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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19076	Tvvoo bookes of Saint Ambrose Bysshoppe of Mylleyne, entytuled: Of the vocation and callying of all nations. Newly translated out of Latin into Englyshe, for the edifiying and comfort of the single mynded and godly vnlearned in Christes Church, against the late sprong secte of the Pelagians ... By Henry Becher minister in the Church of God ...; De vocatione ominum gentium. English.	Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, d. 397.; Prosper, of Aquitaine, Saint, ca. 390-ca. 463.; Leo I, Pope, d. 461.; Becher, Henry, fl. 1561.	1561 (1561)	STC 549; ESTC S100123	79,647	298

Tvvoo bookes of Saint Ambrose Bysshoppe of Mylleyne entytuled Of the vocation and callyng of all Nations Newly translated out of Latin into Englyshe for the edifiyng and comfort of the single mynded and Godly vnlearned in Christes Church agaynst the late sprong secte of the Pelagians the maynteyners of the free wyll of man and denyers of the grace of God By Henry Becher Minister in the Church of God Allowed according to the order set foorth in the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Anno Christi 1561. VVe knovve that all thinges vvorke for the best vnto them that loue GOD vvhiche are also called of purpose For those vvhom he foreknevve them also he ordeyned before that they shoulde be lyke fasshioned vnto the shape of his sonne c. Moreouer those vvhom he foreappoynted those he also called and those vvhom he called he also iustified and those vvhom he iustified he also glorified ¶ A prologue to the reader HERE hast thou moste deare gentle Reader the two Bookes of that famous Clercke and auncient father S. Ambrose sometime Byshop of Milleyn entituled Of the vocation and callyng of all Nacions A worke surely of no lesse diuine wysedome and learnyng then of antiquitie and therefore a Iewell greatly to be esteemed and had in price of al those that be Godlye in Christes Churche who earnestly desire a right spirite and iudgement purely to discerne betwene trueth and errour in these peryllous dayes Wherin as our Sauiour Iesus Christ affirmeth that yf it were possible the very electe myght be disceyued But chiefly it is to be had in price of all those who not hauyng the Latin tongue are not able to reade the work to theyr edifying in the tongue wherin it was firste wrytten and compyled To whom the sayde auncient Father and famous Clercke in this presente treatise speaketh nowe more familiarly then before The worke it selfe is such as needeth not my praise But seyng I can not sufficiently expresse the woorthynesse thereof I thynke it better to omitt it with scilence confessing my barreynesse then for lacke of conuenient speache to diminishe the glory therof These and suche lyke workes haue not aforetyme ben so freely offered to the vnderstanding of the simple nor so easely come by as God be blessed for it they are in these our dayes Receiue them therefore louyngly and thanckfullye good Christen Reader and vse them godly aud reuerently for they are the good instruments tooles wherby the eternall God buyldeth the spirituall Ierusalem his Churche and by whom the lyuyng stones therof his elect children are dayly wrought shapen full fashioned vnto euerlastyng lyfe Learne also to render vnto God moste heartye thanckes therfore who shewyng more mercye vnto thee then vnto manye generations paste As he hath caused thee to be borne in these peryllous dayes so hath he prepared armure and weapon for thee wherewith thou maist defend thy self against all those enemies that shall aryse vp agaynst thee The occasion that moued Saint Ambrose to wryte this woorke was this There arose in Britayne in those dayes a Monke named Pelagius Byshop of Bangor that became the aucthour of a new sect before that time not heard of This man with the helpe of Celestine Iulian his fautors drew many into his errour He attributed so much vnto the free will of man that he affirmed that a man mought atteine lyfe euerlastyng by merites only without the grace of Christ Wherof he beyng blamed gaue place to thadmonition in suche sorte that he dyd not afterwarde altogether exclude grace but sayd that yf grace were geuen it was the easyer to attayne to saluacion how beit without it it mought be obteyned though with more difficultie He condempned praying in the congregatiō aswell for the faythfull as for the vnfaythfull as a thing vayne and vnprofitable because as he said that which they should aske was already in their power which with their diligence euery one of them myght do perfourme But when he feared least he should be condempned for it by the councell of Antioche he recanted althoughe he ceassed not afterwardes to teach the same in his wrytinges He added furthermore that the sinne of Adam hurted no man but him that committed it Also that all Infantes were borne as innocent cleane from sinne as Adam was when God first created hym Neuerthelesse he permitted them to bee baptized not to the puttyng awaye of sinne whereof he affirmed them to be voyde but that they might be honored with the Sacrament of their adoption And when he was publysshed and proclaymed to be an hereticke he wrote in the defence of his errour He was condempned by Zosimus and twoo C.xl. Byshoppes moe in the councell of Carthage and before that he was condempned bi Innocentius whose errour whē the Affricans with others especially this aucthour S. Ambrose S. Augustine and S. Iherome vtterly detested they tooke in hand by their seuerall wrytynges to put to scilence the remnaunte of that secte Sithens the which time it hath ben reputed and taken of all the godly learned in Chrystes Churche for a cursed prophane Phylosophycall errour I haue shewed thee gentle Reader the cause or reason of the first makyng and compylyng of this worke Nowe it standeth me in steede to shewe thee the cause of this my trauell in reducing it into the Englyshe tongue There arose in Kent in these late dayes namely sithens the preachyng of the Gospel a priuate man altogether vnlearned named Henry Hart that reuiued this errour of Pelagius and added thereto certeyne other errours This man with the helpe of his adherentes newe furbed this olde cancred heresye and put it to sale a fresshe in stede of an infallible veritie who also vnder the pretence of a sober lyfe and conuersation vsyng long heare long bearde long garmētes often reading of psalmes drewe manye into his errour both in Eastkent in Essex Sussex Surrey in the Citie of London This man after that his errour was espyed by the late Tharchbishoppe of Caunterburye Thomas Cranmer was by hym committed to prison with certeyne of his secte of whom some remayne alyue holdynge that errour some thanked be God are become newe men and other some are departed this lyfe and there they remayned vntyll they reuoked theyr errour and colourably subscrybed to the Artycles agreed vpon in the Synode holden at London in the reigne of the late kyng Edwarde the sixte Notwithstanding in hucker mucker he euer taught the same vnto those only which he knewe to be trustye and vnto those that were brought in by them who held the said Harte in such reputacion as yf he had ben an holy Prophete But after the death of kyng Edwarde when Quene Mary began her dominion the Christian Clergie was scattered abrode this Hart and his companions began to shewe them selues in theyr old lykenes of errour agayne with much more errour whiche they in the meane tyme had practised forged and gathered with

Or howe all Israell shalbe saued when theyr obsecation and blindnesse is taken a way of whom an innumerable multitude are fallen awaye in theyr infidelitie and haue not come to the tyme wherein they are promysed to be saued Or howe the fulnesse of those nations whiche were not called before are sayde to enter in nowe when of euerye age condiciō of men so many thousandes of all nations vnder heauen do dye without beynge iustified in Chryste But the godly and wise teacher had leuer suspende the causes of these secretes and iudgmentes vnto the profoūditie and depth of the ryches of Goddes wysedome and knowledge then with rashe inquisition to dyscusse the misterie of the moste iuste veritie and moste mercyfull goodnesse whiche is taken awaye from the knowledge of man omittinge none of those thynges which it behoueth mē to knowe and medlynge not at all with those thynges whiche are not laweful to be knowen For there are manye thynges in the dispensatiō and ordering of Gods workes whose effectes only are shewed but the causes lye hydde that when it doeth appeare what is done yet it appeareth not why it is done that where as the worke is sene of all men yet the reason why it was done is shutte vp in secrete to thende that in all one and the selfe same thyng both presumption in thynges vnsercheable might be holden vnder also that faished of manifeste thinges might be confuted For though I knowe not why one man was created a Greeke another a Barbarian this man borne in richesse and he in pouertie one man the valiaunt beautie of a personable stature doth sette foorth another the croked deformitie of feble membres doth disfigure this man begotten of Christen parentes was norished in the cradell of veritie another beynge the broode of heretickes drynketh the poyson of errour with the milke of his mother And to be briefe although I can not discusse a thousand other differences in the habite of bodies in the qualities of myndes the condicion of times the maners of countryes yet foloweth it not therof that I am ignorant that God is the maker and the disposer of all these thinges who verely hath on suche wyse created the bodies and spirites of all men that besides the voluntarye or wylfull diuersitie that foloweth the studie of euery man he variated them in most vnlyke number in the beginning of their creation The manye opinions of vayne bablers would trouble vs and drawe vs diuers wayes which out of thynges vnable to bee knowen haue presumed to goe into inconueniences and haue ascribed these original inequalities and differences vnto fate or destinies when in dede there are none at all and vnto planettes or starres onlesse we dyd holde in moste sure knowledge that God the creatour hath formed of the natural Elementes euery vessel as he wyl and hath ordered one nature of soules and one nature of bodyes by measures after hys owne pleasure whiche workes of GOD might also be knowen to mans vnderstandynge yf they ought to be knowen and it myght be shewed why euery thynge was so made but that it is sufficient to knowe that they were so made The Lord saith vnto Moses who hath geuen man a mouth who hath made the dombe and the deafe the seynge and the blynde haue not I the Lorde God And by the Prophete Esay he saith Haue not I made the fruitefull the barreyne saith the Lord It is red in the boke Ecclesiasticus good and euyll lyfe aud death pouertie and richesse are of God Also Iob saith The dwellyng houses of robbers and brybers are full of plentifull store yet dare they boldly prouoke GOD whereas he hath geuen all thynges into theyr handes And the same Iob disputing of the increase and decrease of humaine and worldly thinges and referrynge all chaunges to the iudgmentes of God sayth With hym is there wysedome and strength he hath counsaile and vnderstanding If he pluck downe there is no man can builde vp if he close vp a man there is no man can open hym yf he withholde the waters all shalbe dried vp if he send them foorth they shall ouerflowe the earth with hym is power and wisdome he knoweth both the deceiuer and hym that is deceiued he bringeth counsellers to a foolyshe ende and Iudges into dasednesse he looseth the girdle of Kynges and gyrdeth theyr loynes with a rope he maketh Priestes without honour and ouerthroweth the rulers he changeth the lippes of the true speakers taketh awaye the learnynge of the Elders powrynge foorth dispite vpon Princes and relieuynge them that were oppressed who openeth the thynges that are buryed in darknes bryngeth to lyght the shadowe of death which multiplieth the naciōs and destroyeth them and maketh them that are destroyed sounde agayne whiche chaungeth the heartes of the Princes of the earth beguyleth them that they maye goe they wote not whyther They grope as in darknesse and not in the light and he wyll make them to goe out of the waye lyke dronken men And agayne the same Iob shewyng that the wyll of God can not be frustrate saith For he is alone saith he and no man can turne his thought and loke whatsoeuer his soule wylleth the same shalbe done Part of mankynd is deliuered and part of them doth peryshe if we shoulde ascribe that vnto the merites of mens wylles as though it shoulde seme that grace hadde refused naughtie men and chosen good men then shal the causes of innumerable people resist and be agaynst vs vnto whom by the space of so many yeres the preachynge of the heauenly doctrine hath not shone Neither maye we saye that their posterities were better of whom it is written The people of the nacions whiche sate in darknes haue sene great light vnto them that sate in darknes and shadowe of death light is sprong vp And they to whom the Apostle Peter saith Ye are an electe generation a kyngly priesthod an holy nacion a purchased people that ye myght shewe foorth the power of him that hath called you frō darkenesse into his so marueylous a lyght who in time past were not a people but nowe are the people of god on whom sometime he had no mercy but nowe hath mercy Wherefore that is not geuen for the merites of the yonger whiche the elders did not deserue For the vngodlynes was all alike that accused the children aswell as y e fathers and all one the lyke blindnesse of ignoraunce drowned and ouerwhelmed both the one and the other in lyke error But what knowlege can cōprehend or what wisdome cā finde out why God had mercy on the one sort had not mercy on the other The reason of this difference lieth hyd is secrete but not the difference it selfe We vnderstande not his iudgement herein but we se his workyng And why then do we falsely accuse his secret iudgement that owe thanckes to his manifeste mercy Let vs praise

reserue vnto hym selfe the causes both of theyr pardon also of theyr punishment and that it might be in one to whom all men are bounde both mercifully to remitte and iustelye to requite Seyng then that the iuste and almyghtie prouidence of God doeth without ceassyng iudge and discerne all thynges and that no mā can come into this worlde nor departe out of this worlde but by the same entraunce and departyng which the ruler of thynges accordyng to his moste hyghe knowledge and wysdome doeth appoynte as it is wrytten in the booke of Iob Who knoweth not that the hand of the Lord hath done al these thinges in whose power is the soule of euery lyuyng thyng and the spirite of all the fleshe of man And againe he saith The daies of man are but shorte and the nombre of his monethes are with thee Who dare search out the causes of his woorkes and deuises For it is vnsercheable and wonderful secrete why the state and condicion of man is variated with so great differences Continuall syckenesse greeueth one manne from his chyldehood to his age and yet doeth not the tyme of his appointed age fayle among those continuall sorowes Another man hath great strength when he is olde and a lyuely power quickeneth hym in a valeaunt courage One endeth his dayes in his chyldhod another when he is come to mans state One can not liue past his youth To another it is possible to lyue so long tyll his speache fayle hym lyke a chyld The which bondes and limittes of lyfe beyng sundry wayes vnequall this transitorie mortalitie shoulde fynde the lesse bytter yf it myght suffer but the detriment of this presente worlde onely and yf they whiche departed hence without the lauer of regeneration myght not fall into euerlastyng miseries But forasmuch as the cause of the giftes which grace hath geuen is vnsearcheable aswell as the cause of miserie whiche nature hath deserued all one and the same difficultie and hardnesse of the vnderstandynge thereof sendeth vs backe agayne vnto our authour And when we aske howe he wylleth al mē to be saued whiche geueth not vnto all men the tyme wherein they maye be able to receiue grace apprehended by voluntarye fayth I thynke it not vngodly to be belened nor vnconuenientlye to be vnderstande that these men of few dayes or shorte tyme do appertayne to that part of grace whiche is alwaye geuen vnto all Nacions The which grace doubtlesse yf theyr parentes had vsed well they also hadde ben holpen by them For the spryngyng vp of all Infantes and all those begynnynges of infancie beynge without reason lieth vnder the arbitrement of anothers wyll neyther cā they by any meanes be holpen but by other menne And so it foloweth that they perteyne to those of whose eyther ryght or wronge affection they are gouerned For lyke as ☞ they beleue of another mans confession and fayth so of another mans infidelitie or dissimulation they beleue not And forasmuch as they neyther had desire of this present lyfe nor yet of the lyfe to come lyke as theyr parentes are the cause that they were firste borne so are they the cause why they are not regenerate borne againe And lyke as touchynge the elders besides the generall grace that knocketh at the consciences of all men more sclenderlye and secretely a speciall grace is set forth with a more excellent worke a more large gyfte and myghtier woorkyng Euen so also the same election is playnly declared concernynge innumerable Infantes The which election doubtelesse fayled not them that were vnregenerate in theyr parentes but was present with them which are regenerate before theyr parentes So that the diligence of strangers hath oftentymes serued many Infantes whom the vngodlynesse of theyr owne parentes haue forsaken and they haue come to regeneration by strangers which was not prouided for them by theyr owne nexte friendes In the whiche worke of grace who except he be to arrogant most foolyshe dare complaine of gods iustice that the lyke prouidence doeth not helpe all Infantes that it doth not eyther by power remoue and put awaye or els by mercy preuent all perylles and ieopardies that myght lette or stoppe the regeneraciō of them which shall dye Whiche thyng doubtlesse shuld so come to passe vpon al if it ought so vtterly to be done But it is not vnknowen howe muche slouchfulnesse should be engendred in the hartes of the faythfull yf in the baptizing of infantes nothing were to be feared touching any mans negligence or nothynge touchyng the mortalitie of the chyldren for it were not possible to chaunce by anye meane that such shuld be without baptisme And in this felicitie of Infantes so vnable to be lost y e opinion of that errour shuld be strongly mainteined which dareth affirme contrary to the catholike faith y t the grace of god is geuen accordyng to the merites of men For it should seme to be due by all equitie to fautlesse innocentie that adoption should ouerpasse none of them whom no gyft dyd constrayne Neyther hadde it ben vngodly spoken of a certeyne man touchyng the baptisme of Infantes that grace hath that it may adoptate but water hath not what to washe of or put awaye But all the disciples of the trueth do knowe this to be detestably spoken And hereby it is manifest that they whiche are saued are saued not by merite but by grace For it is no doubt but that they which dye without baptism are peryshed who doubtlesse except they had ben partakers of most greuous sinne shoulde not peryshe But not it is declared on this wise by the secrete distribution or difference makyng of God yet beyng iuste both what grace can geue and also what sinfull nature can deserue to the ende that neyther pryde shoulde be lyfted vp agaynste the gyfte nor diligence shoulde cease agaynst peryll Therefore whether we consider the last times the first or the middel it is both reasonable and godly to be beleued that God wylleth al men to be saued euermore wolde and this is declared none other wyse then by those benefites that same prouidence of God which he commonly and indifferently geueth vnto all generations For suche maner of gyftes haue ben are so generall that by the testimonies of them men myght be holpen to seeke the true Godde with the whiche giftes protestyng theyr auctoritie throughout al worldes the aboundaunce of a speciall grace was powred foorth Which grace although it be geuen forth now more plentifully then it hath ben aforetime yet hath god reserued the causes of his owne distributions thereof within his owne knowledge hath hydde them within the secrete place of his most myghtie wyll which shoulde not be vnknowen yf they were geuen in one vniforme maner vnto all men And forasmuch as there is no more ambiguitie or doubt of the generall benignitie of God then there is of his special mercy there should be nothing that