by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish God is not the author but reuenger of sin punishing sins with sins he surely working inwardly what by word he forbiddeth outwardly and his power inwardly hindring that which by his manifest will he outwardly commanded to bee done And this is not to be the author or cause of wickednes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same But how it commeth to passe that the Lord by his secret power worketh inwardly or hindreth that which he forbiddeth or commandeth outwardly in his manifest word it is a higher point then that mans capacitie can finde out These things Brentius Obiection And whereas it is further obiected that vnles by the death of Christ all faithfull and vnfaithfull be forgiuen and in very deed and properly be restored to grace and saluation Christ is charged to haue deluded God and men by a false passion it is a vaine and vnsauourie deuise Com. thes 37. For there is a flat begging of the question in the antecedent seeing the aduersarie thus reasoneth Christ himselfe confesseth that he died not for a few onely but for the whole world to wit for all mankinde Wherefore if it was the counsell of his father that he should die for the elect onely Christ hath mocked God first and then men holding them in suspense with so great hope as though he died for all Where I beseech doth the Lord confesse that he effectually died or would die for all or that he would that all should haue the effect of his death to wit reconciliation righteousnes saluation none at al excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of maÌ„kind whether they imbrace by faith the Sauiour or by vnbeleefe refuse him Christ witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me It is a wonder if he hath pacified the iudgement and wrath of his father for them for whom he surely did not vouchsafe to pray And in the same chapter For them I sanctifie my selfe that they also may bee sanctified Therefore for whom he praied for them also he offered himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme them effectually from sinne and death and to sanctifie them for euer and so contrariwise CHAP. XVII Of this that only vnbeleefe condemneth and not other sinnes but whosoeuer is condemned for only vnbeleefe he is condemned ALL these things being made plaine Hubers opinion is now spoyled and his threefold ranke scattered here and there whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments hath bid this battel vnto the trueth But yet before we make an end of this point wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation to wit how it commeth to passe that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries How all are not eternally saued that yet were redeemed and saued by Christs death as they say and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued yet all are not saued for euer This therefore is the cause say they because some abide by faith in saluation receiued others through vnbeleef refuse contemne and cast away saluation gotteÌ„ for them and so by neglecting and despising their saluation make themselues reprobates and therefore onely are damned because they despise grace and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes These things are in so many words extant in Hubers Thes 19.69.155.245 And also in his Thes 187. he writeth that such as beleeue not tread vnder foote their redemption and propitiation for their sinnes shaking from them through vnbeleefe and so their vnbeâ—eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel pag. 548. saith that men are not therefore damned because they haue sinned but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ who suffered was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the damned than for the sinnes of Peter Paul and all the Saints noting there these words in the margent onely vnbeleefe damneth men What we like in the aduersaries doctrine As touching this doctrine it is confessed if any man truly beleeue in Christ the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell and contrarily if a man haue not faith he shall be damned albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne Mar. 16. For he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned saith that faithfull and true witnesse De verb. Dom. sec Ioh. serm 60. enar Ps 109. And Augustine writeth that onely the sinne of vnbeleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes that they are not released by the grace of God as by beleeuing all sins are remitted What we mislike iustly The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith yet it dare auouch that there is remission of sinnes freedome from the iudgement and wrath of God and power of the deuill yea and saluation it selfe without faith For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death whether they beleeue or not otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie Acts 10. that he that beleeueth in Christ through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Ioh. 3. This is a farre other opinion than if a man should say as Huber doth that all together are set free from all sinne and all iudgement and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men yea in vnbeleeuers onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God Serm. 60. Augustine saith well in the forecited place The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ and by faith we are borne of God and made the sonnes of God as it is written to them that beleeue in his name he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God The other thing which is worthily reproued in the alleadged opinion is this The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons that it precisely setteth downe the contempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbeleefe to bee the cause of damnation For first this opinion presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell in
are cut off 125 They receiue the signe but not the thing in the Sacrament 292 Holines generall and speciall 112 How we may resist Satan telling vs that we haue no faith 149 How a receiuer of the Sacrament must proue himselfe 169 How we may be certaine of election 372 How God willeth the death of a sinner and not 170 How Christs death is effectuall to vs. 79 How mens mouthes must be stopped 313 How Christ washeth away a mans sinnes not yet borne 200. 220 How the Lord knoweth not the wicked 210 How God would haue all to bee saued 260 Hofmans dotages 238 Hubers reproches 31 His maner of disputing 178 His blasphemies 170 His false doctrine of election 255 I. Iacob and Esau 286. 293 Indulgences 12 Infants beleeue not 165 How saued 167 Infants of the faithfull part of Gods people 219 Dying before Baptisme 168 Of Heathens why we baptise not 167 Iustification and faith effects of election not the cause 327 Wherein it consisteth 327 It is proper to the elect 328 It is diuersly taken 327 to be Iustified what it is 327 the Iustice of Gods predestination 311 Iustice of God vnlike to mans 171. 314 Iudas giuen to Christ how 257 Iudge soberly of Gods workes 314 Iudgement of the flesh and spirit 315 K. Kingdome of God threefold 103 L. Life eternall they haue that be effectually redeemed 214. 215 Libertie threefold 356 Christian 124 Limbus Patrum 19. 20 Pucrorum 21 to Loue what it is 306 Luthers doctrine of predestination 303 Luther of the cause of reprobation 303 M. Many distinguisheth beleeuers from vnbeleeuers 182. 198. 229 Mahomets doctrine 132 Man makes God a lyar how 128 Masse of Perdition 253 Meanes of the certainty of election 380 the Ministerie of the Gospell hath his effect from God not hurt by predestination 359 Maner of right preaching 152 Merits of Papists against Christ 12 Members of Christ cannot finally fall 116 what Members may fall away 116 N. Necessitie twofold 357 New creâ—tâ—â—e 57 New writers of the vniuersalitie of grace 142. 236 They allow the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie 35. 236 Nothing done against Gods will 317 O. Our opinion of Christs death for all 38. 177 Our opinion hindereth not preaching aright 153 Origene his fable 154. 271 Opinion of the Schoolemen of the redemption of all 219 P. Pelagianisme 272. 397 Pelagian error of redemption 321 And of the cause of election 273 People of God who be 180 People foreknowne 297 Perseuerance of the Saints what 329 It is Gods gift 330 Preachers must inuite all and all must obey 155 Preaching aright 153 Predestination a hard doctrine 243 The chiefe questions of it 243 The diuerse significations 245 Vpon it all things depend 129. 134. 136 It differs from election 236 Predestination put for election 248 Predestination and foreknowledge differ 342 Predestination of Saints what 248 Predestination of grace shewed in Christ 281 How farre absolute 308 Vnchangeable 345. 147 No cause of desperation 364 Prescience of God eternall put for predestination 251 Price of Christs death how great 139. 125. 232 Prophesie of Iacob and Esau 293 Propitiation and intercession inseparable 211 Promise of grace vniuersall 263. 147 It belongs to the faithfull 154. 264 It requireth faith 148 It must be preached to all 153. 155 How a man may apply it to himselfe 148 Prouidence and fate differ 355 Prayer not vaine though Gods purpose be vnchangeable 360 R. Reasons of the aduersarie that reprobates are deliuered from the deuill 101 And redeemed 114 Reason must bee subiect to Gods word 394 Reasons why the word must be preached to all 156 Reconciliation what 57 Redemption described 114. 197. 208 When it bringeth in a man 219 It is a freedome 228 It is spirituall 3 Eternall 197 The dignitie of it 3 The maner of it 5 The time of it 14 The ends of it 27 It is double 6 Thereto Christs death and our faith are necessary 179. 180 How it belongs to all 273 It is diuersly considered 220 It is vniuersal why 43. 180. 145 Redemption of euery one is not of the holy Ghost 131 It is proper to the beleeuers 180 Redemption of euery one bringeth weak comfort 149 the Redeemed are kings and priests 200 They perish not 214 Redeemed and elect some are to vs and not to God 111. 116. 141 Remission of sinnes presupposeth confession 200 Repentance and remission inseparable 199 Reprobation what 252 The effects of it 309. 333 The cause 300 Reprobation created for the good of nature 268 Reprobates excluded from the promise 101 For a time in the Church 111 How falling away they be said to be redeemed 117 How they deny the Lord that bought them 117 a Rule of charitie and faith 112 a Rule in Logike 41 S. Sacr. seale nothing to the vnbeleeuers 218 Saints not to be worshipped 222 Sanctification visible and inuisible 128 Sanctification and redemption inseparable 212 Saints sufferings not meritorious 12. 13 Sanctification belongs not to all 213 Satan destroyed for the faithfull 101 Scape goate 107. 207 the Schoolemens of the soules of the old fathers 21 Scripture abused for Popish pardons 12 Satan raignes ouer the reprobates yet they be subiect to Christ 102 Seede of Abraham 201 Semipelagianisme 273. 274. 397. 322 Semipelagians their shift 282 Sheepe of Christ considered two waies 185 Sinnes are foreknowne only 342 Sins once forgiueÌ„ are euer forgiuen 127 a Similitude of the light 225. 236 Of a cup. 226 Of the debter 265 Of fire and a wheele 279 Of the potter 289. 303 Of the Phisition 378 a Similitude faileth 126 Stapulensis 235 State of the controuersie 32. 179 And of the question of predestination 303 Sufficiencie and efficiencie 33. 235 the Summe of our confession of redemption 207 Synecdoâ—he common in scripture 46 Synode of Argentine 238 T. Testimonies of the old Fathers on our side 222 Three generall obseruations 108 Things necessary and contingent 357 Turkes and heathens hold many things agreeable to Christian religion 133 a Turkish proposition true 133 Trueth must be preached 155 Tale of Traiane 361 V Vessels of wrath 290. 334 Vnbeliefe is blotted out if other sinnes be forgiuen 226 Vnbeliefe doth not condemne such as neuer heard of Christ. 176 Vnbeliefe only damneth some that were once saued saith Huber 173 Vnbeleeuers baptised haue not the grace of Baptisme 162 Vncleane spirit cast out how he is said to returne 103 Vniuersall conclusion doth not follow of particulars 108 Vniuersalitie threefold 40 Vniuersalitie speciall 231 Vocation what it is 320 Vs all signifieth the faithfull only 104 And the Church 192. 202 Vse of Christs death 11 Of predestination 394 Of Gods loue 24 Of the ends of redemption 29 W. Weake brother may perish how 117 Weakenes of faith ought not to cast a man downe 149 Whether reprobates contemning the word bee in worse case then the deuils 158 Whether it be better neuer to heare it if it turne to their greater iudgement 159 What to whom and how a man must preach 152 Why Christ must redeeme vs with a price and not by force 7 Why his death is a sufficient price 7. 8 Why God chose this man before that 270. 299 Why he must die to redeeme 9. 10 Why hee elected some and reiected others 270 Why hee came in the olde age of the world 15. 16 Why God punisheth me and not him 3â—2 What wee like or mislike in the aduersaries doctrine 174 Whole set downe for a part in these phrases All men All nations c. 137. 138 Whole world for the good only 228 And for the wicked only 93 It cannot be taken for euery one good and bad 93 Whole world christian and the whole world wicked 93 Whole world of the saued 222 VVorkes foreseene no cause of election 279 VVorld in three senses onely by the aduersarie 72 VVorld for the elect onely and for the reprobates onely 73. 188. 232 World of beleeuers is the Church 91 World of perdition and redemption of the damned and saued 92. 188 VVord of God preached alike to all but some only profit 97 the Word of God inuiteth all 153 VVe must be guided by it 387 VVill of God double 170. 262 It ruleth all things euen the wils of men 134 Hardeneth men 135 The cause therof we must not search 135 the Will of man is redeemed in all that be redeemed 214 VVill and permission 315 VVill of man cannot resist Gods 325. 326 Y Yeare of freedome 207 FINIS Faults escaped in the print are thus to be corrected Pag. 34. lin 30. for distiction reade distinction p 40. l. 17. for doubt reade double p. 63. l. 31. for Colledge reade College p 67. l 4. blot out he p. 131. l. 1. reade deluder p. 136 l. last saue one for misteries reade masters p. 147. l. 26. reade posteriore p. 163. l. 30. reade receiued p. 159. l. 30. r. vnworthy p. 174. l. 5. r. shaking it p. 176. l. 17. for would r. could p. 182 l. 16. for here r. there p 187 l. 23. r. by this p. 196. l. 11. for is twise r. are p. 198 l. 24 r. please p. 199 l. 7. in the margent r. inseparable p. 211. l. 22 r. seeing he p. 218. l 22. r. the p. 285. in the margent r. looke p. 229. l. 16. r. man l. 24. r. abridger p. 230. l. 11. reade necessarily p. 231. l. 26. r. surely p. 258. l. 1. r. Esau after l. 6. p. 273. l. 20. reade belongeth p. 290. l. 32. r. good 291. r. serue p. 294. l. 20 r. he and l. â—8 r. by the free p 304. l. 11. r. he also p. 310. l. 11. blot out the parenthesis p. 313. l. 19. r. vniust p. 338. l. 8. r. vnwilling p. 391. l. 26. r. deluded p. 401. l 6. r. our In the table letter F. r. iustifying in letter H. r predestinati
creature through Christ seeing the Apostle writeth so expresselie If any man be in Christ that is hath admitted the faith of Christ and beleeueth in him as Hierome Theophylacte and other ancient writers obserue he is a new creature And Augustine saith Contr. faust lib. 11. cap. 8. Therefore euery new creature that is the renewed people by faith in Christ hath now cause to hope in him Therefore such as are and remaine without Christ neither are nor euer were new creatures and whereas Paul saith We know no man hence forth after the flesh the meaning is not that euery one is renewed by the benefit of Christ as the aduersarie wresteth the saying but this he meaneth that all not regenerate be to him as though they were not yet borne that he respecteth or praiseth no carnall thing in any man but approueth him who is made a new creature by the faith of Christ that he may liue henceforth to him and not to the world Augustine and Theophylacte restraine that word no man to the beleeuers in sense somewhat diuerse from that we now spake of Hereof it is manifest that the opinion of the vniuersall redemption and renewing of all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers is cleane contrary to the words of the Apostle Goe to then thou wilt say How saith hee that Christ died for all I answer because the benefit of Christ is sufficient of it selfe to saue all although it haue effect in those onely who cleaue vnto Christ as members vnto the head by the holy Ghost August Theophylact. Augustine in the place before cited and Theophylact in his comment respecting efficiencie restraine the generall terme according to the custome of the scripture vnto the faithfull for euen they alone are dead to sinne and liue to Christ who died and rose for them And Augustine bringeth the place Ephes 2. Confirming this opinion where the Apostle saith When we were dead because of sinnes he hath quickened vs together with Christ by whose grace ye are saued and hath raised vs and placed vs together in heauen that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace towards vs for ye are saued by grace thorow faith and ye are the worke of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes The 3. place Rom. 8.31 32. Thirdly the place Rom. 8. is obiected If God be for vs who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all c. But here nothing is proued concerning the generalitie of men simplie but of the vniuersality of the faithfull and elect seeing the generall terme All is restrained vnto such as when the same Apostle writeth of Abraham that he is the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and of that high Ierusalem that it is the mother of vs all verilie he would not haue it vnderstoode of all men but of all the faithfull The same restraint is here for vs all and many things concurre if we consider what goeth before and what followeth which most plainely confirme this opinion Certainely these are the words of beleeuers and such as insult ouer the world which they ouercome by faith If God be for vs who can be against vs How shall hee not bestow vpon vs all things who hath not spared his owne sonne for vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ In all things we are more then conquerors thorow him that loued vs. Againe Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect August It is God who iustifieth Hereupon Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. writeth that this is a saying concerning the kingdome of the elect If God be with vs who can be against vs and the rest that follow But it is obiected that Paul speaketh to all to whom he wrote his epistle among whom there were some not elected but to be cut off with the vnbeleeuers That is likely to be true but it is meete and right according to the nature of charitie that Paul should iudge of all the sonnes of the Church at Rome and elsewhere so long as the contrarie did not appeare as of the beloued and elect of God as he witnesseth of himselfe Phil. 1.7 and 1. Thess 1.4 The sayings euen now cited are examples thereof Gal. 4.26 Rom. 4.16 and 8.18 Fourthly it is said Hebr. 2.8 The 4. place of aduersary Hebr. 2.8 to 17. 9 c. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he put all things vnder him he omitted nothing that is not subiect vnto him But now as yet we see not all things subiect vnto him but we see Iesus crowned with glorie and honour who was made for a little while inferior to the Angels for the suffering of death that by the benefit of God he might taste of death for all For it was meete that he for whom are all these things and by whom are all things should by bringing many sonnes vnto glorie consecrate the prince of their saluation thorough afflictions For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one For which cause he was not ashamed to call them bretheren saying I will declare thy name vnto my bretheren in the middest of the Church will I sing praise vnto thee And againe I will trust in him And againe Beholde I and the children whom God hath giuen me Because therefore the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also was made partaker of the same that by death he might abolish him who had the power of death that is the deuill and might deliuer as many as thorough feare of death were all their life subiect vnto bondage For verely he tooke not vpon him the Angels but the seede of Abraham Thes 168. Out of these words Huberus frameth certaine arguments which let the reader iudge and weigh with me First thus he inferreth All things are subiect vnto Christ without exception therefore also the reprobates and by consequence they ought also to belong to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace I answer that all things are subiect vnto Christ 1. Cor. 15. â— 26. 55. but not vnto the communion of Saluation otherwise the diuell also with his Angels sinne death and hell it selfe should be receiued vnto the fellowship of saluation and grace according to the minde of this disputer But all things are subiect vnto him because he hath rule ouer all is Lord of all whether they be beleeuers or vnbeleeuers of these to death of the other to life as Faber Stapulensis hath well written vpon this place To that that he writeth that the reprobates are subiect vnto Christ as their Sauiour that is that they might bee saued wee will then consent when he hath taught that al things are subiect vnto Christ for saluation euen sheepe and oxen and the very deuils Truly all things are subiect vnto Christ the Sauiour Matth. 28. but not as to
The promise requireth faith And often elsewhere after this sort is the promise of saluation and eternall life made vnto the beleeuers repeated For the promise requireth faith and in respect of the beleeuers it is vniuersall as Ambrose also well expoundeth it lib. 1. de poenit ca. 10. Ambrose He that hath faith hath eternall life he is not excluded from pardon whosoeuer beleeueth shall not perish When he saith whosoeuer no man is excluded no man excepted All saith he that is of what state soeuer of what fall soeuer if he beleeueth let him not be afraide of perishing Now out of this vniuersall ground this is the argument wherewith we ouercome the world the diuell sinne death and hell A Syllogisme shewing how a man ought to applie to himselfe the generall promise Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ shall be saued by his grace and not be ashamed for euer The faithfull person assumeth I beleeue Lord. The conclusion followeth Therefore I shall be saued by the grace of God and not be ashamed for euer The maior of the Syllogisme is plaine by the promises produced before He that beleeueth hath in himselfe the proofe of the minor The beleeuer knoweth himselfe to haue faith and how for he certainely knoweth himselfe to beleeue his owne minde so telling him and his ready and vnfayned studie of new obedience witnessing the same whereupon faith is knowne as the tree by the fruites For as Iohn saith 1. Epist. 2. By this we are sure we know him if we keepe his commaundements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Hereupon also Augustine hath left it in writing that euery one most certainely seeth his faith if he haue the same Which saying of his Luther in Galat. 4. cap. Luther also alloweth as right and godly Yea the Apostle himselfe prescribeth this rule 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you be in faith examine your selues Wherein he sufficiently declareth that such as be ingraffed into Christ by a true faith may haue the knowledge therof in themselues Marke this But if Satan as if he is a lyar and murtherer from the beginning dare denie vnto thee that thou beleeuest yeelde not vnto him whosoeuer thou art O man who throughly perceiuest the tokens of faith in thy selfe but contrariwise goe most boldlie and say vnto him Goe behinde me Satan Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 1. for thou sauourest not the things which are of God I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded 1. Thess 5. that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day He is faithfull who hath called me who also will effect it A weake faith ought not to cast a man downe Neither is there any cause why thou shouldst bee troubled and cast downe in minde for the imperfection of faith and for those contrary motions feare doubtings heauines and manifolde temptations wherewith we daily fight as long as we carrie about this bodie of death For we know him who hath said Beholde my seruant whom I haue chosen my beloued Esay 24. Matth 12. he shall not breake a brused reede and smoking flaxe hee shall not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victorie Matth. 14.31 16 8. How often hath the Lord testified by notable examples in the Gospell towards his disciples and others greatly weake in faith how he doth not cast off but with great loue and lenitie receiue and cherish such as are weake in faith and daily maketh them more stronger Faith therefore although it be faint Rom. 14.3 so long as it is true and sincere shall not fayle of his effect Onely let him who feeleth himselfe to doubte exercise his faith If thou doubt doe this and wrestle against doubting let him say with the father of the child that had the dumbe spirit I beleeue Lord Mark 9. Luk. 17. helpe mine vnbelefe and let him pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Is this to driue men to desperation Is this to reason from pure particulars And what other consolation I pray you may be brought whereby a man may be made certaine of his saluation to wit that he is iust before God and heire of eternall life Certainely if we haue no other ground of comfort than that such as shall bee saued and damned the elect and reprobates are all alike redeemed by Christ we shall fall headlong into desperation Therefore madde and foolish he must needes be that thus concludeth They that are saued and damned The weake and wofull comfort that ariseth from the redemption of all and euery one without exception are all alike redeemed by Christ Ergo it will come to passe that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore it appeareth that that vniuersalitie of men redeemed no one at all excepted which the aduersarie so greatly talketh of is not the proper ground of Christian consolation but we must come to faith which putteth difference betweene those that shall be saued and damned For by faith we receiue the merite of Christ and applie it to our selues and therefore he that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the sonne Iob. 3. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And hitherto at the length is the aduersarie brought will he nill he to the intent he may assigne some thing certaine of the certaintie of saluation We saith he The aduersarie himselfe confesseth the truth Thes 534. Doe knowe that saluation is certaine vndoubted and constant and we say that it pertaineth vnto them who by faith abide in Christ and we say that they shall abide in faith who suffer not the word of vniuersall grace vpon all The faithfull shall continue Luke 22. Ioh. 17. to be taken frō themselues We also say the same thing and further say that they shall perseuer in the word and assurance of grace who are once ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuelie faith he praying for them and giuing them this freely that their faith shall not fayle For this foundation being once remoued of the perseuerance of true beleeuers what certainty can any man haue of the grace of God in time to come and therefore of his saluation What that the vniuersalitie of the promise which they so greatly vrge must then needes fall Flat contraries For these are flat contrarie that all beleeuers are saued and that some beleeuers doe fall away and perish But if saluation pertaine to them as it doth which by faith abide in Christ what shall we say of vnbeleeuers they are excluded Therefore let him looke to it Huber Thes 266. sequent who auoucheth that they are alike saued by Christ as well as any other and that the promises of grace and life belong to them also Obiection But grace is vniuersall Answere I answer
reprobates the contrarietie of the elect doth shew whom the father gaue to Christ neither could D. Iacobus Andree denie this Pag. 545. Col. Mompel But for whom Christ would not so much as pray how shall we say that he died for them according to his owne purpose or how should the death of Christ profit them for redemption and sanctificatiō Surely the sacrifice of the Mediatour doth profit none Thes 9.28 but whom his intercession doth also profit Huber excepteth that Christ refuseth not to pray for the world generally but specially which thing Luthers glosse declareth and confirmeth I pray not for the world that is I pray not that thou wouldest approue the attempts and workes of the world and vnbeleeuers I answere readily from the contrarietie in the very text As farre forth as the Lord prayeth for his so farre forth and in the same respect he prayeth not for that world of reprobates but for his hee prayeth that they may be saued Tract 107. in Ioh. Therefore so farre forth he prayeth not for the reprobates Let vs heare what Augustine saith I pray not for the world but for them that thou gauest me By the world he would haue meant such as liue according to the lusts of the world and are not in that state of grace A double world that they bee chosen by it out of the world The same man tract 110. There is a world of such as are to bee damned whereof it is written Least we should be damned with the world For this world he doth not pray for he knoweth well whereto it is predestinate And there is a world of such as shall be saued as it is written That the world may be saued by him whereof the Apostle also speaketh God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe For this world he prayeth that it may beleeue and by faith be reconciled vnto God Thus farre Augustine Wherefore there is no cause that Huber should write Thes 927. that our side faineth a false interpretation of this place He faineth that obiecteth such things euen as this also is a meere deuise that all men indifferently are giuen of the father to the sonne that he may giue them life Thes 1077. 163. All power surely not onely of humane flesh but also of all creatures in heauen and earth is giuen to the sonne but it is another thing that wee are giuen him that hee may saue vs. For if all had been giuen to Christ he had prayed for all for he prayed for all that his father had giuen him But now for certaine men whom hee calleth the world he prayed not Further he giueth eternal life to all that were giuen him For so he saith that to as many as thou gauest him he might giue eternall life Tract 111. Therefore with Augustine we inferre by contraposition that they were not giuen him to whom he will not giue eternall life albeit hee who hath power giuen him ouer all flesh hath power giuen him ouer thē also In the same place Who are they saith he whom he saith are giuen him of his father Be they not they of whom he saith in another place No man commeth vnto me except the father who sent me draw him They bee they whom he receiued of the father whom he chose out of the world that now they may not be of the world as he is not of the world and yet they be euen the beleeuing world and that which knoweth that Christ was sent of God the father Againe Tract 107. The world for which he prayeth not he would haue to be taken for those that are not in that state of grace that they may bee chosen out of the world but for these whom his father gaue him he saith he prayeth for hereby that the father had giuen them alreadie vnto him it commeth to passe that they pertaine not vnto that world for which he doth not pray Hereupon Cyrill also saith Lib. 11. cap. 19. in Ioh. Saint Iohn because he was a Iew least the Lord should seeme to be an aduocate with the father for the Iewes onely and not for other nations also who being called did obey said of necessitie that he was a propitiation for the whole world But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from them that are not his saith I pray for them onely that keepe my words and haue receiued my yoke For whose Mediatour and high Priest he is to them onely he worthily attributeth the benefit of mediation So this testimonie standeth firme against what cauils soeuer Com. vpon this place whereof Rupertus speaketh notably Woe to the reioycing world while Christ the onely begotten sonne of God praieth for his owne that is dyeth and vpon the altar of the crosse offereth himselfe a sacrifice because J pray for them sayth he whom thou gauest me and not for the world For the world is here taken for the louers of the world so contrary to them for whom Christ crucified praieth as the Aegyptians were before God from the children of Israel who marked their posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe Woe therefore to such a world because what Christ the true Lambe of God praied profiteth them nothing that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may quickly sinke into hell while they only whom the father gaue to the sonne doe by his crosse and blood escape The 12. testimonie Verse 19. of the 17. chap. of Iohn Twelfthly wee adde what the Lord in his prayer to his father there expresseth for them I sanctifie my selfe that they may be sanctified in the trueth They onely for whom Christ sanctified that is offered himselfe a sacrifice are by his offering sanctified in the truth but he sanctified himselfe onely for the elect of whom significantly he speaketh to discerne them from the world For them I sanctifie my self doubtles meaning his that were giuen him of his father and for whom he prayed the father Therefore the elect onely are in the trueth sanctified by Christs oblation Whereupon Paul calles all beleeuers Saints euery where whom charitie commands to account for elect because they be sanctified in the blood of Christ CHAP. III. Testimonies out of Pauls Epistles FVrthermore Paul the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles and a worthy preacher of the grace of Christ for the publishing among the Gentiles of the vnsearchable riches of Christ and reuealing vnto all men what is the communion of the mysterie that was hid from all ages doth also euery where teach that the grace of redemption pertaineth not to the vnbeleeuers but to the faithfull who now are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Iesu Christ That of many testimonies wee may onely alleadge a few The 1. place Rom. 3. he thus writeth to the Romanes chap. 3. But now the righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law hauing witnes of the law and the Prophets to
whom he would call them he would iustifie glorifie Can he possibly forsake them whom he hath pursued with his so many and great benefits But there is feare least the Iudge be too seuere Consider what iudge thou hast to wit Christ Can he condemne thee whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he hath offered himselfe whose life he knoweth is the reward of his death Will he not say Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. cap. 16. What profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I my selfe haue saued See also if ye please Augustine confirming this very argument Hereupon it riseth that some vnder pretence of vniuersall redemption haue thought that all at length shall be saued Of which mad error Caluin vpon 1. Ioh 2. Bucer in the Acts of the Conference had at Argentine with Melchior Hofman A booke published in the dutch tongue at Argent 1553. doe make mention and also Wolfgange Musculus in the place concerning the redemption of mankinde warning vs to take heede least vnderstanding amisse the vniuersalitie of redemption we say with frantike men that no man is damned and perisheth for euer These our men with whom we deale deny that thing truly but what auaileth it to denie it seeing neuerthelesse they stifly maintaine that principle from whence that error springeth They except that the redeemed doe not perish vnles they cast away and tread vnder foote redemption once receiued But contrariwise the testimonies of Scripture euen now alleaged doe teach that such as are effectually redeemed and alreadie iustified by the gift of God shall certainly haue life and heauenly glorie and cannot possibly by any meanes be pluckt away from the loue of God towards them in Christ Iesu And as for some examples and places to the contrary they haue been sufficiently answered in the second booke before If all sinner be blotted out and satiâ—fied then vnbeâ—iefe is blotted and it shall not condemne vs. Furthermore how agree these things together that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied for and in very deede blotted out and yet that the greater part of men are damned for vnbeliefe For if all sinnes are forgiuen all men then vnbeliefe also is forgiuen How then shall it damne any man Thus it euer abideth vnmoueable that all at length shall be saued if all men together bee effectually made partakers of redemption The 10. reason The tenth argument is drawne from the causes of redemption two whereof are the principall efficient causes one farther off The causes of redemption to wit the grace of God giuing his sonne vnto vs the other most neere vs the sonne himselfe finishing the worke of redemption in the nature of man which hee tooke vpon him The materiall cause is the passion and death of the righteous for the vnrighteous The instrumentall efficient cause is likewise two-fold to wit 1. The word of grace that offereth Christ vnto vs with his benefits and serueth to stirre vp faith in vs for faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God 2. And faith it selfe wherewith as it were a hand wee receiue grace offered and are made partakers thereof Herevpon the Apostle Rom. 3. saith We haue all sinned but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption made in Iesu Christ whom God hath set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes Where we see among other causes of redemption faith required as the instrument wherewith wee may applie vnto vs redemption gotten for vs by his blood and may become partakers thereof to the blotting out of our sinnes Therefore the vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with redemption and propitiation And that the necessitie of faith may the more appeare in euery matter of saluation Faith how necessarie to saluation the Apostle Heb. 11. expressely testifieth that it is impossible without faith to please God producing for this point most notable examples of antiquitie who are shewed to please God through faith and to haue obtained righteousnes which is according to faith Notably saith Augustine in Euang. Ioh. serm 60. The medicine for all wounds The great necessitie and profit of faith and the onely attonement for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ Neither can any man at all bee clensed either from originall sinne or the sinnes which he hath done vnles by faith he be vnited and ioyned to his bodie For they that beleeue in him are the sonnes of God because they are borne of God by the grace of adoption which is in the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ for in beleeuing we are made the sons of God as it is written He hath giuen them prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God while they beleeue in him And serm 181. de temp Faith is the ground of all good things Aug. de temp ser 181. and the beginning of mans saluation without this none can bee of the number of Gods sonnes and without it in this world neither doth man attaine the grace of iustification nor hereafter shall possesse eternall life and whoso walketh not by faith shall not come to see God In these testimonies of the Scriptures and our Elders according to the Scriptures if wee meane to stand and wee ought to rest therein away with the deuise of the righteousnes of all men and the operation of saluation in all Hub. thes 49. 65. and the receiuing of all men into grace and their purging from sins whether they beleeue or not The aduersaries doe except that they thinke not that the merit of Christ is applied without faith or that any man without it can be made partaker of the fatherly will of God Thes 72. 1112 I answere therefore they bee manifestly contrary to themselues that say such things The aduersaries contrarie to themselues Thes 65.270.168 and yet stifly maintaine that all men none excepted faithfull and vnfaithfull before and after Christs birth are set free by the blood of Christ truly and vndoubtedly from all sinne and condemnation and are receiued into the grace and fauour of God that all alike are saued iustified and quickened that all pertaine to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace and such like For if no man can be partaker of the grace of God righteousnes life and saluation in Christ vnles he applie those good things to himselfe and the application cannot be but by faith how belong those things to all vnfaithfull as well as faithfull The 11. reason The Maior The 11. Argument from another consequent Redemption is such a benefit whereby of seruants of sinne wee are made the sonnes of God of children of wrath the children of grace of strangers and vnknowne we are made a royall and priestly stock as it is written Apoc. 1. and 5. He hath loued vs and redeemed vs to God by his blood and hath made vs to our God kings and priests and wee
on the other side the cause of predestination For as Aquinas teacheth well In summo expos ad Rom. if the effects of predestination bee compared among themselues there is no let but one may bee the cause of another that is the precedent of the consequent So vocation by the word Rom. 10. is the cause of faith because faith is by hearing faith is the cause of iustification iustification of good workes and of glorie in a heauenly life Yet notwithstanding the same effects of predestination considered neither seuerally nor ioyntly can bee the beginning of predestination seeing the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect The 4. reason 4. In the whole worke of saluation this especially is regarded that all humane boasting bee excluded that as it is written Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. For who separateth thee from other What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Which saying S. Cyprian vsed to follow saying We must glorie in nothing because nothing is ours But not all humane boasting should bee excluded vnlesse election which is the beginning and foundation of saluation should depend vpon the free goodwill and purpose of God without respect of any one qualitie As for example if God should be said to offer like grace vnto all Marke this well and to call al and it should be beleeued to consist in the will of man to obey his calling then surely the obedient person seuereth himselfe from the disobedient and the faithfull man from the vngodly neither can it bee said vnto him Why doest thou boast who hath separated thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued For a proud person may say against another my faith my righteousnesse the good vsing of my free-will or any other thing The 5. reason 5. Election should bee weake and very vncertaine and therefore our saluation if it should depend on the purpose of our will For the vnstable will of man bendeth hither and thither like a reede shaken with the winde On the contrary election standeth firme and vnmoueable in the good pleasure purpose and gratious will of God towards vs in Christ Iesu as the Apostle at large sheweth Rom. 8. saying Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for good that is to them that are called of his purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he also called iustified and glorified And anone Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or the sword Yea in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu Therefore seeing we are men let vs not leane vpon our infirmitie but let vs commit our faith hope life and saluation to the stronger rather than to the weaker to God rather than our selues professing as the trueth is that all things depend vpon his purpose 6. Hitherto is to be referred euen the example of our Mediatour himselfe and our head Iesu The 6. reason which Augustine cannot sufficiently commend De predest sanct cap. 15. de bon perseu cap. 24. 1. He was conceaued of the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary by a singular conception and generation and without all sinne 2. His humane that is our nature in Christ was vnited with the Diuine in the vnitie of person the word as Augustine speaketh singularly assuming it and extolling it into the only sonne of God so that he that assumed and the thing he assumed is one person in Trinitie Which aduancing of mans nature is so great and so high that he could not aduance it higher as the deitie it selfe could not abase it selfe lower for our sakes than in that it receiued the nature of man with his infirmitie vnto the very death of the crosse But all these things mans nature in Christ singularly receiued that is our nature through none of our merits but of the onely grace of God Therefore we also are predestinated vnto eternall life not through our workes but through the purpose and grace of God predestinating vs. For there is one and the same reason of the head and the members but this is the difference that he alone is predestinate to bee our head we being many are predestinate to bee his members And therefore in the head is the fountaine of grace and from thence according to the measure of euery one he spreadeth abroad himselfe throughout all his members The 7. reason from infants dying 7. All this way whereby wee defend free predestination from the purpose of God is greatly cōfirmed by the example of children by which alone all the force of gainsayers and of those that maintaine mans merits of necessitie is ouerthrowne The argument is this Our little children dying euen in their infancie haue the promise of the kingdome of heauen Therefore they are predestinate vnto the kingdome and that either of workes or of grace not of workes because in so yong yeares workes haue no place nor any foreknowledge surely of workes For the things that neither bee nor shall be cannot be said to be foreknowne vnlesse it bee that they shall not bee Therefore of grace and by consequence the predestination of others also is the like as of the purpose of God and not of workes The shift of the Semipelagians The Pelagians held within these straites knew not how or on what side to escape Yet afterward the Semipelagians deuising a hole to get out by a new kinde of absurditie contended that infants were predestinate to life or to death for the merits they would doe if they had liued This deuise not so craftie as rash and foolish Augustine diligently and very well confuteth both elsewhere and also lib. de bono perseuer cap. 12. 13. Among other things he opposeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 14. We shall all stand before the tribunal seate of Christ that euery one may render an account according to the things he hath done in his body whether good or euill that is according to the things he hath done in the time that he was in the bodie For otherwise the soule alone doth many things and not by the body or any member of the body pertaining neuerthelesse to punishment or reward And he said hath done he added not or els shall doe Wherevpon also Sap. 4. we reade of the iust man that is by vntimely death withdrawne from the vncertaintie of temptations He was taken away least malice should change his vnderstanding Thus the argument standeth sure from the example of infants that what we cannot denie in them touching the predestination of grace wee
Beside this argument which is the principall out of this place there be others also Let the second argument then be from thence that the Apostle testifieth that we are elected in Christ They that are chosen in Christ are chosen doubtles not of their works or for any respect of their worthines properly For so they should be said to be elected in themselues and not in Christ Thirdly we are elected being not as yet borne yea before the creation of the world wheÌ„ we had done neither any good nor euill Neither can that shift haue any place touching the foreseeing of some good in vs because as I also aboue mentioned and the precedent words of the Apostle did confirme no good could be foreseene in vs but what was prepared of God by the grace of predestination Fourthly the last end of our election is the acknowledging and setting forth of the glorious grace of God by which he doth freely make vs acceptable vnto himselfe in that his beloued But this end God could not obtaine vnlesse election were euery way free For wittily and truly saith Augustine It is not grace any way A fine saying if it bee not freely bestowed euerie way Fiftly Paul expressely assigneth the cause of our predestination when he saith He hath predestinated vs according to his good pleasure he doth not say according to the purpose of our will as though God did respect our future good works or the consent of our will vnto his offered grace or else the good vse of our freewill or such like thing in ourselues The Greeke words are very significant Why God chuseth this man and not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore to such as aske the question why hath God chosen these men and not those the answere is most true and good because it so pleased him As Christ alleadgeth no other cause of the Gospell hid from the wise and reuealed to babes but the good pleasure of the father And surely if we diligently consider in the Scriptures what things are taught of the cause of predestination we shall see them come for the most part to these heads namely To the good pleasure and will of God which two words are ioyned together Eph. 1. To his purpose that is according to election Ro. 9. To his power also as the Apostle saith Hath not the potter power Lastly vnto the mercie and loue of God when he saith It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God shewing mercie And Iacob I haue loued but Esau I haue hated But concerning workes done or to bee done the Scripture speaketh not a word in this matter but alwaies to exclude them as from vocation and iustification so also from election Furthermore hitherto tendeth that which the Lord saith The 3. place Ioh. 15. Ioh. 15. Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And we had chosen him if according to our faith or good will election had bin If we should be chosen of God saith Augustine De praedest sanct cap. â—3 because he foresaw that we would beleeue and not that he himselfe would make vs faithfull doubtles we our selues should first chuse him by beleeuing in him that wee might deserue to bee chosen of him He taketh away this altogether who saith Ye haue not chosen me but I you CHAP. XI Of the cause of reprobation IT sufficiently then appeareth by so many proofes alleaged that God elected his Saints in Christ vnto eternall life not for any workes or through foreseeing of their faith but according to the purpose of his own will of meere grace which doth not finde Aug. hom in Io. 38 epist 106 but make them to be elected as the ancient saying is And albeit wee seeme with the same labour not obscurely to haue touched what must bee held concerning the cause of reprobation yet to make the matter more cleere wee thinke good seuerally to declare The cause of reprobation is the will and good pleasure of God and not foreseene vnbeleefe or sinnes that the cause of reprobation consisteth not in the future vnbeleefe of the reprobates or other sinnes which God foresaw but in the will of God himselfe chusing whom he pleaseth and reprobating whom hee pleaseth by his will which is surely remote from our senses yet most right and to bee adored rather than curiously searched into The 1. reason Rom. 8. Ephes 2. For if sinnes were the cause of reprobation wee had all been reprobates seeing all of vs are vnder sinne the children of wrath and eternall death that such election should adopt as abdication doth refuse And albeit the grace of the Mediatour bee offered vs in the Gospell yet it is Gods gift that we begin to haue faith and doe hold it vnto the end For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4. Why then is this mercie withdrawne from the reprobates Marke this Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. that faith is not inspired into them Is it because they will not No. For so on the contrary the elect should therefore beleeue because they are willing and so God should not giue them faith but they by being willing should bestow it on themselues and should haue some thing that they had not receiued The 2. reason Further if wee should consider reprobation to slow from vnbeleefe or from malice foreseene it wil necessarily follow that election dependeth on faith or workes foreseene This reason is Augustines but that he speaketh particularly of Iacob and Esau If saith he we graunt Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. that Esau was not hated but for the desert of vnrighteousnes it followeth that Iacob was loued for the merit of righteousnes Againe If because God foresaw the future euill workes of Esau therefore he predestinated him to serue his yonger brother euen God predestinated Iacob therefore that his elder brother should serue him because he foresaw his future good workes Paul doth alike speake of both The 3. reason While the children were yet vnborne when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand sure according to election not of workes but of the caller it was said The elder shall serue the yonger These words Augustine weighing expressely writeth in the foresaid place that Esau was reiected for no desert because both he was vnborne and also had done nothing no not in the foreknowledge of his future euill will because so Iacob also had been approued by the foreknowledge of his future good will and in vaine it should bee said Not of workes The same things he writeth ad Laur. cap. 98. The obiection that the Apostle moueth The 4. reason Rom. 9. Is there therefore vnrighteousnes with God and the answere to that obiection and also the parable of the potter of his owne power and will making vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour fully confirme our opinion that as wee can assigne no other
is apparant vnto the first proposition of the argument by a distinction By what thing election is made sure to wit in respect of God that thing is the cause of election But by our good workes election is made sure not in respect of God but of vs as by the effect and the signe as it is sayd So faith so iustificatiō so the inheritance of eternal life are made sure vnto vs by the ready and vnfained study of good works Neither yet are good workes therefore the cause of faith and iustification but the effects of them and a signe of eternal life freely to be giuen by and for Christ And generally whatsoeuer confirmeth another thing ought not foorthwith to bee counted the cause of it obie ∣ on The 4. We are expresly said to bee elected according to the foreknowledge of God the father 1. Peter 1. Answere Well but not according to the foreknowledge of our faith or of workes or of any thing inherent in vs. But God who knoweth all things from euerlasting Acts 15. when as yet wee were not chose vs according to his foreknowledge whereby hee knoweth all his future workes and hath disposed them from eternitie ob ∣ iection The fift We are elected in Christ saith the Apostle Eph. 1. Therfore we are not elected by any absolute decree or mercie of God but limited and described in Christ Answere I answere there is deceite in the worde absolute The decree of election how farre absolute or not The decree and mercie of God according to which hee chuseth some out of mankind that shal certainely be deliuered may be called absolute as touching the cause as farre foorth as nothing inherent in the elect themselues can be the cause of either the decree or mercie against which the opinion of the Pelagians and Semipelagians did set the foreseeing of workes or of faith also or vnbeliefe but in the respect of the meanes whereby he appointed to saue the elect in mercie that mercie is wholly limited in Christ the Mediator by whom God decreed to saue whosoeuer are saued To be chosen in Christ what it is Therefore the meaning is He hath chosen vs in Christ not as being in him or would be afterward as of ourselues but that we might be in him and by him might be saued And so Paul himselfe expoundeth He hath predestinated vs that he might adopt vs for sonnes thorow Christ Iesu and that according to the good pleasure of his will And this very thing is also in force concerning reprobation that God neither destroyeth nor hath purposed to destroy the reprobates by absolute iustice to wit without their desart but whom he destroyeth he destroyeth and hath purposed from euerlasting to destroy for sinnes The sixt obiection That which is the cause of iustification the same is of Election and that which is the cause of damnation is of reprobation But the cause of iustification is faith concurring with the mercie of God and apprehending it and the cause of damnation is vnbeliefe despising the grace of God offered in Christ and other sinnes Therefore c. Answere I answere there is a fault in the Maior They that be iustified be elected surely so that wee may in iudging by that which is later determine that doubtlesse they are elected who by faith lay hold vpon the mercie promised for Christes sake and doe not cast away that confidence vnto the end But it neither ought nor can be granted that the next cause of iustification and election is one and the same such as faith is in the matter of iustification For iustification is the effect of election as euen saith it selfe whereby wee are iustified according to the saying Whom he hath predestinated them hee hath called Rom. 8. Acts 13. whom hee hath called them also hee iustified Againe As many as were foreordained to eternall life beleeued And now it is manifest that the cause of the cause that is election is also the cause of the effect or the thing caused as they doe say to wit of iustification but not contrariwise because one the same thing should be the cause of it selfe Wherefore the very effects of election may be so ordered that one is the cause of another as faith of iustification iustification of glorification but no effect of election can be considered as the cause thereof and by consequent faith seeing it is the effect of election cannot be thought to be the cause of it as well as of iustification The effect of Reprobation is Gods forsaking after which follow vnbeliefe and other sinnes The 7. obiection The same wee may iudge of vnbeliefe and other sinnes which albeit properly they are not to be called the effects of reprobation yet the effect thereof is Gods forsaking after which vnbeliefe and other sinnes doe follow This whole answere is confirmed by those things which before in the 11. chapter are recited out of Luther concerning the Iewes that were through vnbeliefe cut from the Oliue tree and the Gentiles grafted in the same by faith The seuenth obiection is like vnto this We must iudge of Predestinatiō neither by reason nor by the law but by the Gospel But the Gospel witnesseth that the beleeuers are receiued in to grace saued and thereby are elect on the contrary that vnbeleeuers and such as continue in sinnes are damned and thereby reprobates Election therefore and reprobation depend on faith or vnbeliefe of men Answere But there is more in the conclusion For the Minor affirmeth nothing of the cause of predestination but sheweth only this that by the marke of faith or finall vnbeliefe the elect or reprobates are discerned Whereupon this only followeth that we must iudge also according to this testimonie of the Gospel who bee elected who reiected In the meane while the Gospel doeth not denie but manifestly affirmeth that faith obedience perseuerance are the free giftes of God and are giuen or not giuen of him to whom it pleaseth God according to his good pleasure Mat. 11. vers 25 and 13.11 Iohn 6. vers 44.45 and 65. and 10 vers 26. Ephe. 1.8.15 and the rest 2. Tim. 1.9 Heb. 8.10 Ier. 31. c. Hence in iudging according to the Gospel A Syllogisme prouing by the Gospel that God hath decreed to saue some and forsake others onely of his good pleasure and will we shall gather as the Gospell teacheth a man to bee saued or not saued so God hath appointed from euerlasting to saue or not to saue him But the Gospel not onely teacheth that a man is saued by faith and doeth perish through vnbeliefe but also teacheth that euen faith and other benefites by which as by meanes man commeth to saluation are giuen to some and not giuen to others of God euen as pleaseth him Therefore euen faith and such kinde of benefites vnto saluation God hath decreed from euerlasting to giue to some men and not to giue to others euen as it pleased
things are not done vnlesse God doe permit them Whereupon saith he after this sorte it is not inconuenient that God hath predestinated euill things while he correcteth not euill men and their euill workes but he is said more specially to foreknowe and predestinate good things because he maketh them both to be and to be good but in euill things he causeth onely that they essentially be and not that they be euill Fulgent lib. 1. ad Mon. Contrariwise Fulgentius in his first booke to Monimus where plentifully and of purpose hee handleth this question defineth Sinnes are foreknowne but not predestinate to be done yet punishment for â—â—â—e is predestinate of God that the good and righteous God foreknew surely the sinnes of men because nothing that was to come could be hid from him yet that he predestinated no man to sinne This opinion he confirmeth by the definition of predestination which in his iudgement is nothing else than the preparation of the workes of God or the mercifull and iust disposition of a diuine worke that should come to passe Seeing therefore that iniquitie pertaineth not to the worke of God which he knoweth how to punish and not to commit it will follow of the definition already brought that a man is not predestinated of God to commit sinnes Hee bringeth also his reason That sinners should be vniustly punished of God if by his will they should sinne as being predestinated of him to sinne Aug. de pred sanâ—â— cap. 10. How predâ—stination and foreknowledge differ Further he citeth Augustine and Prosper to be of the same minde For Augustine in that notable worke that hee wrote of the predestination of Saints chap. 10. distinguishing betweene Gods foreknowledge and Predestination saith Predestination cannot be without foreknowledge but foreknowledge may bee without predestination How predestination foreknowledge differ For by predestination God foreknew the things that he would do but he was able to foreknow euen the things that he doth not as all sinnes For albeit some things are so sinnes that they be also punishments of sinnes yet here sinne belongeth not to God but iudgement The same man vnto the Articles falsely laid to his charge Art 7.8 9. quibusdam seq when the Pelagians spitefully traduced the doctrine of predestination as though hee would make God the author of sinnes refuting that detestable and abominable blasphemy at large thus writeth The Lords predestination is neuer without goodnes neuer without iustice for all the waies of the Lord are mercie and trueth And the holy deitie liked not to prepare the adulteries of matrones and the deflouring of maidens but to condemne them nor to appoint them but to punish them And in the same place Gods predestination hath not stirred vp moued or caused the falls of them that perish nor the malice of wicked men nor the iniquities of sinners but he hath altogether predestinated his iudgement whereby he will render to euery one as he hath done be it good or euill which iudgement should not be if men should sinne by the will of God Also There is no predestination of God for the transgression of the law and the committing of any kinde of sinne It is sufficient to know that the standing of things bee of him and that the ruines of things bee not of him neither doth it follow as they that obiect such things suppose that God hath taken away repentance from them to whom he hath not giuen it and that he hath throwne them downe whom he hath not lifted vp seeing it is one thing to make guiltie an innocent person which is farre from God another thing not to haue pardoned a wicked man which belongeth to the desart of a sinner Againe Aug. Hypognost 6. The rule of this matter in question must surely bee maintained which is cleere by diuine testimonies that sinners in their owne euils are foreknowne onely Ad 14. obiect Gallorum Why infidelity commeth not of predestination but punishment is predestinated for them Hereunto Prosper a learned and godly man consenteth The infidelitie of such as beleeue not the Gospell is not bred of Gods predestination For God is the author of good things and not of euill And in his answere to the 15. obiection God only foreknew and did not also predestinate those things which should not haue from him the cause of their working To the same purpose did the Councell of Araus determine in their last canon And as for Anselme he disagreeth not so much in sense as in words from the things which these fathers write iudge seeing hee vsed the word predestination in a more generall signification for preordination making it all one to predestinate and to decree that a thing should be And now there is nothing at all done Marke this that the Lord is vnwilling with all yet so that we know that good things are done by his assistance and working euill things are permitted he giuing them ouer and ordaining and directing them to such good ends as it pleaseth him And this is it that Fulgentius also writeth that God surely is not the author of euill thoughts Lib. 1. ad Mon. yet that he is the ordainer of euill wils and that he doth not cease to worke some good of the euill worke of euery euill man Obiection Some man may say that the elect are predestinate not onely to glorie but also to righteousnesse to wit to faith and good workes Therefore also that the reprobates may seeme to be predestinate both to sinne and to punishment Answere Answ Election and reprobation doe agree in this that as election is the preparation of glory so reprobation is the preparation of punishment Thom. in 9. ad Rom. lect 1. but they differ that election importeth the preparation of faith and good workes whereby a man commeth to glorie How election and reprobation agree and differ but reprobation doth not import a preparation of sinnes whereby a man commeth to punishment Wherefore this onely followeth seeing the elect are predestinated to faith and repentance that they may be holie and blameles before God that the reprobates are not predestinated to the same grace Obiection But the hardening of reprobates is predestinated of God And that is sinne Therefore some sinne is predestinated of God Answere The answere to this obiection is manifest by those things that haue been spoken For the hardening of reprobates is so sinne that withall it is also the punishment of sinne and it so faire forth pertaineth to Gods predestination because it is not farre from the working of it For those things that bee so sinnes that withall they be also punishments of sins in them not sinne but Gods iudgement pertaineth to Gods predestination as I haue shewed out of Augustine CHAP. XIX That predestination is stedfast and vnmoueable THe fourth part of this whole treatise The necessitie of predestination is vnmoueable according to the diuision set downe in
peraduenture hee will more increase the griefe because hee seeth a sharpe purgation to be more necessary Fourthly Ambrose weighing Peters words to Simon against the Nouatians that commonly abused them Lib. de poenicent cap. 5. teacheth by many examples that that is the custome of the Scripture euen boldly to vse through a certaine simplicitie of vtterance such kinds of speaking wherein there is some shew of doubting Obiection 4 Furthermore whereas the aduersaries alleage that the certaintie of grace if men could be sure of it would be an occasion and cause of great licentiousnes and Epicurish securitie it is a meere ignorance and slander For it cannot be but the feeling of the loue of God towards vs whereby the multitude of our sinnes is gratiously couered should beget more and more in our hearts towards him againe the loue of new obedience as it is written Psal 13. 18. With thee is mercie that thou maist be feared Also I will loue thee O Lord my strength my tower and the horne of my saluation What if the aduersaries themselues confesse that a speciall reuelation is graunted to some of the certaintie of their saluation It will follow then by their own opinion that God doth cast such men into the danger of prophanenes and Epicurish securitie Neither doth it any whit hinder the certaintie of saluation Prou. 18. that we are commanded to be fearfull in auoiding falles not to be puffed vp nor to bee ouer wise but to feare Rom. 11. 1. Cor. 10. Marke this that he that seemeth to stand fall not For by these and such like the securitie of the flesh and not faith is condemned and the vse of the meanes subordinate to saluation is required So Paul albeit he was certified by an Angell of his owne safetie and of theirs that failed with him and beleeuing God that so it should come to passe as he had told him yet he suffered not the mariners to flie out of the ship but said vnles these men abide in the ship ye cannot be saued Acts 27. Thus the confidence of saluation and a godly care to vse the meanes and not to tempt the Lord doe very well agree together They vse also to charge our doctrine with presumption Obiection 5 Beucer de Concor aâ—t grat but in vaine For we beleeue God that promiseth Wherfore our confidence and certaintie resteth not vpon our own presumption but vpon his promise as Augustine well distinguisheth tract 22. in Ioh. Finally they wrest for their purpose what our writers plainly Obiection 6 confesse themselues that no man can exclude in this world all doubting alwaies of his owne saluation and of the care that God hath of him Whosoeuer say they doubteth of his saluation is not sure of it but all men doubt therefore no man is sure of it But this snare we easily auoide by this caution or distinction He that doubteth is not sure to wit for that time that he doubteth and in speaking of some * Idea patterne of certaintie But now doubting oftentimes ariseth but not alwaies in the minds of the godly because of the infirmitie and battell of the flesh against the spirit and they get with much adoe the vpper hand againe by this vertue and power to whom they crie with teares I beleeue Lord Mark 9. helpe my vnbeliefe And albeit this be a sufficient impediment that we can not attribute vnto the godly the * Ideam maner or forme of the certaintie of faith whereby all doubting and trembling is excluded yet there is not sufficient cause to depriue them of all certaintie of grace and saluation vnles a man would by the like reason auouch Ierem. 12. Abac. 1. Psalm 73. that euen the holy men of God Ieremie Abacuc Asaph and others were vncertaine of the prouidence of God and his righteous gouernment of all things because of some doubtings that were in them concerning that matter Therefore let it stand as a certaine thing that while wee liue in this mortalitie and banishment as it were of this world we be not without the way and meane whereby to our comfort wee may bee made sure of our saluation And while this standeth fast it necessarily followeth that wee may know and be assured of the election also of vs to eternall life For seeing saluation belongeth to the elect onely doubtles the certaintie of it cannot stand without the certaintie of Gods election which is the fountaine beginning and ground of saluation CHAP. XXIIII How and by what meanes we are made certaine of the election of vs in Christ Reuelation is needefull MOreouer the meane whereby a man may be made sure of the election of himselfe vnto eternall life dependeth vpon the reuelation not of flesh and blood but of God himselfe the chuser Rom. 11. 1. Cor. â— For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who is of his counsell Or what man knoweth the things that belong to a man but the spirit of a man that is in him So no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God And we saith the Apostle haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we may know what things God hath bestowed vpon vs. Seeing therfore the counsels of God cannot bee knowne without diuine manifestation what marueile is it if so great a secret I meane the predestination of vs to adoption and to eternall life cannot otherwise bee seene into of vs And if we assay speculatiuely or as they speake à priore to search into the eternall counsell of God concerning our saluation the great depth of it will swallow vs vp and hee that searcheth out Gods maiestie Prou. 25.27 shall be ouerwhelmed with the glorie of it But there is for the most parâ— a threefold reuelation of election first by the most certaine effects of election it selfe Reuelation is threefolde secondly by the word of promise and thirdly by the seale of the holy Ghost The first way therefore as I said is by the effects of election such as these are a true and liuely saith in Christ The first way wherby a man may know himselfe to be elected The effects of election ingrafting into Christ by faith iustification and the regeneration of the spirit shewing it selfe more and more by newnes of life and the studie of righteousnesse and good workes By these à posteriore wee iudge of election as the proper cause of them For strong reasons are drawne as from the cause to the effect so againe from the effect to the cause as it is knowne by the rules of Logike The Minor of this argument to wit that faith iustification conuersion c. proceede from election as the proper cause wee haue confirmed before at large when wee intreated of the effects of predestination here onely let certaine sayings of Scripture be viewed Act. 13. As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued
not receiued it as yet But if ye be elected albeit not yet called ye shall receiue the same grace What neede is there of this speech Some of you For if wee speake to the Church of God if wee speake to the beleeuers why say wee that some of them haue receiued grace and so are supposed to doe wrong to the rest It may thus more fitly bee saide thus the predestination of Gods will standeth that ye receiuing grace are come from vnbeliefe to faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God least any man should boast But if any of you walke as yet in your sinnes repent yee awake and rise vp from the dead Also if any as yet bee not called let vs pray for them that they may be called for peraduenture they be so elected that they shall be graunted to our requests and receiue with vs the same grace Is not thus the same thing both more truely and more fitly spoken Of this matter our Augustine whom I haue often cited without controuersie a great diuine learned De bono perseuerant cap. 14. sincere and sound and a notable patron of the Catholike faith as Hilarie praiseth him hath written more at large To him therefore let them resorte that desire to know these things more exactly And these things thus farre of the eternall predestination of God who onely is wise mercifull and iust To him be honor and blessing for euer and euer Amen FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS MENTIONED IN THESE BOOKES A. ABrahams bosome 21 Absurdities of our doctrine as the aduersarie thinketh 130 Acception of persons what 266 Adam fell through his owne fault 316 Adams fall why permitted 316 Adoption what it is 106 Adoption and inheritance follow redemption 211 Ambrose his sayings 193. 215. 224 Anabaptists dotage of the saluation of Infants 219 Angels elect and reprobate 2â—6 Aduersaries opinion of Christs death for all 36 His threefold rank of reasons 47 Aduersaries contrary to themselues 216 Their opinion Anabaptisticall 219 All things for all men by the aduersarie 67 Augustine recanteth an error 216 Augustine his excellent sayings 227 Augustine his phrase of the onely cause of all men pa 225. is expounded 230 All men for al that be Christs 39 For the elect only 40. 187. 231 For all sorts of men 45 For the wicked only 41 For the multitude of both sides 64 208 Cannot be takeÌ„ for euery one 46. 2â—9 All be not Christs people 180 All and euery one had neuer the Gospell 97 All nations for the faithfull 105. 206 Not for euery one in all nations 95. 106 B. Baptisme the principall vse 161 Bap. of some without regeneration 164 by Baptisme wee are not first taken into Gods protection 163 Baptisme of Infants 165. 166 Baptisme a seale of grace to the faithfull 164 Baptizing of Simon Magus 164 Backesliders 333 Beginning of the error of the redemption of euery one 221 Begin in the spirit how many doe 123 Beleeuer knoweth himselfe to beleeue 148. 169 Benefits of two sorts 317 Benefits of the Gospel how they belong to reprobates 129 to Beleeue what 323 Blinding 335 Blotting out what 168 Booke of life what 368 Brasen serpent 206 Breaking of the serpents head for whom 100 to Beleeue to doubt are contrary 374 C. Calling threefold 320. 98 Caluerie Adams Sepulcher 136 Called who they be 197 Catholike Church what 209 Catholike Church meant by the 24. Elders 2â—0 Catholike faith of Redemption 1. 136 Certaintie of grace and election 384 Causes of redemption 23. 216 Of predestinati 269 Of Christs comming 319. 23. Christ their sacrifice whose aduocate he is 211. 188 Foreordained for the beleeuers 199 He mâ—cked not God nor men by redeâ—â—ing the elect 172 He iustifieth all how 43 He is the life of the world 78. 79 Aâ— an inlightener so a Sauiour 184 Died for all how 56. 125 Not effectually for all 179 The onely Redeemer 4. 13 Came for all in what sense by the old writers 233 Christians in name onely 112 Christians must not vse the word destinie 355 Christian kinde 227 Christian libertie many fall from 124 Church onely redeemed 201 Church iudgeth them faithfull c. that professe saith 108. 120 to be Chosen in Christ what 308 Conference and not contention becomes Gods seruants 31 Commandement of faith and repentance hindeth all 153 Contempt of the Gospell not the onely cause of damnation 175 Cornelius his saith 325 Church must take heede of falling and why 332 D. the Damned created for the good of nature 268 Damned some by Gods will 134 the Damneds destruction profiteth the elect 268 Death threefold 334 Decree of God vnchangeable 347 Deliuerance from Egypt typicall 206 Deuill ouercome for the faithfull 10â— Difference betweene power and act 238 Differences among men by God 310 a Dilemma 134 to Diuide the word aright what 152 Degrees of loue 251 Diuine his dutie 31 to be Drawne of God what it is 321 Diuerse opinions of the causes of election and reprobation 272 the Deuill hath power against vs how 339 Doubting of Gods grace 373 E. Election what 317 Election taken diuersly 249. 331 It is of some onely 256. c. How we must iudge of it â—47 It is free 297. 278 The effects of it 318 The cause of it 283 Election of Israel double 295 Elect and reprobates seuered by Gods pleasure 98 Elect called effectually 315. 351 The number certaine 349 Their fall and perseuerance neuer cut off finally 109. 329 Election and loue in God 306 Error of Marcion 17 Error of Papists 324 Euery one is to bee taken for a brother for his profession sake 115 F. Faith and repentance of God 322 Faith how necessary to saluation 217 Faith foreseene no cause of election 373. 2â—8 Historicall and infusing 110 For the doctrine of faith 109 It cureth the soule 175 a Fall grieuous proues not a man to be a reprobate 113 Fate taken diuersly 354 Faithfull their perseuerance and falles 109. 332 Fathers of the olde Testament redeemed 18 Foure thinges proper to the faithfull 195 Foreknowne with the Schoolemen 252 Future things foreknowne 355 Freewill 277. 356 Freedome of seruants 207 G. Gifts common to good and bad 114 Glorification the effect of election 328 Good workes effects of grace 273 Gods permission 316 How he loueth and hateth vs. 25 Hee must teach vs els wee cannot learne 98 He inwardly worketh what he outwardly commaundeth and that without sinne 172. 338 Gospell is properly theirs that obey it 95 God punisheth sinne with sinne 339 God is the reuenger of sinne 340 Grace and predestination agree and differ 248 Grace neuer bestowed vpon all 99 It aboundeth aboue sinne 65 Vniuersall how 201. 150. 154 It is promised to an vnbeleeuer but conditionally 151. 154 God decreed to condemne none but for sinne 304 H. Hardening 340. 335. 337 Hardnes of heart taken three waies 341 Hels foure 21 Heresie of predestination 353 Heresies denying Christs manhood 11 Hypocrites at length
OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND THREE BOOKES Wherein the controuersie of the vniuersalitie of Redemption and grace by Christ and of his death for all men is largely handled HEREVNTO IS ANNEXED A TREAtise of Gods Predestination in one booke Written in Latin by IACOB KIMEDONCIVS D. and professor of Diuinitie at Heidelberge and translated into English by HVGH INCE Preacher of the word of God BY WISDOME PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KINGSTON for HVMFREY LOVVNES 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the Great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell HAuing finished the translation of this volume Right Honorable I was in doubt whether I might safely send it forth as a matter that would as it ought to be imbraced fauored of eueryone into whose hands it should come or to offer it to the view of some honorable person and to commend it to his fauourable protection and in his name to publish it If I had resolued vpon the first way as I doubt not but it should haue found many friends euen all the louers of the trueth that would gladly haue accepted it so I know it should haue had many aduersaries among vs in this land as it hath had in other countries alreadie and commeth now abroad in our owne tongue from thence greatly reproched and withstood with a spitefull enemie albeit to his shamefull foyle and disgrace in the end And therefore I thought it best to follow mine author as he offereth the knowledge and custodie of the trueth which he here maintaineth vnto a high and mightie Prince so I am bold to offer my translation of so worthie a worke vnto your honorable protection and defence against euill tongues and erronious spirits The cause that is handled here is Gods the ground that it hath is the trueth of his holy word the witnesse and testimonie thereof is the vniforme consent of the Church of Christ beleeuing and confessing the same the matter hereof is the redemption of our soules the comfort of our consciences the stay of our faith and the anchor of our hope If the certaintie of these things right Honourable be called in question and taken from vs that are mortall men what ioy can we haue in any thing that here for a time wee enioy What hope can wee haue of a better life when this fraile one shall be taken from vs and wee all shall be called to giue our account But as Satan the enemie of our saluation hath alwaies heretofore sowed tares among the wheate and corrupted the sinceritie of the trueth with errors and lyes and that vnder a faire pretence so at this day when he could not effect his purpose so farre as he desired by the late and lamentable strife that he hath raised among vs though thereby he hath quenched the zeale of many and made them fall from their first loue hath euen now in our Church as he hath done in others raised a doubt and broâ—hed a controuersie in the maine grounds of our Religion and faith to wit in the doctrine of mans Redemption by the death of Christ and of Gods eternall predestination Wherein as he doth not greatly preuaile because the gouernours of our Church and the consent of all that bee godly and learned for the most part therein are against him so that hee may proceede no further in time to come and that the mindes of men may bee setled in the trueth of their saluation I haue thought it my dutie to the Church of God to testifie my loue of the trueth and my vnfained care of the knowledge of the fame among vs and continuance thereof in our posteritie by taking paines to translate into our vulgar tongue these bookes Herein you shall plainly see that albeit the death of Christ the sonne of God as touching the greatnes of the price be sufficient for the redemption of whole mankinde in the world yea if there were many worlds of them as Anselme saith yet the proprietie of redemption belongeth to those that are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ by faith and the grace of regeneration the rest who liue without faith and regeneration not belonging to this redemption from sinne and death Or which is all one you shall see it proued by infallible testimonies of Scripture by generall consent of antiquitie and of new writers and by substantiall arguments that redemption from sinnes righteousnes and saluation are benefits proper to the Church and not common to all and euery one elect and reprobate beleeuer and vnbeleeuer to the saued and damned You shall plainly see I say that the Sauiour promised to the world and preached of alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy prophets and Apostles is appoynted by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue onely and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it be proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein we beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to be vniuersall Against this trueth the aduersarie fighteth eagerly and impudently with bitter reproches and lyes grieuous blasphemies flat contrarieties grosse absurdities peruerting the naturall sense of the sacred Scripture and abusing the ancient writers But all these his weapons wins him not the victory for either they be blunt and cannot hurt our cause or else the edge of them is turned against himselfe and his owne masters in whom he glorieth Luther Brentius and the rest whose disciple and follower he would faine be leaue him in his bad cause nay are brought in plainely reprouing and condemning his opinion as erronious and speaking for the trueth on our side Nay further it is here flatly auouched that the olde Pelagian heresie and impietie which Augustine long agoe confuted and the Church of God then condemned is the father of the birth and beginning of our aduersaries opinion As for the treatise of Predestination annexed hereto it serueth specially for the fuller euidence and greater certaintie of those things that are handled in the former bookes concerning the vniuersalitie of grace and redemption For the remnants of the Pelagians of old and at this day affirming none at all to bee excepted from the redemption of Christs blood and in respect of God maintaining eternall life to bee prepared for all are therefore fallen to the extolling of such grace because they would in no case confesse that God according to the purpose couÌ„sel of his own will in his secret iudgement but manifest worke maketh one vessell to honor and another to dishonour nor will assent hereto that the number of the predestinate can neither be increased nor diminished Both which points are fully handled and plainly proued against them in this booke Praefat. ad Rom. Luther saith notably
spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Therefore he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were vnder the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Where by the way is to be considered that by sins past in the saying of the Apostle to the Romanes are properly vnderstood the sinnes committed vnder the old Testament which could not be purged with the blood of goates and calues but the righteous did expect a better oblation Heb. 10.14 which should consecrate for euer those that are sanctified Acts 15.11 Whereupon Peter also said By the grace of our Lord Iesu Christ wee beleeue to be saued as well as our fathers But this whole place of redemption is large and worthie of great cōsideration to wit 1. Whence 2. By whom 3. How 4. When 5. For what cause 6. Whereto and 7. Who are redeemed All these truly haue a profitable and necessarie consideration and bee euery where taught in the Scriptures Of these propounded questions the sixe former wee will brieflie touch but the seuenth and last for which cause chieflie wee vndertake this labour wee will more fully and largely expound as the Lord shall permit CHAP. II. Whence we are redeemed THerefore as touching this question Whence we are redeemed the holy Scriptures sufficiently teach vs Our redemptiō is not corporal but spirituall and eternall from Satan sin and death that the redemption whereof we speake is not temporall from some corporall bondage or tyrannie such as the redemption was of Israel from Egypt from the house of bondage and the hand of Pharao by Moses and after from the hand of the Canaanits and Midianits and other their enemies by Gedeon and other Iudges and specially from the most grieuous 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon by Cyrus the king and Monarch of Persia but this redemption is spirituall and eternal shadowed of old by those corporall deliuerances to wit from the power of darknes and the slauerie of sinne death Coloss 1.13 Heb. 2.14 and of him who had the power of death that is the deuill And these be the enemies and haters whereof Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist maketh mention in his song greatly extolling this redemption Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Luk. 1.68 to 76. for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp a horne of saluation for vs in the house of Dauid his seruant as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that hee would saue vs from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate vs that being deliuered from the hand of our enemies wee might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And albeit this benefit of spirituall and eternall redemption is vsually contemned of carnall men who sauour nothing but the things of the flesh and to whom the slauerie of sinne and the world is so sweet as Satan the God of this world hath blinded their minds yet such is the greatnes and so inestimable is the dignitie thereof that they who haue rightly tasted the redemptiō of Christ whereby libertie to captiues saluation to them that perished and life to the dead is repaired do easily vnderstand that euen the riches kingdomes and pleasures of the whole world are to bee esteemed as nothing in comparison of it For what doth it profit a man Matth. 16. if he gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule or what recompence shall a man giue for his soule CHAP. III. By whom this redemption came Our redeemer is Christ true God and man holy and righteous 1. Tim. 2.5.6 BVt now the Redeemer who hath deliuered vs from the slauerie of sinne death and the power of Satan is none other then the Mediatour of God and men our Lord Iesus Christ true God and true man like vnto vs in all things except sinne For there is one God and one Mediatour also of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a price of redemption for all as the Apostle saith And to the Romanes chap. 3. Rom. 3.24 he teacheth that wee are iustified through the redemption wrought in Christ Iesu And elsewhere the same Apostle affirmeth 1. Cor. 1.30 that Christ is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption that as it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Iohn who from the breast of the Lord had receiued hidden mysteries 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 likewise testifieth If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But euery where such testimonies meete vs in the diuine Scriptures Eph. 2.20 1. Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.12 For Iesus Christ is the foundation of the Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles neither is there saluation in any other nor any other name giuen vnder heauen among men whereby wee must be saued Whereupon their error is worthily to bee detested who not contented with the onely and perfect redeemer Christ seek part of their redemption and saluation elsewhere in themselues or in the Saints where as yet the holiest men vnlesse the grace of Christ had saued and redeemed them could neuer haue been able to satisfie no not for themselues Therfore also Iohn as Augustine well considered said not Augustine If any sinne ye haue an aduocate nor said ye haue me ye haue not Christ but both named Christ and not himselfe and also said we haue and not ye haue He would rather put himselfe in the number of sinners that he might haue Christ his aduocate then put himselfe aduocate in Christs stead and be found among the proud that be condemned Brethren saith he we haue Iesus Christ the righteous an aduocate with the father and he is the attonement of our sinnes Hitherto Augustine tractatu primo in 1. Epist Ioh. CHAP. IIII. Of the maner of the redemption finished NOw the maner of our redemption by Christ The maner is his abasing of himselfe to the death of the crosse and to the shedding of his blood Phil. 2.7 being a mysterie altogether and wonderfull but wholly agreeing to the iustice and trueth of God the Scripture setteth downe on this wise to wit that the eternall Sonne of God for vs and our saluation a based himselfe taking the forme of a seruant being made like vnto men and found in shape as a man and submitting himselfe became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse that by his passion and death and shedding of his most sacred blood as by the onely propitiatorie sacrifice he might redeeme our body and soule from eternall damnation and purchase for vs the grace of God righteousnes and eternall life For this cause
walke in their owne waies Surely God left not himselfe without witnesse among the Gentiles Acts. 14.16 by doing them good and giuing them from heauen raine and fruitfull seasons filling mens hearts with foode and gladnesse which all continually preached the clemencie of the free giuer Notwithstanding the Apostle affirmeth that the mysterie Colos 1. Rom. 16. whereof wee speake was kept secret in the ages and generations that are past And of old the mercie of the Lord which is not wanting in any generation was set out vnto all nations by the testimonies of nature but the doctrine of the Law and Prophets directed none but the house of Iacob and some few other who laboured to haue part in the calling of the Gentiles which should come at the length The third thing that seemeth worthie of consideration here is this The 3. admonition The word is preached alike but all profit not thereby and they that doe haue not the like measure of grace Ioh. 5. that albeit by the ministers of the word and of the grace of God the one truth and the same grace is preached to all and the same exhortation is vsed yet the like fruit followeth not in all For some profit by the hearing of the Gospell others doe not nay they be hardened and all that profit attaine not to the same measure of increase Whence commeth so great vnlikenes but from the vnequall grace of the caller No man commeth vnto me saith the Lord vnles the father draw him Euery one that hath heard and learned of the father commeth to mee And if all that haue heard and learned of the father The Lord must be our teacher or els we cannot learne come we gather with Augustine de praedest sanct cap. 8. that euery one truly who doth not come hath neither heard nor learned of the father For this schoole as the same man notably saith is farre off from the senses of the flesh wherein the father is heard and teacheth that men may come to the sonne There is also the sonne himselfe because he is his word through which he so teacheth neither dealeth he with the eare of the flesh but of the heart 1. Cor. 3. He onely must giue encrease or else all is in vaine But we heare also the Apostle saying Wee are Gods husbandrie and Gods building And Paul planteth Apollo watereth but neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God who giueth the increase From him is the beginning the progresse and the accomplishment of euery good worke Phil. 1. 2. He must begin to build vs and he must finish the worke as the Apostle saith He that hath begun in you this good worke will make it perfect vnto the day of Christ Iesu And againe It is God who worketh in you to will and to do And least peraduenture a man should aske why are these speciall benefits of grace giuen to some and denied to others he addeth in the same place Gods good pleasure is the cause that some haue grace giuen them others haue not that he doth so of his good pleasure To which sentence the words also Colos 1. doe manifestly giue testimonie where Paul saith that the mysterie kept secret from all ages is now reuealed vnto his Saints to whom it pleased God to make it knowne As if he should say that no not at this present is this mysterie made manifest to all and euery one but vnto the Saints of God that is to the Apostles and to such who by their meanes haue beleeued And least thou should aske why it hath been and is reueiled daily to his Saints and not to the rest he addeth straightwaies to whom he pleased as Theodorite and Theophilact haue well considered in the exposition of this place By all these things it is very plaine that the workes and gifts of the diuine grace are neuer bestowed alike vpon all A threefold calling but differ very greatly For wee see a three-fold calling One generall of all by the voyce of nature which neuer ceaseth an other speciall by the voyce of the Gospell which also alreadie is made common to all since the Gospell is preached in the New Testament to euery nation and thirdly whereby the elect are called whereof it is said Rom. â— Whom he hath predestinated them also he called not verely with that calling saith Augustine De perseu sanct lib. 1. cap. 16. whereof it is said Many are called few are chosen but with that whereunto whosoeuer belong they are taught of God Neither can any one say I haue beleeued that so I may be called because the mercie of God preuenting him he is so called that he might beleeue and none of these perisheth For whatsoeuer the father hath giuen me saith the sonne commeth vnto me and I will lose none of them Of this varietie of the grace and gifts of God soundly and plenteously intreateth the author of the bookes of the calling of the Gentiles whose words among other are these lib. 2. cap. 3. The height of the rich wisedome and knowledge of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out hath alwaies so tempered mercie and iudgement that by the most secret will of his eternall counsell he will not haue the same and like measure of his gifts to bee in all throughout all generations and among all men For he hath after one maner benefited those whom he thought meete to know him by the testimonies of heauen and earth and another way those for whom he would prouide not only by the seruice of the elements but also by the doctrine of the Law the oracles of the Prophets the signes of miracles and the workes of the Angels But what should be the cause or the reasons of these differences vnder the same grace while the Scripture is silent who shall speake saith he Let men with patience and quiet mindes be ignorant of a secret so farre from the thought of man wherein the knowledge of Paul the Apostle passeth from disputing to wondring Let a fuller handling of this argument concerning calling which whether it worke in euery man or people and among men generally is appointed from aboue and greatly to bee considered be fetched from the same author who was a man as the verie matter sheweth and Erasmus in his preface iudgeth diligently exercised in the sacred Scriptures and of a sound and sharpe wit CHAP. VII Testimonies of the old Testament are examined LEt vs proceede to the places of the olde Testament First the promise is cited Gen. 3. Gen. 3. The seede of the woman shall breake the serpents head This promise is to be taken saith this disputer of whole mankind and of the whole repayring of the whole kind Thes 33. But this disputer is farre wide extending the blessing which is proper to the Church vnto strangers for the sonne of the virgin The breaking of the Serpents head by Christ
beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are receiued into grace and made partakers of remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluation in Christ Of which thing that we may not doubt at al in the Miscellanies of D. Ierome Zanchie of godly memorie Zanchius there is the iudgement extant of the Church and schoole of Tigur touching certaine Theses of the said Zanchie which at that time were hatefully pursued of certaine that moued the same mischiefe that Huber doth The promises of the free mercie of God and of sure and eternall saluation saith Zanchie in his 13. proposition albeit they be propounded vniuersally to all and are so to be preached yet vnto the elect onely in very deede they doe belong And straight after in 14. proposition Wherefore when Paul saith God will haue all men to be saued if a man restraine that word all men to the elect in any order of men whatsoeuer they be also if a man interprete that saying 1. Ioh. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the whole world for the elect dispersed or to be dispersed hereafter through the whole world he doth not depraue the Scripture Of the vniuersalitie of the promise of grace What do those lights of the Heluetian Church Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Marty Simler Lauater and the rest say to these things They doe not onely assent that the promises touching the free mercie of God and sure and eternall saluation doe belong vnto the elect onely but also they confirme it with this reason That the promises are hidden things for faith and can no otherwise be perceiued then by faith therfore they belong onely vnto them who are adorned with faith by God Certainly say they the promises of this kinde are to be preached vnto all because the ministers of the word know not such as are elect according to purpose and they haue a flock consisting of reprobates and elect but they are made effectuall by the power of Gods spirit in them onely who are of the number of the elect Afterward touching the other proposition that is this whole controuersie they make a pure and cleere confession publishing it with a lowd voice in these words The vniuersalitie of the elect in the worde All men by the opinion of new writers We truly are of the same iudgement and cannot reiect with a good consciēce that exposition which also we acknowledge to be agreeable to the text and not once alleadged by Augustine a father most worthie praise of all for which interpretation he was neuer of any man condemned of heresie In the same place they subscribe also to Zanchies opinion that true faith is giuen once onely to the elect The elect perseuer in faith and that the elect once indued with true faith and ingrafted into Christ by the holy Ghost cannot altogether lose faith shake off the holy Ghost and wholly fall frō Christ and that because of the promise of God and the prayer of Christ Notwithstanding that true faith and the spirit is as it were a sleepe and languisheth in the Saints when they fall but is not altogether taken away otherwise the seede of God should not remaine in them as it is said 1. Ioh. 3. Behold Huber the sentence of so many worthie men whom thou hast gotten for thy defendors consenting against thee Therefore there is no cause that thou shouldest seeke after craftie wresting of words and make wiles to intrap men through some phrases of theirs whose iudgement is so plainly knowne Yet least thou shouldest chaunce to doubt of these things Zuinglius take but the aduise of Huldrich Zuinglius onely the ornament of thy Heluetia and the brightnes of all kinde of learning Annot. in Euang. epist Pauli per Leonem Iudae editis There be many such kinde of speaking vsed afterward in like maner of his successors Annot. ad Heb. In Ioh. 6. In Ioh. 12. That the son of God tooke flesh that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world that his flesh was giuen for the life and redemption of the whole world and that he died for all that he might quicken all by himselfe In Ioh. 17. and by his death giue life to the vniuersall world that Christ came to saue all and to giue eternall life to all c. That man surely vseth thus to speake but in a farre other sense than thou huntest for such kinde of speakings in his schollers and successors For expounding himselfe he expressely writeth In Matth. 15. Whereas Christs death is the remedie and plaister of our diseases and wounds yet that many feele not the efficacie thereof In Ioh. 3. namely such as doe not acknowledge their sinnes Also that he was sent to forgiue sinnes to all repentant sinners and to communicate eternall life that he is the life and saluation of the godly the life of beleeuers and such like In Ioh. 6. praefat in histo de pass In epist ad Rom. 3. In Ioh. 12. And yet he taketh away the sins of the whole world and giueth life to all both because no sinnes in the world are forgiuen but by and for the onely reconciler Christ Iesus and also because he is an vniuersall Sauiour to wit not onely of the Iewes but of the Gentiles also that they that haue the fruition of Christ his oblation may for euer goe to God through him and may haue by faith through Christ the blotting out of all their sinnes as more at large a man may see in the same writer tom 1. expostul ad Fridolium Attend and weigh O Huber and cease to abuse the testimonies of thine Heluetians The 8. testimonie Musculus The same thing I say of Musculus whose iudgement who so looketh into I know very well he will marueile at Hubers wit and at his desire and captious kinde of speaking to peruert all things De remiss pecc q. 2. Thes 586. These are his words That the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men This Huber catching at greedily setteth it in his booke in great letters but malitiously altogether pulled away from the words following wherein lieth the meaning of that saying to wit that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men as farre forth as the Gospel is to be preached to euery creature and the mercie of God to be set forth to all And so Musculus vnderstandeth the sayings Ioh. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. So God loued the world Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world not that remission of sinnes by the grace of God befalleth to all without difference of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers which is the opinion of the aduersarie and not of Musculus Nay thus he testifieth openly If we consider them who by the grace of God obtaine remission of their sinnes as of the elect so of these also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates whose sins he saith are
if the minister of the word inuite all men to faith exhort and stirre vp all to repentance But the promises of grace But the promises of grace belong to the beleeuers onely 2. Thess 3. Acts 13. wherein is offered mercie peace saluation honour glorie life and immortalitie these speaking of men growne are receiued no otherwise than by faith and faith all men haue not but whom God of his singular mercie vouchsafeth that diuine gift Further the aduersarie himselfe whether he will or not must confesse as before also we mentioned that saluation pertaineth vnto them Thes 534. who by faith abide in Christ Therefore it doth not belong to the vnbeleeuers and so to all no truly vnles a man would call againe the fable of Origene Origens fable that all men at length shall be saued Wherfore here the Antecedent is denied that the minister of the Gospell promiseth to all and preacheth the couenant of reconciliation to all as though all were comprehended alike in the couenant Zach 1.3 Ezech. 18.21 Esay 1.17 Acts 2.38 8.22 For to speake simply he promiseth to the beleeuers onely and to such as repent But to the vnbeleeuers and hypocrites he denounceth wrath because the wicked hath no peace saith the Lord neither is any thing promised vnto them but conditionally to wit if they turne and beleeue with all their heart The promise is made vnto the wicked conditionally And this condition God alone performeth in whom it pleaseth him seeing both faith and repentance bee his meere gift And in this sense it is rightly said that the promises ought to be preached and propounded vnto all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers as farre as the ministers office stretcheth that they should disperse the word of faith and saluation indifferently and publikely into the eares of all and setting forth the mercie of God in Christ who is the sacrifice for the sinnes of the world they should call whomsoeuer to imbrace the gift of grace and should inuite whomsoeuer they finde as it were to the mariage of the king Matth. 22. And it is an vngodly speech that all ought not to beleeue because the promise and saluation pertaineth not to all Nay because saluation is proper to the faithfull onely and death and condemnation to the vnfaithfull therefore ought all to repent and beleeue the Gospell that they perish not with the world but may haue eternall life Neither doth it any thing hinder this generall inuitation that it is certaine that many euer haue been and shall be contemners of grace offered seeing as the Apostle saith faith belongeth not to all 2. Thes 3. Matth. 22. Marke this and as Christ witnesseth many are called and few are chosen For the cōmandement of the king is enough and largely enough for the seruants that are the inuiters Go ye Luk. 14. Mark 16. and say ye to them that are bidden Come for all things are readie Call ye vnto the mariage whomsoeuer ye finde Againe Preach ye vnto euery creature Vnto this commandement must the faithfull preacher of righteousnes yeeld obedience whether he be receiued or reiected or els for the same endure any temporall aduersitie As also they who bee called must without delay obey their calling howsoeuer many obey not because they haue also a commandement greater then any shifting or refusall that they can make Come ye beleeue repent Psal 95. Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the desert Let Augustine be read touching this point against Cresconius Gram. lib. 1. cap. 5. 6. where by diuerse testimonies of Scripture he expressely sheweth The trueth must be preached to men though they will not heare it Matth. 10. that the trueth ought to be preached euen to them that will not heare The Lord saith in the Gospell When ye enter in say Peace be to this house if they bee worthie that bee therein your peace shall rest vpon them if not it shall returne to you againe Did he certifie them that they to whom they should preach that peace would receiue it Yet he gaue them to vnderstand that peace must be preached without delay euen to such as would not admit the same The Apostle also charged his Timothie 1. Tim. 4. that he should not bee slothfull in preaching for mens sakes to whom the preaching of the trueth is vnpleasant I charge thee before God and Christ Iesu Preach the word be instant in season and out of season rebuke exhort improue Therefore a faithfull workman will preach to such as are willing in season and to such as refuse out of season Christ also how many things spake he in the face of the Iewes Pharisees Saduces such as not onely would not beleeue but also greatly speake against him and persecute him And he knew surely saith Augustine because hee knew all things that these things would nothing profit them to their saluation but by his example peraduenture strengthened vs Eze. 2. 3. who cannot know before the future faith or vnfaithfulnes of men Beside we reade that the Prophets were sent to men so disobedient that God himselfe foretold the Prophets whom he sent that they to whom he sent them would not obey their words So Ezechiel was sent with the word of God to striue with the Iewes that would disobey dissent and speake against In lik maner Ieremy Iere. 1.19 7.27 to whom it was said Thou shalt speake all these words vnto them yet they will not heare thee and thou shalt call them but they will not answer thee Obiection If any man aske for what cause for what good with what fruite or effect are deafe men spoken vnto albeit the commandement of God bee sufficient against which it is a hainous offence to dispute yet other things also may be alleadged for an answer Answere Foure reasons why the word is preached to reprobates beside Gods cōmandement to doe it before set down 1. As long as men liue in this world reprobates and elect are ioyned together and cannot be discerned by the iudgement of man and therefore it is meete that the trueth bee preached indifferently to all least because of reprobates the elect be defrauded who will take profit by the preaching of the word Hereupon also Augustine de Correp grat 15. 16. Seeing wee know not who belongeth to the number of them that be predestinate and who belongeth not we ought to be so touched with the affection of charitie that we should be willing that all may be saued 2. By this meanes is cleerely shewed the miserable blindnes and great corruption of lost man and in very deede that appeareth true which Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. that the naturall man perceiueth not the things that be of the spirit of God that they be foolishnes vnto him and that he is not able truly to know them 3. The godly while they behold others left
in vnbeleefe vnto whom notwithstanding the doctrine is common doe acknowledge so much the more the mercie of God towards themselues whereby they turne and are saued To this end the Lord said Ioh. 6. No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall bee all taught of God Whosoeuer therefore hath heard and learned of the father commeth vnto me Also Matth. 13. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but not vnto them but in them is the prophecie fulfilled that they hearing heare not to wit hearing with the sense of the body heare not with the assent of the heart as Augustine expoundeth But why some haue eares to heare and others not that is why it is giuen to some of the father to come vnto the sonne and to others it is not giuen who knoweth the minde of the Lord who hath been of his counsell or who art thou O man that reasonest with God saith Augustine de bono perseuerantiae lib. 2. cap. 14. 4. The vngodlie are made vnexcusable in hearing the word of God that they cannot pretend ignorance seeing they performe not so much as outward things which they bee able to doe as it is said in Ezechiel Eze. 2. Whether they will heare or leaue off speake thou vnto them and they shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them And Christ saith Ioh. 15 2â— If I had not come and spoken they should haue no sinne but now they haue no excuse And elsewhere he saith Matth. 24. that the Gospell of the kingdome must bee preached in all the earth for a witnes vnto all nations As also he foretold his Apostles Matth. 10. that they should bee brought before rulers and kings for a witnes to them and to the Gentiles that is to their reproofe and condemnation who beleeue not as Theophylact interpreteth both places I will adde hereunto because of the aduersarie who findeth great fault with this vse of the word the testimonies both of Augustine and also of Luther Augustine tract 81. in Ioh. saith They that contemne or els deride and impugne the commandements of God vnto them the words of Christ shall not be a benefit but a testimonie against them And de praedest sanct cap. 9. he writeth that the saluation of religion from the beginning of the increase of mankind vnto the end is preached to some for a reward to some for iudgment Also de Correp grat cap. 13. Correction is to bee vsed towards all as a medicine albeit the health of the sicke person be vncertaine that if hee who is corrected pertaine to the number of the predestinate the correction may bee vnto him a holesome medicine but if he pertaine not it may be a penall torment Luther Tom. 3. in 3. cap. Ioâ—lis The Gospell is preached saith he to all men and though all doe not greatly beleeue the word yet it is preached as wel to the vngodly as to the godly to these it is the power of God to saluation to the other to iudgement See also lib. 1. sentent dist 47. about the end of the distinction Hub thes 300. The first cauill of the aduersarie But let vs heare Huber First it is a lie that is fained vpon our side that the reprobates are called to no other end but to be hardened and made without excuse for many ends are alreadie rendred He citeth Beza Responsione altera ad Colloq Mompel fol. 149. 95. Item 96. but the exclusiue is ill fained vpon our men and often repeated of Huber but it is not found in Beza Thes 477. Then as he is practised in cauilling he excepteth that to preach faith and repentance to such as shall not beleeue as being by the iust iudgement of God not predestinated vnto faith is as absurd as if a man should preach repentance to the very deuils But there is very great vnlikenes betweene men reprobate and those reprobate spirits albeit in this they agree that eternall fire remaineth for both For the elect and reprobates of men are in this life mingled together neither can we know who shall beleeue who not beside the other things we spake of speciallie the commandement of God whereby the Gospell is ordained for euery humane creature Further he cauilleth If the hearing of the word turne to the reprobates vnto their greater iudgement Thes 478. that they are in worse case then the deuils who from the Gospell preached bring no such iudgement vpon themselues Answere This is a false argument taken from that which is spoken in part To speake simply the deuils are more vnhappie because they be worse and wickedder Ephes 6. whereupon by Paul they are called spiritual wickednes In the meane while it nothing hindereth reprobate men to be in worse condition in part that is to be guiltie of iudgement for some cause wherein the deuils are not guiltie as for example for the contempt of the word preached vnto them and for the vnworthy receiuing of the Lords Supper because vnworthie receiuers eate and drinke their owne damnation But this hath no place in deuils albeit neuertheles as enemies of all righteousnes and order appointed of God and so also as contemners of the word and Sacraments after their maner they shal not escape the iudgement of God Thirdly he cauilleth impudently If the matter so stand Thes â—04 it shall bee better neuer to goe to the word for if they must wholly perish and burne the lesse they doe heare that they may despise the lesse they shall be beaten Be silent cruell tongue and lippes that speake iniquitie What resteth O Huber but by the like reason thou maist conclude seeing many in the Supper of the Lord eate and drinke iudgement to themselues that it shall be also better for vs to abstaine from it But that all men may vnderstand such like sophistrie on both sides this onely followeth to wit that it is better not to come to the Supper of the Lord then to come vnworthily also not to heare the word of God then not to receiue it being heard or els to reiect and tread it vnder our feete after wee haue receiued it but such as bee blessed haue kept the meane For because both they that knowing his will and yet doe not the same and also they that are ignorant of it shall be beaten specially if it bee affected ignorance disdaining to heare the word of God being offered it is our parts both to heare and to keepe the word of God and so to prepare our selues Luk. 11. that wee may worthily receiue the Sacraments So surely we shall best prouide for our selues and not if we iudge our selues vnworthily of the kingdome of God by refusing his word and Sacraments Fourthly that the aduersarie may here also proue to the reader the scoffing wherein hee excelleth if yet it may or ought to bee approued of
onely who should beleeue in him and repent For that cause he saith And he shall beare the sinnes of many Luther also vpon that saying Luther in Is 53. My righteous seruant by the knowledge of himselfe c. defineth Christian righteousnes to be nothing els than to know Christ and this onely to be the way of our deliuerance from death and sinnes and that this knowledge doth free vs and that there is no other comfort Therefore it is an error to claime for al men simply freedome from sinne and death The same thing plainly appeareth by the forme of the new couenant Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. Behold the daies shal come The 3. place Ierem. 31. saith the Lord when I will make a new couenaÌ„t with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I brought them out of the land of Aegypt but this is the couenant which I will strike with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people Neither shall euery one teach his neighbour saying know the Lord for al shal know me from the least to the greatest among them and I will be merciful to their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Hence wee see that remission of sinnes which is wrought by the death of the Mediatour is the benefit of the new couenant Whereupon it followeth The benefits of the couenant belong to the sonnes of the couenant that it appertaineth to the sonnes onely of the couenant But how that all are not the sonnes of the couenant first from hence it is plaine that these promises I will put my lawes in their mindes I will bee their God and they shall be my people they shall all know me agree not simply vnto all men Then because it is flatly sayd that this couenant is made with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda which thing must be vnderstood of the Church of the Iewes and Gentiles that true Iuda and Israel whereof the Apostle also speaketh Gal. 3. Ye are all one in Christ Iesu and because ye are Christs ye are Abrahams seede and heires by promise Ier. 23. 33. The 4. place The like promise we haue Iere. 23. and 33. Behold the daies shall come saith the Lord that I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall raigne in whose daies Israel shal be saued and Iuda shall dwell boldly We see here also the redemption of the Messiah peculiarly attributed to his people because Luk. 1. as the Angell Gabriel testifieth he raigneth ouer the house of Iacob that is the Church and of his raigne and his peace there shall be no end Euery where also in the Prophets when they foretell of the comming of the Redeemer and of saluation to be wrought by him the word of promise is peculiarly directed vnto the Church vnder the name of Sion Zach. 2. The 5. place as Zachar. 2. Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I will come and dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord and many nations shall be gathered together in that day and they shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee and the Lord shall possesse Iuda his portion in the holy land and shall choose as yet Ierusalem That this must bee vnderstoode of the Church collected from euery place the things that we reade 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. and Apoc. 21. vers 2. will not suffer vs to doubt at all Zach. 6. The 6. place And in the 9. chapter of the same Prophet it is said Reioyce greatly O daughter Sion shout for ioy O daughter Ierusalem Behold thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee who is iust a Sauiour poore â—iding vpon an asse and he shall speake peace to the Gentiles and his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the flood to the ends of the earth Ephes 2. For the Catholike Church of Christ is dispersed through the whole world which Christ as Paul witnesseth is our peace and hath made both Iewes and Gentiles one abolishing enmitie through his flesh that he might make one man of two in himselfe and hath reconciled both in one bodie vnto God by his crosse slaying enmitie by it and comming hath preached peace both to them that were farre off and to them that were neere Agreeable to this is the word of promise Esay 62. Esay 62. Behold the Lord proclaimeth vnto the vtmost parts of the earth Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy saluation shall come behold his reward is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called a citie sought for and not forsaken What was this citie but the high Ierusalem which is the mother of vs all for it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not Gal 4. breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate woman hath more children than she that hath an husband After which sort also the citie of God the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem with her sonnes dispersed among all nations is gloriously described in the 87. Psalme And these bee they of whom speaketh this propheticall word here They shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Wherefore seeing the prerogatiue of so great dignitie is proper to the sons of the Church and the household of God it is iniuriously extended to those that are without But that we may not go farre it is certaine Acts 10. as Peter sheweth that all the Prophets doe witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him receiueth remission of sinnes through his name And as Paul affirmeth the righteousnesse of God is approued by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. the righteousnesse of God I say in all and vpon all that beleeue Col. 1. Now the righteousnesse of God and remission of sinnes is redemption it selfe Colos 1. Wherefore by the one consent of all the Prophets redemption is proper to the beleeuers and nothing at all belongeth to the vnbeleeuers CHAP. VI. The same thing is proued by some types of the old Testament I Will onely annexe certaine typicall or shadowed things of the old Testament wherein now long agoe the very same thing hath been declared The redemption of Israel out of Egypt and Babel And first it is manifest enough that the redemption of the people of Israel out of Egypt and after out of the captiuitie of Babel were as certaine shadowes and figures of this true redemption and grace gotten by Christ as here and there wee may see in the Prophets Tuitiens hath this similitude vpon Ioh. 17. Therefore looke how much difference there is betweene the Egyptians perishing with
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
discerneth from that hidden will whereat man must trembl whervpon alone he saith all things doe depend namely who shall receiue the word and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who shall be blinded who shall be damned and who shal be iustified Neither doeth Brentius teach otherwise of the vniuersality of Christian redemption Brentius exp Catech. Arâ—â— de rem pecc quaest quà m laté paceat namely that all sinnes are pardoned all men for Christes sake whosoeuer they be Iewes or Gentiles kings or priuate men free men or bond so that they come to the Church of Christ and beleeue in him For whosoeuer saith hee beleeueth in Christ and is baptized in his name receiueth remission of sinnes and the right into the heauenly inheritance And by name hee often saith that this benefite is not receiued but by faith c. Briefly by this mans iudgement forgiuenes of sinnes receiuing into fauour into the number of the saints adoption also the right of the heauenly inheritance in al which points we vnderstand that redemptioÌ„ consisteth are the proper gifts of the Church of the saints and of true beleeuers stretcheth far wide as the Church of Christ doth and they are neuertheles rightly said to belong to all as far forth as no man of what degree or condition soeuer is hindred froÌ„ them so that he doe beleeue Whereunto belongeth also that exposition whereof wee before made mention in Matth. 1. To whom is Iesus a Iesus that is a Sauiour from their sinnes the Euanglist saith he shall saue his people He doth not saue strangers but his owne people They be strangers as many as beleeue not in him and they are his owne as many as acknowledge and imbrace him by faith be they Iewes or Gentiles c. Let the disputers of Tubinge if they can make these things agree with the deuise of their braine that all wholly whether they come to Christ by faith or no are freed from all sinne and condemnation receiued into grace iustified quickened Huber thes 1059. and accounted in the number of Saints and that all no one excepted are that people of Christ whereof it is said he shall saue his people from their sinnes But let them heare another of their friendes also openly pronouncing that Christ died for all men Ilirie in Io. 12. ver 52. in ver 31. because by him not onely the Iewes but also the elect of God whersoeuer ought to be saued who from the East and West are gathered to Abraham their father Againe the merite of Christ saith he is found to surmount exceedingly in the iudgement of God the sinnes of the whole world and so Christ and all his members not the members and vessels of Satan are pronounced righteous And he addeth that therefore chiefly Christs victorie against Satan was referred to the time of his death because then by the merite of his death was that treasure of victories obtained which otherwise is distributed to the beleeuers in all times And by and by here is the difference betweene the power and the act or the purchase and the application or the right and the possession In the Merite and purchase of the right or in power Satan was at that time of his passion cast out of all men and so out of the whole world but in application or acte onely of the beleeuers is he cast out at all times Let that distinction of power and act or of sufficiency and efficiencie bee well obserued as this authour doeth fully explaine himselfe when vpon the wordes of Iohn 1. Epistle 2. hee writeth the chiefe point of the cause of the aduersaries in these wordes when hee saith for our sinnes hee meaneth the beleeuers whom the passion of Christ doth in very deed profite In that he addeth of the whole world he vnderstandeth it of the power because the benefites and merite of Christ lye open for all and all may be saued fully by his satisfaction so excellent sufficient and precious is his merite if they vouchsafe to lay hold vpon it by faith It would be very long to reckon vp euery thing yet it may not be let passe The Synode held at Argertine against 〈◊〉 Hofman an Anabaptist and Pelagian Heritike that I meane to say now concerning the Synode held at Argentine Anno D. 1533. There a disputation being appointed with one Melchior Hofman an Anabaptisticall and Palagian deceauer among other his errors this also was condemned that he maintained that all be elected and all redeemed by Christ altogether as Huber will haue not onely redemption and the merite of Christ but also election in him to bee indifferently common to all men after the fall But contrariwise that Synode out of the word of God pronounced that God after he had foreknowen from euerlasting that mankinde by the fall of our first parents would he subiect to eternall death of meere mercie before the world was made chose foreknew and predestinated vnto himselfe to eternall life some out of mankind letting passe the rest that the death of Christ was for the sins of these men a propitiation Therfore that neither election nor redemption of Christ is common to al men as Hofman dreamed to entangle wretched consciences and to corrupt sound doctrine But that therefore the merit of Christ is said and preached to be common to the whole world because after Christs glorification not onely the Iewes but all other nations must bee made partakers thereof to wit as many of them as be elected And in this sense the sayd Synod doth expound the testimonies of Scripture obiected by Hofman Gen. 12. 1. cor 15. Io. 12. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Io. 2. Io. 1. In thy seede all nations shall be blessed As in Adam all dye so in Christ all are quickened When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all vnto me God wil haue al men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth Also Iesus Christ is the attonement for the sinnes of the whole world The Lambe taking away the sinnes of the world and such like For wee must not thinke that where these words be all men all the world the whole world that there straightwaies all men no one excepted must bee vnderstood for such phrases haue not euery where one and the same signification He that desireth to know these things more throughly let him reade Hieronymus Zanchius of godly memorie my reuerend teacher whom for honour and reuerence sake which I owe him I name lib. 3. miscell pag 79. and specially the Acts of the disputation of Hofman by Martin Bucer which hee published in his owne and his associates name printed at Argentine by Matthias Appiarius Anno 1533. And this whole doctrine which M. Bucer defendeth in disputation against Hofman the whole Senate of Argentine approued as sound and would haue it faithfully taught and preached in that citie suffering no man to speake any thing against that
Paul to the Philip. To you saith he it is giuen not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake How Augustine recanted his former error By these and the like testimonies of diuine Scripture Augustine being conuicted freely acknowledged his error in this point and retracted it de praedest sanct cap. 3 passimeo libro Ad Simplicianum Sancti Ambrosij successorem apud Mediol lib. 1. quaest 2. contra 2. Epist Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 8. Retract lib. 1. Aug. de bono perseu cap. 12. cap. 23. lib. 2. cap. 1. For it is incident to man to fall and to erre but wittingly and willingly to continue in error is deuillish neither ought any man to bee so vniust or enuious that either he will not profit himselfe or els hinder others that are desirous to profit Fourthly The fourth opinion that the foreseene abuse of free will to infidelitie and other euill works is the cause of reprobation confuted by Augustine other confesse that the cause of election to eternall life is in God alone namely his grace and good pleasure but they suppose no lesse than the former writers that the cause of reprobation is in men themselues to wit the foreseene abuse of freewill to infidelitie and other euil works For they be afraid least any iniquitie should bee with God if some bee said to bee reiected of him without all respect of workes Therefore that they may maintaine his iustice forsooth they write that as many as bee reprobated are reprobated for finall sinne foreseene Among the Schoolemen Scotus and his disciples follow this opinion Scotus Hereupon some of that same leauen haue defined reprobation to be the eternall foreknowledge of the euill vse of freewill Thomas Argentinus his definition of reprobation Lib. 1. q. 2. by reason whereof God hath decreed to depriue some man of his grace in this present life and to punish him in the life to come with euerlasting paine But as Augustine ad Simpl. rightly iudgeth If we should graunt that reprobation dependeth of euill workes foreseene it should altogether follow on the contrarie that election also ariseth of good workes foreseene Which if it be true it is false that it is not of workes Fiftly therefore and that is the true opinion The fift opinion soundest and best as foreseene workes or faith of such as shall be saued are not the cause of their election so neither is the vnbeleefe or other sinnes foreseene of them that shall bee damned the cause of their reprobation but that they are in Christ of meere mercie elected and these are iustly from the same mercie reiected according to the purpose of Gods will which as it is most free so most iust and the very rule of all equitie and iustice CHAP. VII A demonstration of election freely arising oft h◠meere good pleasure of God FOr the defence of this trueth and the larger confutation of the contrarie opinions there be sundry arguments and testimonies of the Scriptures and those most cleere and euident from whence we will onely produce some The 1. reason 1. The cause is not later than the effect But workes and faith in vs and the very will and desire to beleeue and what good vse soeuer of freewill in vs bee later than election For all these things are temporall whereas election is eternall according to the sayings He elected vs before the creation of the world Ephe. 1. Matth. 25. 2. Tim. 1. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid He hath called vs with an holy calling according to his purpose and grace which is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Obiection If they except that our workes not as done but as to be done and foreseene of God are alike eternall Answere we answere that God foresaw no good worke or will in vs which he decreed not to effect in vs and which in predestinating he prepared not for vs as it is said to the Ephes 2. We are his worke created in Christ Iesu vnto good works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them And chap. 1. of the same Epistle He hath chosen vs before the foundations of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him From whence we vnderstand seeing in that we are predestinate of God to life it commeth to passe that wee doe good workes and beleeue so euen the foreknowledge of future faith in vs and of those good things which we shall doe is later then election at the least in order reason The 2. 2. To the same end it commeth if we should argue thus Good workes likewise faith and what vse soeuer of freewill to worke or to beleeue or els to thinke of any goodnes flow from the meere grace of God as the effects of Gods electiō as at large after shall be shewed Therefore neither as done neither as to be done and foreseene of God can these things be considered as the causes of election For nothing can bee both the cause and effect in respect of the same thing Ad Simpl. lib. 1. Workes saith Augustine do not beget grace but are begotten of grace Two fine similitudes The fire warmeth not that it may be hot but because it is hot Neither doth the wheele therefore runne well that it may bee round but because it is round So no man therefore worketh well that he may receiue grace but because he hath receiued it 3. The 3. reason If our foreseene good workes were the cause of predestination to eternall saluation they should bee the cause also of our calling and iustification The later is false Therefore also the first The Maior is proued by the rule That which is the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused as they speake that is of the effect But predestination is the cause of vocation and iustification as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified The Minor also is most easily proued 2. Tim. 1. seeing the holie Ghost expressely testifieth that we are saued of God and called with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Likewise Paul in his Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians most largely discourseth of iustification euery way freely bestowed He requireth faith surely as the meane whereby we applie righteousnes and saluation offered to vs in the Gospell but not as of our selues for it is the gift of God And therfore if euen the foreknowledge of faith Ephes 2.8 as from vs be set downe to be the cause of election it will follow that neither iustification is euery way free Otherwise it standeth firme that we are iustified by faith as by a meane yet faith is not
no cause to alleage beside the alone and that free and iust wil of God Thâ— very thing is meant by the distinction that some make The decree of predestination and the execution of that decree betweene the decree of predestination whereof there is no cause but the will of God and the execution of the decree the cause whereof be the sins of such as shal be damned From the meaning of which distinction that which Thomas writeth doth not disagree Expos in 9. ad Rom. That the prescience of sinnes may be called some reason of reprobation in respect of the punishment which is prepared for the reprobates to wit in as much as God purposeth to punish the wicked for sins which they haue of thâ—selues and not of God Ecâ—â—us in Chrysopass And according to Richard as Eckius reporteth The merites of men are the reason of reprobation in * Quantum ad connotatum respect of that which is notorious which is temporall bardening and future damnation but saith he there is no reason to wit in man of the preordination vnto that damnation Caluin respecting the same thing Comment in â— ad Rom. graunteth that the next cause of reprobation is that wee are all accursed in Adam by natiue corruption which is dispersed throughout all mankind which is sufficient vnto damnation As Esau saith hee was worthily reiected because naturally hee was the child of wrath yet Paul auoucheth that without respect of anie fault or vice his condition was worse than his brothers that we may learne to rest in the naked and simple good pleasure of God What neede many wordes whom God hath reprobated therefore he hath reprobated because he would But he hath reprobated that is foreordained to inflict iust punishment for sinne As Augustine also is rightly vnderstood when he saith Cont. duas epist Pela li. 1. c. 20. that God maketh some vessels of wrath according to merite for naturally we are all the children of wrath others vessels of mercie according to grace CHAP. XII A confutation of certaine obiections against the expounded doctrine of the cause of Election and Reprobation BVt the greatnes of the question which wee handle troubleth the senses of men that too proudly reason of the wil of God whereby it commeth to passe that many obiect manie things against this height of the diuine mercy and iudgement whereby when there is no diuersity nor difference of merites among men themselues one is predestinated that he might be seuered and chosen out of the masse of perdition and be made a vessell for honor and another is reprobated to be a vessell for dishonor First the very name of Election seemeth to be against it For Obiection 1 Election specially is made in respect of some qualitie whereby one excelleth or seemeth to excell another So wee are went in chusing to prefere faire things before ill fauoured sit things before vnfit and more profitable things before such as bee lesse profitable Therefore it seemeth that we must say that God also respected something in the elect for which cause hee preferred them before others Esay 55. Answere Answere The thoughts of God are not as the thoughts of men neither his waies as our waies saith the Lord. Wee men are wont to chuse after the aforesaid maner Election and loue in God is faire otherwise than in men but election and loue are farre otherwise in God than in men For the will of man is moued to loue by beholding of some good in the thing loued in respect of some good as it is said true or els in appearance it prefereth the thing it chuseth before another and counteth it deare But the will of God is the cause of al goodnes in the creature and therefore God loueth man not for any good thing that he can chuse in him What it is to loue but rather because he loueth him therfore in chusing he preferreth him before others to wit by willing that good to him which hee willeth not to another For to loue is to will good to a man Obiection 2 Secondly the Apostle saith 2. Timothie 2. In a great house there be not onely vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth and some surely to honour others to dishonour If therefore a man shall purge himselfe from these things hee hall bee a vessell for honour sanctified and fit for the Lords vse c. Therefore that we may bee vessels for honour or dishonor elect or reprobates it dependeth on our selues Answere But doubtles they that abuse this place must needes first with Sophysters and the enemies of grace also maintaine that the clensing of a man consisteth in the strength of free will For as long as it is the benefite of grace it abideth to be the effect of election whereby vessels for honour are made and by no meanes can be the cause of it Further the consequence is denied because in that place he handleth not the cause of predestination as Ro. 9. but onely a marke is taught whereby we may know the elect and the Saints which is a sincere and constant confession of Gods name The true sense of the Apostles words before and a studie of righteousnes For the Apostle preuenteth the offence that might arise of the Apostacy of Hymeneus and Philetus men of great worth as they had been estemed and sheweth to the comfort of the faithfull that the elect cannot perish but that they bee knowne to God and not to vs vnlesse it be by the effects and by that that followeth as wee speake according to the rule Let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Therefore it is our part to perseuer in a true confession to imbrace righteousnes and not to ioyne with the teachers of errors and other wicked men that we may be that is in very deede may testifie that wee are the vessels of honour We are commanded 2. Peter 1. The 3. obiection to make our calling and election sure to wit by good workes as some Greeke and Latine copies haue it added and the sense of it selfe requireth it The argument will be such as this is That is the cause of election whereby it is made strong and sure But election is made sure by good workes Therefore good workes are the cause of Election Answere It is answered in respect of God election is firme in it selfe or in the purpose of God the chuser 2. Tim. 2. Rom. 9. because as the Apostle witnesseth the foundation of God standeth sure and his purpose according to electioÌ„ abideth not of works but of the caller But in respect of vs election is made sure by good works as by the effects For because we be elected that we may be holy and blamelesse not without cause is holinesse of life accounted the triall and declaration of election And this is the meaning of Peters wordes From whence an answere
But all actions and motions of the mindes of men are determined of God Therefore necessarily they so come to passe by the force of the consequent there is in them no libertie of our will Answere This Syllogisme being granted wee yet denie that which is inferred vpon it For we must make difference betweene the necessitie of coaction Necessities twofold and immutability That moueth violently through an externall beginning only but this imposeth surely a necessity vpon the second causes that they effect this or that thing and thereby also vpon the effects that they so come to passe Things in respect of God necessarily come to passe but in respect of second causes most things are contingent and casuall yet it taketh not away the natures of things but rather confirmeth them Therefore albeit in respect of God who foreseeth all things infallibly and vnchaungeably foreordayneth them necessarily that is infallibly and vnchaungeably all things come to passe yet in respect of the second causes them I meane that are not in their owne nature limited to certayne effects as be all the willes of Angels and men many things are done contingently and by choice And it is to be marked that seeing effects haue their names of their next causes such effects are rightly called contingent euen as they that arise of second causes necessarily working as the motions of heauen the heate of fire are and are called necessarie albeit notwithstanding in respect of God altering the order of nature as often as pleaseth him contingencie or chaunce hath also place in such Examples confirme this answere Examples hereof As for example Christ must suffer and be slaine yet he suffered and dyed willingly as it is written I lay downe my life Luke 24. that I may take it againe No man taketh it from me Iohn 1â— I haue power to lay it downe and I haue power to take it againe Also All things must bee fulfilled which were written of him yet what was more casuall considering the natures of second causes than that the souldiers cast lots for Christs coate that they brake not a bone of him and such like In the Angels also perfect spirits in heauen so mightie is the kingdome of grace that necessarily they doe not sinne shall we therfore depriue them of the libertie of their will What shall wee say of God himselfe who is vnchangeably good who must needes alwaies liue and foreknow all things Yet God forbid that we should put the life and foreknowledge of God vnder necessitie as neither is his power diminished when he is said that he cannot dye De Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 10. or bee deceiued Which example Augustine also vseth where hee answereth in like maner the foresaid question by that distinction of a twofold necessitie And chapter 9. he writeth that it doth not follow that if there bee with God a certaine order of causes therefore nothing is in our will seeing in the very order of causes euen our willes are accounted Anselme writeth at large of this matter concerning the agreement of Gods foreknowledge and predestination with freewill CHAP. XXI Answers to the other obiections Obiection 4 Whether the ministery of the worde be ouerthrowne by predestination BVt they say that by the doctrine of Gods vnchangeable predestination the ministerie of the word is ouerthrowne and cleane taken away to wit all instructions exhortations reproofes consolations and lastly all doctrine both publikely and priuatly For what things are vnchangeably predestinated of God to be done in vaine are meanes vsed in them And such is the saluation of men Therefore such meanes are vsed in vaine Answere But there is an error in the Maior which onely is true touching meanes that are not ordained of God or els without which it is manifest that hee will bring to passe those vnchangeable euents But it is of no force concerning those meanes which euen he himselfe pleaseth to vse for the ends appointed of him and hath also commanded vs to vse them And such are those meanes that are mentioned in the obiection For it is written 1. Tim. 4. Giue heede to exhortation and reading practise these continue therein take heede to thy selfe and to doctrine For if thou do this thou shalt saue thy selfe and those that heare thee Also Be instant in the word in season 2. Tim. 4. out of season rebuke reproue exhort with all trueth and doctrine watch in all things And the Lord himselfe saith Matth. 18. If thy brother sinne against thee goe and tell him his fault c. if hee heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother Iam. 5.19 Iud. vers 21. And euery where wee are commaunded to stirre vp the slothfull to reproue those that sinne that they may repent Further it is certaine Predestination comprehendeth both the end and the meanes to the end that predestination belongeth not onely to the end namely the saluation of such as be predestinate but to the meanes also leading to that end the word of God and experience bearing witnesse that it is giuen to very few to receiue the doctrine of saluation by the Lord himselfe or by Angels Aug. de bono pers cap. 19. without the preaching ministerie of man and that it is giuen to many to beleeue in God by men For God obserueth this order commonly towards his elect that whom he hath seuered from damnation by the bountifulnes of his grace for them he procureth his Gospell to bee heard and when they heare moueth them to beleeue Aug. de Cor. grat cap. 7. and to continue vnto the end in saith which worketh by loue and to repent vpon admonition if at any time they go astray Yea and some also hee bringeth backe into the way which they had forsaken without the reproofe of men But in the children of perdition it commeth to passe that is written that they hearing heare not that is De bono perseâ— cap. 14. hearing by the sense of the body they heare not with the assent of the heart De Correp grat cap. 15. In the meane while seeing wee know not who belong to the number of the predestinate who not we must be so affected with loue that we wish al to be saued warning reprouing all and euery one as occasion is offered with meekenes waiting if at one time or other God will giue them to acknowledge 2. Tim. 2. the trueth and escaping out of the snare of the deuill of whom they are held captiues to receiue a sounder minde Therefore let vs doe our dutie applying brotherly correction to all men that they perish not or destroy others but it belongeth to God to make the same profitable vnto them We must doe our dutie in â—â—rouing oâ—â—◠〈◊〉 we doe not profit them and why 〈◊〉 whoÌ„ he himselfe hath foreknowne and predestinated to bee conformable to the image of his sonne And albeit hee make it not
taught to the common people in sermons may easily bee confuted For it becommeth vs not to bee wiser than Christ himselfe his holy Apostles and Prophets who all haue freely witnessed to learned and vnlearned the true doctrine of predestination how hard soeuer it may seeme to the flesh As for example Christ said Many are called and few chosen And again Al that the father giueth me coÌ„meth vnto me My sheep heare my voyce but you beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe Paul certainly not in a corner but publikely and before the whole world saith It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that sheweth mercie c. And againe God willing to make knowne his goodnes c. All these things forsooth are such if wee beleeue these moderators as nothing can be spoken more vnprofitably Marke this speech if the â—â—â—tiâ—oâ— well But say I If God will haue such things spoken and published abroad and that it is not to bee respected what may follow or what carnall wisedome shall inferre thereupon who art thou O man that doest forbid them As who say thy creator shall learne of thee his creature what is profitable what is vnprofitable to be preached Or what shall seeme tolerable in the iudgement of men vnskilfull surely I will not say commonly most vngodly that onely shall be profitable and what is contrariwise that shall straight be reputed vnprofitable and pernicious What is more foolish than to make Gods word so subiect to the pleasure of men Let rather the whole earth bee silent before the Lord and let all the inhabitants of the earth reuerence the words of his mouth CHAP. XXVII That the doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessary with the answers to such obiections as haue been made against it Obiection WHat profit then or what necessity moueth men to publish such things seeing so many euils and offences seeme to arise from thence to the troubling of the hearts of such as be simple and vnlearned Answere I answere It were sufficient to say because so it pleased God in whose will we must simply rest ascribing the glorie to him that seeing he is most wise and most iust he doth no man wrong â— Cor. 1. and cannot doe any thing foolishly and rashly whatsoeuer the flesh supposeth For the foolishnes of God is wiser than men and likewise the vnrighteousnes of God is more righteous than men With this answere the godly are content Yet for the greater confusion of this error alreadie ouerthrowne Predestination is profitable and necessarie to be taught The 1. reason and that we may be the more instructed in the trueth I will briefly shew it not onely to bee profitable but also necessary that the doctrine of predestination be taught and preserued among Christian people And first it is profitable and necessarie for this cause that the true God may be rightly knowne as he reuealeth himself in his word that is to say how that he hath mercie on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will and of the same lumpe maketh one vessell to honour and another to dishonour that is he hath decreed to bestow vndeserued grace vpon vessels of mercie prepared of himselfe by whom being seuered from the corrupt and damnable lumpe of mankinde they might be saued while the rest in the same masse of perdition are forsaken and shall bee condemned for sinne whereof the one belongs to his mercie the other to his iustice whose iudgement mercie the Church often singeth Psalm 101. Dan. 4.32 Rom 9. Matth. 20. De ser arbit cap. 143. And who is he that may say vnto him why dost thou so Shall the pot say to the potter why doest thou make me thus Hath not the pottter power ouer the clay Is thine eye euill because the Lord is good Such a God doth the sacred Scripture declare vnto vs. But God being spoyled as Luther auoucheth of power and wisedome to chuse what shall he be but an Idoll of fortune by whose power all things should come to passe at all aduentures And at length it will come to this that men are saued and damned God not knowing it as one that hath not appointed by a sure election such as shall be saued and shall be damned but offering to all his generall goodnes and mercie hath left it at mens pleasures whether they will bee saued or damned while he in the meane space perchance goeth to the Ethiopians banket as Homer speaketh of his Iupiter The doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessarie to be preached to know the grace of God against the â—elagians The 2. reason and Semipelagians and so to humble vs that he that glorieth may glorie in the Lord. Augustine saw this when he sayd Either predestination must so be preached as the sacred Scripture euidently speaketh of it De bono perseu cap. 16. that the gifts and calling of God in them that bee predestinate may be without repentance or els it must bee confessed that the grace of God is giuen according to our merits which sauoureth of Pelagianisme And in the next chapter Exhortations are not hindred if faith and perseuerance and good workes themselues be said to be Gods gifts and that foreknowne that is predestinated to be freely giuen but rather that dangerous error is hindered and subuerted by the preaching of predestination when the grace of God is sayd to be giuen according to our merits that he that glorieth may glorie not in the Lord but in himselfe Hereupon the same father chapter 20. of the same booke testifieth that he was vrged of necessitie to write largely of predestination because of the Pelagians who sayd that the grace of God was giuen according to our merits which thing saith he is nothing els than a flat deniall of grace The opinion of the Pelagians The Pelagians imagined that grace was offered indifferently to all men and that in respect of God eternall life was prepared for all but that it was in the power of men to refuse or receiue grace and saluation offered And that some are saued because they imbrace grace as of themselues and through their owne free will And that others be damned because when they may yet they will not receiue grace when it is offered What other thing is this than to make warre both against grace and predestination The doctrine of the Semipelagians Now such among them as would seeme more moderate and did not so much make a shew of Pelagianisme as secretly and a farre off onely follow it as those reliques of the Pelagians of whom Prosper and Hilarie write did confesse surely that no man is sufficiently able of himselfe euen to begin any good worke much lesse to performe it the nature of man is so ouerthrowne but they would haue yet some endeuour and will which onely may seeke after the Phisition and is not able of it selfe to doe any thing to remaine in
here come together for the proofe of our opinion First Christ is called the head of the Church and that not according to creation and preheminence onely as he is the head of euery creature but after a peculiar maner as the Church is his bodie and the fulnes of him who filleth all in all As therefore such as be members of the bodie and not such as are without the bodie are quickened of the head so wee who are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones draw peculiarly from Christ spirit and life Secondly the same is the Sauiour of his bodie For no man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it as Christ also doth his Church This is rehearsed as a document of his singular loue to his Church which thing should not so well accord if as touching the grace of redemption there were no difference betweene the Church and the world betweene the spouse of Christ and the spouse of the deuill but all alike should bee saued by Christ as these new disputers hold Amb. thes 270. Thirdly it is expressely added that Christ loued the Church and exposed himselfe for it to sanctifie it to make it glorious vnto himselfe without wrinkle or spot holy and blameles The Apostle giueth to the Church the prerogatiue of so great grace I meane redemption sanctification glorification neither doe redemption and sanctification more agree to the common vile company of men without the Church than glorification doeth To the Collossians also there is a very excellent place The 4. place Cap. 1. cha 1. We giue thankes to the Father who hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom wee haue redemption that is the remission of sinnes Foure things proper to the faithfull Foure things here be published as properly belonging to the faithfull 1. The inheritance of the Saints in light 2. Deliuerance from the power of darkenesse 3. Translation into the kingdome of Gods sonne and 4. Redemption If these be proper to the faithfull as they be for this description of grace is wholly applied to the faithfull the vnbeleeuers haue no part in them Ambrose And thus Ambrose expoundeth them whose words are these vpon the Epistle to the Collossians Being deliuered from the state of darkenes that is plucked out of hel wherein we were held by the deuill as well through our owne sinne as through the sinne of another we are translated through faith into the heauenly kingdome of Gods sonne For without the faith of Christ Hub. Thes 4â— and 41. there is no going out of hell Therefore these new Sectaries are deceiued and doe deceiue contending that there is not one excepted who is vnder the power of the deuill whom Christ hath not deliuered from the power of the deuill and hath not receiued into his kingdome Moreouer hitherto tendeth that which is written in the same chapter to the Collossians in these wordes Col. 1. The 5. place Therefore you who were in time past strangers and enemies hauing your minds set in euill workes hath hee now reconciled in that body of his flesh through death that hee might make you holy and blameles before him if ye continue grounded and firme in faith Here is an exposition of a double state of vnbeliefe and faith and the state of vnbeliefe by the doctrine of the Apostle hath estranging of the minde from God and enemitie with him but the state of faith hath reconciliation and sanctification For significantly he saith Nowe surely he hath reconciled to wit since ye beleeued in Christ The 6 place 1. Tim. 4. In the 1. to Timothie chap. 4. the Apostle writeth that God is the Sauiour of all men yet especially of the faithfull Which saying being very short and of great force wipeth away this whole controuersie whereof wee intreate if it bee considered with a calme regard For in saying who is the sauiour of all men he confirmeth the generall goodnes of God vpon all For hee suffereth his sunne to arise vpon the bad and good Matt. 5. Act. 17. and in him we are we liue and are moued This surely is a certaine common saluation to all men yea and to beasts as it is said in the psalme 36. Thou O Lord wilt saue men and beastes August tract 34 in Io. For by whome men is preserued by him also is the beastes Neither must we be ashamed to thinke this of God yea wee must so conceiue and trust so and take heede that we thinke not otherwise He that saueth vs hee saueth our horse our sheep yea to come to the least things our henne But by adding specialitie of the faithfull hee sheweth that there is a part of mankind which through faith inspired from God is aduanced by speciall benefits to high and eternal felicitie Hereupon also in the former Psalme it is read The sons of men doe trust in the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy delights For with thee is the well of life and in thy light we shall see light Bring forth thy mercie for them that knowe thee and thy righteousnes for such as bee vpright in heart Therefore they receiue this speciall saluation who trust in him they doe not receiue it who doe despaire The iust receiue it the vniust and such as know not God receiue it not The 7. place Heb. 5. In the Epistle to the Hebrewes which also of many olde writers is attributed to Paul wee haue these testimonies among other Chapter 5. Albeit he was the sonne yet by those things that he suffered he learned obedience and being consecrate to wit by afflictions as it is sayd ca. 2. he is made the authour of eternall saluation to all that obey him Therefore this saluation was not brought to such as be obstinate Saluation by Christ is Eternall not temporall and short as the aduersarie seemeth to make it and refuse the grace of Christ through vnbeliefe And seeing that saluation purchased by Christ is not temporary and short as that which was wont to be brought to men being in great danger in warre but Eternall how shall it be sayd to belong to such as shall be damned whose portion shall be in the lake of vnquenchable fire So in the 9. The 8. place cap. 9. Chapter there is mention made of eternall redemption By his owne blood saith the Apostle he once entred into the holy place and hath obtained eternall redemption Eternall redemption And redemption is called eternall both because it shal be effectuall foreuer and also for that the cause of eternall good things is theirs who be partakers of the same The contrary of both might bee found in the greater part of
men if redemption were common to beleeuers and vnbeleeuers to such as shall be saued and damned Hitherto also let the wordes be referred The 9. place which follow in the same place If the blood of Bulles and Goats and the ashes of a yong Heifer sprinckling the vncleane doe sanctifie and purge the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternal spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Redemption is described by this Redemption described that it purgeth our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God But that purging of consciences and seruing of God is proper to the faithfull For by faith the hearts are purified Acts 15. Rom. 6. and being freed from sinne are made seruantes of righteousnesse through the same faith And a litle after The 10. place Therfore for that cause is he the Mediator of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the Called might receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance Who are those Called The Called who they be Prosper li. cap. 3. to whoÌ„ belong the couenant redemption and inheritance He that wrote the booke of the calling of the Gentiles answereth for me Because saith hee some are iustified by faith others are hardened in their impiety the beleeuers are discerned from vnbeleeuers by the name of the Called and such as be voyd of faith they are shewed to bee without this calling albeit they heare the Gospell And he citeth the place 1. Cor. 1. we preach Christ crucified to the Iewes an offence and to the Gentiles foolishines but to the Called as well Iewes as Gentiles we preach him the power and wisedome of God Of these Called not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles The 11. place see more Ro. 9.23 and cap. 8.28 and in the rest Neither must we here omit that which we read writteÌ„ about the end of the 9. chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many Many Christo Theophy By these Many he now meaneth those Called whereof he spake before And so Chrysostome and Theophylact expound Why said he of Mary and not of All Sai valuit vt omnes seruaventur because all doe not beleeue The death of Christ was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of sufficient fâ—râ—e and price to haue saued all and yet it doth not take away the sinnes of all because such as resist him make his death altogether vnprofitable vnto them selues Theophylact also maketh mention of Basil to be of the same mind some of whose sayings I haue before alledged vpon the place of Matth. 26. But Aquinas of al men most clearely vpon this place writeth Aquinas He saith to take away the sinnes of many and not of all because the death of Christ albeit it bee sufficient for all yet it is not effectuall but in the respect of such as shall bee saued For all are not subiect vnto him through faith and good workes Lastly what can be spoken more briefly and forceably for the deciding of this whole controuersie The 12. place Heb. 11. than that of the Apostle Hebrewes 11. Hub. Thes 6â— and 1001. without faith it is impossible to prayse God Either this is not true or els it is false that they say often that all alke beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are freed from all sinne and condemnation and receiued into the fauour and grace of our heauenly father which thing what is it els than that al please God without respect of faith and infidelitie CHAP. IIII. Testimonies out of other Scriptures of the New Testament The 1. place FOr the greater confirmation of this point we will adde also certaine other sayings of other bookes of the New Testament In the Actes chapter 5. Peter Acts 5. and the whole Colledge of the Apostles with one accord testifie these wordes The God of our fathers raysed vp Iesus and being exalted by his right hand made him a prince and sauiour to giue repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes Repentance and remission of sinnes be iust parables and therefore they that haue the one haue the other and they be Israel Repentance and remission of sinnes are ioyned together by an in separable knot Wherefore it is as foolish a thing to affirme that remission of sinnes is giuen by Christ to all men indifferently as if a man should auouch that he giueth repentance to all What meaneth that that the prerogatiue of both those benefites is bestowed vpon Israel Vpon what Israel They that bee called of the Iewes and Gentiles according to promise they bee the true Israel saith Augustime Aug. cap. 59. Gal. 6. whereof also the Apostle speaketh And vpon the Israel of God Secondly it is the voice of Peter The 2. place Acts 10. and the testimonie of all Prophets agreeing together that euery one that beleeueth in Iesu Christ receiueth remission of sinnes through his name Vnto this Propheticall and Apostolicall consent which conteineth the summe of the Gospel of Christ is the false vangelicall commentarie of the aduersaries cleane contrary that all simply without respect of faith or vnbeliefe receiue remission of sinnes through the name of Christ Further the same Apostle 1. Epistle 1. The 3. place 1. Pet. 1. when hee speaketh of redemption by the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot hee saith that hee was foreordained before the foundations of the world were laid Christ was foreordained and exhibited to the world for the beleeuers sake and was made manifest for the beleeuers sake Expressely he declareth that Christ was exhibited to the world a Sauiour for the beleeuers Therefore for the same persons in like maner he properly died and rose againe not because they beleeued already but that they might beleeue Iohn 20. and beleeuing might haue eternall life through his name Iohn also 1. Epistle 1. consenteth hereto The 4. place 1. Ioh. 1. Three things to be obserued in Saint Iohns words If wee walke in light as God is light we haue communion with him and the blood of Iesu Christ purgeth vs from all sinne If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. If we confesse our sinnes he is iust and faithfull to forgiue vs our sins and to purge vs from all iniquitie 1. Communion with God belongs not to all Therefore neither the grace of God for where the grace of God is there is also the communion of him 2. The clensing of sinnes by the blood of Christ is theirs who walke in light 3. Remission of sinnes which is propitiation it selfe as Iohn witnesseth presupposeth confession of sinnes which seeing it is not in al propitiation doth not belong to all The 5. place Apoc. 1. I come to the Reuelation of Iohn in whose