in y ◠same verse if your eyes had not dazled you might haue seene that the Apostle after his thankes giuing for his deliuerance from the danger of that same bodie of death against which he had exclamed confesseth that euen then as touching his minde he serued the law of God but in his flesh the law of sinne Which place is as cleare as the sun-shine not onelie to shew the falshood of your first reason against our interpretation of the 7. to the Rom. but also to proue so your great shame the trueth of the generall assertion aforesaide namelie that The regenerate are not free frō sinne Yet these are not all the foiles you receiue by it for it cutteth likewise the throte of your second reason before it haue time to draw one breath of life for where you say Therefore after this he thanketh God in Christ that he was deliuered from that bodie of sinne which made him to doe that euil he would not and to leaue vndone the good he would You would make vs belieue that Paul in this place was a changed man so as he could no more sin vnwillinglie as before which purpose of yours now you sée is preuented and therefore your reason spoilde yet ere I passe I must admonish the Reader to consider of what spirite this sauoureth that in alledging the 25. verse which soundeth thus I thanke my God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Now therefore euen I in my minde doe serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of Sinne. He bringeth it out thus He thanketh God in Christ and so cutteth off all the rest but chopping into the roome thereof these wordes that he was deliuered from that bodie of sin which made him to do that euil he would not and to leaue vndone the good he would A sentence I confesse of like length but neither of like nature nor trueth If anie say for E. G. For now I vnderstand he is dead that he added that part not as to haue it taken for the wordes of scripture but the sense of the place I could easely admit that answere were it not for the sakes of some of his sect who as I vnderstand can not read at all and yet are very stiffe in his opinions I know not how they haue béene this way abused Besides it is not comuenient in citing of scripture to sow anie peeces of our owne into it without putting some partition wall betwixt or bringing in the seruant in some differing weed from his maister that the one be not taken for the other of the commers in Moreouer if hee bring those wordes for the meaning of the place yet hee is too impudent and blasphemous presuming to speake directlie against the spirite of God which it is cleare that hee doth when the text saith Paule had yet such an enimie of flesh about him as serued the law of sinne and this man saith Paule was now deliuered from that bodie of sinne as made him do the euil he would not Two thinges in their substance flat contrarie though chaunge of wordes at first would seeme to couer it But lest we should maruaile at this dealing he makes a custome of the matter for the next place he bringeth out of the beginning of the 8. chap. where hee would faine make S. Paule speake according to his humor for whereas the text is There is now therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus which walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirite You must vnderstand it as it is thus paraphrasticallie deliuered by him To them which are in Christ Iesus there is no condemnation or no such bodie of death which is the cause of our condemnation for they walke not after the flesh as he was forced to doe by the law of sinne when as he did the euil he would not and left vndone the good hee would but they walke after the spirite and so doe the good they would His bolonesse here as before whether it sauour of Babilon or no I leaue it to the christian Reader to iudge But three thinges must be obserued and examined wherein beyond al reason warrant he abuseth this place of the Apostle First for the worde condemnation by that he wil haue vnderstoode the bodie of death therein without anie necessitie transforming the effect into the cause as though he would cōpel the holie ghost to speake for his purpose but without all probabilitie both forasmuch as that word is no where vsed in that sense as also this verse repeating the argument of the 5. chap. 1. verse of the same Epistle concerning iustification by faith onely proued by an argument drawne from the effectes toucheth nothing at all that speciall obiection which hee answereth in the latter ende of the 7. chapter whereby he was occasioned so to handle that conflict of the flesh and the spirite So that then we sée if E. G. would haue taken this worde condemnation in his naturall sense and not malitiously peruerted it as one that would wilfullie runne into the pit he should haue béene so farre off finding his bodie of death in it as that much rather the sunne shine of comfort would appeared vnto him to haue banished the night of dark discomfort that came vpon him in his sicknesse when as this place rather would haue told him there is no condemnation towardes thee if thou be Christes agréeably whereto the spirite saith in the 33. and 34. verses afterwarde who shall laye anie faultes against the elect of God It is God that iustifieth who is hee that shall condemne It is Christ that is dead yea rather that is risen againe who sitteth also at the right hand of God and entreateth for vs. The second thing I obserue is concerning these wordes They walke not after the flesh which walking he taketh to be al one with that S. Paule calleth the law of sinne in his members whereas he might aswell haue compared a beast vnto a man for by that other law in his members it is manifest he meant the power of sinne which gate oportunities manie times against him although in his inner man to his might he made resistance as all open eyes may sée both by the opposing of the law in the members to the inner man as also by the whole suite and circumstances of the text Contrariewise in the other place Paule speaketh of the minde giuing obedience to the law of the members which he calleth To walke according to the flesh as when there is no resistance made to sinne So that her◠the holie Ghost speaketh of a whole man willingly going after sin there of a man falling but sometimes through infirmitie also there he sheweth in what respect the law hath a worke of death in our mortal bodies according to the obiection in the 13. verse but here he teacheth a note to know our selues truly iustified by euen our sanctification according to the matters handled from
of their hearers then from them selues in their own behalfe If anie yet further aske while I haue done it This is my answere if some other els had done it I hope I should haue receiued it with thankes giuing Fare ye well most louing cosen and according to your wonted kindnesse receiue this simple token of my good will The Lord blesse preserue you and youres vnto his heauenlie kingdome London the XX. of the IX Moneth Your kinsman most louing and assured in Christ Stephan Bredwell ¶ THE FIRST PART against his wicked slaunder IN your woordes E. G. to the reader I vnderstand the disease you propounde to cure and in the rest following the causes of the same the disease is the euil life or to vse your owne words the sorie life of manie which seeme Zealous professours The causes are poyson and the giuers of that poyson The poyson is A persuasion that albeit men bee Vsurers Extortioners Drunken Leacherous c as that no sparckles of vertue or grace appeare in them yet if they at anie time condemne this euill in them-selues approue the contrarie godlines belieue that their sinnes are pardoned in Christ loue these their teachers and be beneficiall vnto them and desire to heare their delectable Sermons they maie though they cease not from their former sinnes assure them-selues for all that to bee the deare children of God sanctified by Christs spirit and so elect and praedestinate to saluation as that they cannot possiblie bee damned what sinne soeuer they commit The sicknes I acknowledge 〈◊〉 too gréeuous and this poyson I confesse is as infectious as that of the Cockatrice Who bée these mercilesse murderers that dare infect the fâ—â—de of Christes flocke with this mortall poyson You say priuie libertines carnall gospellers A colde answere in sâ— hote and necessarie sute an vnprosperous cure followeth such sleight discouering of causes But whie doe you not name them vnto vs whie are you so darke in so daungerous a matter If they bee worthelie suspected as accessaries that vpon an inquirie of murder which they sawe direct the pursuers with doubtful and ambiguous notes to take the murderers then must I charge you with as great a guiltines that seeing so many soules poysoned daily with this pestilent doctrine and knowing as you seeme the dooers thereof could finde in your heart to passe them vnnamed But let vs see whom your darke description well wayed pointeâ—h vs vnto Through the pollicie of Satan you saie this poyson is profered by such men as make a great shâ—we of godlines and yet denay as you heare the power thereof and that with most goodlie and godlie wordes of righteousnes regeneration repentâ—unce sanctification mortification and what not to seduce the simple soule By this though men of your spirit like enough perceiue your meaning yet what is this to those that knowe you not and are vnacquainted with your phrases You giue slender addresse hereby to the simpler sort that I saie litle of the offence you laie before them to stumble on whilest your description giueth no speciall difference but hath al the notes pointing out the best sort of preachers If you aske mee whether those be the best preachers that make a great shewe of godlines and yet denaie the powre thereof I answere if you had left this note so to the libertie of mens iudgments and not restrained them with as you heare to applie the same to your onelie accusation and thereby to iudge I would not neither coulde I haue occompted this note in anie wise appliable to a godlie preacher But now séeing the note to stand in these wordes This poyson is profered by men that make a great show of godlines and the other wordes And yâ—â— denaie as you heare the power thereof to be but an enforsâ—â— conceipt of your owne peruerse vnderstanding wee haue good cause to crie out of you that haue giuen vs no other notes to know the poisoners by then such as maie agrée especiallie in the iudgement of the vnexercised with the truest teachers of the gospell Againe in that sentence and by that clause is daungerouslie insâ—nuated vnto the simple that euen the preachers of godliest outward shew and God onelie iudgeth the heart him-selfe with the most graue and godlie tearmes of regeneration sanctification such others doo nothing els but vnder hand and priuilie as you spake sowe those venimous séedes of poisonous doctrine aboue mentioned which as it shall appeare Christ willing to be as false as the Deuill him-selfe so layeth it open a wide gappe vnto all Atheisme on the one side and on the other side armeth the Dartes of the persecuting papists as it were with wilde fire against vs. Their father the Deuill who is a lier from the beginning hath of late yeares erected them a newe Forge in the Shop of the blasphemous Jesuites how heauie a iudgement is comne vpon you that of a christian are become a minister of matter vnto that broode to coyne new reproches and reuilings against the christians and saintes of God But saie you in sadnes E. G. that this abhominable doctrine by you mentioned is openlie taughte by men of great godlines in outward appearaunce Naie doo you saie that it is taught generally or for the most part in the Church of England speake plainelie man and be not cawtelous like the old serpent If here you woulde shrinke the want of such exceptioÌ„s in your writing your quarelling at such pointes of doctrine as they all dooe holde with swéete consent the generall accusation of the liues of the gospellers together with your wilfull departure from our Church are as a walle behinde you so as you cannot hide your heade And if you stande forth and abide by it then I aske you where is your euidence where be your proofes and witnesses Haue you no déede of theirs to shew against them Nor none to depose with you and yet would you bée belieued of your bare worde You I saie a priuate man accusinge the Church of God in a whole kingdome What saide I in a kingdome Naie throughout Christendome for in preaching the redemption by Christ they haue all troden one common path with our ministers as appâ—ereth both by their confessions commentaries and printed sermons If this sinne be not in time repented E. G. thinke not otherwise but in that great daie before the iudgement seate of the Lambe you shall pleade guiltie holding vp your hand with Satan th'accuser of Gods children But you saie If they shall blame me because I bring not their meaning in their owne woordes let them shew their meaning to be otherwise then I haue set it downe or els all that feare God and loue goodnes must needes abhorre them c. Naie rather it was your part putting on the person of an accuser to haue built herein vpon so sure a grouÌ„d of profe as that either you would haue brought forth their owne wordes or writinges saying so much exprâ—sâ—ie
works of righteousnes haue in their conference vrged you with these places of Paul which you resisting as a man voide of all vnderstanding can make no difference betwéene light and darknes life and death heauen and hell To the fourth place you bring They will aske then from whence came that will to doo well c. Prouing good the former interpretation of the seuenth to the Romans and affording neuer a word for your mōstrous accusation what should I saie but that it is truely verified of you A true witnes deliuereth soules but a deceiuer forgeth lies The fift obiection wherein you saie They make the inuer man and the spirit of Christ all one as it maketh neither too nor fro for your cause so is it a bastard perhaps of your own begetting the Preachers of the Gospell teach it not This man is desperately bent to slaunder that forgeth false obiections to féed the fire of his quarrell If anie your friends E. G. think it not likely that you forged it because you made it no more pregnant for the proofe of your cause let them know that as this argument hath not vertue enough to cleare you of iust suspition though you be suffered to enforce it as far as you can so contrariwise it being exactly weighed in the vnpartiall balance of vpright and circumspect iudgement dooth not onlie point in secret to the forgery but as in certaine cyphres also vncouer the cause and as it were the cogitation of your hart therin For whilest it proueth nothing your accusation but is onlie vsed by you as a plaine song for your furious penne to descant vpon what els appeareth it but some new affected standing wherein you would set to sale other farre fetcht wares of your pelagian heresie All which stuffe the Lord willing shalbe sorted out and examined hereafter in his fitter place Your sixt instance of there peruerting scriptures to teach that wicked doctrine you accuse them of is this That they saie the holie Ghost meaneth him onlie to be the seruant of sin and of the deuill who willingly with delight committeth sin not misliking nor striuing against it If I saie this interpretation were not aright yet it saith neuer a word ne giueth one backe nor winke to witnesse against the teachers thereof the intoilerable accusation which you as one that cannot blush haue laide against them Therefore take vnto you this saying of wise Salomon as a glasse wherein to sée your selfe if possibly anie prick of remorse maie pearse into you Foolishnes is ioy to him that is destitute of vnderstanding but a man of vnderstanding walketh vprightly And a litle before The mind of the prudent seeketh knowledge but the mouth of fooles is fedde with foolishnes What I can saie to warrant their assertion you shal heare anon after I haue once throughly shewed how honest a man you are of your word Yet or I passe let it be noted in this place that of these six witnesses which you haue indéede not orderlie produced but forcibly haled into the Court to testifie for you not one of them would doo you that fauour as to giue you a good countenance but presentlie turned their backes so soone as the matter was but repeated and in a deepe silence departed Wherefore now at length being somewhat spent of witnesses and hardly distressed in your cause you set forth your selfe to entertaine your iudges partly with the odious repetitiō of your vnproued slaunder and partly with a new craft of subtile insinuation as though our Ministers indéed by an argument of comparison did driue at some such conclusion as you haue enforced vpon them For answere whereunto I must tell you first that whilest you procéed thus you betraie the verie issue of your cause into my hands For whereas in the beginning you knew that our Preachers saide not that in expresse words which you accuse them of and yet charged them still to teach no other thing in effect you grew on then to this point that you would proue it by shewing how they peruert the holie scriptures to that end Hereupon wée haue ioyned our issue hitherto your proofes haue failed and now you fall a shifting as though you would alter your issue So that A wauering minded man is vnconstant in all his waies But I am content to make no gain of this vantage my cause is full so good as that I doubt not to ouerthrow you although I yeld you all those liberties helpes that may any way lawfully be vsed of you in this case Now let vs hear you These men you say do hold That the spirit is in their belieuers though they bee wholy possessed of pride couetousnesse c. because wee see fier may bee raked vnder the ashes and the sap may be in the root of the tree and yet appeare not Which men where be they when heard you it E. G lying is no lawfull helpe I can not graunt it you Or if you heard it not perhaps you might reade it tel vs what writers do so apply that similitude for this he bringeth not a sillable to satisfie vs. O beastlie impudencie O Babilonish pride O palpable impietie But I will stay my selfe in exclaming though this man hath neither stop nor stay in lying But do you perswade your selfe E. G. there are anie so seruilely addicted to your heresie as that they shoulde easely brooke this lothsomnesse of your lying and forgerie for my part though I know as experience of all ages hath confirmed vnto vs that there is no heresie so foule or vgglie but it shal finde too manie fitte subiects to receiue it such is the iust iudgement of God vpon those that rest not them selues in his trueth yet am I in very good hope that this grosse impudencie and apparant sinne of slander which thus raigneth in you throughout all your writing will giue as cleare light as the sunne vnto the consciences of all those that haue anie feeling not onelie that your accusation is without proofe but also that your opinion of the full power of the regenerate man ouer al his waies to absteine from euil and keepe the commandements is besides the falshood of it a verie monster fearefull and venomous not to be approached of anie that would auoide the poysoning of their soules But of this more fully in his place Meane time let euerie faithful brother know this that the ministers of the Churches professing the gospel generallie throughout Christendom I speake not of anie limbes of the diuel in corners do vse this similitude of fire raked vnder the ashes and sap in the rootes of the trees onely in the case of some afflicted conscience and not otherwise As for example there be manie deare children of God that either immediatlie vpon their new begetting to the faith or shortly after in the growing vp of the same God in his wisedom so seeing it good for them are not so daungerously as grieuously for the time
it is false and pepish doctrine to make obedience anie cause of our election when as Christ plainly sheweth their hearing following of him to be signes of their election putting the only cause of it in his fathers gift in the 29. verse Then also a childe may see this is nothing to the question for wee enquire not of the causes but of the certaintie of our election The latter part of his answere is in these words When as therefore we doo heare the voice of Christ and follow him then may we be sure that wee are his chosen sheepe which can neuer bee plucked out of his hand nor perish but that wee shall haue eternall life But when as we refuse to heare his voice and will not follow him but our owne fancies and euill lusts then may we be sure that we are not his chosen sheepe How this agreeth with the former part of his answere I refer it to the reader and what his crasie head here ran vpon I will not determine Only this sufficeth he granteth in these words an euerlasting certaintie of the state of those that are Christes chosen shéep therefore he granteth the argument of the place and so consequently the question Thus the Lord can make the enemies of his trueth to wound themselues Another of the places hee bringeth I acknowledge which is this The gifts and callings of God are without repentance His answere to this is That it was written to proue that though the Iewes were reiected and reprobated for a time yet at the last they should bee conuerted vnto Christ because God had from the beginning chosen them for their fathers sakes A lier is best knowne by his shifting and it is their propertie if they can possibly auoide it by circumstances they will neuer speake directly to the purpose as knowing they shal then be taken tardie So E. G. being pressed with the place aforesaid telleth vs a tale of the verse going before it in the text that of the Jewes shall also some be saued because they were chosen for their fathers and so cunningly passeth ouer the proofe of that reason which the Apostle yeldeth and which was now the question For the Apostle hauing rendred this reason why of y â— Jewes there should be saued to wit because there was of them elected for their fathers sakes hée sawe this néeded further proofe séeing men might think their election to be a matter of nothing to them that folowed not the footsteps of their godlie fathers Therefore in the 29. verse he confirmeth his former reason by this vniuersall and perpetuall principle For the gifts and calling of God are such as he cannot repent him of As though he should haue answered the former obiectioÌ„ in mens minds on this sort The gifts of God in the 9. Ch. 4. v. and his calling wherby he tooke vnto him this nation for his people in times past are not the gifts and calling of a man who is apt to repent him of his facts but they are of God who cannot be changed and is subiect to no repentance whereupon it followed that their election stood certaine and could not be disanulled by anie meanes Yet E. G. who presumed so much of his quicke sight that hee durst set downe these points and interprete diuers scriptures contrarie to the receiued iudgement and sense of the whole Church of GOD was so blinde in espying the consequence of this place that he asketh how this doeth prooue that he can neuer fall away from God that is once truely called and sanctified Certeinly hée shall neuer iudge colours for me that is not able to discerne one inch before his eies But lest he haue left any as dim eids as himselfe behinde him I will lend them these spectacles to make the letters greater Whatsoeuer is done not to be repented of for abideth euer vnremoueably but the gifts that God giueth and the calling wherewith he calleth his are done not to be repented of therefore they abide for euer vnremoueably And so consequently there is no breaking of anie more The parts are plaine and the argument I doubt not to auouch it against anie heretike inumcible Now to these arguments I wil adde two or three me not as my store for I protest I could fil a 〈◊〉 treatise with the proofes for this purpose nor yet as a thing verie needfull considering what hath béen said But for the desire I haue to satisfie all such as are not wilfully bent to contention E. G. hath granted before That they are certainly Christes chosen sheepe which heare his voice and follow him Now we take all the truely sanctified to be such therfore those whom we vnderstaÌ„d here for truely sanctified are all one with those E.G. accounteth the chosen sheep of Christ Herevpon let this be the third argument for the perseuerance of the saints They that cannot be seduced cannot fall awaie but the elect cannot be seduced if the word of Christ may bee taken 24. Math. 24. verse therefore the elect cannot fall away 4. Christ saith 4. 10. 14. verse Whosoeuer shall drink of the water that I wil giue him he shall not thirst for euer but that same water which I will giue him shall become in him a fountaine of water springing vnto eternall life Now what hee vnderstood by that water is explaned in the 7. of John 39. verse where it is said to be the spirite which Christ wold giue those that beleeued in him Wherhence I reason thus Whosoeuer haue the holy Ghost promised to abide in them for euer shall neuer fall away but all that truely beléeue in Christ haue this promise therfore they shal neuer fall away and so consequently the state of the saints is vnchaungeable 5. That blasphemous absurditie which before hée foolishly charged our doctrine withall touching the inward man of the regenerate shall most necessarily bée found the consequence of this his srensie For if the spirite of God may bee cleane put out in the saints as he most grosâ—y granteth how can it be auoyded but that he maketh the deuill mightier then God himselfe Christ indéed is that strong man that many times that is in all that are ordemed to life entreth by force and driueth Sathan out of his kingdom And although Sathan also cease not to assault the Cities of Christ that is the saints in whoÌ„ Christ owelleth by his spirite yea to batter some pinnacles or towers of the same yet that hee should be able to take the spoile of it â—â— cast out Christ the king and raign himself in hissteed is abhominable to be thought and ouermatcheth in measure the greatest blasphemie of the Papists 6. The golden chaine of so sure a making as the linkes can neuer be sundred in 8. Rom. 29. 30. verses warranteth vndoubtedly this doctrine vnto vs sith that iustification the lowest linke by the order of working is indissolubly coupled with glorification the highest linke for the assurance of