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
that the Caluinists both dissemblingly and plainly denie that Christ suffered and died for all men But in the very entrance as it is said they run on ground fastning vpon vs a false opinion against which afterwards they perpetually fight For we willingly acknowledge these maner of speeches 1. Iohn 2. 1. Tim. 2. That Christ is made the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world and hath giuen himselfe the price of redemption for all men For who can denie that which the Scripture would haue to bee expressed in so many words But the question is of the meaning of the words For as hee shall not escape the note of impudencie who shall denie what the Scripture expresseth so wee are to take heede least not vnderstanding what is written we should thinke there is some repugnance in the Scripture For the same Canonicall Scripture which saith that Christ died for all and so maketh redemption after a sort common to all doth restraine in other places the proprietie of redemption vnto the Church The words of Paul are Ephes 5. Christ loued his Church and gaue himselfe for it to sanctifie it and present it glorious vnto himselfe And in the same place Christ is the head of the Church and the Sauiour of the bodie And 1. Tim. 4. He is called the Sauiour of all men but specially of the faithfull Also Heb. 9. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Of which called also that is rightly taken which is read in the end of the same chapter Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many What doth not Christ in his solemne intercession pray for his owne expressely and not for the world I pray not for the world Ioh. 17. saith he but for them whom thou hast giuen me Now the intercession and sacrifice of Christ for vs be inseparable parts of his priesthood Other testimonies of this sort I conceale which shall be produced in their place Therefore seeing the holy Scripture here as elsewhere requireth not contentious disputers but vnderstanding readers the ancient fathers for the explication of these Of the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie Aquinas haue vsed the distinction of Sufficiencie and Efficiencie Thomas Aquinas the best schooleman who florished 300. yeares agoe vpon the 5. chapter of the Apocalyps writeth of this matter thus Of the passion of the Lord saith he we speake after two sorts either according to sufficiencie and so his passion redeemed all For it is sufficient to redeeme and saue all Of the meaning of the sufficiencie of Christs death although there had been many worlds as Anselme saith lib. 2. cur Deus homo cap. 14. Or according to efficiencie and so all are not redeemed by his passion because all cleaue not vnto the redeemer and therefore all haue not the efficacie of redemption The same man part 3. summae quaest 1. artic 3. when he had said that Christ came to blot out all sinnes expounding himselfe he addeth these words Not that the sinnes of all men are blotted out which is through the fault of men who cleaue not to Christ but because he exhibited that which was sufficient to haue abolished all sins Whereunto also may be referred the things which he writeth quaest 49. art 1.3.5 Christ hath deliuered vs saith he as his members from sinnes and his passion hath his effect in them who are incorporated into him as the members into the bodie and so are partakers of his passion But such as are not ioyned vnto the passion of Christ can not receiue the effect thereof But let vs heare others also more ancient then Thomas Innocentius 3. Innocentius 3. Pope of Rome Anno Dom. 1200. repeating the same distinction lib. 2. de officio Missae cap. 41. saith The blood of Christ was shed for those only that are predestinated as touching efficiencie but for all men as touching sufficiencie For the shedding of that righteous blood was so rich in price that if the vniuersalitie of captiues would beleeue in their redeemer the tyrannicall bands of sinne and Satan could withhold none because as the Apostle saith where sinne abounded there grace did superabound This later whole sentence is Pope Leos Epist 83. and 97. which seeing Innocentius alleadgeth Leo. he sheweth apparantly that Leo was of the same minde Vnto these that is not much vnlike which Basil writeth in Psal 48. Basill Man cannot giue a propitiation for himselfe to God yet one worthie price was found out for all men euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs all And that he speaketh of the sufficiencie and dignitie of the price it appeareth by the words themselues and by that which he faith elsewhere very oftē respecting the effect that the blood of Christ was shed not for all men without exception but for many Chrysost Theoph. that is for the beleeuers Chrysostome also and Theophilact who abridged him acknowledge the same distinction as we shall see Augustine Moreouer Augustine the chiefest of the ancient sound writers doth not onely acknowledge that distiction but also doth expound it largely Tom. 7. answering vnto Articles that were falsely fathered vpon him whereof the first was that he was reported to maintaine that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men But he distinguisheth after this maner As touching the greatnes and might of the price saith he and as touching the onely cause of mankind the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are well said to bee redeemed Yet because all are not pulled out of captiuitie and many are not redeemed the proprietie of redemption without doubt belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and now are not the members of the deuill but of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that euen they should appertaine vnto the redemption of it who should not bee regenerated but so that what was done by one example for all should be magnified in euery one by one sacrament giuen vnto them This is as much as if he had sayd As touching the sufficiencie of the price the redemption belongeth to all but as touching the effect it belongeth not to all but to the members only of Christ And anone he setteth out the matter by a similitude saying Augustines similitude The cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine power hath power in it selfe to profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good The new writers also allow this distinction as vsuall very ancient and profitable in this poynt diligently to be retained Stapulensis vpō the 5. to the Romanes Stapulensis similitude declaring the matter by a similitude saith As light is able to driue away infinit darknes
eternall fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And chap. 10. of Matth. Chap. 10. Feare not them that kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy the bodie and soule in hell 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished If therefore the damnation of hell be the worke of God he hath also foreknowne that is predestinated from euerlasting them Fulgent lib. 1. 2. ad Moâ—â—â— vpon whom he will inflict the same For his predestination is the preparation of his workes which in his eternall decree he did foreknow that he would either in mercie or iustice bring to passe Apoc. 20. Apoc. 20. The bookes were opened and iudgement was giuen of euery one according to their workes and he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire What that the reprobates are called vessels of wrath and prepared for destruction For to bee a vessell of wrath as Augustine expoundeth is Epist 10â— for a man to be appointed to be punished for sinnes What a vessell of wrath is who was created for the benefit of nature And Fulgentius saith Hereunto God formed the vessels of wrath whereunto he predestinated them that is not to sinne but to destruction for sinne Therefore the destruction of them that perish is the worke of God reprobating them and therefore it is the effect of reprobation Obiection 1 But thou wilt say Perdition is to bee ascribed to themselues that perish as Hos 13. saith Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel but onely in me is thy helpe Answere That is true speaking of the fault and not of the punishment For they that are damned haue in themselues the fault deseruing damnation but it is his part to punish that iudgeth the world who can tell how to condemne iniquitie but not to doe it And this is the meaning of the Prophet that God doth not punish but for sins which men haue of themselues as for deliuerance from sinne it commeth from him freely Obiection 2 and not for any workes As Paul also saith The reward of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesu Christ our Lord. Those sayings also are wont to bee obiected God made not death Wisd 1. 2. Eze. 18. Through the enuie of the deuill death came into the world Againe I will not the death of him that dieth c. But here with a deafe eare wee must not forget what elsewhere wee reade Eccles 11. Wisd 16. Deut. 32. that death and life good and euill come of God Which shew of contrarietie to take away we must vnderstand that death as well as life may bee vnderstood not two only but also three maner of waies For in the first man God created both the soule and flesh also immortall But while man sinned Three deaths of the soule bodie and hel the soule dyed and that death of the soule to wit sinne is the beginning and cause of another double death corporall and infernall The sacred Scriptures call it the first and second death Therfore God made not the death of the soule because he made not sinne but the deuill is the author of it by suggesting of sinne and by consequence he is the author also of the other kindes of death which arise from sinne to wit in respect of the vehement stirring vp of it and not that he hath power to punish as God hath Augustine distinctly saith Cont. Iulian. lib. 7. cap. 7. The deuill the deceiuer of man is the cause of death which God inflicted not as the first author but as the punisher of sinne Some vnderstand the place of the Prophet Ezechiel of that death of the soule as Fulgentius I will not the death of a sinner others referre it to the punishment of sinne vsing the distinction of the will of God hidden and reuealed So Luther de ser arbit cap. 109. He will not the death of a sinner to wit by his word while by the word of saluation he commeth to all and so he will haue all men to bee saued But he willeth the same by his vnsearchable will Which will saith he in the same booke chap. 107. is not to be searched into but with reuerence to be aâ—ored as the highest secret of Gods maiestie Againe He will not the death of him that dieth simply and as it bringeth destruction but as it is a punishment for the Lord delighteth not in the perdition of the liuing Wisâ— 1.13 as it is written But he is the punisher of sinners Now as touching the matter of forsaking blinding Of forsaking hardening and blinding Rom. 9. 11. and hardening I will produce a few testimonies of many Wee reade in the sacred Scriptures He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The elect haue obtained it but the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see cares that they should not heare See the prophesie of Esay 29. vers 10. and chap. 6. Goe and say to the children of Israel In hearing ye shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceiue harden the hearts of this people and make their heires heauie and smeere ouer their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so bee conuerted and I should heale them Which prophesie S. Iohn alleadging affirmeth Ioh. 12. that the Iewes beleeued not in the Lord albeit they had seene many signes neither that they could beleeue because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts To the same vnbeleeuing Iewes the Lord said Ioh 10. Ye doe not beleeue for ye are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Againe to his disciples Matth. 13. To you saith he it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to others it is not giuen therefore in parables I speake vnto them Neither came it to passe without cause that in so many hundred yeares before the comming of Christ Acts 14. no light of sauing doctrine was reuealed to the Gentiles but as Paul witnesseth the liuing God that made heauen and earth passing ouer the former ages suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies vntill the comming of the time of grace he was found of them that sought him not And in Israel that was fulfilled that the Prophet saith Esay 65. All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a rebellious and gainsaying people By these things it is euident that they that were not ordained to life are also reiected from the grace of faith and conuersion and are
loueth and that we might be this thing for this cause he loued vs before wee were For he began not to loue vs since we were reconciled to him by the blood of his son but before the world was made he loued vs that with his onely begotten we might also be his sonnes before we were any thing at all Therefore that we are reconciled to God by the death of his son let it not so be receiued nor so be vnderstood as though therefore the sonne hath reconciled vs that now he might begin to loue whom hee had hated as one enemie is reconciled to another but wee are reconciled to him that already loueth vs with whom for sinnes wee were at enemitie and yet it is most truly said vnto him Thou hast hated all that worke iniquitie Marke this Hitherto Augustine The summe of all is that seeing GOD hath loued vs as his worke but especiallie as the members of his Sonne before the foundations of the world were laid he of his meere and free loue being moued gaue vs his Sonne that being redeemed by his grace from sinne whereby wee were put away from the presence and fruition of God we might bee made heires of eternall life Bernard Serm. 20. of the 9. verse of the Psalme He that dwelleth c. very well saith Christ according to the time died for the wicked but in respect of predestination he died for his brethren and friends CHAP. X. Of the finall cause of redemption THere followeth that question whereunto are we redeemed wherein the question now is concerning the end of our redemption And the end is two-fold to wit Two ends of redemption the glorie of God and our saluation The former end the Apostle extolleth Ephes 1. where hee saith The first end is Gods glorie that God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid hath foreordained to adopt vs for his sonnes through the same Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will to the praise of his glorious grace whereby he hath made vs acceptable in that his beloued in whom wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of sins In which words he not only teacheth that the end of the eternall and free election of God is the praise of his glorious and rich grace but also sheweth that the redemption of vs by Christ is subordinate vnto the same end Prou. 16. For God hath made all things for himselfe euen the wicked against the euill day that both the benefit of their healing who are deliuered and also the iudgement of damnation in the deserued punishment of such as perish should further his glorie Wherefore wee are here warned Coloss 1. that with Paul wee giue thankes without ceasing vnto the father who hath made vs meete to be partakers of the portion of the Saints in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom wee haue redemption through his blood c. 1. Pet. 2. As Peter also admonisheth vs of our dutie in this point that wee should preach the vertues of him who hath called vs out of darknes into his marueilous light It is well knowne what Moses and the children of Israel did when the sea yeelded a readie passage for all his people to goe through how being protected by Gods hand and beholding that wonderfull redemption Exod. 15. Sap. 19. they leaped like lambes and sung his praise Thou O Lord art our deliuerer thou art our strength But what speake I of the old people and of the old song we haue a new song the song of the Lambe let vs standing vpon the glassie sea of this world and hauing the harps of God sing it vncessantly with the vniuersall Church Apoc. 5. 15. to him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe because hee was slaine and hath redeemed vs vnto God by his blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hath made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne vpon the earth The song of the vniuersall Church in the honour of Christ To thee O Sonne of God the louer of mortal men O good Lord O pacifier O rich Sauiour and a king in deed the creator and maker of all things the word and wisedome of the father the light and brightnes of the father the power arme and right hand of the father to thee be blessing and honour and glorie and strength for euer and euer Thou hast redeemed vs being captiues and seruing sinne thou hast deliuered vs by thine owne death Thou hast giuen vs the adoption of sonnes Thou becamest poore that by thy pouertie thou mightest enrich vs. Thou hast freely giuen vs the kingdome of heauen Thou hast fashioned vs a new in darknes hast inlightened vs and being dead men thou hast quickened vs thou vnloosedst the sorrowes of death and brakest the gates of brasse and doores of iron and hast broken in peeces the yoke of sinners Eccle. 15. And because praise is vncomely in the mouth of fooles and this wonderfull and altogether diuine redemption is to be published of vs not so much in words as in deedes themselues goe to let vs so be affected let vs so frame our life maners actions counsels and all our affaires that wee bee not found foullie vnthankfull to our common Redeemer to whose glorie wee ought wholly to bee consecrated and nothing better yea euery way worse then those obstinate Iewes through whom the name of God was euil spoken of among the Gentiles as it is written But let that sharpe reproofe of Moses neuer goe out of our mindes in the song in Deuteronomie Chap. 32.6 Will ye giue this recompence vnto the Lord O yee foolish and vnwise people Is not he thy father who oweth and possesseth thee hath not hee made and prepared thee The second end of redemption is our saluation The 2. end is our saluation which containeth many benefits which comprehendeth many and sundrie benefits albeit knit together in one and the same band as these especially Iustification which consisteth in the free remission of sinnes Sanctification and newnes of life Consolation yea reioycing in aduersitie vnder the hope of the glorie of God and lastly Entrance into the eternall kingdome of our God and Sauiour Iesu Christ and euerlasting ioyes in life eternall These so many and so great benefits of God are purchased for vs by the abundant grace of the death of Christ as the sayings of the Scriptures doe shew Rom. 3. We are iustified freely by the redemption made in Christ Iesu whom God set forth to be a reconciliation thorow faith in his blood by the remission of sinnes And chap. 5. When wee were as yet sinners Christ died for vs. Therefore being iustified by his blood wee shall be saued now much more from wrath by him
his name among all nations Luk. 24. Ioh. 3. that whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne should not perish but haue euerlasting life By this precept there is no difference made of any nations De vocat gent. lib 2. cap. 1. or any men Vnto all men is the Gospell of the crosse of Christ sent who hath excepted no man hath separated no man because of his stocke or condition saying Preach the Gospell to euery creature he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned Hereupon the Lord in the Gospell cryeth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie Matth. 11. and I wil refresh you In which words one thing is commanded and another thing is promised Let vs doe what hee commandeth let vs goe all to the Lord and follow him so we shall haue what he hath promised For he casteth not foorth but receiueth and refresheth such as come vnto him In the meane while who shal come and who shall not come he doth know of whom the Sonne witnesseth Ioh. 6.44 No man commeth vnto me except the father draw him as it is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Whosoeuer therfore hath heard of the father and hath learned commeth vnto me For men as Augustine discusseth that place preach outwardly and beate into the eares the sound of words and so men doe heare of men But that they vnderstand it is giuen inwardly it shineth inwardly it is reuealed inwardly by him who giueth increase Aug. tract 26. in Ioh. pluribus tract 3. in 1. Ioh. And Prosper lib. 2. cap. 9. de vocat gent. saith They who come are directed by the helpe of God they who come not resist through their owne obstinacie Lastly learned interpreters do admonish All taken for all sorts or kinds and the examples of phrases in the Scriptures confirme that the particle All often times ought to bee expounded not for a thing simplie vniuersall but indefinite so that All doth note whatsoeuer and rather All kinds or sorts then all particulars of euerie kinde So Augustine tract 53. in Ioh expounding that saying I will draw all vnto me when I am exalted By all saith he all the predestinate vnto saluation may be rightly vnderstood of all whom nothing shall perish Or certainly saith he all that is all kinds of men whether in all tongues or in all ages or in all degrees of men and whatsoeuer other thing can be spoken according to the innumerable differences whereby excepting onely sinnes men doe differ among themselues from the highest vnto the lowest from the king vnto the beggar I will draw all vnto me This maner of speech he at large teacheth Enchir. ad Laurent cap. 103. and de Correp gratia cap. 14. In both places hee bringeth this Luk. 11.42 Ye tithe mint and rew and all herbes For saith he the Pharisees did not tithe all strange herbes of all strangers through all lands but by all herbes wee must vnderstand all kind of herbes And many places agreeable to this kinde of speech doe meete vs in the Scriptures Matth. 4.23 and 10.1 as that Christ and his Apostles healed all sicknes and disease in the people and all that were possessed with the deuill Act. 10.38 And that all foure footed beasts and creeping things were shewed to Peter in the sheete that was let downe from heauen Act. 10.12 Act. 20.27 and 21.2 Ephes 3.9 And that Paul shewed to the Ephesians all the counsell of God That he taught all the Iewes euery where not to circumcise their sonnes and which is more that he hath made cleere to all men c. and that wee are commanded to shew all gentlenes to all men that is to whomsoeuer Tit. 3.2 Infinite such like places there be which euery where meet them that search the holie Scriptures What is more harsh and inconuenient then for a man to vrge precisely the vniuersall particle in such places And that no man should marueile at this our speech let a man weigh these kind of speeches also All Iudea went out to Iohn Baptist Mark 5. Matth. 10. Ioh. 16. 2. Tim. 1. and all were baptized in Iordan Ye shall be hated of all men for my name All that shall kill you shall thinke they serue God All in Asia are turned from Paul Here the meaning is not that all the Iewes none excepted came to Iohn and were baptized of him but many euerie where out of all Iewrie And vnles the same figures Synecdoche be applied to other sayings monstrous and strange interpretations will arise Those we shall auoide by obseruing the maner of the Scripture whereof August epist 59. saith It is the maner of the Scripture to speake so of a part as of the whole which custome of diuine Scripture spersed vsuallie throughout all the bodie of the doctrine of it whosoeuer shall diligently marke shall plainly vnderstand many things which seeme to be contrarie one to another What should be then the cause that a man should not according to the vsuall custome of the Scriptures here also expound the vniuersall note All after the like maner to wit that Christ died for all that is speaking of the efficacie of redemption for whomsoeuer that rightly and without any hainous offence it bee referred not so well to euery one as vnto all sorts of men of whom without doubt the vniuersalitie of the elect doth consist But of the whole matter by setting downe a new principle it seemeth we must more diligently intreate THE SECOND BOOKE OF CHRISTIAN REDEMPTION CONSISTING IN CONFVTATION CHAP. I. A transition vnto the examination of the arguments of the Aduersarie and the distribution of them into certaine rankes or orders THose things being briefelie laied open which we thought good first to handle touching the summe of the controuersie let vs now goe to examine the arguments particularly whereupon the Aduersarie resteth for the defence of his opinion afterward also we will confirme our opinion by fit testimonies and reasons of the sacred Scriptures Therefore that Christ dyed for all Adams posteritie not one at all excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of mankinde and so truely that he hath satisfied for the sinnes of all efficiently as they say and not sufficiently onely and that all whether they doe beleeue or not beleeue or neuer will beleeue are equallie by the death of Christ from sinne and damnation redeemed restored into the bosome of grace iustified quickened and lastly saued they indeuour to proue and conuince by a threefold order or ranke of reasons The first order containeth those reasons wherein vniuersalitie is expresselie set downe The second produceth such arguments as speake expresselie of reprobates and testifieth if we beleeue them that Christ died no lesse effectuallie for them then for Peter Paul and euery Saint The third ranke hath wonderfull as they say absurdities which they would make to follow of the contrarie opinion The
ago He in Comment in Ioh. wherein he diligently vseth to follow Augustine thus writeth vpon this present place We take the world surely which God loued World for the elect and faithfull before and since Christ for mankinde that is quicke and dead dead truly who expected through faith Christ to come aliue who either of Iewes or Gentiles should beleeue in him For so he saith without difference of Iew or Gentile vniuersally that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life In the iudgement of Augustine this exposition is confirmed by the sentence immediatly added of Christ when he saith for God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world may be saued It is the same world doubtlesse which the father loued and which Christ came to saue And that world for whose saluation Christ came Tract 110. as Augustine witnesseth as wee cited before be the elect and beleeuers Hearken Huber and cease to be angrie if this interpretation please vs also or els if thou canst disproue it remember that thou must contend with reasons and not with railings to finde out the trueth But haue ye any reason D. Iacobus bringeth for a reason that Christ addeth in the same place This is the iudgement Coll. Momp that light is come into the world and the world loued darknes more then it Here the word world saith he cannot be vnderstood of the elect onely but specially of those who are reiected and damned But he negligently alleadged the text for it hath men loued darknes There is no mention of world Thes 119. Huberus proofe is nothing sounder Christ saith he diuideth the world into two sorts into such as receiue and such as withstand the light or of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Therfore to both sorts of men did God send his sonne I answere the Antecedent is denied Among men truly some beleeue others doe not some loue the light others hate it but that Christ diuideth that world whereof he had said So God loued the world into two kindes it cannot be proued out of the text Thus it appeareth that there is no argument here out of the word world Further albeit it shuld bee graunted that by world there is meant al men it would not yet follow that Christ and his benefits doe therefore belong to all whether they beleeue or not seeing they are expressely restrained vnto the vniuersalitie of the beleeuers while it is added that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue eternall life What can be more cleere The 2. place Ioh. 1. As touching the place Ioh. 1.29 Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world we willingly graunt that the sacrificing of this Lambe is sufficient for all the sins of all men but as touching the effect Christ taketh away sinnes from such as confesse them and beleeue as Iohn himselfe witnesseth 1. Epist 1. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all iniquitie Againe If wee walke in light as he is the light wee haue fellowship with him and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne He calleth it sinne in the singular number for any kinde of iniquitie And where he saith of the world he draweth the efficacie of this sacrifice indifferently vnto the redemption of Gentiles and Iewes least the Iewes should thinke that the redeemer was sent to them alone Hereupon the Saints in that song of the Lambe doe sing Apoc. 5 9. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hast made vs to our God kings and priests and wee shall raigne vpon the earth As touching the words of Christ Ioh. 6.51 The 3 place Ioh. 6. The bread which I will gâ—ue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world out of that whole Sermon it is cleerer than the noone day that not euery one is made partaker in very deede of this spirituall eternall life and also of that true heauenly bread but such as by faith come vnto him and eating his flesh and drinking his blood are incorporated into him as they bee whom the father hath giuen to the sonne For the truth saith Verely I say vnto you vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood ye shall haue no life in you He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life For my flesh is meate in deede As the liuing father hath sent mee and I liue by the father so also hee that eateth mee doth liue by me Than which words what can bee spoken more cleere for the confirmation of our opinion to wit that the effect of this sacrifice whereby Christ offered himselfe to the father as a sweet smelling fauour for the life of the world belongeth not vnto all without respect of faith or vnbeleefe but vnto them who are incorporated into Christ to be partakers of the spirit Tract 26. For participation saith Augustine whereby we eate him is the cause that we liue through Christ Neither can a man liue by the spirit of Christ vnlesse he be of his bodie as my bodie liueth by my spirit and thy bodie by thine How is then Christ the life of the world 2. Obiections for he witnesseth that he giueth life vnto the world and that he will giue himselfe for the life of the world Further Christ sayd vnto all to whom he preached My father doth giue you true bread from heauen and yet many of them afterward went away from him Therefore that bread of life belongeth to al alike Hub. thes 125. to backsliders and continuers to the saued and the damned Answere to the first To the first obiection I say Rom. 4. as the Apostle writeth of Abraham that by promise he was made the heare of the world that is the father of all the faithfull so that much more Christ is rightly termed the life of the world as farre forth as he bestoweth eternall life vpon the sonnes of Abraham dispersed through the world Secondly he is also the life of the world taking now the world for all men who are haue been and shall be as farre forth as no one man of all mortall men can haue life but by him albeit notwithstanding not all in verie deede are quickened For there is not in any other saluation or life Acts 4. neither is there any other name vnder heauen which is giuen among men whereby we must be saued Thirdly he did that which lay in him offering such a sacrifice which was sufficient to haue taken away the destruction of all and to haue restored life to all but that the vnbeleeuers receiue not life they are in fault by refusing Christ as Theophilact vpon this very place and vpon the 9. to the Hebrewes teacheth The same man noteth that the life
of the world may be also vnderstood for the generall resurrection that hee gaue himselfe for the life of the world as faire foorth as his death hath procured a generall resurrection to all mankinde But this seemeth to be too much forced Answer to the second obie ∣ ction Vnto the later obiection The father giueth you heauenly bread I answere that it may be expounded two waies He giueth you that is he offereth you for Christ was in the midst of them it remaineth that you would receiue it or rather that the word you bee taken concerning the bodie of the people indefinitly and not of euery person among the people after such a like phrase altogether and opposition in the matter it selfe Matth 3. Luk. 3. as is in the saying of Iohn Baptist I truly baptise you with water but there commeth one who is stronger then I he shall baptise with the holie Ghost and fire Which thing Iohn as Luke saith spake vnto all euen to the Pharisees and Saduces as it is in the other Euangelist Yet who here but one that is too too ignorant and impudent will maintaine by the word you that all were baptised of Christ with the spirit and fire as many as had heard that word from Iohn But he that wil simply vnderstand it the sense is plaine to wit that Iohn as a minister of the outward work did baptise with water but Christ as the Lord did giue the spirit For the force of Baptisme is of God alone and not of the minister saith Ambrose Epist 217. So the sense of this place is that it belongeth not to Moses but to God to giue that true bread from heauen that Moses as a seruant in the house of God gaue them Manna corporall foode and the figure of that spiritual which God giueth and not man Whereupon it is also called by Christ the bread of God Augustine also giueth this sense and the words require it and it is confirmed with that which in the same chapter Christ saith Labour for the meate which abideth vnto eternall life which the sonne of man will giue vnto you to wit if you shall beleeue in me For seeing this meate abideth vnto eternall life it appertaines not vnto the damned who shall hunger and thirst for euer Touching the sayings I came not to iudge the world The 4. and 5. places out of Ioh. 3. and 12. 2. Cor. 5.19 but to saue it Also God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himself it appeareth plainly by the testimonies of Augustine before alleadged that they be rightly meant of the beleeuers through the whole world For that sinnes may not be imputed vnto vs but that we may bee made the righteousnesse of God in Christ as this reconciliation of the world is described of Paul a true faith in Christ is required Rom. 3. 4. Ioh. 3. but vpon the vnbeleeuers the wrath of God abideth So of that wee say Christ is the Sauiour of the world it doth not follow that all and euery one in mankind whether they beleeue or not are therefore redeemed from all sinne and condemnation and made partakers of saluation in Christ Matth. 1. but the Lord Iesus saueth his people from their sinnes that is all who hope in him And because they bee dispersed through the world In what sense Christ is the life light and sauiour of the world for this and other causes before declared he is worthily tearmed as the life of the world so also the Sauiour of the world As also he is called the light of the world yet all without difference are not pulled out of darknes by him In the meane while because all beleeuers in him haue the light of eternall life and no man can attaine to any light of grace but by him this praise rightly belongeth vnto him A comparison of the Sunne euen as the visible Sunne is the light of the world and of right is said to lighten the world euery day albeit in the meane while so many things in the world are still without light either because they be not capable of it or because abiding in darknes they come not to the light that they may enioy it The 6. place 1. Ioh. 2. The words out of Iohn 1. Epist chap. 2.2 as yet remaine Little children if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely Thes 1â—1 but also of the whole world Here Huberus is beyond measure puffed vp that this place is notable and vnanswerable It is so altogether but not in that sense for which hee so stoutly striueth And he saith that if wee can bring one place out of the Scriptures that Christ is a propitiation for some men onely that is for the beleeuers then he will assent vnto vs. But the answer is two-fold If men like to vnderstand the place of Sufficiencie wee willingly graunt that the blood of Christ is sufficient to appease God for the sinnes of all men so that there was no neede of another expiation or sacrifice for the cleansing and saluation of all so that all could and would applie to themselues by faith that satisfaction And so of the new writers Illyricus also whom our aduersaries vse greatly to aduance declareth in his glosse What if thou maist see Iacob Andree himselfe Coll. Mompel pag. 514 546. to come to that point at the length yet beside the matter altogether for he was to proue that Christ not only sufficiently but also effectually hath satisfied for the sinnes of al none at all excepted This when hee had taken in hand to proue by this present testimonie was at a set in the myre as the prouerbe is hee fled vnto the vulgar saying of the Schoolemen that Christ died for the sinnes of all men sufficiently although not efficiently Singular dexteritie of a profound disputer doubtles This then being graunted of the sufficiencie and power of this propitiation I say according to the propounded distinction that in very deed notwithstanding the blood of Christ doth profit the faithfull vnto the appeasing of Gods wrath and not the vnfaithful as it is plainly written Rom. 3.24.25 We are iustified freely by the redemption made in Christ Iesu whom God set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood And Iohn himselfe 1. Ioh. 1. If we walke in light saith he we haue fellowship with God and the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne Apoc. 5.9 After which sort also the Church out of euery tribe and tongue is described of him as vnto which the proprietie of redemption by the blood of the Lambe slaine doth appertaine Doest thou not see Huber that Christ effectiuely whereof the question is betweene vs is the propitiation of the beleeuers and not of vnbeleeuers And the words of Iohn doe well agree vnto this vniuersalitie of the beleeuers He is the propitiation for our sinnes and
the effect for so he teacheth that the sinnes of many onely and not of all to wit of the beleeuers and not of vnbeleeuers are taken away by the oblation of Christ His words are these Why is he said to be offered to take away the sinnes of many and not of all Because all beleeue not He died surely as much as lay in him for all that is his death is of such moment as is the perdition of all Theophylact the abridger of Chrysostome expressed the same distinction ad Heb. 2. 9. and mentioneth that Basil also did so distinguish Whereupon also Chrysostome Hom. 39. in 1. ad Cor. vpon that saying of the Apostle that all shall be quickened in Christ plainly denieth that that can bee meant of the the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer were made sinners in Adam haue the free gift of righteousnes in Christ Of these things it is cleere to what opinion Chrysostome Theophylact Basill and other fathers doe leane In alleadging Augustine The 4. testimonie Augustine I know not whether I may blame craftines or grossenes in the aduersarie Augustine intituleth a booke Of articles falsely laid to his charge whereof the first article was that he was falsely charged as wee are also falsely by such as enuie vs at this day as if he should teach that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men Therefore saist thou by Augustines iudgement it is a false and prophane opinion that Christ suffered not for the redemption of all But Huber by a sophisticall or deceitfull cunning passeth by those things which Augustine there largely writeth for the declaration of this article For he also vsing the distinctioÌ„ before alleadged out of Chrysostome saith Quod ad magnitudinem potentiam pretij c. that is As touching the greatnes and power of the price and as much as concerneth the onely cause of mankinde the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are rightly said to bee redeemed but whereas they are voide of redemption who passe through this world without the faith of Christ and without the Sacrament of regeneration doubtles the proprietie of redemption belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and are now not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that they also who were not to be regenerated should belong vnto his redemption For the cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine vertue hath surely in it selfe that it can profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good These things he The 5. testimonie Maximus As for the saying of Maximus in Augustine serm 128. de tempore We reade in the Scriptures that the saluation of whole mankinde is redeemed by the blood of the Sauiour and the safetie of the whole world is euerlasting Those words may bee expounded as touching the greatnes and power of the price being so rich that if all would beleeue in Christ the chaines of Satan should hold none but all should enioy eternall safetie But the right meaning is that the author there speaketh of the generality of the beleeuers through the whole world which thing he shal coÌ„fesse whosoeuer shall consider his drift scope See also Ambrose in Lu. 23. de cassa prodit poenit For this he meaneth that the world is like a potters field bought with the price of the Lords blood for strangers that is saith he for Christians who are exiles in the whole world that they that haue not possession in the world may possesse a whole Sauiour Therfore that redemption belongeth nothing to the vnbeleeuers being the sonnes and possessors of the world And this is the constant doctrine of the fathers as at large shall bee shewed in the booke following The 6. testimonie Cypr. de ablut peâ—um Aug. serâ— in monâ—e lib 1. Chrysost hom â— 20. But concerning them who after faith receiued returne vnto their vomite againe it is little auailable how we vnderstand certaine sayings of the fathers wherein they are read to attribute to such persons the grace of pardon and clensing from sinnes adoption and such like For this is not the state of the controuersie whether they that haue once obtained by faith remission of sinnes doe chance to fall from that grace or no but whether all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers haue once receiued the grace of that pardon and clensing from sinnes or no Those very sayings of the fathers approue the negatiue part which we defend because they speake of such as are conuerted and baptized and to these onely they giue it that they are set free from sinnes and made the sonnes of God But how some afterward lose this grace and returne to their vomit wee haue aboue fully declared to wit that so farre as they are numbred with the Church they bee accounted and ought to bee accounted in the iudgement of charitie for reconciled and the sonnes of God although with God oftentimes they bee not such Serm. domin in monte lib. 1. as Augustine very well hath witnessed Whereupon also he ioyneth these together to bee made partaker of the spirit of grace whereby wee are reconciled to God and to hold the societie of the holy brotherhood Aug. in Leuit. whereas in the meane while many hypocrites euery where creepe into that societie hauing with Simon Magus visible sanctification onely and wanting the inuisible Furthermore touching the new writers The 7. testimonie who because of certaine phrases are drawne to the defence of this error wee are not greatly troubled because we follow not the preiudicate opinion of this or that Doctor but the trueth it selfe Answers to the sayings of the new writers cited by the aduersarie Yet for their sakes that are desirous of the trueth we think it good to giue some aduise Bullinger Gualter Musculus and others are cited and the confessions of one or two Churches in Heluetia out of whoÌ„ these and the like kinde of sayings are diligently drawne to wit that Christ as a Bulling ser 2. de Natiuit Chri. much as is in him is a Sauiour to all and came to saue all b The same vpon 1. Iohn 1. that he pleased God by sacrifice for all the sinnes of all times c Cat. ch minore Eccl. Tigur that his passion ought to satisfie for the sin of all men and that the whole world is quickened by the same d Musâ— in locis de remiss p. q. 2. that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men and such like Vnto these I answere that howsoeuer and in what sense soeuer those writers vttered these and the like kind of speeches it is certaine that they were not of the aduersaries opinion that effectually and in very deed all without exception of any one and without any difference of
Epistle when he had said before that Christ came downe to be the redeemer of al to take away the sinnes of all and had abased himselfe to bring liberty to all and had taken flesh vpon him to purchase by his death resurrection for all he addeth these words He that is saith he a true freeman a true Hebrew is wholly Gods whatsoeuer he hath is libertie he hath nothing of his that for the loue of the world refuseth libertie So elsewhere he teacheth that a Lib. 2. Câ—p. â— de Cain Abel redemption belongeth to them that repent and cleaue vnto Gods commandements that b Apol. Dauid remission of sinne is through faith c De Sal. ca. vit and that by the grace of faith washing from offences is obtained d Serm. 15. in 118. Psalm that the crosse of the Lord is life to beleeuers and destruction to vnbeleeuers And in another place The e Serm. 21. ibid. crosse saith he is shame to him that is vnfaithfull but to the faithfull person it is grace to the faithfull it is redemption to the faithfull it is resurrection And all these things he setteth out in another place by a notable similitude of light A similitude of the light For Christ is the light of the world sufficient truly to inlighten and conuert all men yet not actually and in very deede driuing away all darknes but as he saith himselfe I am the light of the world that no man that commeth vnto me may abide in darknes Ambrose his words are these Serm. 19. in 118. Psalm Although he that was borne of the Virgin for all both good and bad haue a large power in all and vpon all as he maketh his Sunne to rise vpon the good and euill yet hee fauoureth him that commeth neere vnto him For as he that shutteth the windowes excludeth froÌ„ himselfe the brightnes of the Sunne so he that is turned from the Sunne of righteousnes cannot behold the brightnes therof He walketh in darknes and in the light of all men hee is the cause of blindnes to himselfe Open therefore thine eyes to see the Sunne of righteousnes arising vnto thee If a man shut the doores of his house is the fault in the Sunne that it doth not shine into his house Out of Augustine the chiefe of the soundest writers among other testimonies these we haue Tom. 7. Augustine ad articul falso impos Vnto the first article which was that Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men he giueth his iudgement of the whole controuersie distinguishing after this sort As touching the greatnes and weight of the price and as touching the onely cause of mankinde the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world But they that passe through this life without the faith of Christ and without the sacrament of regeneration are voide of redemption Seeing therefore by reason of the one nature and cause of all men which the Lord took vpon himselfe in trueth all may bee rightly called redeemed yet seeing all are not plucked out of captiuitie the proprietie of redemption doubtles is theirs out of whom the prince of this world is cast and they be now not the wasse â—s of the deuill but the members of Iesu Christ Whose death was not so bestowed for mankinde that they who shall not bee borne againe should belong to the redemption thereof but so that what was done by one example for all might by one sacrament be celebrated in euery one Augustines simile of the cup. For the cup of immortalitie which was made of our infirmitie and the diuine power meaning Christs death hath truly in it selfe to profit all men but if it be not drunke it doth not profit Against Faustus the Manichean lib. 11. cap. 7. Of those men for whom Christ died and rose againe and who now liue not to themselues but to him that is the people that bee renewed by faith that hee may haue in the meane while in hope what may bee accomplished afterward in very deede none of those men saith he hee knew any more after the flesh Here hee taketh them that are renewed by faith and shal be saued to be all one with those for whom Christ died and rose againe Lib. 13. cap. 15. In his booke of the Trinitie he denieth that any of them whom Christ redeemed by his bloodshed be drawne of the deuill as men intangled in the snares of sinne vnto the destruction of the second and eternall death and affirmeth that such die the death of the flesh onely and not of the spirit And most plainly remoueth from redemption such as shall be damned addeth straightwaies in expresse words that such as were foreknowne predestinate and elected before the foundation of the world pertaine to the grace of Christ and that Christ died for them The same man vpon 21. Psalme writeth That Christ suffered for the Church and that the great Church is the whole world for which he shed his blood And by and by confuting the Donatists including the Church within Africa he saith What saiest thou to me O Heretike Is he not the price of all the world Was onely Africa redeemed Thou dare not say A notable saying of August the whole world was redeemed but it is perished What inuader hath Christ suffered to destroy his goods Behold Christ died his blood was shed behold our redeemer behold our price What hath he bought All the ends of the earth shall be converted to the Lord and all nations shall worship before him Behold the Church which I shew behold what Christ hath bought behold what he hath redeemed behold for whom he gaue his blood So in his Enchiridion to Laurentius chap. 61. he saith that the Church which is among men is redeemed from all sinne by the blood of the Mediator that is without sinne and it is the voyce thereof If God be for vs who is against vs Who also spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all And in the next chapter The Apostle saith that all things in heauen and earth are epaired in Christ for in him are restored the things that bee in heauen when that that was decayed in the angels from thence was recompensed of men But things in earth are repaired when men themselues who are predestinate to eternall life are renewed from the oldnesse of corruption The same man chapter 30 witnesseth that God promised freedome and the kingdome of heauen to a part of mankinde that is to the elect Againe in his 13. Booke of the Trinitie chapter 12. and the rest when hee had sayed that by the remission of sinnes men are plucked away from the deuill through the gratious reconciliation of God straightway he sheweth at large that not all men are set free from the power of the deuil but all the faithfull and the predestinate that all men beeing carnally borne of Adam are through him alone held vnder the
power of the deuill yet through Christ alone none but they all are set free that be regenerated by spirituall grace In the same booke chapter 18. he saith The Christian kinde That he that ouercame the first Adam and held mankinde captiue was ouercome of the second Adam and lost the Christian kinde which was out of Mankinde set free from the sinne of man through him who had no sinne though he was of our kinde The same in his 53. treatise vpon Saint Iohn saith The deuill therefore possessed mankinde and held them guiltie of punishment through the hand writing of sinnes But by the faith of Christ which was ratified by his death and resurrection through his blood which was shed for the remission of sinnes thousands of beleeuers are deliuered from the deuill An argument and are coupled to the body of Christ In all these places there is this or the like argument What kinde of freedome redemption is Redemption is a freedome from the power of the deuill and such a freedome as whereby it commeth to passe that the deuill cannot draw any of these with him to the destruction of eternall death through the snares of sinnes whom Christ hath redemed with his blood But all men haue not freedome from the power of the deuill Therefore almen are not redeemed but as freedome so redemption is proper to the beleeuers and predestinate according to Augustine and the trueth of this point The world that is precestinate to life Christ came to saue but not the world predestinate to damnation Hitherto belongeth that which in the fore mentioned treatise as also in the 110. and 111. Treatises the same writer constantly expoundeth the world that Christ came to saue and reconcile to God of the good and such as bee predestinate to eternall life being dispersed throughout the whole world that this world of an enemie is made a friend but that the worlde that is predestinate to damnation abideth an enimie neither of this world must it be vnderstood that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe So in the 48. Treatise vpon the saying ye beleeue not for ye are not of my sheepe he saith This he spake because he saw them predestinate to eternall destruction and not prepared by the price of his blood to eternall life And a litle after he is assured of the number of his sheepe because hee knoweth what hee gaue for them And elsewhere Whom God redeemed by the blood of the Mediator he maketh for euer after good De corrept gra cap. 11. But these bee testimonies inough out of Augustine For who can rehearse euery thing hee writeth of this matter Hieromie Furthermore the Commentaries vpon Marke ascribed to Hieromie expresly say that the blood of the newe Testament is sayd to be shed for Many because it doth not cleanse all that there is euen in the Church some whom no sacrifice clenseth As Remigius also as Thomas citeth him Cate. aurea vpon this very place warneth vs to obserue that hee saith not for few or for all but for Many my blood shal be shed because he came not to redeeme our nation onely but Many of all Nations Hilarius in Matthew cap. 7. Hilarie The saluation of the Gentiles saith he is wholly of faith and in the Lordes commandements is the life of all men He saith not the reprobates and vnbeleeuers are as well saued by Christ as any other as these newe sectaries thinke good to speake Chrysostome homil 39. vpon 1. Chrisost Cor. expounding the words of the Apostle touching the quickening of all men by Christ denieth that it is to be vnderstood of the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer are made sinners in Adam are made righteous in Christ Hub. thes 49. 53. which yet our aduersaries would haue The same maner homil 17. vpon the Hebrewes confirmeth the distinction that Christ died for all as touching Sufficiencie and not for all as touching Efficiencie His words are these Why is hee said to be offered to take away the sinnes of Many and not of all because all beleeue not He died for all as much as in him lay that his death is of that waight as is the perdition of all and it is of force enough that no man might perish His arbidger Theophylact vseth the same distinction in 2. and 9. ad Heb. and vpon the saying Iohn 6. Theophylact the bread which I giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world where he writeth albeit all haue not receiued sanctification and a spirituall life yet Christ may bee vnderstood to die for the satisfaction of all as touching the vertue of his death Of the same opinion is Basil as Theophylact sheweth in 9. ad Heb. for thus hee writeth All of vs that beleeue Basil Exhort ad baptis how many soeuer we be are redeemed by the grace of God from sins through his onely sonne who said this is my blood euen the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes The exposition is also twise repeated in the next sermon of Baptisme for Many that is the beleeuers was the blood of Christ shed Notwithstāding in respect of the sufficiencie of his merite it is true that elswhere he saith in Psalme 48. For all men wholly was there one onely worthie price found euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs al. Cyrill Cyrill in Io. li. 11. ca. 19. reconciling that shew of repugnancie that is between the words of Christ I pray not for the world and the wordes of Iohn He is the propitiation of the whole world consenteth to our opinion after this sort Saint Iohn saith he because he was a Iewe least the Lord should seeme to be with his father an aduocate for the Iewes onely cessarily hath added that hee is the propitiation of the whole world that is saith he for all who are called and through faith attaine to righteousnes and sanctification But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from such as be none of his for them saith he onely doe I pray who keepe my words and receiue my yoke For whose mediator and high Priest he is to them onely not without cause doth he attribute the benefite of meditation 2. Cor. 5. In the same place he doth alleage for that matter the saying of Paul God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe that is saith he Christ as the Mediator receauing all that come to God by faith and offering himselfe to the father reconcileth the world to God But let vs returne to the Latine writers among whom Prosper of Aquitaine answering the Articles of the French men Prosper chap. 9. plainely approueth this phrase or maner of speaking that Christ died onely for them that shall be saued which our aduersaries slander as blasphemous and Saracenicall His wordes are these Therefore although our
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
there are not onely vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth and some to honour some to dishonour Apoc. 13. and 17. it is said of the beast that all the inhabitants of the earth whose names are not written in the books of life from the foundations of the world should worship and haue it in high estimation The reprobates and such as perish are expressed in many words against whome the elect are opposed whose names are written in the booke of life before the creation of the world and whom Gods mercie doth so defend that they cannot be seduced at the least finally Iude also in his epistle testifieth that seducers were of old ordained or forewritten to this condemnation which the Glosse and Aquinas least any man should blame our men to bee the makers of such Glosses do expound that they were from euerlasting in the fore knowledge of God foreseen for this iudgement of present reprobation that they should waxe vile themselues and cast others into vncleanenes In the bookes of the old Testament we read the same doctrine to be taught for the Lord saith to Moses Testimonies of the olde Testament Exod. 33. I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie and I will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion And of Pharao the Scripture saith Exod. 9. for this cause haue I raised thee vp to shew in thee my power and that my name might be declared in all the earth Other such testimonies are mencioned in the disputation of Pauls epistle to the Romans Whereunto adde that which is Prouerbs 16. God made all things for his owne sake euen the vngodly against the euill day And 1. Sam. 2. it is said of Elies sonnes that they would not heare the voice of their father because the Lord would slaie them Again 2. Chron. 25 vers 16. the prophet saith to king Amasia I knowe that God hath purposed to destroie thee because thou hast not obeyed my worde By these and the like sentences of the sacred scriptures all men perceiue that loue the truth more than contention that election comprehendeth not whole mankind but that some among them are elected to saluation others are reiected from the same according to the eternal counsell and good pleasure of God The same men also vnderstand that the definition of predestination which is brought of some men is insufficient as though predestination of the Saints or election were nothing else than the decree of God touching the maner of obtayning saluation through Christ and reprobation were no other thing than his decree of the daÌ„ning of vnbeeleuers and such as abide without Christ There is no doubte but God hath so decreed and keepeth these things but the proofes and testimonies alledged do further strongly prooue that God hath also decreed to whom he will giue or not giue faith whereby wee are ingrafted into Christ for saluation in him and through him CHAP. IIII. A confutation of certaine obiections BVt what say the aduersaries to these things God say they would haue all men to bee saued 1. Tim. 2. 〈◊〉 obiection and to come to the knowledge of the truth Therefore on Gods part eternall life is prepared for all men neither doth anie perish because God will not bestow any grace vpon him but because he hath refused grace receiued In this opinion were those remnants of Pelagians in Prosper of whom hee writeth in his epistle to Augustine Answere I answere the Apostle saith not that he would saue al but he willeth all to be saued namely by inuiting all men to saluation How God would haue all men to be saued and the knowledge of the truth and also by approuing of the conuersion of all But he wil not effectually worke in all and euery one that they may beleeue and be saued For if he willed this his will should be altogether fulfilled and no man should be damned But now he hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will hee hardeneth and in his counsell hath appoynted whom and what maner of men he will haue to be partakers of mercie preached and offered vnto them as in these verie same words Cap. 107. Luther in ser arbit beateth into our heads where this and the like places I will not the death of a sinner Ierusalem how often would I gather Enchir. aâ—â—dur cap. 103. c. expoundeth after the same maner Augustine also teacheth that the saying of the Apostle is rightly so to be vnderstood he willeth that all men bee saued that is all kind of men howsoeuer differing kings princes rich poore base c. Cap. 117. The same man elsewhere expoundeth he willeth all men to be saued that all the predestinate be meant because all kind of men bee in them But of this place wee haue more largelie dealt aboue in the second booke and third chapter Obiection A place not vnlike to this there is 2. Pet. 3. The Lord is not slacke of his promises as some count slacknes but he is patient toward vs not willing that any should perish but that al should come to repentance If hee willeth none to perish it is false that in his eternall counsell hee hath decreed and therefore willeth that some yea very many should perish Againe if he willeth all to repent it shall be false that God wil not that all by repentance should be brought to Christ and liue In these Huber wonderfully delighteth himselfe Hub. thes 94. sequent but all in vaine so long as that of the Psalmist standeth Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer he will and that of the Apostle on whom he will he hath mercie and whom he will he hardeneth But least we should seeme to set one Scripture against an other to reconcile them wee must know The meaning of Peters words that the saying of Peter is not without cause expounded by learned men of the vniuersalitie of the elect not onely because the like restraint is very often in the like phrases of the sacred Scriptures but also because the matter it selfe seemeth here to require it For what is the end of the world deferred for the reprobates sake and not rather for Gods elect sake In 1. Tim. 2. When they shall beleeue saith Ambrose that are predestinate vnto eternal life the resurrection shall come Which thing how truly it is spoken the answere testifieth in the Apocalyps chap. 6. vers 11. Yet if we stand in the generalitie of all men the sense will be that Thom. Com. in hunc locum aed Rom. 2. which Thomas and others doe assigne that hee willeth not that any should perish by his signified will as they speak as farre forth as hee inuiteth all men to repentance by precepts threatnings rewards and also by his patience and long sufferance as it is written Doest thou despise the riches of his mercie and long sufferance Doest thou not know that the bountifulnes of God
was first made became wicked Is God a debter vnto vs to restore vs because we lost grace receiued Or shall it not therefore be lawfull for him to require againe of vs that which is his owne He hath power to exact it and hath power also to remit it But of whom it must bee exacted and to whom it must be remitted it belongs to the Lord to iudge and not to the debters Obiection But say they the reprobates while God forsaketh and hardeneth them cannot auoide sinnes And it seemeth vniust if God should punish a man for those things that he cannot auoide Answere I know surely that this seemeth vniust to Albert Pighius and other Sophisters whose wisedome God hath made foolishnes but how vniustly it is manifest for if that reason were any thing worth God could not without a token of crueltie and iniustice punish originall sinne which certainly no man can auoide in his birth Obiection They obiect this also He that foreseeth sinne and doth not hinder it when he may is not without fault God foreseeth sins and doth not hinder them when he might most easily Therefore c. Answere Hereunto some make answere that God doth not put away sinnes because hee will haue his reasonable creature to retaine his libertie and choise of good and euil which otherwise he should lose But if that reason were forcible either Gods grace should be destroyed whereby the godly and elect auoide sinnes or els they must be said to want the choise of good and euill Therefore to answer more truly we must here remember that wee ought not to dispute of the righteousnes of God after the rule of mans righteousnes The first proposition taketh place concerning men and not concerning God For men both by the societie of nature Gods law are bound one to â—nother that one should procure the welfare of another and hinder the destruction But God is bound to none and he may doe with his creature what hee will without the iniurie of the creature as Lord of all and hauing full dominion ouer his owne goods Further because of his omnipotent goodnes and wisedome he can tell how to worke good euen of euill which men cannot doe Which things seeing they stand thus let no man in his heart accuse God who will render to euery one according to his workes Psalm 102. but let euery one blame himselfe when he sinneth and let him say when he is damned Thou art iust O Lord in all that thou doest vnto vs and all thy iudgements are true And whosoeuer is set free let him say Psalm 144. The Lord is mercifull and full of compassion he hath not recompenced vs according to our sinnes Obiection 7 As for that that was added touching despaire that it was bred in the mindes of men by the doctrine of the constant and vnchangeable purpose both of Gods election and reprobation Predestination is 〈◊〉 ground of our comfort and no cause of despeâ—ation it is also a meere slaunder Nay it is the most true ground of all our comfort and saluation that we know that God hath chosen his owne in Christ before the foundation of the world who beleeue in him and hath predestinated them vnto adoption according to the good pleasure of his owne will and that this purpose of free election and predestination is so firme that neither it can bee changed of any creature neither doth God euer repent him of his gifts and calling This thing the places of Scripture euery where confirme which speake of predestination as what the Apostle saith â— Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his Doubtles the Scripture speaketh this to our consolation least wee should be troubled for the reuolt of some men from the Gospell and for other offences And more fully Rom. 8. We know that all things work for the best to them that loue God that is to them who are called of purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated also to be made conformable to his image c. And thus concludeth I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor any creature can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu We see how the Apostle armeth vs against all temptations of this world with this perswasion that election is sure and stable whereby wee are chosen in Christ vnto eternall life freely and of his meere loue as the Lord also in the Gospell comforteth vs therewith Matth. â—3 Ioh. 10. Luke 10 11. that the elect cannot be seduced that he suffereth not his sheepe to bee pluckâ— out of his hand that our names are written in heauen Also feare not little flocke for it pleaseth your father to giue you a kingdome And in Iohn Ioh. 6. least the faithfull should be offended through the obstinacie of the vnbeleeuers what soeuer the father giueth me saith he commeth vnto me and he that commeth vnto me I will not cast him forth because I came downe from heauen to doe his will that sent me Therefore by the view of these sayings of Scripture it appeareth that the doctrine of the firmenes of Gods election is reuealed vnto vs for this cause that it might bee the foundation of all certaintie against all kinde of temptations which arise either in respect of our infirmitie among so many dangers of the godly or of the vnbeliefe or apostacie of others from the faith or in respect of other thing Hereof saith Luther notably when he had auouched Praefat. ad Rom. that the decree of predestination is sure and vnmoueable addeth moreouer that this necessitie is most necessarie vnto saluation and consolation He assigneth the reason because we be so wâ—â—ke in our selues that if our saluation consisted in our owne stregth very few or none should bee saued for the deuill would ouercome all men But now saith he seeing Gods decree is sure and most certaine and cannot be altered by any creature wee haue hope to ouer come sinne at the length Luth. de ser arb cap. 144. Hee teacheth the same thing at large and amplifieth it by the consideration of so many perils and deuils daily assaulting vs. Aâ—â—de praedâ—st sanct cap. â— And surely it is a wonder among so many streites wherewith our life is beset that any man had rather betake himselfe to his owne infirmitie than to the certainety of Gods promise and grace Obiection I am vncertaine of my election which maketh me sad But thou wilt say the will of God concerning my selfe is vncertaine vnto me And this is it that maketh me sad and sorowfull that seeing there is a certaine and sealed number of them that be predestinate which cannot be increased nor diminished I am vncertaine whether I belong to that number if I knew this I would rest my selfe in that sure foundation Answere Answere This is one question whence we may knowe our selues to be elect
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
saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 6. Ye are not your owne 1. Cor. 6.20 ye are bought with a price be net the seruants of men But with what price S. Peter answereth not with siluer and gold 1. Pet. 1.18.19 or other transitorie things which nothing at all profit vs to the eternall redemption of our soules but with the precious blood of Christ as a lambe without spot who did no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and who bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree 1. Pet. 3.18 and suffered the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs vnto God being dead in the flesh but quickned in the spirit Which opinion these sayings also confirme Ephes 6.2 Ephes 1.7 He gaue himselfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice of a sweete sauour to God In him we haue redemption through his blood Tit. 2.14 euen the remission of sinnes of his rich grace He gaue himselfe for vs to redeeme vs from all sinne and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good works Heb. 9.14 Also By the eternall spirit he offered himselfe to God without fault that wee being purged from dead workes should serue the liuing God And in the same chapter Once in the end of the world hath he been made manifest by the sacrifice of himselfe to put away sinne Vers 26. And many other things pertaining to this point doth the Apostle in that place exactly debate as that he gathereth from the proprietie and nature of a Testament that Christ must needes dye because the death of the Testator is required that the Testament may be ratified And confirming the same from the rite of the old Testament he addeth that that was not dedicated without blood and that all things almost according to the Law were purified with blood and that the paternes of heauenly things were purged with the blood of sacrifices but the heauenly things themselues required a better sacrifice and a better blood namely the same whereof Christ himselfe purposing forthwith to fulfill the New Testament witnessed This is my blood of the New Testament Matth. 26. which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Likewise his beloued disciple saith The blood of the Sonne of GOD clenseth vs from all sinne 1. Ioh. 1.7 But now wee speake of the meanes of redemption accomplished in the first comming of Christ For there is another to be performed in his second comming whereof is spoken Luk. 21. Lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nigh And Paul speaketh of the same Rom. 8.23 and 1. Cor. 1.30 This shall be as the fulfilling and consummation of the former for now wee are saued in hope but not as yet in deede as the Apostle writeth Rom. 8.24 CHAP. V. The answering or taking away of certaine Questions about the maner or meanes of redemption BVt there is a question in this place 1. question Why he must needs redeeme vs by a price not take vs out of Satans power by force who did vniustly hold vs captiues what neede was there of the paiment of a price by the Sonne of God that wee might be redeemed who were the slaues of Satan for it seemeth more conuenient that he who is violently and vniustly detained of another bee taken away from him by a superiour power euen without any price And the deuill had vniustly inuaded vs. I answere this price was not paied to the deuill but to God who had power ouer vs to condemne vs and had made vs subiect to the power of the deuill by his iust iudgement For as touching the deuill he vniustly possessed man but man in the meane while was iustly made subiect as a slaue to Satan through his owne sinne and the righteous iudgement of God Therefore Christ satisfied God and reconciled vs offering himselfe vnto him by his eternall spirit Heb. 9. and so now the kingdome of Satan is necessarily destroyed concerning vs that be reconciled to God whom by our sins we had offended Notwithstanding Ambrose lib. 9. epist 77. writeth that the price of our deliuerance by the blood of our Lord Iesu was paied vnto him to whom we were sold by our sinnes that is to the deuill But that is a very hard saying For whereas it was not lawfull to offer sacrifice but vnto God alone how much more ought this peculiar sacrifice to be offered to none but to God alone which the eternall high priest offered vpon the Altar of the crosse by the sacrifice of his flesh and effusion of his blood and which onely is the propitiation for the sinnes of the world Further it is a question 2. question Why his death is a price sufficient for redemption from whence that dignitie of the passion and death of Christ ariseth that it is a price sufficient for the redemption of mankind There be many causes concurring to that effect I. Cause 1. His willing obedience The willing obedience of the Sonne to the death of the crosse Phil. 2.8 for the passion of Christ had not been satisfactorie vnlesse it had been voluntarie Hereof the Apostle Rom. 5. saith As by the disobedience of one many are made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous And he speaketh as Theophilact well expoundeth of the obedience of Christs death by which obedience death being destroyed wee are deliuered from the damnation of death And for this cause the Euangelists with one consent describing the historie of Christs passion haue diligently noted many circumstances which declare that he suffered willingly For hee was offered Esay 53.10 because hee was willing as Esay saith chap. 53. II. The death and whole humiliation of Christ was not onely voluntarie His innocency 1. Pet. 2. 2. Cor. 5.21 but also he suffered death when he was altogether innocent as a man who had committed no sinne and in whose mouth there was found no guile For such an high priest became vs Heb. 7.26 as was godly innocent vndefiled separated from sinners who had no neede to offer first for his owne sinnes and then for the sinnes of the people Therefore because the iust suffered for the vniust 1. Pet. 3. his blood as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot is worthily counted precious to worke our redemption as it is in Peter 1. Epist 1. Augustine largely vrgeth this cause in his 13. booke of the Trinitie chap. 14. He died saith he who alone was free from the debt of death Therefore it was iust that debters should be let goe free beleeuing in him who died without any debt The same man chap. 15. The blood of Christ because it was his who had no sinne at all was shed for the remission of our sinnes And in the chapter following The deuill held our sinnes and for them worthily bound vs in death he who had none of his owne discharged them and was by him vnworthily drawne vnto death Also Pope Leo