owne contempt themselues dâ—â— first reiect God and by their wilfull obstinacie refusâ— his grace when it is offered vnto them How euidently do these men oppugne the Scriptures of God For if election and reiection depend on the actions of men after they be borne how can it be true which the Apostle teacheth that we are elected before the foundation of the world and that God elected Iacob ad hated Esau before they were borne when as yet they had done neither good nor euill Is not here a reiecting of Esau before he by his owne actuall contempt reiected God or despised his grace Or did Esau more then Iacob reiect God before he was borne Or if we seeme to any to straiten their opinion though their bookes and writings do testifie this to be their sence and meaning seeing our workes committed actually in time can no way be the cause of that Decree which is eternall and before all time Let vs proceed and see if the same works being from euerlasting foreseene foreknown by God as if they had been done may truely be said as some of better note haue taught to be the cause of our election to eternall life Now if we will herein hearken to the Apostles doctrine we shall cleerely perceiue that our faith sanctitie and all our good workes are so farre from being the cause of our election that they are in truth the very effects therof For we are elected that we should be holy and without blame Ephes. 1. 4. And the Apostle saith of himselfe 1. Cor. 7. 25. that he obtained mercy that he might be faithfull Whence it is manifest that God did not first foresee vs good and faithfull and therefore elected vs but first he elected vs and for this cause decreed to make vs faithfull good and holy in his sight And therefore Saint Austen hauing sometimes taught that God did chuse vs because he foresaw that we would beleeue afterwards retracteth and recalleth this sentence as erronious and deliuereth a truer lesson that faith is the effect of Predestination not the cause seeing the Apostle faith not that hee obtained mercy because he was faithfull but he obtained mercy that hee might be faithfull For we are not called saith he because wee did beleeue but that we should beleeue Againe when the Apostle demandeth 1. Cor. 4. 7 Who separated thee which was an other and principall motiue to Saint Austen to retract his former errour had the cause of our election beene either our faith or good workes foreseene it would haue beene easily answered My owne faith my owne workes my owne good will to embrace Gods grace these being foreseene by God separated me and moued God to elect mee rather then others but the Apostle knowing all these to bee the gifts of God and effects of his free loue and election referres wholly our separating from the rest to the grace and good pleasure of him who saith Luk. 12. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the Kingdome that so no man might boast of himselfe but he that gloryeth might glory in the Lord. In the 9. to the Romanes the Apostle disputing this matter of set purpose and at large sheweth that though Iacob and Esau were in themselues alike before God not hauing done either good or euill the one more then the other borne at the same time and of the same parents yet for all this equalitie God loued Iacob and hated Esau. And because this might seeme vniustin the eyes of man that of two being altogether equall and alike the one should be loued and the other hated of God the Apostle proposeth to himselfe this great difficultie as S. Austen rightly calleth it What shall we say then is there vnrighteousnesse with God Now if God had loued and elected Iacob for his good workes or faith foreseene or hated Esau for his prophanenesse which from all eternâ—tie hee did foreknow surely this question not onely might easily be answered but there were no difficulty nor doubt at all therein For what vnrighteousnesse can this sâ—eme to any that God should loue Iacob who hee knew would loue and obey him or why should he not hate Esau of whom hee foreknew that hee would be a wicked a prophane person and one that would hate the Lord But the Apostle answereth not in such wise but knowing right well that God without all respect to the good or euill actions foreseene in the one more then in the other loued Iacob and hated Esau and knowing that the good actions of the one were not causes but effects of that loue of God and of his grace which he in mercy gaue vnto him and that the euill actions of the other proceeded from the want of Gods loue and of his grace which hee in iustice denyed or would not giue vnto the other He I say knowing all this giueth another and better answere that howsoeuer this may seeme vniust to the eyes of man yet it is in truth most righteous because it is the will and the good pleasure of God so to doe For I will haue mercy saâ—th God on whom I will and whom he will he hardeneth And that we might plainely see that there is nothing at all in any one which did or could moue God to loue and elect him rather then another the Apostle addeth this Conclusion as ensuing necessarily on that testimony of God So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy The true and certaine cause then why God in particular elected these and reiâ—cted the other is no way in themselues nor in their workes either actually perfâ—rmed or foreseene and foreknowne by God but it is wholly and solely in God himselfe It is euen his good pleasure and will who as he elected vs that is pull'd vs out of that masse of perdition from the rest according to the good pleasure of his will so by the same his good pleasure and will did he leaue others in that masse of sinne whom he made vessels of wrath and as Saint Iude saith ordained to condemnation The reason of both which is that which the Apostle expresseth Hee sheweth mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth With what reprochfull speeches this doctrine and the teachers therofare reuiled you are not ignorant their bookes are too euident witnesses thereof And no maruâ—ll if they shoot their arrowes of most venemous words against men seeing they feare not to open their mouths against heauen in the insolent folly of their wits plead against God whose most holy will Iustice in this case they seeke to ouâ—rthrow First say they It can not withstand the will of God to ordain any to be vessels of wrath or to destruction for God witnesseth and that also with an oath Ezech. 33. 11. that hee desires not nor would the death of a sinner but that the wicked
Then will I professe to them I neuer knew you Depart from me ye workers of intquity Wherefore to returne their own reason against themselues Seeing God knoweth that is loueth and approueth all those whom he electeth as St Paul teacheth but neuer knoweth in this sort any Reprobate or vngodly man as our Sauiour professeth it remaineth true and certaine euen by that very Text whereon they most rely that not all men without exception but only some are elected of God and ordained to euerlasting life Concerning the number of which the Massilians and some other most ignorantly and impiously taught that it was not defined nor set downe by God but left so vncertaine and depending on the wils of men that according as they were either willing or vnwilling to embrace the grace of God the number of the Elect might be either augmented or impayred A conceit so repugnant to the truth that though their other error touching mens wils were admitted yet can it no way stand with the praescience of Almighty God who knowing all things yea the very thoughts of men long before euen before all eternitie can not bee ignorant either how many will or how many himselfe will haue to embrace his grace and to be saued Some others haue fancied that though the number of the Elect which the Schoolemen call Numerum formalem bee certaine yet the persons who are to make vp this number called by them Numerus materialis is vncertaine and not defined by God A fancy indeed seeing the Scriptures plainely teach that God in his secret Councell hath decreed not onely how many but in particular also who those are whom he hath chosen to bee heires with Christ. For when our Sauiour saith that euen your names are written in Heauen and that he being the good Shepheard calleth his Sheep by name that he knoweth whom he hath chosen and when the Apostle saith The foundation of God standeth sure and hath this Seale The Lord knoweth who are his What else doe or can these import but that God hath most certainly decreed and set downe in writing not onely how many but euen particularly who they be yea and what their names are whom hee hath chosen and sealed vnto eternall life and this number as Saint Austen saith is so certainly set downe with God that neither any one of them can be taken away nor any other can bee added vnto them Now what this number in particular is â—as to set downe is impossible for mortall man so to search it out were most vaine and fruitlesse curiositie Let this suffice vs to know that though this number in respect of the wicked is but small seeing Christ telleth vs that many are called and few chosen and that many going the brâ—ad way which leadeth to destructioÌ„ and few in the narrow which leadeth vnto life Few indeed in respect of those many ryet euen those few coÌ„sidered in themselues are an exceeding great number For the seed of Abraham is like the Starres of heauen or as the sand of the Sea shore such as can not be numbred And I may truely say of the Elect they are a number numberlesse Saint Iohn himselfe warranting this saying Reu. 7. 9. where besides those thousand thousands that were sealed of the Iewes he saw a great multitute which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Languages whâ—ch stood before the Throne cloathed with long white Robes and hauing Palmes in their hands in regard of which infinit number our Sauiour telleth his Disciples that in his Fathers house are many dwelling places And let this suffice to bee spoken of the parties which are elected The next point to be considered in our election is the cause thereof Where first it is vndoubted that the declaring and manifesting of Gods glory is the cause why God in generall would elect some and reiect some other when all were alike before him in the same masse or lumpe of perdition That one saying of Salomon doth sufficiently proue this Pro. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake that is for his owne glory and honour For when wee were all included in the same masse of sinne out of whâ—ch God elected some and left others therein if God had then refused all as in iustice if it had pleased him he might haue done neuer could those glorious riches of his mercy haue been knowne vnto vs which now are manifest in sauing his Elect by Christ. Againe if then by a generall Pardon hee had released all as in mercy if it had pleased him he might haue done then could we not haue seene the glory of his iustice which now in the deserued punishment of the wicked is mightly and manifestly declared vnto vs. So then to make knowne vnto all the glory and praise of his mercy in the one and the glory and praise of his Iustice in the other he framed of the same Iumpe and masse of sinne some to be vessels of mercy by electing them vnto life and he left others to be vessels of iustice letting them alone in that state of damnation into which all mankind had plunged it selfe But if wee wade further into this doctrine and search not only why in generall God elected some refused others but why in particular these are elected rather then the other as namely Iacob rather then Esau and St Paul rather then Iudas seeing not onely they both were in themselues alike but Gods glory had no lesse been seene in electing the one then the other if it had so pleased him as now the cafe is more difficult so are there diuers men of diuers iudgements Most fond of all others is the dreame of Origen who thought that mens soules were created long before their bodies and according to their good or ill deserts before their vniting to the bodies God elected some men unto life and appointed others vnto death though none as he supposed to eternall death Which errour of Origâ—ns is not onely by all sound Philosophers reiected who rightly teach that the soules are not created before but in the very instant of their coupling to the bodies so is it together with Origen the Author of it and with the Priscilian Hereticks who after Origen reuiued the same most iustly condemned by the iudgement of the Church truely and constantly teaching that the soules were not before their inspiring into the bodies For this time contenting my selfe with that one cleere testimony of the Prophet Zech. 12. â— that God formeth the spirit of man in him I will passe from this errour as unworthy of any further expence of time Others there are who haue taught that Gods electing of these and reiecting the other dependeth wholly on the will of men themselues and not of the Decree or will of God and that there is none reiected of God â—â—ll by their
nor will they beleeue nor liue in pietie for I will harden them as I hardened Pharaoh not giuing my grace nor working faith and sanctitie in them And this is part of the secret will of God not reuealed vnto vs but onely in the elect themselues and some few whom God hath witnessed in his Word either to be heires of life or to be partakers of eternall death Of these two premises which are parts the one of the reuealed the other of the secret will this conclusion is inferred which is the absolute decree of God Therefore these and these haue I elected and will in mercy saue Those and the other haue I refused and will at the last day in iustice condemne and cast into euerlasting fire Thus you see that the one will doth no way contrary the other but with a sweet harmony they both concurre in one Demonstration wherein from the effect of Gods will which in giuing his grace is our beleeuing and in not giuing his grace is our not beleeuing wee proceed vnto the cause of both which is the absolute will of God in electing these and the absolute will of God in reiecting or leauing the others Nor is that in any sort to bee allowed which some of later times following the fancy of Iulianus the Pelagiâ— Heretick doe affirme and teach that God vseth not his absolute but oâ—ely his conditionall will in this case of mens saluation so that if men doe beleeue and repent they shall then be saued leauing it to mens owne will and choise whether they will beleeue and repent or no For then would our Sauiour neuer haue said It is your Fathers wil to gliue you the Kingdom but rather he would haue said It is your own wil in that ye belieue for which God doth and wil giue the Kingdome vnto you Nor could that be true which againe he saith You have not chosen mee but I haâ—e chosen you seeing if his will were in this case onely conditionall he should neuer chuse man before man had first chosen God by choosing to beleeue in God yea the saluation of each man should by this means depend wholly on him that runneth him that willeth and the Apostles words so cleerely and certainly set down should be vntrue It is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercy By which words is cleerely signified that the onely cause why this man rather then another is chosen vnto life stands not in the will of man but of God who by his absolute will decreeth to giue his grace vnto one and thereby make him to beleeue and runne the race of piety and so be saued and by his like absolute will decreeth to harden that is not to giue his grace to another so leaue him to runne on the race of his own wickednesse vnto eternall perditioâ— This being obserued it is not hard to answere those places of Scripture Where it is said that God would haue all men to come to repentance and be saued For if these and the like speeches be vnderstood not of all sorts or degrees of men as besides others St Austen often expounds them but as they take them of all men without exception of any then can they no way be meant of the absolute will of God seeing then it were impossible that any at all should perish for if they did the will or wickednesse of man should make frustrate the wil and Counsell of God And who is able to resist his will Of which himselfe saith 46. 10. I will doe whatsoever I will and of which S. Austen saith that many are not saued non quia ipfi sed quia Deus non vult and quia nolit saluos fieri not because they would not but because God wil not that they shal be saued or he had absolutely willed that euery one without exception should be saued how could Saint Paul haue said of those vessels of wrath that they are prepared or Saint Iude that they are ordained or as Saint Austen and after him Fulgentius and others often speake predestinate to destruction and coudemnation For none can doubt but what God prepareth ordaineth and predestinateth that also he willeth seeing predestination is his very will Hence it is that some considering that those testimonies could not be meant as they suppose of the absolute will of God seeing by it he will haue many to perish doe expound them of his reuealed which is called his conditionall will for by it God wil haue his Gospel preached and saluation conditionally offered vnto all and so all conditionally to be saued to wit all who performe that condition of faith and sanctitie which is required of all But I rather assent to the iudgement of others and specially of Saint Austen who by those generall speeches of all and none vnderstand not all men without exception but all Gods Elect and chosen children expounding the places in this manner that God would haue all to come to repentance and be saued namely all his chosen of what degree or condition soeuer they be and againe he would haue none to perish to wit none that beleeue in him none of his elected seruants of what degree soeuer Which restriction is the more agreeable seeing Christ himselfe seemeth of set purpose to set it downe Math. 18. 14 saying It is not your Fathers wil that any of these little ones should perish He said not It is not Gods will that any should perish but granting this of some hee saith It is not Gods will that any of these little ones of these chosen ones who are little meane and contemptible in the eyes of the world that any of these should perish And the very circumstances in Saint Peter Who is an expositor of Exechiel do enforce the same limitation For besides that hâ— writeth this to the elect of God who had obtained like precious faith with himselfe he giueth this as a reason of the long patience of God and his slacknesse in comming vnto ludgement because God would haue no man to perish but would haue all to come to repentance Now the reason of Gods slacknesse is not the repentance and saluation of all men without exception for if he stayed for that he should neuer come vnto ludgement but the reason thereof is the expecting and waiting till the elect be all effectually conuerted and their number fulfilled as it is most manifest Reu. 6. 10 11. where those blessed soules vnder the Altar crying vnto God How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud receiue this very answere that here S. Peter giueth that they must rest and stay yet for a little season till the number of their fellowâ— seruants and brethren were accomplished Wherefore though God will haue none of these his chosen children and of their fellow seruants to perish for whose
celestiall Hauen they will certainly make shipwracke of their saluation the Spirit of GOD assuring them that bee that beleeueth not is condemned already and that euery Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be â—ewne downe and cast into the fire As for the rest wee cannot speake to any one in particular as one retected of God for neither can any knew of another no nor of himselfe neither that hee is a Reprobate seeing at the last watch yea euen at the last gaspe God may effectually call and conuert him and wee in charitie are both to iudge and hope the best of all Yet euen them also if wee know any to bee such wee would not cease to stirre vp vnto all the duties of a Christian life assuring them that if they will beleeue and liue in fanctitie and holinesse they shall be crowned with glory God himselfe saying to Cain whom hee knew to bee a Reprobate If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and Christ proclaiming that whosoeuer beleoueth shall baue euerlasting life Besides which vnto them both whether they be Elect or reprobate it may be further said that as by their refraining from sinne and doing that which is good in either of both estates they shall be sure to gaine so by their pursuing of sinne and heaping vp iniquitie they shall in either estate bee sure to lose thereby For if they bee elect though by reason of Gods ordinance they bee sure to obtaine remission of sinnes and eternall life and to bee in the number of those heauenly starres yet because euen in that eternall life there are many and diuers mansions and one Starre differeth from another in glory the moe and the more hainous sinnes that they doe commit the lesse portion and weight of that eternall glory shall bee giuen vnto them as there is lesse light and glory in those which they call obscure or cloudy starres and those of the fift or sixt magnitude whereas if their liues had here shined in sanctitie in innocencie in faith in purity and in sinceritie then themselues also should haue shined like those prime and fairest starres or like the Sunne in his strength and glory In like sort If they be reiected of God though by reason of their owne peruerse wils beeing hardened in sinne they are sure to runne into etnerall death and perdition yet because euen in that eternall death there are diuersities and degrees of punishments for some fewer for others moe and more bellish stripes the more they restraine themselues from sinne and the more they practise those workes of iustice and temperance which for the substance of the worke are good and such as Heathen men and Reprobates may performe euen by this they shall gaine thus much that their stripes and punishments shall bee farre more easie then if by their wallowing in sinne and letting loose the reines to impietie they had treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath Seeing then whether soeuer they be Sheepe or Goates they are sure by impietie to lose and by good workes to gaine both of them in Tanto though neither of both in Toto euen in this respect if there were no other it behoues them both to labour and striue to represle sinne and doe that which is good that if they be elect their reward may bee more glorious and if they bee not elect their punishment may bee lesse grieuous Lastly in whom I pray you doth or can this holy doctrine breed securitie and carelesnesse Not in them who know or thinke themselues to bee elect For this very perswasion of Gods loue in whomsoeuer it is doth cause a more feruent loue and more earnest seruing of the Lord who hath vouchsafed them so great and vnexpressible mercy euen as the Apostles who knew that their names were written in heauen were most ready and desirous to doe and suffer all things for the loue they had vnto God the loue of Christ constraining them therevnto For as Saint Austen saith Hee is too churlish and â—nkinde qui amorem si nolit impendere nolit rependere who if hee will not bestowe loue vpon God will not yet requite the loue of God freely bestowed on him Not in them vvho thinke themselues Reprobates For seeing they doe not nor can know themselues to bee such why should they deiect their mindes and not rather hope by repentance faith and and sanctitie to obtaine fauour with God and bee found in the number of those of whom the Apostle faith 2. Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall bee a vessell vnto honour Euen as in their bodily sicknesse and worldly estate they labour and toyle neglecting no meanes to attaine health wealth and welfare because they know no other but that God hath decreed an happy successe and to giue a blessing to those meanes vvhich are commanded and ordained by himselfe So because they know no other but that God hath decreed to giue saluation and eternall glory vnto them why should they not labour by faith sanctitie and all holy meanes to attaine vnto life and leaue the successe vnto him vvho hath said and assured them Ezekiel 18. 31. Returne and cast away all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your destruction So many wayes is that their cauill of securitie cleerely refuted by which as by the chiefest engine which their wits could deuise they seeke to ouerthrow both the whole doctrine of Gods Predestination and that certainty or assurance of our election of which we now entreat But they further oppose the Scriptures against vs and against that assurance which we before declared seeing Dauid Psal. 69. 28 desireth of God that hee would wipe his enemies out of the Booke of Life Now if any may be wiped out whom God hath once enrolled among his elect then is not our election so sure and immutable as wee haue taught For answere whereunto I say with Saint Austen God neuer wipes out any whom hee writ in that Booke for if a wretched man was so constant that hee would not alter his writing but said What I haue written I haue written what indignitie were it to Almighty God to thinke him so wauering that hee will write and blot out againe which a sinfull man Pontius Pilate was ashamed to doe Those enemies then of God of whom Dauid speaketh who vnder the colour of an outward profession cloaked their inward hatred to God and his Prophets were written in the Booke of God or seemed so to be onely by the iudgement of men who saw no more then their outside and fained profession they were neuer written there in truth nor according to his knowledge who tryeth the hearts and reines And Dauid to whom Gods Spirit had reuealed their hypocrisie and deepe dissimulation among other curses prayeth that this also may befall vnto them that whereas themselues or other men thought them to bee