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A19550
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A sermon of predestination preached at Saint Maries in Oxford: by Ri: Crakanthorp.
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Crakanthorpe, Richard, 1567-1624.
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1620
(1620)
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STC 5980; ESTC S109016
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48,771
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52
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owne contempt themselues dâ—â— first reiect God and by their wilfull obstinacie refusâ— his grace when it is offered vnto them How euidently do these men oppugne the Scriptures of God For if election and reiection depend on the actions of men after they be borne how can it be true which the Apostle teacheth that we are elected before the foundation of the world and that God elected Iacob ad hated Esau before they were borne when as yet they had done neither good nor euill Is not here a reiecting of Esau before he by his owne actuall contempt reiected God or despised his grace Or did Esau more then Iacob reiect God before he was borne Or if we seeme to any to straiten their opinion though their bookes and writings do testifie this to be their sence and meaning seeing our workes committed actually in time can no way be the cause of that Decree which is eternall and before all time Let vs proceed and see if the same works being from euerlasting foreseene foreknown by God as if they had been done may truely be said as some of better note haue taught to be the cause of our election to eternall life Now if we will herein hearken to the Apostles doctrine we shall cleerely perceiue that our faith sanctitie and all our good workes are so farre from being the cause of our election that they are in truth the very effects therof For we are elected that we should be holy and without blame Ephes. 1. 4. And the Apostle saith of himselfe 1. Cor. 7. 25. that he obtained mercy that he might be faithfull Whence it is manifest that God did not first foresee vs good and faithfull and therefore elected vs but first he elected vs and for this cause decreed to make vs faithfull good and holy in his sight And therefore Saint Austen hauing sometimes taught that God did chuse vs because he foresaw that we would beleeue afterwards retracteth and recalleth this sentence as erronious and deliuereth a truer lesson that faith is the effect of Predestination not the cause seeing the Apostle faith not that hee obtained mercy because he was faithfull but he obtained mercy that hee might be faithfull For we are not called saith he because wee did beleeue but that we should beleeue Againe when the Apostle demandeth 1. Cor. 4. 7 Who separated thee which was an other and principall motiue to Saint Austen to retract his former errour had the cause of our election beene either our faith or good workes foreseene it would haue beene easily answered My owne faith my owne workes my owne good will to embrace Gods grace these being foreseene by God separated me and moued God to elect mee rather then others but the Apostle knowing all these to bee the gifts of God and effects of his free loue and election referres wholly our separating from the rest to the grace and good pleasure of him who saith Luk. 12. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the Kingdome that so no man might boast of himselfe but he that gloryeth might glory in the Lord. In the 9. to the Romanes the Apostle disputing this matter of set purpose and at large sheweth that though Iacob and Esau were in themselues alike before God not hauing done either good or euill the one more then the other borne at the same time and of the same parents yet for all this equalitie God loued Iacob and hated Esau. And because this might seeme vniustin the eyes of man that of two being altogether equall and alike the one should be loued and the other hated of God the Apostle proposeth to himselfe this great difficultie as S. Austen rightly calleth it What shall we say then is there vnrighteousnesse with God Now if God had loued and elected Iacob for his good workes or faith foreseene or hated Esau for his prophanenesse which from all eternâ—tie hee did foreknow surely this question not onely might easily be answered but there were no difficulty nor doubt at all therein For what vnrighteousnesse can this sâ—eme to any that God should loue Iacob who hee knew would loue and obey him or why should he not hate Esau of whom hee foreknew that hee would be a wicked a prophane person and one that would hate the Lord But the Apostle answereth not in such wise but knowing right well that God without all respect to the good or euill actions foreseene in the one more then in the other loued Iacob and hated Esau and knowing that the good actions of the one were not causes but effects of that loue of God and of his grace which he in mercy gaue vnto him and that the euill actions of the other proceeded from the want of Gods loue and of his grace which hee in iustice denyed or would not giue vnto the other He I say knowing all this giueth another and better answere that howsoeuer this may seeme vniust to the eyes of man yet it is in truth most righteous because it is the will and the good pleasure of God so to doe For I will haue mercy saâ—th God on whom I will and whom he will he hardeneth And that we might plainely see that there is nothing at all in any one which did or could moue God to loue and elect him rather then another the Apostle addeth this Conclusion as ensuing necessarily on that testimony of God So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy The true and certaine cause then why God in particular elected these and reiâ—cted the other is no way in themselues nor in their workes either actually perfâ—rmed or foreseene and foreknowne by God but it is wholly and solely in God himselfe It is euen his good pleasure and will who as he elected vs that is pull'd vs out of that masse of perdition from the rest according to the good pleasure of his will so by the same his good pleasure and will did he leaue others in that masse of sinne whom he made vessels of wrath and as Saint Iude saith ordained to condemnation The reason of both which is that which the Apostle expresseth Hee sheweth mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth With what reprochfull speeches this doctrine and the teachers therofare reuiled you are not ignorant their bookes are too euident witnesses thereof And no maruâ—ll if they shoot their arrowes of most venemous words against men seeing they feare not to open their mouths against heauen in the insolent folly of their wits plead against God whose most holy will Iustice in this case they seeke to ouâ—rthrow First say they It can not withstand the will of God to ordain any to be vessels of wrath or to destruction for God witnesseth and that also with an oath Ezech. 33. 11. that hee desires not nor would the death of a sinner but that the wicked
written among his chosen children and to bee of their number God would in his iustice pull off that vizor of hypocrisie and make it knowne to all by brauding them with some marke of his hatred as hee branded Cain that they neither are nor euer were of that flocke of his chosen seruants Which the Prophet expresseth by two seuerall phrases the latter whereof doth expound the former saying Let themâ— bee wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not bee written among the righteous wiped out according to mens iudgement who thought they were writt therein but in truth declared not to bee nor euer to haue beene written among his rightcous seruants Which to bee the Prophets meaning is most cleere by that of Saint Iohn Renel 17. 8. where speaking of all the wicked who shall goe into euerlasting perdition of which sort none may doubt but these cursed enemies of God were hee faith that their names are not written in the Booke of Life from the foundation of the world that is were neuer written in that Booke And if they were neuer truely but only in the iudgement of men written in that book neither were they nor could they be in truth but onely according to the iudgement of men charitable I confesse in this point but yet erroneous wiped out of the same Booke That seemeth of greater difficultie which they obiect from the prayers of Moses and Saint Paul who being without all doubt written in the Booke of Life the Spirit of God witnessing of the one that hee was faithfull in all the house of God and of the other that he was a chosen vessell for whom was layd vp the crowne of glory desired of God that rather then his name should bee blasphemed or his glory impayred he would euen blot them out of that Booke of Life and make them a curse for euer to bee separated from Christ. Which thing if Gods election were immutable had beene simply impossible and such as those holy men would neuer as it seemes haue requested and so earnestly prayed for at the hands of God I can no way here assent to the iudgement of Saint Ierome who expounds these prayers to bee meant of a temporall and bodily death onely but not of the eternall For such a death could not haue made them accursed or an Anathema nor haue separated them from Christ nay by it they should haue attained blessednesse and haue beene eternally vnited vnto Christ. By which and some other reasons Chrysosteme doth not onely refute but euen deride that opinion Much lesse may wee consent to some other learned men who rightly vnderstanding in these prayers a totall and eternall separation from God doe thinke them to haue beene somewhat rash ouer-heady and lesse considerate positious proceeding indeede from a minde full of zeale but so astonished amazed and carrted away with the aboundance of loue vnto God and to his people that they considered not neither that it was vnfit for themselues to haue or for God to yeeld to these requests nor yet how impossible it was which they now desired Such confusion and inconsiderate zeale wee may not admit in these holy men seeing Saint Paul did not speake but write this with most serious and aduised premeditation yea by the inspiration and guiding of Gods holy Spirit protesting also and calling God to witnesse of his hearts desire in this matter and Moses in his prayer was moued for the same cause and directed by the same Spirit to request the same thing of God yea and the prayers of them both are such if they bee rightly considered as euery true Christian and child of God may in the zeale of their hearts present before the Throne of God For whereas they suppose it in no wise allowable to pray for that which either in it selfe or in regard of Gods Decree and Praescience is impossible and cannot bee granted our Sauiours owne prayer doth vndeniably teach the contrary when hee conditionally desired of God that if it were possible that cup of death might passc from him And yet hee knew it to bee no lesse impossible for him to escape that Cup then it was impossible that Moses or Saint Paul or any elect vessell of God should eternally perish Now that Moses and Paul did in their prayers imply the like condition is not to bee doubted For seeing their Petitions proceeded from a true faith and aymed at nothing else but Gods glory they could not chuse but be accepted of God and granted by him in like sort as our Sauiours was Christ himselfe assuring vs that whatsoeuer wee aske in his name and with a belecuing heart shall be granted vnto vs now they could no way bee granted if simply and without condition they had beene asked of God for then they had beene actually wiped out of Gods Booke and separated from Christ who by his eternall and immutable Decree were elected and ordained to bee partakers with him in glory Their prayers then were conditionall and in effect thus much that seeing the glory and honour of God seemed much to bee encreased by preseruing his people of Israel whom hee threatened to destroy and cast away these men inflamed with the desire of Gods glory request that if it were possible and if it might stand with Gods holy will bâ—ee would rather destroy them then so great a Nation and rather blot them out of his Booke and make them an Anathema for euer to be separated frem God then by casting away those whom he had chosen for his inheritance and peculiar people suffer any part of his glory and honour to bee impayred Great loue I confesse vnto God but such as if any thinke them too prodigall of their soules hee therein bewrayeth himselfe to bee of the minde and affection of Iudas who when the box of Spikenard was powred on Christs feete moued the Disciples to grudge and say What needed all this waste Such men are too rife in this last and worst age of the world who if any thing bee bestowed on Christ or vpon his Church for the furtherance of his glory straightway they murmure and repine and cry out with Iudas What needeth all this waste But when they themselues haue spent many boxes nay barrels and Butts of Spikenard to wallow in the lusts and pleasures of their sinnes yea when they haue spent not onely their Lands and goods but their bodies and soules â—lso in the seruice of the Diuell yet in all this there is no wasâ—e at all Now if such vile and wretched miscreants thinke nothing too much nor too deare for the honour and seruice of Satan why should Moses Saint Paul or any of Gods children thinke any thing though it be their very bodies and soules too deare or precious to bee bestowed on God or for his honour I am verily perswaded that if the true Child of God after serious meditation of these