes nor coueteous persons shoulde enter into the kingedome of heauen he did adde by and by that afore they came to Christ they were defyled with all those detestable enorme sinnes but that now they wer washed clene with the bloud of Christ and deliuered by his spirit Rom. vi And again in the epistle to the Romains like as ye haue geuen ouer youre members sayeth he to the seruice of vnclenelynesse from one wickednesse to an other euē so now geue ouer your mēbers to the seruice of rightousnesse that ye may be holy For what frute had ye at the time in those things wherof ye are now ashamed What seede of election I pray you was then in them when they dyd all the hole time of theyr lyfe walow them selues most desperately in such abhominable and filthy sinnes If Sainte Paule had ben of that opinion he would haue shewed vnto thē how much bound they wer vnto the goodnesse of god wherby they had ben preserued frō such abhominable and stynking filthynesse Saint Peter likewyse ought to haue exhorted thē to whi◅ he did write vnto thankes geuing for the continual sede of theyr election but rather he dothe write to the contrarye For he sayeth i. Pet. iiii that it is ynoughe that we haue spent the tyme past of our life to fulfyll the lustes of the heathen But now Iosu ii ii Kīg xxi ii Cron. xxxiii let vs come to the examples of the scripture What sede of electiō was there in Rachaab the harlot afore she was called or in Manasses whē he did fyll the stretes of Ierusalem wyth the innocente bloude of the prophetes or in the thefe which beinge at deathes dore did then repent neuer afore Away thē with such folyshe reasonnes and argumentes whiche curious menne be wont to inuent and make without anye scripture let the same take place with vs whiche the prophet did speake saying we haue al gone astray like shepe euery one of vs hath folowed his owne waye Esay liii that is to saye the waye of perdition and of death euerlasting But whō he hath determined once to deliuer from this endlesse perdition as he dothe commonlye suffer them for a while to wander and goe astraye withal the residue so doth he at the time that he him self hathe apoynted call them to his flocke by the preaching of his word and by the inward working of his holy spirit Wheras on the contrarye whome he doth stirre vp and appoynt to be the vessels of his wrath and the examples of his seuerity and iustice them doth he for the most parte depriue of the light of his word or if he sendeth them his worde it is for to blind them the more yea and for to harden them We haue manye examples of the fyrst but one whiche in dede is mooste notable shall suffise vs now By the space almost of foure thousand yeares afore the comminge of Christe God did hide the light of his heauenly doctrine in a manner from all generatyons and peoples Now if any wold say that this was don because that god did iudge thē vnworthy of so great a benefite How longe the light of Goddes worde hath ben hidden al most frō all natiōs of the earthe we may right well aunswer that they whiche came after were as vnworthy as they yea and more vnworthy to if ye will goe to their outward liuinge and conuersation or to their manners and conditions Whye did then the Lorde geue the light of his woorde rather vnto these than he did vnto them before he should laboure in vaine that would seke out the cause of so high a matter whiche is hidden in the vnsearchable iudgementes and incomprehensible waies of the lord And if any man would go about by the occasion of these oure sayinges to blame the iustice of God let him take this one aunswer for all An Aunswer to thē that go about to blame the iustice of God We do affirme and say that none do perish vndeseruinglye or withoute a iust cause and that againe it commeth of the mere mercy and goodnesse of God that some are deliuered and saued whiche oughte to be sufficiēt for to set forth and declare the glorye of GOD and also for to stoppe the mouthe of that godlesse Porphyrius How god maketh awaye to his Predestination and of all hys vngodlye Disciples and scholers The LORDE then doth make awaye vnto his Predestynatyon when he dothe hide hys heauenlye lyghte from them whome he hathe once reproued and leaueth them in theyr blindenesse stil And of the seconde sort I meane of those that are neuer the better for the preaching of the word but rather the woorse we haue manye examples daily before our eyes besides them that be conteined in the scriptures We see that the woorde is preached to an hundreth Personnes and that twenty of them do receyue it gladlye and wyth an obedient faithe and that all the other do passe nothinge vppon it but rather deride and laughe it to scorne going away worse then they came DyDI. Question Their naughtines is cause of that PHILALETHES I do not deanye it Aunswer Act. xiii But yet this is not a full answer For the same naughtinesse should be in them also that receiue the worde except God had taken it away DyDI. Why dothe he geue his grace vnto these not vnto the other PHIL. Saint Luke sheweth the cause when he dothe say And they did beleue that were ordained before vnto lyfe euerlasting What shall we than saye of the other that do not beleue Forsothe that this come to passe because that they be stirred vp and or deined for to be the vessels of Gods wrathe Therefore let vs not be afrayde to saye wyth Sainte Augustine posset deus malorum voluntatem in bonum conuertere quia omnipotens est Li. i. de gene