what difference there is betwext the cause and the effect Election in which I include the fre grace and fauor of God is the fountaine frome which springeth faith and faith is the mother of all good workes But what foolishnes were it therefor to reason My workes are the cause of my faith and my faith is the cause of my election Thus gently I put you in mynd with greater reuereÌ„ce and circuÌ„spection to interpret aÌ„d applie the sacred word of God Thus ye procede THE ADVERSARIE Their fourth argument Hath not the potter power ouer the clay euen of the same lompe to make one vessel vnto honor aÌ„d an other vnto diâ—honor of this they inferre that God hath ordeined and made som to saluation and som to destruction and damnation But for the more perfect vnderstanding of this place afore thow go any further reade the xviii chapter of leremie and thowsâ—alt perceaue this to be the meaniÌ„g As the Potter hath the clay in his hand so hath God all men in his power and as the potter breaketh the vessell wherin is found an incurable faulte so God destroieth the man in whom there is found obstinate wickednes which can not be amended It is not the meaning of this place that God without any iust cause doeth make any man to destruction for as the Potter maketh no vessel to breake yet not withstanding he may but he will not lose both his clay and his labor but onely breaketh such as will not frame to be good notwithstaÌ„ding he made them to be good As euerie good artificer wold his work were good so God created no man to lose him but onely loseth them which will not be good whom he created to be good as the Lord saieth I planted the a noble vyne aÌ„â— a good roote whose sede is all faithfull how art thow then turned into bitter vnfrutefull and strange grapes God wold all men were good and that all men should be saued forasmuch as he is good himself and all that he maketh is good But as the Potter maketh of the same clay som vessels to serue at the table som in the kitchen or in the priuey so God hath som men to be in the bodie of Christ as eies eares and hands as Princes Prophetes Apostles som to be as fete and other secrete partes as laborers and other of the inferior sorte for whom he hath not besâ—towed so many and so excellent gyftes yet musâ—t thow vnderstand that it is not all one thing to be made to be broken and to be made to vnhonestvses Euerie vessel which is eâ—ill is broken whether it be made to honest or dishonest vses yea thogh it were made of gold And as it appereth plainely in Ieremie where the Lord saieth so thogh Conias the son of Ioacim King of Iâ—da were the signet of my right hand yet will I pluk him of aÌ„d therafter this maÌ„ Conias â—halbe lyke an image robbed and torne in peces hath a maÌ„ any thiâ—g appointed for a more honest vse theâ— his signet yet seest thow that if it becom noght it shall be broken distroied Againe euerie good vessell whether it be made to honest or diâ—honest vses it is kept and not broken Asâ—e the Potter and he shall answer the ihat he will be lothe to break any vessell but if any chance to be naught he sheweth his power in breaking of it Ask the husbond man and he shall answere the that he planted no frute tre to be barren but if it chance to be barren he cutteth it doune and plaÌ„teth an other in stede of it Ask the Magistrate aÌ„d be shall answer the that it is not his will to kill any of his subiectes for he wold that they were all good but if any becom a theif and murtherer he sheweth his power eueÌ„ ouer him in killing him Euen so saieth God I will not the death of the sinner but rather that he conuerte and liue I will not that any man be euill and therefor I forbyd all euil but if any man contrarie to my commandement and will of his own fre chose and mynd refufe the good which he might haue accepted and doeth the euill which he might haue left vndone then do I shewe my power ouer him in that I caâ—t him away like the shardes of a naughtie Pott which serueâ—h to no good vse ANSWER Why for the more perfect vnderstanding of Paules mynd any man should rather read the wordes of Ieremie writreÌ„ in the xviii chapter of his prophecie then the wordes written in xlviii chapter of the Prophete Isaiah I se no iust cause for plaine it is that the Prophete Ieremiâ— in that place hath no respect to gods eternall Election he disputeth not why God hath appointed in his eternall couÌ„sell â—om to lief and some to death but reteineth him self within the limites and boundes of the mater which theâ— he intreated Which was to assure the Iewes that God wold eieâ—â— them from that same land which to Abraham he had promised and had giuen to his posteritie and yet wold he preserue theâ— to be a people such as he thoght good This doctrin was strange and to many incredible for it appereth to repugne to gods promes who had pronouÌ„ced that to Abrahaâ— aÌ„d his sede he wold giue y t laÌ„d for euer Much trooble ad coÌ„tradiction as may be sene did y e Prophet suffer for the teaching and affirming this former doctrine And therefor it pleased the mercie and wisdom of God by dyuers meanes to strengthen and confirme him in the same AmoÌ„gest w c this was one V t coÌ„manding hiÌ„ to go downe to a potters house he promised to speak w t him there That is to giue vnto hiÌ„ further knowledge and reuelatioÌ„ of his will who when he cam found the potter as is writeÌ„ making a clay pott vpon his roteâ— and turning whele which Pot in his presence did break but the Potter immediatly gathering vp the Pot sherdes did fashion and for me it a new and made it a nother vessell euen as best pleased him And theÌ„ came the worde of y e Lord vpoÌ„ y e Prophete saing may I not do vnto you ô house of Israel euen as this Potter doeth Behold ye are in my hand ô house of Israelâ— euen â—as the clay â—is in the hand of the Potter By which fact sene and wordes after heard was the Prophet more confirmed in that which before he had taught To witt that God for iust causes wold destroy ad break downe the estate and policie of that common welthe and yet neuertheles wold repair and build it vp againe to such an estate as best pleased his wisdome as the sequele did declare for that great multitude corrupt with sin he hrak downe dispersing and scattering them amongest diuerse nations and yet after he did collect gather them togither and so made them a people of whome the head of all iustice Christ Iesus did spring But what hath
his vessell plaÌ„te a tre to be barren or kil any of his subiects we send you as befor to ask couÌ„sel at the plaine scriptures whether â—in God there is not a greater knowledge greater power aÌ„d a iustice more perfect althogh it be incoÌ„preheÌ„sible to o r dulseÌ„ses theÌ„ y t their is in y e potter husboÌ„d maÌ„ or Magistrate How that God wil not the death of the sinner but rather that he may conuerte and liue we shall shortlie God wiliÌ„g after speak And therefor omitting that which indigestly you heape togither I procede to that which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE Where ye replie w t that it lieth not in maÌ„nes will or ronning but in the mercie of God I answer by the same senteÌ„ce y t we may both will aÌ„d roÌ„ne which is coÌ„trarie to your hole purpose aÌ„d doctrine aÌ„d yet saieth the Apostle our saluatioÌ„ depeÌ„deth of the mercie of God for it is his fre gift The GeÌ„tiles w c for their wickednes wer reiect of God in vaine should they either wil or ronne w tout God exteÌ„ded his mercie towardes theÌ„ as he doeth now preseÌ„tly Lyke as on the other side the Iewes which for their sinnes be now abiect in vaine should they either wil or roÌ„ne without it pleased God to extend his mercie ouer theÌ„ as he shal do after that the fulnes of the GeÌ„tiles become in as witnesseth Paul â–ª for there we must vnder staÌ„d that wheÌ„ it pleased God to offer vs his mercie yet without we both will and ronne we shall not obtein the reward notwithstanding neither for our willing or ronning are we worthie to receaue saluation for it is the fre gift of God which he giueth to vs onely for his own mercies saik God offered saluation to Ierusalem not for the deseruing but of his mâ—rcie yet obteined they not saluation because they wold neither will nor ronne As Christ saieth how often wold I haue gathered thy children as the hendoeth her chekens and thow woldest not so the scribes and the Phariseis made the counsell of God towardes them of none effect for they dispised it Gods will was to saue them but they wold neither will nor ronne but kepe still their old passeâ— so they perished Wherefor vnto our saluation is required chiefly the mercie of God as the onely sufficient and the efficient cause thereof wherby we being vnworthie and his ennemies be reconciled and receaued vnto the feloship of the saintes Secondly is required that we both will and ronne not as the cause but rather as the effect anâ— frute of our reconciliaâ—ion declaring our selues to be thankfull for the benefits which we haue frely without our merits receaued otherwies the kingdoâ— shal be â—aken from vs againe and geuen to such as shall boâ—h will and ronne bringing furth the fruts thereof ANSWER Your ancient father Pelagius coniured ennemie to the fre grace of God did bragge and boast as you do that in man there was a will and a ronning But the probation of bothe is one that is to say your affirmation must suffice for auctoritie You boldly write that of those wordes of the Apostle neither it is of him that willeth neithâ—r yet of him that ronneth but of God hauing mercie it is plaine that we bothe will and ronne But how is this proued your long discourse in which it semeth that ye haue forgotten your self proueth no part of your purpose for the question is not what either the Iew or y e geÌ„till doeth ImeaÌ„ after they haue receaued the grace of God For theÌ„ we confesse that they haue yet not of theÌ„ selues a will aÌ„d studie to walk in godlines but the question is whether this wil aÌ„d studie which now by grace they haue receaued was anie cause of their election the contrarie whereof we haue before proued We do not imagine the faithfull meÌ„bres of Christes bodie to be stockes or stones insensible without will or studie of godlines â–ª but we affirme that it is God that worketh in vs the good will and the good thoght for of our selues we are not sufficient to think one good thoght We further affirme that except with all humilitie the fre grace offered with thankes giuing be receaued that they serue nothing to the saluation of the coÌ„temners But therewith we adde that it is God onely who taketh away the stonie and stubborne heart and giueth to vs a fleshie heart In which he by the power of his holie Spirit writeth his law maketh vs to walk in his wayes draweth vs to his Sonne Christ Iesus giueth vs into his protection I mean as faith assureth vs in our conscience aÌ„d so we acknowledge God alone by Christ Iesus his sonne to be the beginning the middes and the end of our sanctification godlie lief and saluation I for my part do yet againe praise God that his veritie is of that strength that somtymes it will compell the verie ennemies to bear testimonie to it And I pray God to retein you in that mynd that vnfeanedly you may beleue aÌ„d coÌ„fes that what vertues or good motions that euer be in you be the onely effects or fruites as ye call them of your reconciliation and neither cause of your election nor yet of your iustification That Ierusalem and the scribes refused grace and therefor iustly were condemned we consent with you but that euer it was the eternall couÌ„sell aÌ„d will of God to giue them life euerlasting that we constantly deny Our reasons we haue before alledged and after will haue occasion to repete som againe And therefor we procede Thus ye write THE ADVERSARIE Here with great vehemencie ye alledge these wordes of Paule who hath ben able to resist his wil of which saying ye inferre that God without any cause knowen to vs hath reprobated and damned many against which wil no man can resist These wordes did Paule write because he did foresee that of his former sainges som deuelish disposed persons wold take occasion to burden God with vnrighteousnes as ye do making him the author of euill for ye say that God hath a secrete will whereby he willeth the most parte of the world to be condemned which will because it can not be resisted therefor of mere necessitie by the immutable decre of God so many do perish further ye this affirming God to be the cause of damnation onely because it so hath pleased him ye cause many other to burst owt and say Sithe his will and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self and not to vs if any sinne be committed and surely for my parte were it not I abhorre your horrible doctrine wherwith ye cruelly affirme gods ordinaÌ„ce to be the cause of damnation I wold not medle further in this mater but with reuereÌ„ce behold the workes of God forasmuch as I se thankes be to God no work of God wheriÌ„ his mercie doeth not clerely shyne But if your saying were true
it proceded that God did send the Prophete NathaÌ„ to Dauid the offender that by the fiction of an other person he letteth him se the horror of his sinne that he did first terrifie and beate downe his conscience and after most tenderly did erect and lift it vp from the pitt of desperation All these graces say we proceded frome gods immutable loue which did remaine coÌ„stant both towardes the one and towardes the other euen in the tyme of their greatest vnthank fulnes And that because they nether were beloued nor elected in them selues but in Christ Iesus their head who nether did transgresse nor offend in any iote against the wil of his heauenlie father But Adam and Dauid transgressing and horribly falling from God were so hated in them selues and for their sinnes that first behoued the innocent Sonne of God by his death to make a satisfaction â–ª for their sinnes â–ª as also for the sinnes of all gods children And secondarely we say preache write and maintein that the sinne was so odious before God that his iustice could do none other but inflict vpon Adam and his posteritieâ— The penaltie of death corporall the punishemeÌ„tes and plagues which daily we do se apprehend gods children that vpon Dauid he did execute his iust iudgement which in these wordes he pronounced Now therefor y e sworde shall neuer departe from thyne house because thow hast despysed me and taken the wife of vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Thus saieth the lord behold I wil raise vp euill against the oute of thyne own house and I shall take thy wiues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of sunne for y u didest it secretely but I shall do this thing before all Israel and before y â— sunne This sentence I say most iustly pronounced was after most sharply and yet most iustly for sinne commited put in â–ª execution And so do we affirm that none of gods children be they neuer so deare shall escaip punishement if contempteously they transgresse I suppose y t this our confession nothing doth offend you except in this one thing y t we affirme that God still loued AdaÌ„ and Dauid after their sinne before y t his holie Sprit wroght in their heartes any true repentance And yet I wonder why this should offend you seing y t we assigne the cause not to be them selues nether any vertue with in them selues but Christ Iesus in whom they were elected and chosen The signes of gods loue we haue euideÌ„tly proued and y â— end and issue did witnes y t gods loue was not mutable If you require scriptures for the probatioÌ„ of y e same Behold they are redie if wheÌ„ we were enemies we were recoÌ„ciled vnto God by the death of his sone much more we being recoÌ„ciled shal be saued by his life And a little before in the same chapter WheÌ„ we were sinners Christ died for vs c. And y e Apostle Iohn herein appereth the loue of God towardes vs y â— his onelie begotten sonne hath he sent in to the world that we may liue by hym herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. And hath sent his Sonne in the mercieseat â–ª for our sinnes These are verey plaine and we think that no reasonable man wil denie to Adam and to Dauid that which the holie Gost maketh common to all gods elect children to witt to be beloued of God â–ª euen when they were ennemies dead in sinne drowned in idolatrie and polluted with all filthines as witnesseth the Apostle in these wordes And you when ye were dead by sinne in the which ye somtymes walked according to this worlde accordiÌ„g to y â— prince to whom power is the ayre which is the spirit now working in the rebellious children amongest whom we all had somtymes conuersation in the lustâ—s of our flesh doing those thinges which pleased the fleshe and the mynd and were of nature the sonnes of wrathe like as others But God who is riche in mercie for his own great loue by the which he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes marke and if ye be offended complein vpon the holie Gost hath qwickened vs togither with Christ by grace ye are saued and hath raised vs vp togither with him and to gither with him hath caused vs to sit amongest y â— heauenlie by Christ Iesus to shew in y e ages to com his most rich grace in his liberalitie by Christ Iesus God open your eyes that you may se the light and mollifie your heartes that ye may magnifie with gods children his superaboundant loue and mercie bestowed euen vpon the most vnworthie If ye think y t this loue hath onelie place before that man offend you se the holie Gost plainely repugneth to your senteÌ„ce for he speaketh to them that had bene polluted defiled with all sinnes If yet ye replie but that was during the tyme of their ignoraÌ„ce and not after they were illuminated by grace ye haue said nothiÌ„g against our confession for we affirme that God loueth sinners being wrapped in death and damnatioÌ„ by sinne and y t we haue plainely proued But yet for your satisfactioÌ„ and instructioÌ„ for I take to record the Lord Iesus y â— I wold bestow my own life to ioyne you fully to Christ Iesue I will procede a litle further with you â–ª Do ye think that the sinne of Dauid touching the nature and qualitie of y e sinne it self was more horrible and odious be fore God then were all the sinnes committed in Ephesus by those to whom the Apostle writeth yea then the â—innes which were done amongest y e hole GeÌ„tiles I trust ye will not think it and we clerely see that God loued y â— elect in Ephesus and amongest the Gentiles when they were drouned in all kynd of iniquitie If still ye replie Dauid was vnthankfull who after so many benefites receaued so traterously declined frome God followiÌ„g his own appetites and of purposed couÌ„sell murthering his innocent seruant and y â— with great ignominie of God This nether do nether yet euer did we denie but yet as y â— question is other so is not our coÌ„feâ—â—ion proued fals Albeit Dauid was vnthankfull yea and after AdaÌ„ most vnthankfull of any of gods children to his daies for herein standeth the doubt whether y â— the vnthankfulnes of gods childreÌ„ after they haue once receaued mercie grace and large benefites from gods hands doth so alienat the mynd of God from them that he beareth to them no maner of loue till they turn to him by repentance The contrarie hereof we hold and affirme not fearing to auowe that repentance as it is ioyned with faith which is the fre gift of God so is it the effect of gods coÌ„stant loue toward them and no cause of the same And for the more ample declaration
all height which is raysed vp against the knowledge of God by the which also they lead into bondage all cogitatioÌ„s to obey Christe we know further that they haue veÌ„geaÌ„ce in readynes against all inobedience That fire passeth forth of their mouthes which deuoureth their enemies that they haue power to shutte the heauen that rayne descend not in the daies of their prophecie That gods power both in the one sort and in the other is coÌ„teined with his word euen preached pronounced and fore spoken by his messingers do all exaÌ„ples in gods scriptures witnes At the praier and prophecie of Elias was the heeauen both shut and opened fire descended froÌ„ heauen coÌ„sumed those vngodly souldiours w t their captaines At the curse of Eliseus did beares deuoure 〈◊〉 childreÌ„ that mocked him The wordes of Isai Ieremy and Ezechiel albeit for the time that they spake they were contemned yet had they such force and effect y t no streÌ„gth was able to gainestaÌ„d that which they had pronounced At Peters word Ananias and Saphira did sodainlye dye Paule by his senteÌ„ce made Elimas the sorcerer blinde and so forth the exaÌ„ples be almost without noÌ„bre that declare y t gods power is ioyned w t his worde not onely in sauing w c I thinck you will admitte but also in punishing destroying If you thinke it fearefull y t gods holy word shall haue this power and effect to kill to blind and to harden Remembre first the seuere iudgemeÌ„tes of God against sinne and often call to minde that the fault nor chiefe cause is not in the word but in the subiect and person in whom it falleth The word falling in to y e heart of the elect doth mollifie illuminate as before is said but falling in to the heart of the reprobate it doth harden more excecate the same by reason of the qualitie and incurable corruption of the persone And thus in your second reason we do vtterly dissent from youâ— feare not to affirme y t gods true Prophetes messingets do not onely declare what meÌ„ beâ— but y t by the word which is coÌ„mitted to their charge effectually they worke ether lyght or darknes life or death yea saluation or damnation The text of Leuiticus serueth you nothing and y e text of Ieremie is expressely against you For the hiegh Priest is not commaded to go to a maÌ„ in whom no leprosie appered and to pronounce what after shall become of him but the man in whom there is apperant signes of leproâ—ie is coÌ„manded to be ledde to the Priestes who are commaÌ„ded to pronounce according to the signes w c they see CoÌ„sidre I besech you the difference betwene the office of the one the office of y â— otherâ— the sentence of the one and the senteÌ„ce of the other the one y t is the Priestes go not nether are they sent to seke those y t haue apperance or suspicion of leprosie But the Prophet is sent by God to theÌ„ that then was called the people of God in whoÌ„ no man could haue suspected such blindnes such hardnes of heart such rebellion as the Prophet is coÌ„maÌ„ded to threateÌ„ The Priestes did not nor might not pronouÌ„ce senteÌ„ce against a maÌ„ in whom manifest signes of leprosie appered not yea triall must be taken whether it be leprosie or not But the Prophet is coÌ„manded to go to that people who held them selues cleane and before all triall to pronounce that sharp sentence you shall heare w t your eares and shall not vnderstand you shall plainely see and yet shall not perceaue the heart of this people is hardened Was there anysuch coÌ„mandemeÌ„t or charge giuen to y e priestes Might any of them haue said to any man y t appered to be cleane c whole thou shalt be leprous I pronounce the sentence which thou shalt not escape I trust not Then for the diuersitie as well of their offices as of the senteÌ„ces which they pronounced the phrases must be diuers Where ye affirme that y e Prophet could not touch their heartes but by declaring theÌ„ to be hard hearted ye seme not to vnderstand what is the vertue and power of gods word pronounced eueÌ„ by the mouth of man w c as before we haue declared pearceth to y e depest secret that lieth within the heart Yea and worketh that thing w c the Pro phete pronounceth and speaketh how vnapperaÌ„t that euer it be to mans reason or how stowtly and stubburnly that euer the wicked resist Did not the wordes of Elias spoken vnto Achab aftre y e murtheriÌ„g of Naboth touch his heart yes the very hypocrite him selfe had some sense and feling of gods iust wrath And both he and his posteritie for all his princely pompe did after fele the veritie of them To witte dogges did licke his blood the flesh of Iesabell was eaten by dogges his children and hole posteritie were rooted out of Israell And thus did the wordes of the Prophete touch his heart in the time when they were spokeÌ„ with a certeine feare stupiditie and trembling which wordes were after of such power strength and veritie that no male children were left aliue to Achab in Israel And the same is true of Ieremies wordesâ— sentence spoken against diuers natioÌ„s whose faces albeit he neuer saw yet did he so potently touch their heartes that how soeuer they despised his threateninges yet was no word vainely spoken but in effect was euery thing complete as he pronounced And wonder it is that ye are ignorant in this vertue of gods word seing that ye confesse that Ieremie toke the cuppe from the Lordes hand which he was commanded to giue to all nations y t they might drinke the cuppe of the Lordes wrath saing vnto them Drincke be drucken and spew and fall and rise no more becaus of the swerd w c I will send among you Was this I praye you a simple declarationâ— or was it not rather a sentence decree so effectuall that albeit nether Babylon nether any other proud and whicked nation wold for that time beleue it yet came it most effectually to passe And I say y t these wordes of Ieremie do manifestly repugne to your interpretation do sufficieÌ„tly proue y t those wordes spoken to Isai are otherwise to be vnderstaÌ„d then y t he was commanded onely to declare what the people were For as the wordes of Ieremie had this effect y t according as he spake so came y e destruction vpon those proud natioÌ„s so lykewise had the wordes of God spoken to Isai the same effect which he pronounced To the one he said thou shalt giue vnto them the cuppe of my wrath that they may drinke it The Prophet without feare did obey his commandement and God did faithfully performe what so euer his messinger had pronounced Euen so did God command Isai to blind and harden that stubborn and rebellious generation of the Iewes by the
burdē God with iniustice in defending his own innocētie At which reasons Elihu offended after that the other three were put to silēce takīg vpō him to reproue Iob affirmeth that the wisdom the power the iustice and the iudgementes of God were incomprehensible that God could do nothing vniustly how that euer it appered to mannes iudgement and amongest other thinges he saieth wilt thou say vnto a king thou art wicked or vnto princes ye are vngodlie How muche les to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes and regardeth not the riche more then the poore For they be all the worke of his handes They shall dye sodenly and the people shal be trobled at midnight and they shall passe furth and take away the mightie withoute hand for his eies are vpon the wayes of man and he seeth al his goings Thus haue I noted partly y t none shall think that these wordes may seme to fauor your error and partly that your vntruethe in wrasting such places may more manifestly appere Ignorance of the tongues may be some caus in you but in some of you I can manifestly proue that malice blindeth knowledge and compelleth you to speake and write against your vnderstanding God touche your heartes with true repentance and giue you his holie spirit with greater reuerence to intreat his scriptures But now to the scriptures that ye alledge God say you hath no respect of persōs Ergo wil ye cōclude he hath no election Your conclusion is fals and my reason is becaus that gods fre election depēdeth not vpon the persones of men but vpon his own promes and good will ▪ But to make this mater more sensible I wil make an argumēt directly against yours God respecteth not the persons of men But yet amongest men is found great diuersitie bothe in vertue ād in vice Therefor there must be som cause from whence this diuersitie procedeth Of the first part I know ye doute not and the secōd parte is confirmed by common experience and by euidēt scriptures for how diuerse be the inclinatiōs of mē none cā be ignorāt except such as do not obserue the same Such as attribute the caus of such diuersitie to the sterres and to the influence of the Planetes are more then vaine education and vp bringing doeth somwhat bow nature in that case but neither of bothe is the cause of such diuersitie for how many haue bene norished in vertue togither and yet haue after fallen to moste horrible vices and in the same perished And contrarie wies how many haue bene wickedly broght vp and yet by grace atteined to an holie conuersation If the cause of this diuersitie I say shal be inquired and soght it shall not be found in nature for thereby were and are we all borne the sonnes of wraith if in education and vp bringing we se how oftē that faileth The cause thereof thē must be of necessitie without man To make the mater yet more plaine by an exēple Paule preached Christ Iesus to be the onely Sauior of the world both amongest the Iewes and gentiles to som his preaching was the sauour of lief and to others it was the sauour of death from whence commeth this diuersitie from the obedience will and faith of the one say you and frome the stubborne inobedience and infidelitie of the other you say somewhat but not all for true it is that faith and an obedient will is that which we call Causam propinquam that is the next cause to our apprehension but what is the cause that the will of one is obedient and the will of the other stubborne that the one doeth beleue and the other doeth blaspheme How so euerye do shift the holie Gost in many places plainely affirmeth the cause not to be in nature nor yet to procede of man nor of his fre will but to be the fre grace of the caller as Christ Iesus doeth witnes None can com vnto me excepte my Father draw him No mā can se the kingdom of God except he be borne againe and that neither of blood neither of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God who toucheth and openeth the heartes of so many as he hath ordeined to lief to aduerte and beleue the thinges that be truely preached As those that be the shepe of Christe Iesus who heare his voice and know the same These and many places mo do most plainely declare what is the cause that some beleue and others beleue not to witt that som are born of God and som are left in nature som are shepe som are goates the heartes of som are touched and opened by the finger and Spirit of God as it was said to Peter flesh and bloode hath not reueled this vnto the but my Father which is in the heauen and the heartes of others left in their own blindnes and hardnes If ye demand how is it then that God respecteth not the person of man I answer if ye did vnderstād a right what is mēt by acceptation of persons or what it is to respect persons ye should not doute in this behalf Acceptatiō of persons is when an vnworthie person is preferred to a worthie either by corrupt affection of those that do preferre him either yet for some qualitie or externall beautie that appereth in man As if to the office of a king or of a bushope should one be elected that neither hath godlynes knowledge wisdom nor yet the spirit of gouernement because he is riche noble of bloode fare and lustie and the persons hauing giftes much more excellent should be contemned this is called acceptation of persons As Samuel seing Eliab and considering his beautie and stature doeth boldly pronounce in his own heart assuredly before the Lord this is his anoīted Such acceptation of persons is not with God for neither looketh he to blood riches nobilitie vertue strength nor beautie temporall in his eternall election but onely to his own good will and eternall purpose by the which he hath elected vs in Christe Iesus If ye shall consider the same place depely ye shall find that none within the hole scriptures of God more confuteth your error then it doeth For as God respecteth not the person of mā so respecteth he nothing that is or can be within man as the chief cause of his election For what can God forese consider or know to be in man that good is which floweth not from his fre mercie and goodnes as it is written we are not sufficient of our selues to think any thing that good is but all our sufficiencie is of God who worketh in vs bothe to will and performe Then if all vertue what so euer be in vs be the work of God can the work folowing be the cause of gods eternall purpose If the cause and the effectes proceding of the same be things diuerse then are our vertues and fruites not
the cause of gods election but are the effect and fruit which of the same procede and spring as the Apostle doeth witnes saing God hath chosen vs that we should be holie aÌ„d without blame And Christ Iesus saieth you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and haue appointed you to go and to bring furth fruite This I am compelled oft to repete becaus in it most shamefully ye erre arrogating to your seluses that which is proper to gods onely mercie and fre grace If you vnderstand this former place of scripture which affirmeth that God hath no respect of persons as your book doeth witnes to witt that God careth a like for all that he no more loueth the one theÌ„ the other except that it be for their obedience the hole scripture of God doeth witnes against you Was the loue of God no greater to Abraham and to his posteritie then it was to the rest of the nations Moises and Dauid do witnesse the contrarie Saying he hath not done so to any nation and his iudgemeÌ„ts he hath not shewed to them onely the hath he chosen of all nations and people that be vpon the face of the earth that thow shouldest be vnto him a peculiar people And what was the cause of this their dignitie and prerogatiue before we haue declared to witt no vertue no obedience no good qualitie that was in them but onely his fre loue fre grace and vndeserued mercie as he hiÌ„ self doeth plainely affirme I will haue mercie vpon whom I will haue mercie and saint Paule it is neither of the willer neither yet of the runner but of God that sheweth mercie to such as pleaseth him And thus I say you can not iustly nor rihtly conclude that God hath neither chosen nor reprobated any man becaus he hath no respect of persons for as before I haue said his eternall election dependeth neither vpon man neither yet vpon any thing that is within maÌ„ but is purposed in him self and established in Christ Iesus in whom we are elected becaus that in our selues there neither was neither yet could be any worthines which could merite or deserue such honour and dignitie And so God respecteth not the persons of men their vertues nor qualities in their election but finding them all equall in creation and corruption maketh difference betwext them according to his eternall purpose respecting Christ Iesus and not their merites How that euer the prowde and vngodlie storme at this I nothing doute but the children of God do thereof receaue moste singular consolation as that it is the chefest cause why that without all trembling and feare they stoupe before his Maiestie and giuing thankes for these inestimable benefits do craue of his mercie such a puretie of lief as becometh his children To your scriptures which ye alledge from the book of wisdom and frome Esdras his fourth booke I will shortly answere That albeit ye will ten thousand tymes deck aÌ„d decore them with the title of the holie Gost I wil not the more creditt them Not that I deny but that in them there be thinges conteined profitable to edification but if that therefore ye will vpon any place written within them conclude a doctrine contrarie to the rest of the canonicall scriptures I will answer with the ancient writers that they were not written that vpon them should our faith be established Lett theÌ„ serue if so please you to exhortation but for confirmation of any doctrine shall they neuer serue vnto me Neither yet this do I say that I do think any of these places rightly vnderstand to make any thing for your purpose but that I will by gods grace giue euer that reuerence vnto the veritie of God that the voices of men shall not with me be coÌ„parable vnto it It may be greatlie suspected what som men now a daies do meaÌ„ to ascribe that to y â— holie Gost which the authors them selues did onely ascribe to their own diligence and trauelle and were also compelled to ask perdon of the readers that they could not atteine no not euen to the proprietie of the toÌ„gue in the which they did write Vseth the holie Gost I pray you whose power lowseth the tongues of the dombe in that maner to be suppliaÌ„t vnto meÌ„ and for his imperfection to begge pardon at their handes Consider and impute nothing vpon the holie Gost which becometh not the Maiestie of God but lest that ye should complain that yet your scriptures are not resolued I will giue you a generall answer to all which is this That neither the booke of wisdom neither yet Ecclesiasticus neither yet Esdras in these places that be alledged do intreat any thing of election or reprobation but the writers in all those places which ye alledge do studie to amend the corrupt maners of their aeges and to impose sileÌ„ce to the wicked tongues of many of whom som accused God as author of sinne which entred in by malice of the deuill who did corrupt the good creature of God created to his own image to reule in equitie and iustice who doeth not se but that this writer who so euer he was reteineth him self within the reache of mannes vnderstanding laboring to conuict their coÌ„science which maliciously imputed vnto God that which he did not worke in them But that they of their own fre will did follow aÌ„d obey iniquitie and that therefor they should suffer their iust condemnation And that this my interpretation of their myndes is true let their own wordes witnes for thus it is writeÌ„ They haue said with them selues not righteously iudgeiÌ„g our lief is troblesom aÌ„d short neither is there any remedie against the death of maÌ„ neither hath he bene knoweÌ„ that hath returned from the helles we were bâ—rn without purpose and we shal be as we neuer had ben â—or the spirit is but a smoke in our nosethrels c. in proâ—es of tyme our name shall com to obliuion neither yet shal any man remember our workes Therefor let vs vse the present prosperitie Let vs oppresse the poore man being iust let vs not spare the widowe neither yet lett vs reâ—erence the loÌ„g aeged aÌ„d white heares of the ancient but let the strength of our power be the law of iustice and so far furth he accuseth their open tyranny and then concludeth these thinges they thoght and did erre for they were blinded by their own malice neither haue they knoweÌ„ the mysteries of God I wonder that ye marked not this place neither haue they hoped for the reward of holynes for God created maÌ„ to immortâ—litie here I note your falshode for ye write God created man to be vndestroyed and made him to his own similitude Now let the indifferent reader iudge whether you or I do nerer attein to the mynd of the wryter you I say that do affirme that he denieth that God hath either elected or reprobated any man or I