lykewise in asmuche as the cause it selfe requireth that whereas some bee chosen vntoo life the refidewe must bee vnderstode too be appoynted vntoo death Furthermore seinge that the vessels of glory bee said too bee predestinated too glory the ouersetting of flatte contraries doth vtterly require that wee should conster the vessels of wrath to bee such as are predestinated vntoo death Quest But here it is noted that when the Apostle intreateth of the vessels of glory he vseth a woord that importeth doing when he speaketh of the vessels of wrath he vseth a woord that importteth suffering Ans I graunt that if it be demaunded of the middle causes whereby the vessells of wrath are caried too the wrath that is appointed for them they themselues are the onlycause of theyr owne damnation But truly this distruction is toyish For Luke iutreating of y elect vseth a participle of the passiue voyce saying as many as were ordayned to euerlasting life What was that of themselues and not rather of the mere grace of god Besides this it is nothing to the matter For we intreat not of saluation or damnation but of the ordinaunce too Saluation or dampnation which disposeth ordereth the very causes of executing theÌ„ therefore in no wise hangeth vpon them for that is altogether aboue the skies as the old prouerb sayeth To be short whither is it harder to say y some bee predestinated to dampnatioÌ„ than to saye y they bee registred to daÌ„pnatioÌ„ long agoe as sainct Iude speaketh or to say y they be appointed to wrath as Paule speaketh Lastly I said not y the dampnation of the reprobates is the ende y god purposed vpon in his fore ordinance but his owne glorye Neither also did I simply saye y the Reprobates were appoincted to daÌ„pnation but I saide they were ordeined too Iust damnatioÌ„ shewing therby that although no man be dampned but such as the lord hath ordayned to damnation for otherwise the aforesaide blasphemies that I spake of wold folow of necessity yet are none damned but such as are founde too haue in themselues iust causes of dampnatioÌ„ What falsnes theÌ„ or what roughnes hath my foresaid sayinge in it Quest You seme to be disproued by this saying God will haue almen saued and by such other like vniuersall sentences An. Then say thou that some bee dampned whither God will or no or else confesse that the saide text must bee taken otherwise which thinge the promises also doo shew namely which thâ—â—ge euen the scholemeÌ„ themselues haue espied y therby must be ment not the particulars of all kinds but all kindes of particulars 〈…〉 speake more plainly so as it may be not an vniuersall but an indefinite proposition which ought to be interpreted thus rather that is to wit that god will haue anye maner of men too bee saued which self kinde of spéeche Mathew vseth when he sayeth that the Lorde healed all sykenesses and diseases that is to say al sorts or kindes of diseases accordinge as bothe Latinmen and Englishemen doo nowe and then speake For I praye you dare anye man saye that God will haue all men saued yea euen thoughe they continewe in vnbeléefe too the verye laste gaspe Truelye no. For if it bée the fathers wyll that hée whiche beléeueth in the Sonne shoulde not perishe it foloweth that it is his will also that whiche beléeueth not in the Sonne shoulde perishe And therefore those two thinges namely Too bee saued and too come to the knowledge of the truthe must bee yoked together so as it maye bee vnderstoode that God will haue those onely too be saued whom he vouchsaueth to com to the knowledge of the truth But faith which is this trewe knowledge lyghteth neyther vppon all men nor yet vppon the ronner or willer as the Apostle witnesseth but commeth of Gods mercye and lighteth vpon them only which as Luke sayeth are ordeined to euerlastinge life and whose harts as the same Luke writeth God openeth so as they take heede to his word Then must we vnderstand that gods predestination extendeth to all sortes of men that is too wit both Iewes and Gentiles priuate persons and magistrates men and women olde men and yongmen slaues and gentlemeÌ„ suche as bee giltye of manye sinnes and suche as be giltye offeawer sinnes For these only suchâ— other like are the circumstances y are included in y foresaid sentence Quest VVill you then make electioÌ„ to bee particular Ans And I woulde fayne knowe if the man bee in hys right wyttes that imagineth Election too bee vniuersall For trulye he that taketh all maketh no choyce and hee that chooseth a thinge out froÌ„ two other things or mo must needes bee saide too refuse or forsake the things that he chooseth not Quest But surely the calling and promis are vniuersall Ans Understande them too bee indefinite yea and that in respecte of certaine circumstances of whiche I haue spoken and thou shalt thinke the rightlyer And so altogether are those things also too bee taken whiche diuerse lerned men of our time haue written about this controuersie Or else see how very reason of necessity confuteth that vniuersall callinge For if yee meane it of the calling by the preaching of the woorde it is not trewe that all men are or euer were yea or euer shal bee called so seuerallye hereafter For howe manye haue died doo dye and shall die before they haue hard aught at all of this woorde But if ye take it to bee ment of the other calling whiche hath a muche larger scope namely of the beeholding of nature wherby is vnderstoode that whiche may be knowen of god not euen this nother is so vniuersally trew as that it comprehendeth euery seuerall person For how many haue died dayly doo dye in such age as is vtterly vnfit for that contemplation There can not nor may not any calling and muchlesse any election bee warranted too bee vniuersall but onely too bee indefinite and that must also be only with an exclusion of these certein circumstances aforesaid Quest But what if wee say that all men are called vniuersally to saluation vnder condition that they beleue therfore that saluation is offered vniuersally as in respect of God which calleth and that the fault why this calling is not vniuersally of effect is not in God but in the stubbornnes of the vnbeleuers which refuse the good turne that is offred them Ans This doubtlesse is trew in some respect For no doubt but the stubbornnes of the vnbeleeuers is the thinge that disappointeth the application and efficacy of the promises that bee offered No dout also but calling hath a larger scope than election But yet your supposalls are neither truly ynough nor fitly enough spoken For first wee haue shewed that not euen the outward calling whither yee looke to that which is naturall or to that which is doone by the
thinges so euer he doth no man the is in his right wittes wil deny but it is good namely either to punishe the bad or to benefite the good Now let vs alledge examples That Ioseph came by Gods prouidence intoo Egipte and was aduaunced there vntoo great preheminence that hee might bee the preseruer of the Churche both hee himselfe sayeth it and the matter it selfe declares it And what instrumentes did the lorde vse too the compassinge of the matter Euen Sathan who stirred his brethren againste their most innocent brother the very wicked inteÌ„t of the same brethren the couetousnesse of the merchantmen and the lust of a moste mischeuous woman All these sinned most gréeuously in asmuche as they were the beginners of their owne doings But God vsing wel those moste vngracious instrumentes which thought vppon no such thinge defended his seruauntes from the famine settled them in a fruiteful soile nurtured his faithfull seruaunt Ioseph and finallye aduaunced him too the highest degrée of honour Is it not a moste rightfull worke of gods iustice that naughty persons shoulde fordoo themselues So punished he the Madianits vsinge thervntoo the spirit of discorde and the vngracious wilfulnes of the murtherers themselues so as they made assaulte one vpon another doubtles with a wicked minde but yet by the rightful iustice of god It was good that Dauid shoulde bee chastised euen after his sinne was acknowledged and forgiuen It was good also that Achitophilles trecherie Absolons trayterous minde shoulde bee discouered and sorely punished To the performance of these matters y lord vseth the outrage of sathaÌ„ Achitophells own falshartednes and Absolons owne traiterous ambition horrible lecherie and vnnaturalnes by which euill instruments the lord executed many thinges excéeding well For hee shewed howe muche hée mislyketh whooredome and craftinesse hée chastised Dauid fatherly hee punished Achitophell by his owne handes and finally he made Absolon to cast away himself The scripture beareth witnesse y our being tryed and consequently our chastisement is of the good wyll of our heauenly father that thereby he maye be glorified and his power made perfect in our weakenes And except we bee of that minde what comfort is there for the godly in so great myseries For in the triall of Iob after this maner there is vsed the spitefulnesse of Sathan and the couetousnes and excessiue crueltie of the robbers Sathan therfore dyd sinne in heaping so manye myseries vpon the seruaunt of god and the robbers did wickedly in stealinge awaye another mannes goodes But the Lorde did excéeding well in triynge his seruant and in shewinge the all sathans attemptes againste the churche are in vaine Finallye you will not denye but that the excellentest of all Gods workes was the re-emption of maÌ„kinde For the father deâ—uered his owne sonne for our sinnes â—y his foredetermined purpose and by â—he foreappointment of his eternall orâ—inance according as Peter the church â—f Ierusalem saye and the father is hée â—hat hath not spared his owne sonne for â—ur sakes And what maner of instrumeÌ„â—es hath he put too the performinge of so great a matter Surely the woorst that â—oulde be for no good maÌ„ could haue fouÌ„d â—n his hart too pursew a giltles person â—nd much lesse to betraye him condemne him crucifice him Namely euen the malice of Sathan who was entered into the harte of Iudas the cursed couetousnes and treason of Iudas himselfe the moste desperate enuye and vnrecouerable malice of the Iewes and finally Pilates nicenesse and vntowarde dealinge So is there none of these whiche sinned not moste heynouslye and all of them were payde afterwarde wyth most sore punishement at Gods hand for the same And yet in the meane whyle by thys selfesame worke he saued vs from sinne and death Que. But hereby there seemeth not any other thing to be gathered thaÌ„ that the purposes of euill persones are turned by God to a contrary ende An. Yes hereby also it is coÌ„cluded that God mooueth euen the euill wel effectually to bring his owne worke to pasâ—e by them But you must beare in minde that whiche I haue sayde namely y god dooth in suche wiâ—e mooue euill persons well too bringe his owne good worke about not as a hammer or a hatchet in aworkemans hand which are tooles that can do nothinge at all of themselues but in suche wise as the euill persons doo also mooue themselues ill too will amisse and to do amisse bicause that they themselues are the woorkinge causes of their owne euill dooinges Nowe also this muste bee added that God truely worketh in the good and by the good and that hée woorkes by the euill but not in the euill Quest VVhat difference then is there in these little woordes Ans Vndoubtedly greate For God vseth both the one and the other as instruments as ofte as he listeth and therfore he is rightly sayde too woorke his worke as well by the one as by y other But God worketh in those only whom he breatheth vppon with his holy spirit and whom he ruleth with his holy spirit eyther strengthening them in goodnes namely the Angells and the men that bee regenerated or else indewing them with new goodnesse as when he sanctiâ—teth his seruantes first of all But as for the rest he worketh not in them by doâ—ing any thing within them himself but giueth them vp to be moued and misruled partly by their own lustes and partly by the deuill howbeit in such wise as theyr lewdnesse can neyther will nor worke any thing but that which he â—ath most rightfully ordeined Question VVhat thinke you then of the name of permission or sufferance Answere If by the name of Sufferance there bee ment that difference which I spake of euen nowe namely that God woorketh not in the euyll persones but leaueth them vp to Sathan and to their owne lustes I myslyke it no whit But if Sufferance bee matched agaynâ—â— willingnes I reiect it first as false anâ— secondly as vtterly against reason That it is false it is manifest by this that iâ— god suffer anything to bee done againâ—â— his will then surely is he not God that is to say Almighty But if he be said to suffer a thinge as though he were recheâ— lesse how farre are wée of from the opinion of Epicure It remayneth then that looke what he suffereth to bee doone he suffereth it willyngly Willyngenesse therefore is not to bée matched agaynst Sufferance Agayne if it bee false it must néedes also be against reason And I say that this absurditie may appeare sufficiently too any héedefull person by this that the Aucthors of the distiction wherby Sufferance is matched agaynst willingnesse doo by that meane not only not attein to that which they would that is to wit that god should not be accounted the author of euill which thinge wee acknowledge with al our harts but also bryng the flatte contrary
couert motion of Pharaos harte tended too the executinge of that whiche the Lorde had ordeined That the Chaldies were ordeined to punishe the euil Israelites to narture the good the prophets had foretold it a thousand times yea and that in such wise as Nabuchadnezer had receiued expresse commaundement conceruinge the same thinge in so muche as the Lord doth also call him his seruaunt Yet did not the lord coÌ„maund the Chaldies anye suche thinge by name but as Ezechiell wryteth giuing ouer y kings hart partly to Sathan and to his Soothsayers and partly to his owne lustes he inclined him of his owne swaye to performe that which God had determined How much more must wee beleeue the same to be doone as oft as the lord vseth the thinges that want reason or also that bee vtterly without life as his executioners For so did he call the Flyes Froggs Gressehoppers Hayle and death too punishe Pharao So also sayeth the wysest of all men that euen the very Lottes fall not out at aduenture For all thinges serue by a secret motion to execute gods ordinaÌ„ces But this difference there is that the good instrumentes do nothinge but through faith that is to say vpon assurance that they be called to that which they doo and with a minde settled too obey But as for the euill instrumentes forasmuch as they bee led with a blynde bayrde by Sathan and their own lustes and haue an eye too nothinge lesse than to the obeying of God against whose expresse woord they eyther know or ought too know that all their intentes and purposes doo fight therefore they serue not the Lord although God doo secretly vse the trauell of them euen agaynst their willes in suche wise as they doo not any thinge else than that which the wonderfull woorknâ—aister himselfe hath ordeyned Quest Then let vs stay heere coÌ„cerning Gods eternall prouidence froÌ„ the which I se not that any thing at all may be exempted and let vs if it please you proceed to predestinatioÌ„ which I wold first and formest haue described vnto mee An. Predestination being considered in generall is nothinge else but the same thing that wee haue called gods determination or ordinance howbeit as hauinge regarde to the end or worke of the very ordinance For there is nothinge whiche the wise creatour of all thinges who doubtelesse hath neyther made any thing â—naduisedlye nor can bée deceyued or â—lter his purpose hathe not ordeyned â—othe too myddle endes and speciallye â—oo some one vttermoste poyncte of all But custome hath wonne that predestiâ—ation is considered chéefelye in the gouerninge of mankinde Thus therefore doo I describe it I saye it is gods euerlastinge and vnchangeable ordinance goinge in order before all the causes of saluation dampnation whereby god hath determined too bee glorified in some by sauinge them of his owne mere grace in Christe and in othersome by dampning theÌ„ through his rightfull iustice in Adam and in themselues And after the custom of the scripture wee call the former sort the vessels of glorye and the elect or chosen that is too say folke appointed to saluation from before all worldes throughe mercy and the other sort wee call reprobates or castawayes and vesselles of wrath that is to say appoincted likewise too rightfull dampnation from euerlastinge eyther of both whiche God hath knowen seuerallye from tyme without beginninge Question But it is a harde case too saye that there be some foreappointed to damnation and therefore thou knowest that many referre the woorde predestinatioÌ„ onely too the chosen and that they say rather that the Reprobates are foreknowen An. I Inow what that meaneth Many were afraide least they should make god the cause of the destruction of the reprobates and also report him too bee cruell if they should confesse that the reprobate also are predestinated of god But they needed too haue feared none of both as shal be shewed in dew place Againe that is but a fond startinghole For if foreknowledge as they call it cary the force of a cause no lesse than predestination doth then say they that which they wold not say But if it haue not theÌ„ may they also say the God is not the cause of the saluatioÌ„ of them that be predestinated For why The Apostle in reckeninge vp the causes of the saluation of the chosen setteth downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which these men interpret foreknoweledge in y first place Yea and Luke setteth downe the same foreknowledge as the grounde worke of our redemption Rightlye therfore dooth Austin acknowledge predestination on both sides althoughe he do now and then shole out the predestinate sorte from the foreknowen But let vs away with this stryfe aboute termes My meaninge was only too shew that I had don aright in setting down predestination for a generall terme wherof there bee two particular sortes which notwithstandinge doo meete together and that is a thinge inespecially to bee marked no lesse in the ende than in the head and originall beginning For the headspring of them both is the ordinaunce of god And both the wayes which are as it were cut out from this head doo meete agein in the vttermost poynt that is too witte in the glory of god These thinges being set down too the end I may answer to that exception of thine namely that it seemeth a hard case that ther should be som predestinated vnto death I say that these thinges insewing séeme vnto mee much harder Namely that god shuld not haue forepurposed som certain end with himself in creating men howbeit that euen as the vnwisest woorkeman of them all doo rightly witnesse the end is the firste thing in the intent of the dooer That god in creating men purposed an end to himselfe which aferwarde should fall out incertainly that is too wit in such sorte as it shold rest in the power of the clay not in the power of the potter too make the thinge come too passe or not come too passe which the workmaister had purposed That god knowinge the will of hys owne handywork should alter his owne purpose so that whereas he had determined too saue all in Christe yet notwithstandinge hée should alter his minde and destroy all such as would not incline too that purpose For all these things say I do of necessitie folow their opinioÌ„ which vphold that such as perish do perish contrary to Gods appoyntement And least wee may séeme too wander without our listes that is to say not to deale by onlye consequences of reason First I say that all opinions whiche striue agaynste the iuste proportion of faithe of which sorte this must needes bee one the graunting whereof is accompanied with so manye wicked things are plucked in péeces by the holy Scriptures Secondely I saye that as oft as the scripture maketh mention of the predestination of the chosen sorte so often is the predestination of the Reprobates confyrmed
seme worthy to please at leastwyse in somme behalfe Answete Most falfe is this consequence For God cannot no not euen of couenant allow any other rightuousnes as worthye of that name than such as is fully answerable to the law in all pointes except he wil be repugnant too himselfe which thynge were a sinne to say Thus therefore oughtest thou too haue gathered The woorkes of the regenerated do please God though they bee vnperfect â—rgo God is exceeding mercifull Question Besydes this there is mention made euerywhere of hyre wages reward requiting and recompence An. The name of Wages hath a larger scope than the name of euerlastinge life And it is certain that God of his passinge liberality rendereth temporal blissinges euen too the vngodly be they neuer so vnworthy Againe whither you referre the name of wages too eternall life or too other benifites yet doth it not folow that the same is payde as dewe det But rather this dooth most of all commend Gods mercy that he vout saueth to geue the name of Wages or hyre too the vndew reward which he bestoweth vpon vs of his owne mere grace in Christ too the end y we although we bee but vnprofitable seruantes for who is able too bestow any thing vpon god might notwithstandinge perceiue that wee haue not lost our labour Finallye although this wages be promised fréely and geuen fréely yet is it geuen too hym that woorketh and therefore it is called a wages or hyre Quest If it bee geuen too him that worketh ergo it is geueÌ„ him for his works An. Nay rather if it bée geuen wée bee sure it is not payde as a dewtye Agayn there is farre difference betwéen geuing too a woorker and geuinge for workes I may well say therefore that eternall life is geuen to them worke bicause faith shall bée esteemed by the frutes of it and rightuousnesse by faith but not payde them for theyr works sakes And after this manner must that text bée expownded where it is sayde Euery man shal bee iudged accordinge to the thinges that he hath done in his body and suche other like sentences Quest VVhy so Ans Bycause good woorkes make not men rightuouse but folowe him that be leeueth and that is aredy becom rightuous in Christe like as good fruytes make not a tree too bee good but a tree is knowen to be good by the good fruites of it Que. But alitle afore you fetched good works not out of iustificatioÌ„ but out of Sanctification An. I graunt it For there is no man iustified by imputation of Christes rightuousnes but he is also sanctified by his spirit Quest Say you then that good woorkes bee needefull to saluation An. If faith bee needefull too saluation and woorkes doo of necessity accompany treâ—e faith as whiche cannot bee ydle surely the other foloweth also that good woorks bee needefull to saluation how beeit not as a cause of saluation for we bee iustified and therfore also do liue by faith only in Christ but as a thinge that of necessity cleaueth vnto trew faith So saith Paule that those bee Goddes childreÌ„ which are led by gods spirite Iohn saith that those be rightuous which work rightuousnes And Iames also declaring not by what meanes we be iustified but wherby trew faith insticatioÌ„ are discerned proueth by Abrahams exaÌ„ple y those are not iustified which vtter no workes of faith For in such wise must Iames be made to agree with Paule too the ende it may playnely appeere how they bee but brabblers which condemne the necessity of good workes for false doctrine Question VVhat if a man should neuer be endewed with fayth tyl the laste instant of his death for so it seemeth too haue happened too the theefe that hunge by Christ VVhat manner of good works â—halll such a one bee able to bring forth An. Uerely the faith of that théefe was vnspeakably workful in that short time â—or he rebuked the blasphemies and wicked dooinges of the other theefe he detested his owne crimes with an assured and passing wonderfull faith he acknowledged Christ for the euerlasting kinge euen in the reprochefulnes of his crosse when all his disciples hilde their peace he called vppon him as his sauiour and finallye hée openlye reprooued the mercilesse cruelty and wicked spéeches of the â—ewes But the acknowledginge of sin the callinge vpon god the father in christ and thankesgeuinge are the excellentest woorkes of the firste table whiche cannot bée vtterly seperated from fayth in no man And admitte that some man beeing preuented with death is able too shewe no woorkes of the seconde table Yet is not the faith in him therefore too be counted ydle because that althoughe it haue not Charitie in actuall deede yet is it accompanied with it in possibilitie Quest I haue yet one doubt more behinde VVhy any man shoulde be damned for euill woorkes if no man be iustified for good woorkes Ans The reasone is manifest namely because that euen the lightest sin that is deserueth althoughe not the extreamest paines in euerlastinge death yet euerlastinge death it selfe whiche generallye is the hyre of sinne but no rightuousnesse can worthely deserue eternal lyfe except it be suche a rightuousnes as the law requireth that is to wit a perfect and sound state Therefore shew me one that fulfilleth the law as there is none found which is not a breaker of the lawe and I will graunt the foresaide argument Quest Saye you then that there shal bee oddes in the punishements of the damned sort An. Althoughe this matter bee to be inquired of verye soberlye yet haue I not spoken it vnaduisedly For besides that the order of Iustice requireth that hee whiche hathe sinned more greeuouslye should be more greuously punished considering that all sinnes are not alike heynous sauing so farforthe as they matche in generalitie for it is a Paradoxe of the Stoykes not of christians to auouch that all sins bee equal christ himself witnesseth the same thing expresly saying y the case of the Sodomites shal bee more tolerable in the day of iudgement than the case of them that had reiected him Quest Then shall therebe oddes in the glory of those that shal be saued An. Verelye so doothe the reason of contraries require And wheras the Apostle sayeth that suche as haue sowen sparelie shall reape sparelye it séemeth not that the same shoulde be restrained to temporall blessinges onely Quest But of sowinge cometh reapinge ergo rightuousnes and life proceede of good workes An. Truely similitudes must neuer bée racked further than the nature of the thinges that are treated of and the purpose of him that vseth the similitudes will beare For else ther wil ensew most fond false things out of nomber which thing wheÌ„ vnskilful interpreters marke not they must néedes setforth manye foolishe and false thinges But in the foresaide place the Apostle
setteth foorth the proporcionable resemblance of woorkes and glory and not y cause of glory For in all places he stedfastlye defendeth that rightuousnesse is the mere gyfte of God without the woorkes of the lawe and is not payde as a dew det but bestowed vppon the beléeuers as a grace Que. He meaneth but the works of the Ceremoniall lawe Ans A fond answer For hys matchinge of duty grace one againste another caÌ„not stand onles all the workes of the lawe bee excluded without exception and yet I wil ouerpasse other argumeÌ„ts of paules which are bent directlye against the very law of the tenne hests bent I say not toâ— deface the law which is the madnes of the Manichees but too take away from it the power of iustifiyng Again I besech you if works may be thanked for any maner of rightuousnes why should yee exclude the ceremonies y bée rightlye vsed For truly they be compreheÌ„ded in y sowerth commaundement of the ten hestes as longe as they were rightlye vsed they were most excellent workes Quest But ceremonies be abolished by the comming of Christ An. I confesse they be abolished because they bée fulfilled in Christ But the matter it self declareth that where Paule disputeth of the causes of Iustification his reasons tend not to proue that the Ceremonies bee abolished but too shew that saluatioÌ„ rested alwaies in the only rightuousnes ef christ imputed to theÌ„ that beleue for confirmation therof among other things he alledgeth y examples of Abraham and Dauid Quest Then may wee say that paule excludeth but onely the good works that go before the grace of Iustification An. No lesse fond is this answere also For besides that the Apostle alledgeth manifeestly the examples testimenies of them that were iustified namely of Abraham and Dauid to the intent I may â—et passe his other reason grounded vppon the very nature of the lawe what a madnesse were it to busie a mannes self aboute the excludinge of those thinges whiche are not at all for why to déeme that they wiche are not iustified can dâ—o anye good woorkes it is no lesse folie than if a man should say that a tree can bringe forth good fruite before it be gâ—od â—t selfe Quest But although the hyre of eternal life be not dew for the worthines of the very workes yet is it dew at leastwise by couenant An. What couenant meene you I beseeche you Quest The couenant of the lawe which is Do this and thou shalt liue And if thou wilt enter into life kepe the commundementes An. How this couenant is to be vnderstoode it is to bée sene by the threatning which is set against the promyse And that is this by the witnes of the apostle cursed is euery one that abydeth not in all the thinges that are written in the booke of the lawe that he may kepe theÌ„ But the law requireth perfect loue And no man but onely Christ hath euer performed the law to the full therefore life is dew to none by the couenant but only vnto Christ As for vs we haue it giuen vs by mere grace from out of him who also is himselfe giuen vnto vs by mere grace Quest VVherfore call you them good woorkes then if they deserue not eternall lyfe An. Surely the Latin diuines yea euen the auÌ„cient sort of them haue vnproperly vsed the word Merit or Deserue in sted of Obtein and the woord Desirt or deseruing or Merit for a good worke whiche thinge ye shall neuer finde in the holye scriptures Now although the works of y regenerate are not so good as thei shold deserue eternall life yet are they good so farforth as they proceede from the good spirit of God from a hart y is clensed by faith And agein they be good bicause y by theÌ„ the lorde is glorified our neighbor helped and we our selues also reape this excellent fruite of theÌ„ that they bee witnesses vnto vs of our faith and consequently of our election Quest Let thus far then suffice concerning both the partes of Sanctification Now remayneth that which the Apostle saith also namely that Christ is become our redemption Ans By the woorde redemption the Apostle meeneth in that place not the verye act of redeeming but the effect of it that is too say the end whervnto the sayde Iustification and Sanctification lead vs the which is this that being redeemed from synne and death by Christ we should also be made partakers of eternal life in him whose pledge and earnest penny wee haue euen in this lyfe that is to wit the holy Ghost by whom we bee sealed vp Que. But Dauid grouÌ„deth this redemption and blesing in the release of sins VVhy then adde you also the imputation of the sanctificatioÌ„ that sticketh in Christ and his fulfilling of the law An. What if I shold incounter thee with these textes Blessed are the cleane in hart blessed are the blameles in y way and suche other like woldest thou gather here vpon y the releasing of sinnes is excluded I think not So now then sanctification is ment by the terme of iustification bycause these twoo go neuer a sunder And why maye I not make answer thus also that somtimes there is mention made but onely of y releasing of sinnes not to the ende to exclude all other pates that make men blessed but by cause the rest are couerfly comprehended vnder it And if thou wilt vrge mee yet further I may also fitly answer that aâ— the other are ment by y releasing of sins For who can denye but that euen originall sin hath néede of clensinge Ergo it is compreheÌ„ded in the releasinge of sins Also who can saye that he only is too bee taken for an offender y doth some thinge which he is forbiddeÌ„ not he also which performeth not that which is inioyned him Ergo not to haue fulfilled the lawe is also sin whiche also hath néede too be released Now remaine the sinnes that is to say the déedes that are don ageynst the law wherof there is no question but they haue néede too bee satisfied for All these are released by Christes satisfaction whiche is imputed too vs all Nowe let vs come too the name of Release That man is properly saide to release a dette whiche fréely yea and vtterly dischargeth his detter so as hee reserueth no action too himselfe ageinst him Now then wee bee all of vs the children of wrath not onely bycause we be corrupted or bycause wee fulfill not the lawe or bycause wee doo the thynges that are forbidden vs but also bycause wee ought too appeare pure béefore God such as he made vs and not only not too be transgressors of the law but also to be performers of the law Therfore too she ende that we who else must perish may haue full perfecte release of all sinnes this foresaide release muste of necessitye matche with the other release