with the Gospell the persons with the thynges them selues righteousnesse of fayth with righteousnesse of workes neither noteth which are the naturall causes of the thynges nor which are the proper effectes of the causes but disguiseth the causes vnder title of effectes and effectes likewise misturneth into causes For where as workes are properly the effectes of fayth neither are of their owne nature good nor can be esteémed for good but through Iustification goyng before yet our Osorius frameth his discourse as though the chief and especiall bullwarke of all our righteousnesse were built wholy vpoÌ„ workes And that which he readeth in Scriptures shall come to passe accordyng to workes the same forthwith he coÌ„cludeth to be done for the workes sake as though heauen were now a due reward for our trauaile and labours not the gift of grace as though they do worke might clayme it as due dette for their workes sake and were not rather promised to them that beleue for the Sonne the Redeémer his sake But we haue discoursed enough vpon this matter it remaineth that we pursue the tracke of the rest of his disputation And bycause we haue spoken sufficiently as I suppose of the one of those two propositions which he calleth false and whereof hee hath accused Luther to be the Authour Let vs now fyritte out the other and seé what vermine it is and how it is able to defende it selfe First of all whereas Luther hath noted this saying to be the chief piller and foundation of Christian doctrine That no man ought to ascribe the meane of his Saluation in any thyng els then in the onely fayth of Iesus Christ afterwardes he proceédeth to the other pointe That the fruites of good workes are engendred and doe issue from this fayth euen as the fruite is engendred of the roote of a good treé and that workes doe follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as a fertile treé budding out first his greéne leafe and beautifull blossome doth at the last by course and force of nature bryng forth fruite The sentence Osorius iudgeth to be haynous in no wise sufferable and yet in the meane tyme denyeth not but that good workes do follow fayth But he cryeth out with an opeÌ„ mouth this to be false that good workes doe follow Luthers fayth But it is well yet that we heare in the meane whiles that good workes are engendred out of Fayth but in no wise out of Luthers fayth I would therfore learne of you Osorius out of whose Fayth good workes doe proceéde Forsooth my fayth sayth hee is not Luthers nor Haddones fayth if he bee Luther Scholer herein Come hither Osorius a good fellowshyp that I may stroke the smoath shauelyng of yours a whiles Truely I can not choose but all to beloue you and beleue you also when you speake the truth for I I suppose that the Oracle of Apollo can bee no more true then this Oracle is that workes doe follow your fayth as you say They follow in deéde apasse in great clusters And bycause ye vouchsafe not your selfe to expresse vnto vs what kynde of workes those are it shall not greéue me to do so much in your behalf And yet what neéde I make proclamatioÌ„ of them whenas your owne bookes do so aboundauntly and manifestly vtter the same as that no man can be so blynd or deafe but he must neédes seé heare them What art thou desirous Reader to haue described vnto theé as it were in a painted Table what blossoms this pregnaunt fayth of Osorius doth shewe forth Peruse his writynges and his bookes especially those Inuectiues compiled agaynst Luther Haddon Was euer man in this world that hath heaped together so many lyes vpon lyes hath compacted so many blasphemies and slaunders hath vttered so many errours hath euer by writyng or practize imagined expressed vomited out so many tauntes reproches madde wordes vanities cursinges bragges follies and Thrasonicall crakes so much rascallike scoldyng mockes doggishe snarllyng as this beast hath brayed out in this one booke wherein you shall neuer finde Luther once named but coupled together with some title of reproche as outragious fraÌ„ticke or madde If those trimme monuments of your gay workes do cleaue as fast to your dayly conuersatioÌ„ as they are ryfe to be founde euery where in your bookes and the testimonies of your witte I Appeale to the iudgement of the indifferent Reader what consideration may bee had of that your fayth which whelpeth out vnto vs such a monstruous lytter For if a good â—â—â—â—growyng vpon a sounde roote do not commonly bryng forth fruites vnlike to the stocke And if children doe vsually represent their progenitours in byrth in some lineamentes of personage resemblaunce of maners or other applyable feature of Nature for the Gleade as the Prouerbe is doth not hatche forth Piggeons it must surely follow of necessitie that either your workes whereof you vaunt your crest do by no meanes follow your fayth or els we must neédes adiudge you a man scarse of any fayth at all And therefore to aunswere briefly to those glorious vauntes whiche you make touching workes that follow your faith and not Luthers fayth if you meane those workes which I haue rehearsed I will gladly agreé with you but if your meanyng tende to good workes truly your owne writynges will without any other witnes condemne you for a great lyar But go ye to Let vs allow this vnto you which you require to be graunted that is to say That your Fayth doth necessaryly drawe after it good deédes as the Southeast wynde doth draw along the cloudes yet what should be thestoppell in the meane space to barre good deédes from Luthers or Haddones fayth more then from yours Bycause say you fayth commeth by hearyng and hearyng by the word of God I do acknowledge this a very Catholicke maxime a sentence meéte for a true Christian. But I wonder what monster these mouÌ„taines will bryng forth at the last But Luthers fayth commeth not of hearyng for hee doth not heare the wordes of Christ. What wordes I pray you and where are they writteÌ„ Forsooth where Christ as he sayth doth promise euerlastyng life to them that Repente and doth man ace hell and destruction to them that are impenitent Where is this Seéke it Reader And bycause Luther doth not heare those wordes of Christ. Ergo his fayth commeth not by hearyng and therefore yeldeth no fruites of good workes but starke bryers brambles onely Go to And what doth your fayth in the meane space Osorius Let vs heare what grapes it produceth But my fayth sayth he that is to say the faith of holy Church whenas it coÌ„senteth to the wordes of Christ And whenas also Christ hym selfe doth threaten destruction to the impenitent sinners this fayth therfore wherewith I doe beleue these wordes of Christ causeth me to be repentaunt What do I heare Osorus why what neédeth repentaunce
determineth to be done The Logitians that haue described the fourme of a Sorites doth deny that this kinde of arguyng is of any substaunce vnlesse the parts of the true properties and differences do accord and aunswere eche other with a necessary coupling together of the kyndes and the formes and that the proper effectes be applied to the proper causes Of all which there is not one so much obserued in all this heape of wordes and sentences wherein if I might as lawfully vtter some follishe skill by creeping forward after the same sorte with follish childish degrees of propositions it would not be hard for me to conclude out of gramtyng the freédome of mans will That there were no Predestistation nor prouident of God at all in heauen which we proued before out of Augustine â— was once concluded vpon by Cicero First such as doe affirme that God is the chief and principall cause of all thyngs and do graunt all things to be subiect to his will do not erre except Augustine do erre who discoursing vpon the will of God The will of God sayth he is the first and Soueraigne cause of all formes and motions for there is nothing done that issueth not fromout the secrett and intelligible closett of the highest Emperour according to vnspeakeable Iustice for where doth not the omnipotent wisedome of God worke what it pleaseth hym which mightely stretcheth hys power from one ende of the worlde to the other and ordereth all thinges most sweetely Thus much Augustine And yet this cause doth not therefore enduce such a Necessitie of coactione as Osori doth imagine as that no freédome of will should remayne in man that he should do nothing of hys own accord that he should deserue nothing worthy of punishment but should serue in steede of an Instrument as it were enforced through fatall coaction should be gouerned by an others power that it selfe should bring nothyng to passe wherefore it ought to be punished Now for asmuch as Luthers Assertion doth maintayne none of all these what is become of that horrible accusation wherein Luther is sayd to accuse God of vnrighteousnesse It is not agreable with Iustice sayth he that such as are onely instrumentes of wickednesse should be punished But according to Luthers doctrine men in doing wickedly seeme nothing els then instrumentes of wickednes Where finde you this M. Doctour where haue you it who euer besides Osorius spake on this wise either waking or sleéping sometime Gods prouidence doth vse the seruice of man to punish euill doers Euen so did God auenge hym vpon the sinnes of owne people by the Babilonianes Agayne to take vengeaunce of the Assirianes was Cirus the Duke of Persia raysed vppe So did God vse also the malice of the Iewes to finish the worke of our redemption for vnlesse that Natione had conspired agaynst the sonne of God we had not bene redeémed And what is the deuill himselfe but the Rodde of correction in the hand of God and as it were an Instrument of vengeaunce ordayned to punishe the outragies of euill doers yet doth it not therefore follow that deuils and wicked persones when they are called Instrumentes of Gods wrath are nothing els but Instrumentes as though they were forced onely and themselues did nothing at all and as though by doyng nothing themselues deserued no wrath For neyther do we so imagine meÌ„ to be like vnto stoanes as I haue sayd before as though we left vnto them no abilitie in action euen as the mynde of man vnlesse it be ayded can of it selfe do nothing but sinne so doth no man sinne at any tyme but by hys owne voluntary motione which sinne albeit he doth not commit without the will of God yet because he doth commit it contrary to the will and commaundement of God he is not acquired of hys fault As when a murtherer killeth men albeit he seeme after a certeine maner to exeâ—uute the will of God yet because he doth not the deede onely beyng of the minde simply to serue hys God but rather to follow the rage of his malice therfore is he neyther excusable as beyng not faulty nor is God to be accused for vnrighteous because he executeth hys wrath Wherfore it is false and slaunderous which Osorius doth conclude vpon the Assertion of Predestination For he coÌ„cluded two absurdities chiefly but with a farre more grosse absurditie The first That God is the cause of destruction and reprobation The secoÌ„d That they which offend are punished vnworthely Both which are vnmeasurably vayne For albeit the decreé of God be the first and soueraigne cause in all actiones by the which all other second and inferiour causes are gouerned and although there is condemnation to the Reprobates without the same decreé Yet neuerthelesse this same condemnation is both adiudged righteous and floweth also from their own will properly not properly froÌ„ the decreé of God For many thinges be done agaynst the will of God by a certayne wonderfull and vnspeakeable maner as I haue sayd whiche come not passe notwithstanding without hys will He ruleth ouer the mindes of men as Augustine reporteth and worketh in their hartes to encline their will whither him listeth eyther vnto good thinges for hys great mercyes sake eyther to euill thinges according to their deseruings after the proportioÌ„ of his owne IudgemeÌ„t sometymes manifest sometimes secrett but alwayes most iust and righteous bringing to passe by a certayne merueilous operation of hys owne power that in the things which men do agaynst the will of God it cannot be but that the will of God must needes be fulfilled Therefore the will of God as you seé is the first and soueraigne cause of all causes and motiones whiche neuerthelesse must be so vnderstanded that thys first cause respect properly nothyng but the last ende Now this ende is the glory of God and the most excellent commendation of hys Iustice and mercy In the meane tyme the other middle endes do depend vpon their owne middle and proper causes and are referred vnto the same Whereby it commeth to passe that betwixt Gods decreé and the condemnation of the Reprobate many causes of condemnation doe come betwene to witte Infidelitie the Inheritable corruption of Nature defiled and whatsoeuer fruites spring thereof Now the proper efficient cause of this Infidelitie and naturall corruption is mans will not Gods predestination which corruption and Infidelitie notwithstanding are so gouerned by Gods decreé so subiect there vnto that although they be not executed by the decree of God yet chaunce they not at any tyme besides hys decree nor without hys decreé whereof God as Augustine sayth is not the cause efficient but the cause deficient Now therefore where is that fatall and euerlasting Necessitie Osorius which as you say doth thrust men maugre their heades by violent coaction without any their owne will into all kynde of wickednes where are the vndescrued
sayd then either to suffer the thyng whiche he willeth not or to will the thyng wherof him selfe is not after a certeine maner the cause but if you sunder will from Sufferaunce so that Gods Sufferaunce be made opposite to his will That is to say contrary to the determinate coūsell of God in bringyng any thyng to passe Surely this way your bare Sufferaūce will not be sufferable but foolishe false and ridiculous For neither can any thyng be done without Gods Sufferaunce but must be done by his will and agayne nothyng soundeth more agaynst the conuenience of reason that any thyng may be done with his will otherwise thē as him selfe hath decreéd it to be done But if so be that ye set Gods Sufferaunce opposite to his will namely to that will wherewith he vouch safeth and accepteth any thyng veryly it may so be that some one thyng may be executed by Gods Sufferaunce yet altogether agaynst his will so that we forget not in the meane space that this Sufferaunce is not idle fruitelesse but altogether effectuall not much vnlike the orderly proceédynges in Iudgementes whenas the Iudge deliuereth ouer the trespassour to be executed it is cōmonly seéne that the Sufferaunce of the Iudge doth worke more in the execution of the offendour thē the acte of the executioner yet the Iudge is not altogether exempt from beyng the cause of his death though he be cleare of all blame in that respect And therfore to make you conceaue our meanyng more effectually Osorius you may vnderstand by the premisses That the will of God is to be taken two maner of wayes either for that vnsearcheable will not manifested vnto vs wherewith thynges may happen accordyng to to the determined decreé of his purposed coūsell whereunto all thynges are directed And in this sense or signification we doe affirme that God doth will all thynges that are done and that nothyng at all is done in heauen or in earth that he would not haue to be done Or els how should he be called Omnipotent if the successes of thyngs be other then as he hath decreéd them Secundarely the will of God may be takē for that which by expresse word and commaundement he hath reuealed vnto vs and which beyng done he accompteth acceptable in his sight And in this sense The faythfull and godly onely do execute the will of God euen that will wherewith he can not will nor allow anythyng but pure good After this maner is that will fully disclosed and ensealed vnto vs in his Scriptures wherewith God is sayd to be a God that doth not will Sinne. Accordyng to that former will which is hidden from vs and is neuertheles alwayes iust and discouered vnto vs but in part by his word as there is nothing done without his prouidence foreknowledge so in this sense we do affirme that he willeth nothyng at all but that which is of all partes most pure and most righteous be it neuer so secrete For euen as it is hidden frō the knowledge of all men what shall come to passe by the purposed appointement of God so shall nothyng come to passe but that which he hath decreéd vpon before neither should any thyng at all be done if he were altogether vnwillyng thereunto Finally to conclude in few wordes all whatsoeuer concerneth this present discourse God can not be sayd to be properly truely the very cause of sinne accordyng to that will which he would haue to be reuealed vnto vs in his Scriptures And yet if the cōcurraūce of causes must be deriued from the first originall surely God ought not be excluded altogether from the orderyng appointmēt of sinne Frō whence if we respect the meane second causes it is vndoubted true that mākynde doth perish through his owne default For no man liuyng sinneth vnwillyngly But if we tourne our eyes to the first agent principall cause by the which all inferiour causes haue their mouyng Then is this allso true that all second and subordinate causes are subiect to the eternall prouidence and will of GOD. And therefore both these may be true That mans destructiō commeth through his owne default And yet that therein the prouidence of God beareth the sway without any preiudice at all to his Iustice. But this prouidence notwithstandyng is altogether vnslayned for albeit Gods euerlastyng purpose be sayd to be the cause of our sinnesiull actions yet are those Sinnes in respect of Gods acceptaunce meare righteousnesse For GOD in most vpright disposed order doth by Sinne punish Sinne. And therfore with those Sinnes in that they are scourges of Gods Iustice God doth worthely execute his iust Iudgement agaynst mē which although his pleasure be to vse otherwise accordyng to his vnsearcheable counsell either to execute his Iudgement vpō the reprobate or to manifest his mercy towardes his elect neither is he iniurious to the one in exactyng that which is due neither culpable in the other sorte in forgeuyng that which he might haue exacted These two thyngs therfore especially be to be beleued to be inseparable in God though mās capacitie cā scarsely atteine hereunto the first That there is no wickednes with God Secondly That God hath mercy of whom it pleaseth him to haue mercy and doth harden their hartes whō he willeth to be hardened Now that we haue spoken sufficiētly in the defence of Gods Iustice and acquited it cleare from all quarellsome accusation to retourne agayne to our former question If Osorius doe demaunde now if God bee the cause of Sinne Bycause I will protract no tyme I aunswere in two wordes That in seuerall and sundry respectes it is both the cause not the cause Now let vs seé how this will hang together First I call him the cause not bycause he distilleth new poyson into man as water or other liquour is powred into empty caskes from somewhere els for that neédeth not for euery man ouerfloweth more then enough already with faultynes naturall though no new flames of corruption be kyndeled a fresh but bycause hee forsaketh our old nature or bycause he withholdeth him selfe from renewyng vs with grace Bycause nature beyng not holpen waxeth dayly worse and worse of it selfe without measure and without end Whereupon Augustine debatyng of mans induration speaketh not vnfitly on this wise But as touchyng that whiche followeth Hee doth harden whom hee will Here the force of mans capacitie is ouerwhelmed with the straungenesse of the word But it must not be so taken as though God did beginne to harden mās hart which was not infected before For what is hardnesse els then resistaunce of Gods commaundementes which who so thinketh to be the worke of God bycause of this saying He doth harden whom hee will let him beholde the first beginnyng of mans corruption and marke well the commaundemēt of God the disobedience whereof made the hart to offende and let him truely confesse that whatsoeuer
haue sucked this geare rather from Aristotle theÌ„ out of Christes Testament who teacheth in his 3. booke of Ethickes that Election which he calleth vnderstandyng Appetite is euer occupyed about good or euill And because in humaine actioÌ„s where choyse is made betwixt two or moe thinges preéminence is graunted to one of theÌ„ according to the difference of good and euill like as in coÌ„mon musters the Souldier that is most valiaunt in Maioralities and Baylywicks the richest Citizen in choyse of wyues the most beautifull in schooles of learning the most expert in sciences are vsually more esteémed and preferred formost the same surmyseth our Osorius to be betide with the Election of God and hys sacred decrees But here a distinction ought to haue bene made betwixt Gods choyse and mans choyse and the causes thereof likewise ought to be distinguished And therefore in this place especially Osorius doth notably bewray his singuler ignoraunce disputing of those thinges whiche lyke an vnskilfull Sophister he can neyther rightly deuide nor duely define But here perhaps some question will be moued whereas God and nature do nothing without cause what other cause els could there be here if God did not make choyse of the faythfull and of the Reprobates accordyng to the proportion of their workes foreseéne before But this reason can no man discusse better then Paule himselfe who after many his blasphemous persecutioÌ„s of Christ obtayning mercy at the length and yealding the reason of this great mercy doth franckly confesse that it was the onely clemency of God not any workes foreseéne in him before to the end that he might be a president to others of Gods mercy stretched out towardes them which would beleéue To be short if the naturall cause must be throughly searched out which are the very foundacion of Gods predestinatâ—on the Apostle Paule doth knit them vp altogether into iiij chiefe places first GODS POWER hath not the potter power of the clay 2. GODS PVRPOSE or GODS GOOD PLEASVRE for he doth vse both these speaches 3. GODS WILL. He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he listeth 4. GODS MERCY OR LOVE It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. So that you seé playnely that here is no mention made of works at all but that there be other much more weightie causes which will deliuer God cleare of all Rashnesse and vnaduizednes though foreseéne workes haue neuer anye place in the counsell of God I come now to the other argumentes of Osor. For after this sort doth this lumpish logician cauill agaynst Haddon that beautifull blossome of Bucer out of the 2. of Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessel of honor vnto the Lorde that is to say predestinated vnto honour and sanctified Euery man is of power of his own Freewill to purge him selfe Ergo Euery man is of power of his owne Freewill to be predestinate and made a vessell to honour The Maior must be vnderstanded that Paule treated not of the cause of predestination but of the execution and effect of predestination Neyther doth the wordes of the Apostle tend to this end to expresse the cause of predestination but to admonish vs by the effecte of predestination how weé ought to esteéme of the worthines and vnworthiness of persons in the congregation according to the saying of Christ by the fruites you shall know them c. Then the Minor is false for that which they inferre vpon these wordes of Paule as though it were in the power of our owne will to make our selues vessels of honour is not well concluded for it lyeth not in the will of the doer but of the caller not in the clay but in the potter who is of power to fashion the â—lay whereunto him listeth into a vessell of honor or of dishonor Furthermore neyther is our abilitie to be decyded by any hypotheticall proposition no more then if a man would conclude vp on thys hipotheticall proposition If you doe this or that or if you beleeue you shall bee saued Ergo to do this or that or to beleue we are of our selues sufficient inough And why then doth the Scriptures vse thys phrase of speech that men purge themselues if we haue no power of our own selues to purge our selues forsooth because God doth worke in men not as in stockes and stoanes whiche are not moued of any their own feéling or will WheÌ„ God worketh in men he doth so temper their mindes and willes whom himself doth regenerate that they willingly vndertake whatsoeuer they are commaunded After this mauner therefore are they sayde to to purge themselues by this very will not whiche is proper and peculiar to their owne nature but whiche is poured into them by grace And by this meanes at the length such as are regenerate are made afterwardes Gods together workemen and of their own accord leade a vertuous and holy life Finally God in his Scriptures commaundeth to purge our selues when notwithstanding it is he alone that purgeth So doth he commaund the people of Israell by the mouth of his Prophet Moses to sanctifie themselues whereas hee witnesseth of himselfe in an other place that it was he that doth sanctifie the people So also hee commaundeth vs to beleéue when as notwithstanding Fayth is the gift of God and not our owne nor is the cause of our predestination but the effect But let vs proceéde farther to your challenge Osor. wh challenge you haue vndertakeÌ„ to iustifie out of the depth of Diuinitie namely that there is nothing in gods eternall electioÌ„ but is accoÌ„plished vpon certeine conditions of reason and iudgement And yee suppose that the reason of Election is not to be sought els where but from the foreseene workes of the faythfull and reprobate And that if wee graunt not this that then ye think that our assertion of predestination cannot be iustified but that many thinges will ensue thereupon not onely erroneously false but also absurde to bee spoken incredible to be beleued First because Gods iustice cannot be acquired of iust reproche of parcialitie nor his mercy which is retched to all meÌ„ indifferently cleared of vnrighteous dealing You crye out afterwardes that it is both agaynst right reason that he should saue a very few in number and condeÌ„ne an innumerable company besides to destruction Moreouer euen in this choyse it selfe when coÌ„sideration is had why he should chuse these and why he should reiect the others the thyng it selfe doth seeme not to bee cleare of speciall acceptyng of persons nor of a certeyne extreme crueltie c. All which with others the lyke sithence be but weake sproughtes budding out of the sauadge woodbyne of the aduersary not issues of the true stocke will be so much the more easily cut of with the Razour and
most iust Iudgemēt agaynst sinne his most excellēt piety towards his sonne his most tēder loue towardes mākinde For in that he did most sharpely and with seuerest Iustice punish our Sinnes in his owne sonne he restored him to life to a most ample kyngdome wtall thereby prouided most fatherly for all our saluatiō generally We Read lykewise in the holy Scriptures It is necessary that offences shall come it is necessary that heresies be c. And it is not to be doughted but that this Necessitie doth issue frō the ordinaunce of God And what then if these offences do chaunce altogether besides the ordinaunce of GOD how then doe they chaunce of Necessitie Agayne if they happen by the ordinaūce of GOD how shall we then defende the goodnesse of GOD Forsooth euen by the same meanes that I spake of before For if he which dyd foreordeyne those offences were alyke affectioned and of the same mynde nor dyd respect any other ende then the persons themselues do from whom those offences doe aryse there should nothing withstand but that he should be in the self same fault and in all respectes as blameworthy as they But nowe sithe there is so great diuersitie betwixt them in the maner of doyng and the respect of the end hereby it commeth to passe that in one selfe action that which is committed by mē is a most haynous cryme and in that which commeth of GOD appeareth most euidently a wonderfull commendation of Iustice and pyety But here is yet a very great knott in thys bullrush whereupon Osorius scrapeth agayne very busily To cōfesse this to be true that offences and heresies must aryse by men yet forasmuch as their willes are not otherwise ordered but by the guyding and leading of Gods direction it can not be denyed but that God hymselfe as one that doth suggest some matter first must be accompted for an Abettour or furtherer for whosoeuer shall be the cause of any other cause or action euē the same must needs be an accessary to the cryme that is committed That offences and other sondry inconueniences of this present lyfe do flow from out the corrupt affections of men as out of their naturall source and sprynghead is most true And agayne that the willes of men which way soeuer they bend them selues are guyded not without the permissiō and especiall prouidence of God This is also most true Furthermore that the very Will of God and hys prouidence doe seéme to be in some cause that offences and inconueniences do aryse I doe confesse likewise agreéing herein with August Well and what hereof what if we graunt that God is after a certayne sorte the cause of euill Ergo Osorius doth conclude presently vpon the same that God as beyng the cause of euill cannot be excused of blame But if he do so hee is at hand that will deny his argument For it is not a good consequent which is deriued from the cause of offences and euilles but onely in such offences and sinnes which are not themselues the very punishment of sinnes and reward of trespasse where the euills that are committed be the vttermost effectes of the cause agent Whereof neyther of them both may be imputed to God For neyther doth Gods prouidence work in the corrupt affections of men as the principall cause vnto the last ende moreouer neyther are mens wills enclined or hardened to wickednes by the operation of God but where God hath most iust cause so to do aswell because God doth all thinges to make the excellency of hys power and Maiesty to appeare more glorious and to beé wondered at as also because hee doth harden the hartes of no person but to th end with sinne to punish the former sinnes wickednes and mischieuous facts that haue bene committed before Yea and this also most rightfully Whereupon August sayth this must be grounded and vnremoueable within your hartes That there is no vnrighteousnes in God And for thys cause when ye do reade in the holy scriptures that men are seduced by God or that their hartes are hardened dought nothing at all but that they haue committed before offence enough for the which they ought worthely to suffer c. If mans nature be of it selfe so valiaunt as to defend it selfe sufficiently agaynst all stormes and assaultes of sinne wherefore then doth he suffer himselfe to beé caryed away willingly and wittingly out of the right way why doth he not preuent all occasions and temptations as heé ought to do why doth he not practize the same courage that his owne reason inuiteth him vnto If he cannot why then euen from the beginning throwing ouer boorde the helme of Gods gouernement did he take vpon hym to be pylote of hys owne course why did he presume to be wise without God why was he so arrogant with so hauty and lofty a courage to geue the attempt vpon the tree of lyfe and graspe of the fruit thereof why being not contented with hys owne simplicitie chose he rather to raunge the field himselfe with the bridle in his teéth thē to abide the managing of the Lord who now if were able to gouern him selfe without Gods assistaunce doth worthely breake hys neck if he fall ouer the rock If he cannot guyde hys owne wayes euē for this cause is he worthely forsaken and spoyled because him self cast of of God beyng hys Ryder frō hys back Whereupon this is a good consequent and must be graunted of Necessitie that eyther God is not the cause of euill or if he be yet that in this cause is nothing at all but that whiche standeth most of all with equitie and Iustice likewise that in man is nothing but that whereof he may worthely condemne hym selfe The will of God doth worke together with mans will in sinne according to the Lutheranes It standeth therfore with as good reason that the same should be imputed to the one that is imputed to the other If the circumstaunces of them both were in all respects like the consequent would be good but the circumstances beyng altered the state of the conclusion is altered also All the actions of mans life are gouerned by the disposition of the secret prouidence of God This is very true Mans will also doth endeuour withall together with the same Here is therefore an operation and working on both partes God worketh and man worketh and both in one matter But bicause God doth order things after farre other meanes and respecting an other ende then men doe herein redowndeth vnto hym the highest commendation of power Iustice aud Bounty Men are worthely blamed as beyng the very causes of their own harmes When Ioseph was solde by hys brethren when Iudas betrayed the Lord when Absalon defiled hys fathers concubines When Pharao witheld the people of Israell When Semei rayled vpon Dauid When Antiochus waxed wrothe agaynst the Iewes long sithence whenas Antichrist euen now gryndeth hys teeth agaynst the
prayseworthy man that when her foresawe the ende of his lyfe to approche and that he was then Summoned to appeare before the Iudgement seate of the eternall God that he began to expresse a wonderfull fearefulnesse and to bee very much dismayed in his mynde whom as his frendes standyng about him would haue recomforted and encouraged to cheare him selfe with confidence of the good lyfe that hee had lead in deéde sayth he I perceaue I may seéme to bee in such estimation amongest you but I feare me least the Iudgement of God is farre vnlike the Iudgement of men Truely this was aptly remembred of Barnarde Who albeit knew it well enough before paraduenture yet as then beyng at the pointe of death he perceaued much more effectually Euen as we seé to haue chaunced to many others of this Popishe brood Who though they delite and flatter them selues neuer so much in the glory of their merites and vprightnesse of their workes yet when death knocketh at the doore of their consciences and willeth them to bidde adiew to the worlde then forthwith castyng away all trust of merites and as it were accordyng a recantation of the doctrine they shrowde them selues wholy in the death of Christ and hereupon fasten the chiefest shooteanker of sauety as it were in the most assured hauen of perfect blessednesse Whereby you may vnderstand ye Porting all Prelate how all that your frame of righteousnesse which you builded vpon the deseruynges of workes is vnioynted and shaken in peéces the force wherof was neuer yet of such efficacie and valew in any creature as could not onely not abyde the incomprehensible vnmeasurablenesse of Gods Iudgement but also bee so wholy appalled at the encouÌ„tryng of death that it can not endure the sight thereof but must neédes yelde as throughly vanquished Moreouer sithence this place offereth it selfe to debate of vertues I would wish you to coÌ„sider aduisedly with your selfe what that wellknowen saying of Augustine doth purporte and how farre it doth dissent from this your contentious quarell of righteousnesse whereas treatyng of vertue and charitie he speaketh in this wise Uertue sayth he is a kynde of charitie wherewith we loue that thing which ought to be beloued This charitie appeareth more in some in others lesse in some also nothyng at all But the fulnes thereof whiche can not be increased whiles man liueth in this world was neuer seéne in any for as loÌ„g as it may be encreased truely all what soeuer is lesse then ought to be will admitte a supply commeth of default through which default all flesh can not be Iustified in his sight wherein pause a whiles I pray you with me debate throughly with your selfe whether if that charitie whiche is in Christâ—ans though it be neuer so apparauntly discernable yea after their regeneration also be lame and defectiue what may be thought of them in whom scarse appeareth any meane resemblaunce thereof but what shal be iudged of your selfe Osorius chiefly amongest all other in whom not one sparcke so much of true charitie nor any iote so much of humanitie can be seéne in so much that who so shall read those Inuectiues of yours may easely coniecture that he heareth not the modestie of Osorius a Christian Byshop but rather some Tragicall Orestes furiously ragyng vpon some Stage But to returne to Augustine of whose iudgement in Diuinitie I know not how well Osorius will allow truely what small accoumpt he made of the worthynesse of our righteousnesse he could neuer haue more vehemeÌ„tly vttered then in these wordes wee be to the most vpright life of maÌ„ sayth he if God examine the same settyng mercy aside In like maner Gregory doth very litle varie from Augustine in wordes though nothyng in sence But altogether dissenteth from you Osorius where expoundyng the sayeng of Iob in their Chapter videl Man can not bee iustified beyng compared to God The holy man sayth hee doth perceaue that all the deseruynges of our best workes are faultie if they be wayed in the righteous ballaunce of the iust Iudge And by and by in the xi Chapter as it were redoublyng the selfe saying of Augustine Bycause sayth he if excludyng mercy workes be examined the lyfe of the most righteous wil be founde to folter and faynte vnder the burthen of Sinne. Hereunto may be annexed the consent of Barnarde of whom we made mention before worthy to be noted touchyng the same matter Who makyng a long discourse of the vnrighteousnesse of mans righteousnesse demaundeth a question at the last of what valew all our righteousnesse may be in the sight of God Shall it not be reputed filthy sayth he lyke vnto a foule menstruous clothe according to the saying of the Prophet and if strickte and narrow examination be made therof shall not all our righteousnesse be fouÌ„de vnrighteous nothyng worthe at the last as though the matter were confessed and without all coÌ„trouersie he coÌ„cludeth saying And what shall become then of sinne whenas righteousnesse it selfe hath nothyng to alledge for defence For as much therefore as it is so and that this doctrine is so manifold so manifest confirmed by so many and so famous Authours emprinted in holy writte allowed with so many inuincible testimonies of sacred Scripture published by the approued writynges of the best learned interpretour established with the vnuanquishable authoritie of the holy Ghost ratified with the common consent of the auncient primitiue Church finally so manifestly knowen by experience of all ages where is then that haynous crime that cruell offence that shameles trespasse and that intellerable facte as you say not to bee suffered in Luther Nay rather to speake as the truth is from wheÌ„ce or out of what puddle haue you sucked the shameles impudencie Osorius singular foolishnes vnmeasurable SycophaÌ„ticall rage frantique tragicall furye and so cruell and vnreasonable a custome of raylyng agaynst your Christian brethren without all cause or reason who haue rather deserued well theÌ„ euill at your handes I know not whether this proceéded from any cankred malice lurkyng within you or through corruption of your nature Sure I am that you neuer learned that insolencie out of holy Scriptures or out of the rules of the Gospell or by ensuyng the example of Christ and his Apostles or their mylde and curteous conuersation But perhaps Osorius hath determined with him selfe to leaue to the posteritie some especiall Iewell as a monument of his eloquence as Cicero did his Inuectiues called Phillipica c. Yea it had bene more coÌ„uenient for him to haue chosen some other Methode to treate vpon and farre more seémely to haue bent the rage of his penne agaynst some others rather then agaynst Luther Bucer and others the lyke For if he were willyng to confesse the truth simply what other doctrine doth Luther Bucer Haddon and all others who discourse vpon one selfe same Gospell teache then the very same matter that
if he lifted to prosecute euery of theÌ„ but bycause they were beyond number the maÌ„ beyng otherwise occupied in other studies pardy seémeth well enough furnished with these few whiche he hath piked out of Hosius if I be not deceaued and so thought good to rehearse no more Well now Let vs seé what peéce of worke hee meaneth to frame out of these places of Scriptures so raked together and whereunto to he bendeth his force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of Christ. This is true Euery person shal be clothed agayne with his own body Those that haue done well shal be crowned with immortall felicitie and those that haue done euill shal be throwen into euerlastyng torments This is also vndoubtedly true Agayne the most iust and vpright Iudge shal be present which shall reward euery one accordyng to his workes and deseruynges I heare it and confesseâ—t to be true For who is ignoraunt hereof But what hereof at length what will Osorius Logicke conclude vpon this Ergo not fayth but workes sayth he doe iustifie which shall purchase for vs Saluation or Damnation But this ilfauored shapen consequent which you haue most falsely deriued from true thynges and confessed we doe vtterly deny vnto you and not we onely but the holy Scripture doth deny coÌ„demne all holy write doth reiect the whole fayth of the Euangelistes and doctrine of the Apostle and all the promises of God with generall consent do crye out agaynst hisse at it If out of these places of Scripture you would haue framed an Argument a right and accordyng to the true meanyng of the holy Ghost ye should more aptly haue concluded in this wise For as much therfore as there remayneth for euery of vs such a Iudgement wherein euery one must yeld an accoumpt of his lyfe speÌ„t there is no cause why any maÌ„ should flatter and beguile him selfe with a vayne promise that his wicked deédes or wordes shall escape vnpunished after this lyfe but rather that euery man so behaue him selfe in this transitory world that neither his good workes may appeare without fayth nor his faith want testimony of good workes Truely this conclusion would haue bene preached to them the number of whom is infinite not onely amongest the Papistes but also euen amongest the professours of the Gospel who professing the name fayth of Christ liue notwithstandyng so dissolutely as they bryng the name and doctrine of Christ into open obloquy And as though it sufficed them to professe Christes most sacred Religion in wordes onely or as though there should be no Iudgement at all to come make no accompt of their callyng but are caryed headlong agaynst equitie conscience into the gulfe of all licentious filthyues to the great dishonour of almightye God and the manifest ruine of their owne Saluation Surely I am of opinion if you had directed your conclusion in this maner agaynst those persons and others lyke vnto them which do so wilfully rash and throw them selues carelessely into manifest abhominations without all respect of equitie and conscience the consequent would more aptly haue bene applyed and of more force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of the hygh Iudge where accoumpt shal be made of the whole course of our lyfe Ergo who that wil be carefull for his Saluation let him haue especial regard to the vttermost of his abilitie that his life be agreable to his professioÌ„ and stand assured as much as in him lyeth in the testimony of a good conscience knit together with a true fayth voyde of all hypocrisie For otherwise we doe heare what the truth it selfe speaketh And those that haue done euill shall goe into the resurrection of Iudgement We shall likewise heare what Paule sayth Euen for these thynges sayth he the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience But to what purpose Osorius is this alledged agaynst the Iustification of fayth in them who hauyng receaued the fayth of Christ doe ioyne withall fruites of obedience as companions if not altogether pure and absolutely perfect yet do yeld their endeuour and abilitie at the least such as it is after the small proportion and measure of their weakenesse This trauaile endeuour though it be farre distaunt from that exact requireth perfection of the law is yet neuertheles accepted in place of most full and absolute Iustification in the sight of God who doth supply the want of our workes with his owne freé Imputation for the fayth sake in his sonne onely whiche is not Imputed for righteousnesse to them that do worke but to them that do beleue in him For what although the horrible rebellion of the vngodly whiche walke not after the spirite but after the fleshe doe procure vnto them selues most iust Iudgement of condeÌ„nation yet shall this saying stand alwayes inuiolable notwithstandyng and remayne assured for euer The righteous shall liue by fayth And he that beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Iohn 11. But yet that promise say you doth abyde most euident and vnuanquishable whiche doth promise resurrection of lyfe to them that do liue godly and good deédes Goe to and what conclude ye hereof Ergo Faith onely doth not iustifie vs say you Nay rather neither Faith Onely nor fayth any way els taken doth Iustifie a man or auayle any thyng at all to Iustification if workes accordyng to your interpretation bee examined by them selues by the waightes and ballauÌ„ces of Gods Iudgement shall make full satisfaction But ye conceaue amisse of the matter Osorius and therfore your coÌ„clusion is as ilfauoredly shapen Doe ye expect a reason Forsooth bycause you fayle in the rule Topicke whereby we are taught to apply true proper Causes to true effectes And therfore your consequent is faultie and a Sophisticall cautell deriued from that which is not the cause to that which is the proper cause Let vs discusse the very order of your wordes And they which haue done well What they shall come sayth he into the resurrection of life c. First of all ye perceaue that the workes alone are not treated of simply but the persons that doe the workes Surely in Iudiciall Courtes is no small obseruation vsed chiefly of the difference betwixt the circumstaunces of the Causes and circumstaunces of the persons As when a Seruaunt shall commit the very same which a Sonne shall doe although the factes be of all partes equall yet I suppose that the Sonne shall finde more mercy in his cause of his Father being Iudge then the seruaunt of his Maister being Iudge especially where the Iudge is not constreined to yeld Iudgement by any coaction or expresse rigour of Statute and Law but is at libertie to vse consideration of the trespasse accordyng to his own discretion EueÌ„ so neither do I thinke it all one if a Christian maÌ„ I say a true Christian man shall mainteine his cause before Christ his Redeémer as
Furthermore who be holy vnblameable before God Euen those truly which are voyde of all crime but accordyng to Luthers doctrine you can not bee voyde of crime for hee denyeth that sinne is extinguished and affirmeth that the flames of all abomination do broyle out therof as out of a whotte flamyng Ouē scorching and cōsumyng all things by meanes whereof no man can bee founde vnblameable without spotte The sutteltie of this Sophisticall cauill tendeth at the last to this end God hath chosen vs sayth the Apostle that we should become holy and vnblameable But according to Luthers doctrine no man can be holy and without fault in this lyfe Therfore hereof ensueth an vnauoydeable conclusion Bycause no man liuyng is cleare frō offence therfore neither Haddon nor any of all the Lutheranes can be reckoned amongest Gods Elect. Packe ye hence therefore as banished outlawes all ye vyle Lutheranes packe ye hence with all your torne ragged workes into the helles of Osorius damnable curse For the gate of Election is not opened to any but vnto Popes Osorians Phigianes Hosianes Eckyans and others the like Lordynges in whose most pure and choise behauiour no droppe of filth can be founde worthy of Reproch If Osorius him selfe had not bene so shamelesse beastly as to blaze abroad this trifling Argumēt it would haue loathed me to haue rehearsed the same in this place nor would I vouchsaued any aunswere thereto but that I thought good to geue the Reader a tast of his blockishe ignoraunce that he might smile at it a whiles or at the least learne by this to esteéme of all other his poppet reasons almost in all his booke for scarsely any founder matter is scattered in any part thereof FIrst of all The Apostle both teache that we are elected and chosen that we should become holy This is true Whereby you may perceaue Osorius that whatsoeuer holynes we be endued withall doth neither goe before nor accompany election but that it ought to follow altogether not in order of tyme onely but in respect of the end and effect thereof For the Apostle doth not say GOD hath chosen vs bycause we were holy or should afterwardes proue holy but that we should become holy so that Gods Electiō is now the cause not the effect of our good workes And if good workes do follow Electiō in order of time I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason our Iustification should likewise necessaryly follow For as much as the consideration of them both is all one For whom hath chosen the same he hath Iustified and with the same grace that he hath chosen vs hee is sayd also to haue Iustified vs by one selfe same meane and to one selfe same ende For God hath chosen vs if ye aske here the cause of his freé mercy accordyng to the good pleasure of his will if ye seéke the meane In Christ Iesu If ye looke for the ende to worke good deédes not for the good deédes sake not for any our deseruinges but to the prayse of the glory of his grace Truly none otherwise fareth it in the matter of Iustification For whom God of his freé mercy hath chosen the same also he hath freély Iustified not by any other meanes then in Christ Iesu not bycause he foresawe that we would be holy but to that ende that we should walke circumspectly and holyly in his sight But what emporteth this saying that we should become holy and vnblameable paraduenture Osorius bee of the opinion that the Catharres Celestines and Donatifies were imaginyng that herein our full and absolute regeneration of our renewed nature was signified vnto vs and that we should accomplish such a kynde of thyng as the Grecians do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the which Gods Election and our Iustification could not by any meanes consist Ueryly I could wishe withall my hart that we all could direct the course of our lyfe in such sort accordyng to this Puritanisme of Osorius And that we were all endued with such integritie and Angelicke innocēcie that no part of our life might be defiled with blemish or iust reprehension But what shall we say Such is the condition of mans life such is the weakenesse of the fleshe that euery man hath his infirmitie And we haue not as yet so put of the Nature of man altogether that we should bee forthwith transformed into Angels Goe to then what if it come to passe that in this brickle estate of our frayltie any of vs doe folter and falldowne are we therfore excluded forthwith from our Electiō or haue we by and by lost the benefite of our Iustification I doe not thinke so Osorius For in what sence shall the Electiō of God he sayd to be permanent if it may be cut of and haue an ende or how shall it be called stedfast and assured if it hange vpon the vncerteintie of our frayltie But do not the true elect say you fall at any tyme into deserued rebuke what thē shall euery one that is worthy rebuke be forthwith cast of frō his Electiō A good felowshyp Osorius What if this fall happē before Baptisme You will say that Baptisme doth washe it cleane away What and shall not fayth and Christian Repentaunce clense our offences after Baptisme likewise If there be no forgeuenes of those Trespasses which we Christians doe commit after Baptisme To what ende is that Article in our Christian Creéde wherein we cōfesse remission of Sinnes If no offence be made to what purpose serueth Pardon Surely where nothyng is blame-worthy their Pardon may goe play Let vs seé now will you now dispoyle vs of an Article of our fayth and withall bereue vs of hope of remission that erste bosted so boldly of your strong belief in the wordes of Christ But you say God did chuse vs that we should be vnblameable I do heare you Osorius allow your Obiection if you will likewise accept of myne aunswere Whatsoeuer is forgeuen to the guiltie by Pardon and purged by forgettyng and forgeuyng there is nothyng remaynyng to terrifie that person from Imputatiō or make dismayed for any controllement For that we may so bold to glory as Paule doth What is he that shall accuse the elect of God God is he that doth Iustifie who shall then condemne vs We may lawfully adde hereunto Who shall comptroll vs You seé therfore in what wise Gods elect doe appeare now excusable and righteous not so much through the cleannesse of their deédes as through the bountie of him that Imputeth Not from the begynnyng of vnrighteous nature to speake Augustines own wordes but by conuersion from sinne to righteousnes nothyng blame-worthy but bycause it doth not please the Fatherly clemēcie to exact sharpe and narrow triall of them whom he hath chosen in his Sonne And therefore the Apostle notyng the same thyng sayth Whom he hath chosen in Christ Iesu that they should become holy and
nature not so much by allurement of will as by very constrainte of necessitie I come now to the vse and handlyng of Ciuill trades and forreine disciplines and to other dutiefull actions and considerations of the same kynde which are dayly frequented in mans lyfe In the whiche albeit Luther will confesse many thynges to be conteined that are subiect vnto Freewill yet will he not otherwise graunt thereunto but that euen in the selfe same the vnderstandyng mynde is many tymes deceaued will defrauded and freédome altogether ouerthrowen And yet doe we not for that cause vtterly extinguishe will or freédome nor wrappe vp and entangle the mynde nor spoyle reason of coūsell nor dispossesse mā frō his aunciēt inheritaunce of choyse or will howsoeuer the cruell outrage of Sinne hath weakened and wasted the sinewes and strength of nature beyng well created at the first yet remayneth neuerthelesse that naturall power of the soule not onely in those that are renewed in spirite but in them also that are not regenerate in respect of those actions especially wherof I made mention before But if the question be remoued to those actions which do not belong to the naturall and common conuersation of life but apperteine to the spirituall worshyppyng of God and concerne the kyngdome of Christ who can not here easily discerne that Freewill before it receaueth Grace though it be garnished with neuer so gorgeous a tittle hath besides a glorious tittle onely nothyng els whereby it may defende it selfe from seruile bondage or rayse it selfe vp to attaine the true freéedome of Saluation I doe not speake here of that freédome Osorius which is properly opposite to constrainte and compulsary violēce wherof we vaunte all in vayne nor of that naturall power of the reasonable soule whiche we seéke not to shake of ne yet of mans will beyng regenerated which we do not disable finally nor yet of those actions wherewith this sensible lyfe is beautified but I speake of those affections which are ascribed to the spirituall lyfe of the person that is regenerate in Christ. Whereupon accordyng to those fiue distinctions afore mentioned as many seuerall kyndes of questions do arise which for auoydyng confusion must be seuerally distinguished First if a question be moued of the freédome of nature being pure and sounde as was before the fall of Adam who doth not know that the state of that will was most pure and freé And it is not to bee doubted that mans Freewill was absolutely perfect in his first creation But that man by sinne lost the same freedome altogether August Secundarely if the question bee remoued ouer to the substaunce and to that part of man wherewith the mynde is endued with vnderstandyng and appetite as if this be the questiō whether mans will which is called freé were after the fall of Adam vtterly extinct and of no substaunce we do aunswere here with Ambrose that the Iudgemēt of will was corrupted in deede but not vtterly taken away And agayne The deuill did not spoyle man of his will vtterly but bereft him of the soundenesse and integritie of will For although mans will and the vnderstandyng parte of his soule was miserably corrupted through originall Sinne yet was it not so altogether abolished but that there remayneth some freédome to doe freé I call it in respect of those thynges which are either naturally carryed to motion without Iudgement as brute beastes or whiche are forced by coaction agaynst nature as stones By this therefore that is spoken it appeareth that will wherewith we are naturally endued in respect of the essentiall and naturall disposition thereof doth alwayes remayne in mans nature how corrupt soeuer it be yea and remayneth in such wise as hauyng alwayes a freé and voluntary operation in naturall causes without all forreine coaction vnlesse it be hindered and a naturall sensibilitie also and capacitie as Iustine tearmeth it in heauenly thynges if it be holpē And this is it that Augustines wordes seéme to emporte to my Iudgement where speakyng in the defence of Freewill vseth these wordes Beleeue sayth hee the holy Scriptures and that will is will and the grace of God without helpe whereof man can neither turne vnto God nor profite in God Agayne in his secōd Epistle to Valentin The Catholicke faith doth neither deny Freewill applyable to good life or badd life nor doth esteeme therof so highly as though it were of any value without the grace of God either to turne frō euill to good or to perseuer stedfast in good or to attaine to euerlasting goodnes whereas it feareth not now left it may fainte and decay c. And agayne in an other place I confesse sayth hee that will is alwayes free in vs but it is not alwayes good But the maner how it is sayd to bee alwayes freé must be learned of the same Augustine It is either free from righteousnesse sayth he when it is the bondslaue of sinne and than is it euill or it is free from Sinne when it is handmayd to righteousnesse and then is it good c. It appeareth therefore by this twofold freédome of Augustine that mans will is alwayes freé both in good thynges and in euill thynges But we ought to conceaue of this freédome in this wise not that she hath power of her owne strength to make choyse of good or euill namely in spirituall matters as our aduersaries doe dreame But accordyng to Augustines interpretation whē will is naught it is of her owne disposition naught when it is good then is it guided by grace not vnwillyngly but voluntaryly without compulsion yet freé notwithstandyng alwayes whether it be good or bad bycause it is alwayes voluntary neuer constrained And this much touchyng the propertie naturall disposition of mās will which who so will deny seemeth in my conceite to do euen all one as if he should deny that man is a reasonable creature for I seé no cause why reason may be more sequestred from man then will ought to be seuered from reason Which two thynges are so vnited together with a certeine naturall affinitie are so mutually linked together with an inseparable knot in the reasonable soule that Reason cā neither performe any exployte without will nor will enterprise any thyng aduisedly without the guidyng of Reason Therefore as Iudgement belongeth properly to Reason so to will and to worke apperteineth properly to will whether it be to good or to euil The one wherof respecteth the substaūce of will the other is peculiar to the disposition therof But as this liuely Reason being enclosed within her certeine limittes boūdes hath her proper peculiar obiectes so that she is vnable to rayse it selfe beyond the cōpasse of naturall vitall causes vnles it be enlightened euē so will beyng straighted wtin the same limittes boūdes of naturall causes hath no power at all in it selfe either to attēpt or to
Sinne do reteyne still that force and strength of freédome in those spirituall thyngs before rehearsed as that it be effectuall of it selfe before Grace or beyng holpen by Grace could preuayle so farreforth inspirituall thynges as that through grace and the naturall force of Freewill workyng together it might become sufficient cause of it selfe to enterprise spirituall motions and with all to put them also in practize For all those thynges must be duely considered Osorius If we will shew our selues vpright and hādsome disputers of Freewill in debatyng of which question if ye will permit our Cōfession to be coupled with the authoritie of the most sacred Scripture we must of necessitie hold this rule fast whiche teacheth that albeit mans nature is fallen from the integritie of that excellent and absolute freédome yet it is not ouerthrowen into that miserable state of seruilitie whiche is proper to brute beastes neither that it is so altogether dispoyled of all the power of the first creation as hauyng no sparkes at all of her aūcient dignitie remaynyng For the nymblenesse of the mynde deuiseth many thynges with vnderstādyng digesteth with Reason comprehēdeth with memory debateth with aduise gathereth in order with wisedome inuenteth Artes learneth Sciences Recordeth thinges past obserueth thynges present and prouideth for thynges to come Semblably will doth chuse and refuse the thynges that seéme either agreable to reason or profitable to the senses So that by those qualities appeareth sufficiently I suppose the difference that is betwixt vs and brute beastes and vnsensible creatures Which actions beyng naturally engraffed within vs yea without grace albeit proceéde from the voluntary motion of the vnderstandyng mynde yet bycause they extende no further then to this present lyfe and perishe together with this mortall body serue but to small purpose yea euen then chiefly when we make our best accompt of them Moreouer although they bee after a sort freé of their owne nature yet stand they not alwayes in such an vnchaūgeable integritie but that reason is many tymes deluded by great errours will ouercharged with waywardnesse the power of the mynde suffereth many defectes Almightie God many tymes by secrete operation communicatyng his handy-worke to gether with these actiōs doth apply the willes of men hether and thether whereunto it pleaseth him confoūdeth their deuises aduaunceth their endeuours not after the freé Imagination of men but according to his own freé decreé and purpose And this much hetherto concernyng those obiectes and externall operatiōs onely which concerne the common preseruation of this present lyfe and which perish together with the same But yet truely as concernyng either the enterprising or accomplishyng of those spirituall motions and operations for as much as they do farre exceéde the capacitie of mans nature the Scripture doth vtterly deny that man beyng not as yet regenerated is naturally endued with any force or abilitie of will sithence the first creatiō but that all those giftes are vtterly lost through the greatnesse of Sinne and that by this meanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imbecillitie and weakenesse of nature is by propagation discended vpon all men and nature it selfe corrupted with miserable faultinesse yea and not with faultynesse onely that doth exclude vs from those euerlastyng good thynges but besides this also that through this corruption of nature hath succeéded in steéde of that auncient integritie a certeine rebellious contumacie and filthy infection of Diabolicall seéde which doth depriue vs of all heauēly knowledge and carry vs headlong into all maner of abhomination whereupon the doctrine of Luther is not vnfitly confirmed wherew t they do conclude with Augustine most truly as agaynst the Romish Doctours that Freewill is not onely weakened in vs but vtterly extinct also and so thoroughly defaced that if we bee any tyme enlightened with any sparcle of Regeneration the same ought wholy be ascribed to the grace of God and not to Freewill nor to any strēgth of ours and to speake the wordes of Augustine neither wholy ne yet of any part For vpon this point chiefly dependeth the whole variaunce betwixt vs and the Papistes touchyng Freewill These thyngs therfore beyng in thus sort discouered which ought in deéde haue bene distinguished at the first for the better demonstration of the manifold diuersitie of questiōs I will now returne agayne to Luthers position who doth professe that Freewill is a thyng of Title onely and a Name or Title without substaunce Wherein if Osorius shall Iudge any worde to be misspoken and blameworthy in him hee must then first aunswere me to this question For as much as Freewill is not all alike in the persons that are regenerate and in them that are not regenerate and for as much as libertie also is to be construed in humane actions after one sort but taken after a contrary cōstruction in spirituall exercizes hee must I say tell me which sorte of Freewill or what maner of actions he doth treate of If he meane that Freewill which is now gouerned by the Spirite of God Surely Luthers position maketh therof no mention at all Or if he meane those naturall obiectes whiche proceéde of common nature or whiche are vsually frequented in the dayly practize of common conuersation after the conduct of Morall reason either in doyng right or executyng wrong So doth not Luthers position tende to these actions in any respect But if the question bee after this maner Of how much force and efficacie the bare choyse of man may be of her owne naturall abilitie either in enterprising or performyng those thynges which doe obteine Gods grace for vs or make an entrey for vs into heauen then will Luther aunswere most truly That there is scarse any substaunce at all in Freewill auayleable to the purchassing of the kyngdome of heauen except a glorious visour of Title onely no more substaunce veryly then is in a dead man who besides the onely shape and denomination of a man hath nothyng in him whereby hee may receaue breath and recouer life to the dead carcasse For of what force is mans Freewill els towardes the thynges that apperteine vnto God before it haue receaued grace then as a dead man without lyfe And for this cause the Scripture in many places expressing our natures in their most liuely and natiue colours calleth vs darkenesse blinde to see deafe to heare vncircumcized of hart wicked in the deuises and imaginatiōs of our conceites stonie harted cast awayes enemies in respect of our fleshly thoughtes Rebelles against the Spirite vnprofitable Seruauntes bondslaues sold vnder Sinne dead vnto iniquitie vnexcusable subiect to wrath S. Paule describyng the callyng of Gods Elect in the first Chap. of his first Epistle to the Corinthes And those thinges whiche were not sayth hee God hath called c. If Paule doe affirme that the thynges which are were not so at the first and that truely How can Osorius Iustifie that will was any thyng worthe in
whiche it is Of this Necessary Aristotle hath seâ— downe two principall begynnynges the one internall the other externall Then also distinction is made of this Necessitie which is moued force of the internall cause and inward proprietie of Nature So that some thynges may be called simply and absolutely necessary as God and those thynges whiche beyng chaunged do emply contradiction as if a man would say that foure were not an euen nomber that foure and threé were not seuen in nomber And this is called Geometricall Necessitie which will not admitte any chaunge by course of nature There is an other Necessitie called Naturall Necessitie Which albeit bee of her selfe the begynnyng of her owne motion yet it consisteth not in so simple and absolute an estate but followeth onely the vsuall course of her owne nature And after this manerâ— fier is sayd to bourne of Necessitie The Sunne is continually carried about in his course of Necessitie whiche can not chuse but doe as they doe accordyng to the proprietie of their naturall disposition yet doe they not follow their naturall inclination so absolutely and vnauoydeably but that God may hinder and alter their dispositioÌ„ or make them cease from their naturall operation Such a kynde of Necessitie to Sinne we say that man is clogged withall sith the fall of Adam if the holy Ghost and Grace be absent For of them selues they can not but sinne albeit there is no let in their nature but that they may bee holpen or chaunged and otherwise altered as we seé come to passe in those that are regenerate in Christ. That Necessitie therefore whereby wicked men are sayd to bee lead to sinne is not so absolute and vnaduoydable that they can not chuse but sinne for assoone as the holy Ghost and the Grace of Christ commeth this Necessitie is vtterly cut of And thus much of that internall Necessitie But the Necessitie that spryngeth from externall causes is also deuided two maner of wayes Whereof the one is violent and is called Compulsary Necessitie As when a thyng is forced to moue or to styrre agaynst her own nature And this Necessitie can by no meanes fall into mans will for it is impossible that will shall will any thyng vnwillyngly The other is stable and infallible or of the Hypothesis or by reason of the Consequence which Logicians do take to be in Sensu composito not in Senfu ` Diuiso Now this Necessitie called of the ConsequeÌ„ce is on this wise As when a thyng may be true by occasioÌ„ of the Necessary couplyng together of one proposicion with an other though the thyng that is concluded for true bee not Necessary of it selfe And in this respect we do affirme that all our actions are done of Necessitie not by the force of the inwarde cause or els their owne nature that is to say if they be considered apart referred to their next cause to witte vnto will Euen so will beyng considered apart in her owne nature from the externe begynnyng to witte Gods prouidence and foreknowledge it is sayd to be freé in his certeine kynde so that it is endued with a certeine facilitie to encline it selfe to whether part it will although it bee not able of her selfe to moue and encline at all but vnto that part which God did foreknow Whereby you perceaue Osor. in what sense this Necessitie which we do affirme is not alwayes absolutely tyed to our actions as farreforth as they doe proceéde from our owne will but through the couplyng conioynyng of Gods Predestination with our workes Which thing to be euen so the Deuines did seéme to signifie ` Per Sensum Compositum and Necessitatem Consequentiae ¶ A Description of Freewill and the thynges apperteinyng thereunto after the rules of Diuinitie taken out of August P. Lombard anâ— others Fiue thyngs chiefly to bee coÌ„sidered in Free-will 1. What Free-will is Will. Is a thyng properly perteinyug to reason whereby man doth liscerne good froÌ„ euill what is to be desired or what to be eschewed Free Freedome is a thyng properly perteinyng to will whereby of voluntary appetite without foreine coaction it may either will good or euill but to will good coÌ„meth of Grace which maketh to will and to doe ¶ The desâ—â—â—ption of Freewill talen out of Argâ—na 〈◊〉 lâ—b 2. Dist. 24. Freewill is an â—â—â—initie of reaâ—on and will whereby good is chosen through the assistauÌ„ce of Grace or euill if Grace bâ— absent or thus Freewill is a facuine of the Soule which can will good or euill discernyng them both 2. In what thyngs Freewill doth consiste In God first and chiefly Whose wiâ—l is of it selfe simply and absolutely most 〈◊〉 froÌ„ all boÌ„dage of 〈◊〉 and all infeccion of sinne for God can â—ot of his own nature sinne not bycause any force restrayneth him but bycause of his own nature he caÌ„ not so will so that God is both holy of necessitie and yet this necessitie 〈…〉 Freewill from God in whoÌ„ all â—ccessitie ioyned with all freedome is reliaunt In blessed Angels Whose state and condition is this that their will is made stedfast and vnchaungeable in all goodnes not of them selues but through Grace In mans nature and that foure maners of wayes according to the fourefold diuision of mans state 3. In what respect it is called mans Freewill Not in respect of things present nor thyngs past bycause present thyngs and thyngs past be of this qualitie that beyng done they caÌ„ not be vndone nor thynges paâ— can be reuoked But is called Freewill in respect of thyngs to come And these be the thynges that our Lombardines do affirme are in 〈◊〉 power but vntruely for maÌ„s habilitie to confesse truth is directed by gods euerlasting decree neither is it in maÌ„s habilitie to order chauÌ„ceable thynges at his pleasure 1. In the state of innocencie Whose freedome was once such which could both sinne not sinne And in this sense the auncient writers must be vnderstanded as often as they speake of mans Freewill that is to say of the Freedome of mans nature 2. In the state of blessednesse or of his heauenly couÌ„trey as scholemen terme it where man shal be endued with a freedome that can not Sinne by any meanes 3. In the state of life after sinne before regeneration by Grace In which state man hath no Freewill to do any thyng but to Sinne deadly as Lombard sayth and of this state meaneth Luther writyng of bonde will 4. In the state of life after sinne after regeneration by Grace In whiche state man hath freedome not to Sinne except veniall Sinâ—e as sayth Lombard But although Augustine and Luther doe yeld an habilitie not to Sinne after a certeine sorte Yet in respect of actuall Sinne they doe not except man either from veniall or deadly Sinne. Bycause was neuer any man yet found Christ onely excepte endued with such 〈◊〉 of Grace that had not in all his lyâ—e Synned yea and that
deadly 4. Of what thynges Free-will taketh his denomination 1. From necessitie or coaction whiche is called the Freedome of nature This Freedome the scholemen do attribute to meÌ„ in all states But this necessitie must bee distinguished proportioned by his principall causes whereof Some be called internall As be the thynges whiche are moued of their own nature and of inwarde operation And those Are either simply and absolutely necessary as God and his holynesse and as those thynges which bâ—yng chauÌ„ged emply contradiction whereof the one partie mâ—st needes bee true the other needes false as foure is not an equall noÌ„ber foure three are not senâ— in noÌ„ber and this is called Geometricall Necessitie which alteration nature doâ—h not admitte and this Necessitie perteyneth nothyng to Luthers Disputation of Freewill Or be noâ— simply and absolutely necessary but after the common course of nature as â—â—er doth burne of Necessitie The Sinne is alwayes moued and other such lyke beyng naturall thynges whiche yet are not of such Necessitie but may bee â—indered by God and so cease from operation Some haue externall begynnynges and of these there is two maner of Necessities Either violent Whiche is called the Necessitie of externall coaction as whâ—â— thynges are constreyned to moue or to do contrary to their nature as stones and heauie thyngs as the schole men call Necessitie in respect of the consequence not of the consequence or it Sensu Diuiso and not in Sensu Composito and froÌ„ this Necessitie the freedome of mans will is vtterly exeÌ„pted Or stable and infallible by reason of the consequence not of the consequent or in Sensu Composito not in Sensu Diuiso This Necessitie of the consequence not of the consequent is to be vnderstanded when a thyng may bee true in respect of the necessary affâ—â—tie of proposition from proposition although the thyng concluded be not necessary of it selfe or true in Sensu Composito which otherwise is false in Sensu Diuiso or false in Sensu Composito which otherwise is true in Sensu Diuiso as if a man say that white may bee blacke by distinction of contrary tymes it may bee true but ioynyng the tymes and in Sensu Composito it can not be true 2. From sinne or from bondage of sinne whiche is called freedome of Grace And this freedome is attributed to them onely which are made free by Grace Wherein if they meane of the imputation of Sinne it is true but if they meane of actuall Sinne it is false 3. From miserie which is called the freedome of Glory and this freedome had free will in the state of innoceÌ„cie once and shall haue the same much more perfect hereafter in the state of glory 5. How much Freewill is empayred in man through sinne It is wouÌ„ded in her naturall qualities to witte in Reason in vnderstaÌ„dyng in memory witte c. Dispoyled altogether in thynges as bee heauenly and apperteynyng to God And this much well agreeth with the doctrine of Luther Lombard Lib. 2. Dist. 25. Sithence we haue now layd this foundation for our better furniture to be able to make aunswere We will now addresse our selues to our aduersaries Argumentes Wherein although he obserue no course nor forme of coÌ„mon DisputatioÌ„ let vs yet helpe his lame Logicke as well as we may And first of all touchyng the ouerthrow of Lawes wherewith bycause it lyketh Maister Osorius to vrge this point chiefly before the rest let vs geue our attentiue eares to his wordes and marke well how cunnyngly he argueth But I say sayth he that by this doctrine of Luther whereby he doth teach that things are directed to their end by Necessitie that Lawes are subuerted Decrees put to silence and right and wrong confouÌ„ded together And why doth he not adde this much more also that whole common weales are ouerthrowen Well go to I do heare very well what you say Osorius But I haue not heard yet any substaunciall ArgumeÌ„t whereby you proue this that you say to be true Certes there be at this present within Christendome many NatioÌ„s many Prouinces many Kyngdomes many Dukedomes many Cities and common weales that fauour Luthers doctrine Wherein I appeale to your owne conscience speake it if you can haue you euer heard amongest all these I say not of any one commoÌ„ wealth or Citie but of any one litle Uillage or Ciuill familie that hath bene any one iote defrauded of the benefite of their Lawes or become lesse prouident for the coÌ„mon quyet of their countrey by followyng Luthers doctrine Although we haue not yet receaued froÌ„ Spayne and Portingall into our common wealth your bloudy lawes of Inquisition embrued with Chriscian bloud and do suppose also that no discrete common wealth will euer receaue them Yet through Gods inestimable prouidence we bee not destitute of politique Lawes nor of honest sciences nor of vigilaunt Counsellours Wherein albeit our grosse capacities may seéme vnworthy to bee compared to the fine and pregnaunt wittes of Portingall yet howsoeuer they seéme we are by their direction sufficiently enough instructed to discerne betwixt the limittes of right wrong not to confounde theÌ„ neither haue we euer confounded theÌ„ as farre as I know what maner of hotchpot you make of them in Portingall I know not For as much therefore as common experience teachyng the contrary doth most manifestly conuince you of open lyeng with what face dare you so boldly affirme that through this doctrine of Luther Lawes are subuerted Counsels put to silence and confusion and disorder of right and wrong to haue entred in Whereof you neuer saw any proofe ne yet can tell a dreame so much of any attempt practized in any common wealth And therfore I marueile what kynde of lesing you will coyne at length to make this cauillation of yours to carry some shew of truth I suppose veryly that beyng disfurnished of proofe and recordes and founde an open lyer in matter so euident you will shrowde your selfe vnder some close couert of Pelagius To witte That where the vse of the law consisteth of two pointes principally that is to say in aduancyng vertue and in punishyng vyce hereupon Osorius will frame an Argument after this maner and forme Lawes are ordeined in vayne vnlesse there be habilitie to performe them But there is no habilitie to performe by the doctrine of Necessitie which Luther do threache Ergo Lawes are ordeined in vayne by Luthers doctrine of Necessitie I do aunswere the Maior proposition were true if this bondage or Necessitie which doth preiudice habilitie were naturall and not of it owne faultynesse that is to say If we had bene created without this habilitie by nature and had not throwen our selues into this inextricable Laberinthe of yelding through our owne default But as now hauyng heaped vpon our selues this Necessitie of sinnyng voluntaryly by our owne purchase and hauyng made Necessitie as Augustine sayth of a penall offence for good cause therefore lawes are of
Necessitie established which may by some lawfull meane reduce vs to nature or at least reteyne vs in some couenable order of lyfe not ouerpassing this also withall that where the Maior treateth of the obedience of mans lawes in the Minor that Necessitie which Luther doth teach ought not be referred to maÌ„s lawes nor the discipline of externall lyfe but to the obedieÌ„ce of Gods law onely Moreouer for that I haue promised to helpe to vnderproppe Osorius Logicke which is of it selfe very ruinous and ready to fall to the grounde I will not refuse to frame by some order and forme the remnaunt of his allegations into Argumentes that the Reader may more easily be instructed what aunswere to make to euery of them particularely The freedome of mans will beyng takeÌ„ away the force of lawes preceptes and rules of good lyfe and all ordinaunces of Ciuill discipline and statutes do cease The Necessitie which Luther teacheth doth abolish all freedome of mans will Ergo This doctrine of Necessitie being allowed Lawes decay good statutes and ordinauÌ„ces and all endeuour of good and godly lyfe is extinguished First in your Maior proposition this word Freedome must be distinguished namely to be taken either as opposite to coactioÌ„ or opposite to bondage if in the Maior you vnderstaÌ„d of coacted freédome then is the Maior true For whosoeuer taketh away freédome from man doth also dispoyle him of will But if you vnderstÌ„ad of bonde freédome then euen by this meanes is your Maior cleane false Next we deny your Minor with Augustine wherein also this word Necessitie must be distinguished Whiche beyng deuided into two partes the one whiche is called CoÌ„pulâ—ary Necessitie the other whiche is sayd to be of the Consequence or ex Hypothesi wherof the first â—euer any of our Writers dyd deny the other can none of all your Doctours deny whiche consistyng of the foreknowledge of God by a certeine vnmoueable coniunction of causes and byndyng Necessitie to thyngs fore-ordeined by God doth vtterly abolish fortune and chaunce but doth not take away will nor withstandeth the freédome therof as there is no contradiction but one selfe thyng may be called both Uoluntary and Necessary also For freédome of will is not taken away through Necessitie but through coaction As for example when we say that God liueth euerlastyngly and ordereth all thynges vprightly we doe confesse that both these are peculiar to Gods nature of Necessitie and not by any forreine coactioÌ„ After this maner in the booke of Exod. Whereas Pharao did endeuour to stay the children of Israell from departyng out of Egypt we must neédes confesse that he did it of Necessitie in respect of Gods secret appointemeÌ„t in deéde he neither could will nor do otherwise But in respect of his owne inclination which was the very peculiar nearest cause that moued him to stay theÌ„â—o Necessitie of coactioÌ„ forced his will to this vnwillingly but that which he did he did uoluÌ„taryly and with no lesse earnest willingnes of mynde did he bring to passe the thing which his greédy affection had willed before Although a man may be constrayned to do somethyng many tymes agaynst his will yet can he not be framed by any meanes to will a thyng that he would not For the will which willeth not is not now called will but vnwillyngnesse nay rather nothyng at all And for the same very cause bycause there is no such thyng at all in the course of nature nor to be founde any where therfore hath it no denomination nor vsuall name of speache whereby it may be expressed in Latine of the same sorte also are the other Argumentes touchyng Artes and Sciences whereof he cauilleth so much after this maner If all thynges that happen bee referred to the power of God and are done of Necessitie according to Luthers doctrine which byndeth all the actions of men to Necessitie It would hereupon follow that all Sciences should be ouerthrowen all endeuour of maÌ„ vtterly frustrate nor any industry of meÌ„ were it neuer so skilfull employed in husbandry to byeng and sellyng to traffique to prouision for the familie to Surgery and Phisicke or any other actions of mans lyfe whatsoeuer shall profite nor be auayleable I do aunswere this to bee most true that the operation of all thynges ought to be referred to the will and prouidence of God as to the chief and principall cause by whiche prouidence all thynges are ordered of very Necessitie But this Necessitie taketh not away habilitie to endeuour from men but causeth onely that mens actions are not chaunceable For albeit the thyngs that God willed doe necessaryly come to passe yet doth mans will neuertheles yeld her diligent endeuour which will the prouidence of God doth not take away but gouerneth In deéde maÌ„s will doth worke yea and freély worketh that is to say worketh voluntaryly not coactly yet it worketh so as if God helpe it worketh well if God doe not helpe it worketh ill And yet whether it worke well or ill it alwayes worketh of Necessitie neither doth will employ her habilitie any ioâ—e lesse beyng gouerned by God but rather is encouraged to worke so much the more earnestly bycause the thynges come to passe necessaryly whatsoeuer Gods will hath foreordeined to bee done by the industry of man Certes this saying of Luther is vndoubtedly true that nothyng happeneth in all the actions of mans lyfe either well or euill either without Gods knowledge or without his will or els without his direction And yet bycause the successes of those thynges are vncerteine vnto vs therefore followyng the rule of our will and reason and withall obeyeng the will of God who coÌ„maundeth vs to do our endeuour we do apply all our diligeÌ„ce earnestly to worke coÌ„mending in the meane whiles both our selues the successe of our trauaile to the tuitioÌ„ of almighty God at whose especiall commaundement all thynges come to their end necessaryly obey his direction of very Necessitie Wherby you perceaue that our endeuours and trauailes doe nothyng lesse decrease or waxe more dull to worke bycause they are foreknowen and directed by God but our will is by so much more encouraged to worke bycause we will obey Gods will who coÌ„maundeth to worke And therefore that Sophisme of yours is altogether Sophisticall deceauable not much vnlike to that whiche we read in Origine in his second booke agaynst Celsus where the Sophister to dissuade the sicke body from counsell of Phisicke frameth this ArgumeÌ„t If thou be Predestinate sayth hee to recouer health thou shalt surely be hoale whether thou take Phisicke or no but if thou be Predestinate to dye the Phisition shall both loase his labour and thou cast away thy money to no purpose Whom the sicke person perceauyng to be towardes Mariadge with the lyke Sophisme driuyng out as it were one nayle with an other aunswereth after this maner If it be thy destiny to haue
and absolutely And yet neither may this be denyed in any wise that of the generall masse of all the creation any one thyng caÌ„ be without the coÌ„passe of Gods Deuine foreknowledge or done without his will albeit we must neédes confesse with Augustine that many thyngs are done agaynst his will Now therefore encombred as it were betwixt these two whirlepooles how shall we say that he doth either will Sinne which he doth forbyd and punish or that he doth not will sinne whenas nothyng can be done God not beyng wittyng and willyng thereunto Surely as touchyng Sinne God ought not to be named the Authour of Sinne properly Neither as Ambrose truely writeth can iniquitie issue from thence whence floweth all righteousnesse And yet can not God be excluded from the direction rule of Sinne altogether vnlesse we may thinke that somethyng may chauÌ„ce in mans lyfe which the almighty eye of God either seéth not or that his will willeth not If he do not seé it where is then his eternall foreknowledge if the thynges which he seéth be done without his knowledge and will where is his euerlastyng omnipotencie which worketh all in all and wherewith he is sayd to doe all thinges that he will in heaueÌ„ and in earth What shall we say then If God will not haue Sinne why is sinne committed so woÌ„derfully ouerflowyng If he will haue sinne how may it be defeÌ„ded that he is righteous for after this sorte reasoneth Osorius as though the righteousness of God could not be excusable if God may be supposed either to will Sinne or to be any cause or procurour of Sinne. Albeit this drift of Osori whereby he coÌ„cludeth that God willeth not sinne bycause hee is righteous may be in some respect yelded vnto so that it haue relation to the same will of God which hath discouered it selfe vnto vs in his expresse law which will the Schoolemen tearme VoluntateÌ„ sigui or if he argue on this wise God is righteous Ergo He is not a Sinner God is righteousnesse it selfe Ergo He can not sinne This Argument would hold well enough But this other Argument can not be good to say God is righteous and the founteine of all righteousnes Ergo God can not will Sinne in any others without preiudice to his owne righteousnesse As though God could not will Sinne in some respect not sinnefully with that most secrete and vnsearcheable will wherewith he orderâ—in and sweetely disposeth all thynges in heauen and in earth not empayring in the meane space any ioate of his own righteousnes at all Nay rather what if euen for the selfe same cause bycause he is righteous some kynde of actions do sometymes burst out whiche beyng committed of men in respect of mans nature are Sinne but in respect of God are not Sinne but punishementes of Sinne powred fromout his most iust Iudgement for it is not the least office of Iustice to punish sinne by sinne nor is it by and by necessary to Iudge alyke of the causes them selues whenas one selfe same action doth proceéde froÌ„ diuerse causes vnlesse the causes be altogether correspondent in action When the Magistrate doth execute the offendour he is both the cause of his death and doth willyngly cause him to be executed not bycause he delighteth in his death but enduced onely by necessitie of doyng Iustice he doth in that respect both rightfully and necessaryly minister Iustice. But if a priuate maÌ„ or a RussiaÌ„ should willyngly put a maÌ„ to death he should be deémed a murtherer When the parent doth chastize his vnthriftie child with the rodde he doth the same rightfully yea if he dyd it not he should Sinne. But if the brother should beate his brother or the seruaunt his felow seruaunt the same could not but be culpable Wherfore in all maner of actions regarde must be had not onely what is done but how it is done so must the ende and causes also bee considered whiche being in nomber many tymes many diuers not all of one nature do neuerthelesse concurre For it may be as it doth oftentimes come to passe that in causes beyng coÌ„currauÌ„t in one actioÌ„ may be great diuersitie So that one selfe same cause may be in one kynde of actioÌ„ wicked and in another actioÌ„ meére righteousnesse It may so come to passe that a man at a tyme may committe robbery or fall into some other haynous wickednesse where if you seéke for the very cause of executyng that action you may rightly impute it to the frayltie of mans nature If you seéke the procuryng cause that draue him to consent no doubt it was his wicked thought and corrupt mynde which is altogether replenished with sinne neither is it to be doubted but that Sinne is engendred out of the corrupt will of maÌ„ without the which as Anselme doth witnesse no wicked action is committed Whereby appeareth at the length that because no vncleannesse can be founde in the will of God therfore his most sacred nature can by no meanes be defiled with Sinne. But if you be desirous to learne from whence this corruption and euillnesse of the mynde imaginatioÌ„ doth proceéde Caluine him selfe whom you accuse very greéuously shall aunswere you in his owne behalfe This corruption of mynde sayth he commeth partly by the procurement of Sathan partly by the frayltie of nature which man did defile by his owne voluntary fall Whereupon he sayth when the cause of euill is sought for we ought not to seéke it els where then in our selues but the whole blame therof we must lay vpon our selues You will say then and how then will these wordes of Caluine agree with Luthers doctrine seing Luther maketh God the Authour both of good and euill and Caluine maketh man the cause of euill Nay rather by what meanes can you forge vnto vs such a crafty deuise of iarryng in so vniforme an agreement of IudgemeÌ„t betwixt Luther and Caluine Caluine supposeth that the cause of euill ought not to be sought for els where then in man Luther teacheth that no righteousnesse ought to be sought for els where then in God onely And where be these felowes now which either go about to make man excusable or God culpable of vnrighteousnes by any meanes for to this effect teÌ„deth the whole force of Osor. brablyng agaynst Luther as though God could not will sinne by any meanes but that the glory of his Iustice should by and by be blemished And bycause mans will imaginyng or doyng wickedly at any tyme can not imagine or do euill without Sinne therefore Osorius dreameth forthwith that it fareth in lyke maner in Gods will which is most vntrue For nothyng withstandeth at all but that many causes of semblable affections may concurre oftentymes all which nothwithstandyng may not altogether powre out semblable force of operatioÌ„ after one and semblable sorte And therfore this is no good Argument God accordyng to his secrete
by vnauoydeable Necessitie If this be graunted sayth he all Ciuill societie is rooted out Lawes are established in vayne correction praysing dispraysing good counsell are ministred in vayne neither anye ordinaunce deuised for the aduauncement of vertue and punishement of vyce serueth to any purpose at all Now bycause these haynous and daungerous absurdities are not tollerable in any weale publique Therfore sayth Augustine this man will not yeld that there should be any foreknowledge of thyngs to come So that by this meanes he forceth the Reader into these inconueniences to chuse one of these two either that mans will is of some force or els that thynges must be determined vpon before of Necessitie beyng of opinion that they can not be both at one tyme together but that if the one be allowed the other must needes be abolished If we leane vnto Gods foreknowledge and prouidēce then must Freewill haue no place on the other side if we mainteyne Freewill then foreknowledge of thyngs to come must be banished So the whiles Cicero beyng otherwise a man of wōderful experience as August sayth endeuoureth to make vs freé doth bring vs wtin the cōpasse of sacrilege as horrible robbers of Gods foreknowledge and beyng ignoraunt him selfe how to vnite this freédome and foreknowledge together rather suffreth God to be despoyled of his wisedome then men to be left destitute of Freewill which errour Augustine doth worthely reproue in him For it is not therfore a good consequent bycause the well orderyng dispositiō of all causes is in the hands of God that mans Freewill therfore is made fruitelesse altogether for that our willes them selues being the very causes of humaine actions are not exempt frō that well disposed order of causes which is alwayes vnchaungeable with God and directed by his prouidence And therfore he that with his wisedome doth cōprehend the causes of al thyngs the same also in the very causes them selues could not be ignoraunt of our willes which he did foreknow should be the causes of al our doyngs Go to now Let vs compare with this blynd Philosophy of Cicero the Diuinitie of Osorius in all respectes as bussard-lyke For as Cicero doth vphold the freédome of mans will by the ouerthrow of Gods prouidence and predestination and contrarywise by the ouerthrow of mans Freewill doth gather and establish the certeintie of Gods prouidence supposing that they can not stand both together In lyke maner our Osorius imaginyng with him selfe such a perpetuall and vnappeasable disagreément betwixt Necessitie in orderyng of causes and mans Freewill that by no meanes they may argreé together what doth he meane els thē pursuyng the platteforme that Cicero before him had builded in the couplyng of causes but to come to this issue at the length either to establish the doctrine of Necessitie with Luther or agreéyng with Cicero vtterly to roote out the foreknowledge and prouidēce of God for if to chuse be the propertie of will then are not all thynges done of Necessitie accordyng to Osorius opinion Agayne if not of Necessitie then is there no perpetuall orderyng of causes after Ciceroes suppositiō If there be no perpetuall order of causes neither is there any perpetuall order of thynges by the foreknowledge of God which can not come to passe but by the operation of causes precedent If the perpetuall orderyng of thynges be not in the foreknowledge of God thē all thyngs atteyne not the successes wherunto they were ordeyned Agayne if thyngs atteyne not the successes whereunto they were ordeyned then is there in God no foreknowledge of thynges to come Let vs cōpare now the first of this suttle Sophisme with the last The choise of mans will is free Ergo There is in God no foreknowledge of thynges to come Let Osorius aduise him selfe well what aunswere he make to this Argument If he hold of Ciceroes opinion what remayneth but hee must neédes condemne vs of Sacrilege as Cicero doth whiles he endeuoureth to make vs freé But I know hee wil not hold with this in any case and in very deéde Ciceroes Argument ought not to be allowed for that he doth not discende directly in this Argument frō proper causes to proper effectes For whereas Freewill is mainteyned in the one propositiō this is no cause wherefore it should be denyed that thynges are done by Necessitie As also this is not a good consequent lykewise bycause Necessitie is taught to consiste in an vnchaūgeable orderyng of causes and in Gods foreknowledge that therfore nothyng remayneth effectual in our Freewill And why so bycause agreéyng herein with Augustine we doe confesse both to witte Aswell that God doth know all thynges before they be done and that for this cause the thynges foreknowen are done of Necessitie And that we also do willyngly worke whatsoeuer we know and feéle to be done by vs not without our owne consentes But you will Reply That Luther contrary to Augustines doctrine both leaue mans lyfe altogether destitute of Freewill tyeng all our actions fast bounde in the chaynes of vnauoydeable Necessitie I do aunswere As Luther doth not defend euery absolute and vnaduoydeable Necessitie but that whiche we spake of before of the consequence No more doth he take away all freédome from will neither from all men but that freédome onely which is set contrary and opposite to spirituall bondage no nor yet doth he exempt all men from that freédome but such onely as are not regenerate with better Grace in Christ Iesu. For whosoeuer will inueste such persons with freédome is an vtter enemy to Grace And no lesse false also is all that whatsoeuer this coūterfaite Deuine doth now groūde him selfe vpon and hath more then an hundred tymes vrged touchyng this opinion of Necessitie For in this wise he brauleth agaynst Luther and Caluine If the thyngs that we doe are done of meere Necessitie and decreed vpon from the furthest end of eternitie Surely whatsoeuer wickednesse we do committe as not lead by our owne voluntary motion but drawen by perpetuall constraynte is not to bee adiudged for Sinne. Which triflyng Sophisme we haue vtterly crusht in peéces before by the authoritie of Augustine Neither came euer into the myndes of Luther or Caluine to mainteyne any such Necessitie which by any cōpulsary externall coaction should enforce will to committe wickednesse vnwillyngly For no man sinneth but he that sinneth voluntaryly Albeit none of our actions are destitute of a certeyne perpetuall directiō of the almighty Lord and Gouernour yea though neither the sinnes them selues can not altogether escape the prouident will and foreknowledge of God Yet is not the peruerse frowardnesse of the wicked any thyng the lesse excusable but that they ought to receaue cōdigne punishment accordyng to their wicked deseruynges for whosoeuer hath voluntaryly offended deserueth to be punished And therfore herein Osorius friuolous Diuinitie doth not a litle bewray her nakednesse that whereas debatyng about the matter of
sinne he seémeth not to haue learned this lesson yet out of Augustine that sinne the punishmeÌ„t of sinne is all one And therfore mainteynyng one lye by an other doth conclude as wisely that it is not agreable to equitie sithence men are Instrumentes onely God the worker of all thyngs that they should be condemned as malefactours which are onely Instrumentes with as good reason as if the sworde wherewith a man is slayne should be adiudged faultie not the persoÌ„ that slue the man with the sword Whiche I my selfe would not deny to be agaynst all reason if that matter were as Osor. would applye it But who did euer speake or dreame that men were Instruments onely in doyng wickednesse and that God is the Authour and worker of all mischief These be the wordes of Osorius not Luthers nor Caluines That wicked men are Sawes Instrumentes many tymes in the handes of God for the punishement of sinne this not Luther onely but Esay also doth boldly confesse Go to And will you therfore coÌ„clude that men are nothyng els but instruments and tooles onely very wisely I warraunt you deriuyng your Argument from the propositioÌ„ Exponent to the Exclusiue nay rather maliciously wrestyng and peruertyng all thynges from the truth to slaunderous cauillyng August doth sundry tymes witnesse that mens willes are subiect to Gods will and are not able to withstand it For as much as the willes them selues sayth he God doth fashion as him liketh and when him lysteth and that our willes are no further auayleable then as God both willed and foresawe then to bee auayleable Whereby you seé that Gods almighty power doth worke in our willes as in a workeshoppe wheÌ„ he purposeth to do any thyng that then he doth neither traÌ„spose our willes otherwise or to other purposes then by the seruice of our owne willes And yet doth it not therfore follow the mens willes are nothyng els then Iustrumentes and tooles onely of Gods handyworke as the thyng that of it selfe doth nothyng but as it is carryed and whirled about hither thither without any his own proper motioÌ„ through the operation of the agent cause onely Truly Augustine sayth very well We doe not worke by wishinges onely sayth he least hereupon cauillation arise that our will is effectuall to procure to lyue well Bycause GOD doth not worke our saluation in vs as in vnsensible stoanes or in thynges which by nature were created voyde of reason will c. In deéde God doth worke in the willes and harts of men and yet not rollyng or tossyng them as stoanes or driuyng whirlyng them as thynges without lyfe as though in enterprising and attemptyng of thynges the myndes and willes of men were carryed about by any forrein constraint and Deuine coaction without any voluntary motion of the intelligible mynde And therfore Osorius doth hereof friuolously and falsely forge his cankred cauillation and maliciously practizeth to procure this doctrine of Luther to be maligned As though we did deuise man to be lyke vnto a stoane or imagined God to be the onely Authour and worker of mischief bycause we do teach that mens willes are subiect to Gods wil as it were secundary causes Certes if that â— August writeth begrauÌ„ted for truth That Gods will is the cause of thynges that are done Why should the same be lesse alowable in Luther or not as false in eche respect in Aug. since they both speake one selfe sentence be of one iudgement therein Neither is it therfore a good consequent that Osor doth phantasie The onely will of God to be so the cause of sinne as though mans will did nothyng reproueable for sinnyng or punishable for deseruyng For to this end tendeth the whole cutted conclusion of all Osorius brabblynges But if you haue no skill to know the nature of a distinctioÌ„ as yet you must be taught that it is one thyng to permitte a sinne voluntarâ—ly an other thyng to committe a sinne voluntaryly Wherof the first is proper to God the other is peculiar to men the first may be done without all offence the other can bee done by no meanes without wickednesse Whereas GOD is sayd to will sinne after a certeyne maner the same is sayd to be done accordyng to that will which they call Gods good pleasure neither euill nor without the truth of the Scriptures And yet it followeth not hereupon necessaryly that God is the onely and proper cause of sinne No for this is accompted the onely cause which excludeth all other causes besides it selfe So is that cause called the proper cause which doth respect onely one end yea and that also the last end in respect wherof it is accompted to be the proper cause Whereas therfore sinne is the last end not of Gods will but of mans peruersenesse we do affirme that it is not done in deéde without Gods will but that man is the proper cause therof and not God For if the causes of thynges must be proportioned by their endes surely sinne is not the last end of Gods will in respect that it is euill but in respect that it is the scourge plague of sinne and to speake Paules own wordes The shewyng forth of Gods righteousnesse and the feare of God then which ende nothyng can be more better or more holy And where is now that iniquitie and cruelty of God Osorius which by misconstruyng Luther wickedly maliciously your fruitlesse Logicke taketh no fruite of but which your deuilishe Spirite and slaunderous cursed fury doth corrupt But that I may not seéme to stand to much vpon refutyng this toye lettyng slippe many thynges here in the meane whiles whiche make nothyng to the purpose nor conteyne any other thyng almost in them but vayne hautynesse of speache Tragicall exclamations maddnesse feéuers frensies spittyngs reproches horrible coÌ„tumelies wherwith this vnmanerly Deuine hath most filthely defiled whole papers I will come to those places which carry a certeyne shew of lesse scoldyng and more Scripture After this maner the vermine crawleth foreward But that ye may perceaue how illfauouredly your Doctours haue interpreted those testimonyes of Paule which you haue heaped vp together I thinke it expedient to disclose the meaning of Paule And that this may be done more orderly it behoueth to note diligently to what ende Paule gathered all those reasons together It is well truly This cruell scourgemottoÌ„ weried throughly with whippyng poore Luther miserably vnmercifully buffetyng him doth now at the length hyde his rod vnder his gowne beginneth to creépe to high desk will teach somewhat and God will out of the Scriptures so that we shall neede nothyng now but a Camell to daunce whiles this Assehead minstrell striketh vppe his drumme And therfore harken in any wise you blinde buzardly Lutherans you caluish Caluinistes you foolish Bucerans sith you be so blockish by nature that of your selues you can coÌ„ceaue nothing of
gift of election whereas before there was nothing in the Infantes beyng not yet borne that might eyther deserue to beé aduaunced or to be reiected If you respect the worthines of their workes what had the seély infantes done before they were borne but if this whole matter did depend vpon the determination of Gods vnsearcheable counsell what rewarde here doe mens workes deserue namely whereas God spake to Moyses in playnest maner of speach I will haue mercy on him on whō I will shew mercy and will haue cōpassion on him on whom I haue compassion Whereunto agreéth the testimony of Paule immediately vttered by the same spirite It is not of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercy Againe alledging the example of Pharao with semblable reason cōfirmeth the same by the example of Gods seuerity that he debated before of his freémercy And this is the very order of the argument in Paules discourse which neyther Osorius himselfe will deny But it must be diligently considered to what ende Paule applyed those reasons for herein consisteth the whole pithe of our controuersie And whereas Luther Caluine Martyr and their companions bee of opinion that Paule vndertooke this Disputation for this end◠that by settyng downe examples of Gods liberalitie and seueritie he might make manifest that the onely freé mercy and eternall Election of God accordyng to the purpose of his good pleasure did make the true Israelites without any helpe or respect of workes or endeuours◠Osori doth very stoughtly withstand these felowes not denyeng meane whiles Gods Election nor Gods callyng ne yet his Grace as hee sayth but will not graunt this notwithstandyng that the Election of the faythfull consisteth in the freémercy of GOD without speciall respect of workes For this is the whole force of this Prelates Diuinitie Let vs heare his owne wordes as they be This therfore sayth he do we gather out of this place of Paule that neither dignitie of parentage nor worke nor yet the law doth make true Israelites but Gods Election his callyng and his Grace But let vs see whether this so notable mercy of God powred vpon vs without all our deseruynges is geauen vs without any respect of workes No it is not c. First bycause I do not sufficiently conceaue Osorius what you meane by this that you say mercy powred vpō vs with out desertes yet not geauen without respect of workes I would haue you open your meanyng more distinctly If God do powre out vpō his faythfull mercy without merites as you say what other choyse then doe ye want in those that are elect then the very same which cōsisteth of Gods meére mercy good will onely without merites But this you thinke not in any wise sufferable nor to be vttered for this reason as I suppose If Gods Election should consiste of mercy onely without any choyse of such as are chosen Gods Iudgement might be adiudged to be chaunceable and vnaduised Let vs ioyne hereunto the Minor But fortune and vnaduisednesse are not to be imputed to Gods Iudgement For we heare out of Paule Not by workes but of him that calleth who sayth that the elder shall serue the younger Let vs now conclude a Gods name Ergo Gods electiō standeth not by his mercy onely with out some choyse that is say without some especiall discrete regarde of some one thyng in the person that is elected which was not to bee founde in the person that was reiected For in this maner doth Osorius both define and conclude After sūdry ridiculous vayne glorious speaches of his Rhethoricall brauery and vnprofitable scoldyng least he might not seéme to be a Rhetoriciā onely or a leane Logiciā he hath now pyked somewhat out of the Rules of Sophistry wherein he behaueth hym selfe neuerthelesse none otherwise then an Owle amōgest Nightingales For the very principall speciall pointe of that Arte hee either atteyneth not aright or toucheth surely very coldly Which may be easily and playnly perceaued Osorius by this your owne forme of arguyng And I call it playnly your owne bycause no creature cā more nearely resemble his Sire wherein you do neither define rightly nor deuide orderly no lesse foolishly heapyng together false thynges in steéde of true thynges in your maner of arguyng proceédyng from the effectes to causes and as Crabbes crawle backeward so do you for the more part set the carte before the Hoarse First Wheras you say that this word Electiō doth signifie some speciall regard whereby some thyng may be iudged to be in the persons that are Elect that wanted in the reprobate If you define Election in this wise surely we can not allow of it For although no man ought to dought but that God accordyng to his incomprehēsible wisedome euen from the begynnyng was not ignoraunt of the contrary dispositious of all and euery thyng the differences betwixt the faithfull and the reprobate yet is not Election opened sufficiētly hetherto as yet accordyng to the nature of the word These be the effectes of Gods foreknowledge and doe follow Election but make not Election For euen as fire doth not therfore warme bycause it should be whote but bycause it is whote and as a wheéle doth not therfore runne roūde that it may be rounde but bycause it is rounde As August maketh mention euen so the faythfull were not therfore chosen bycause they were lyke to lyue vertuously but they were chosen in Christ bycause they should lyue vertuously beyng thereunto predestinate by God not for the worthynes of their workes that were for seéne should be in them before as Osorius doth dreame but accordyng to the good pleasure of his will If we list to geue credite more to Paule then to Osorius So hath hee chosen vs sayth Paule in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy not bycause we were holy and vnblameable c. What can be more playne then this And yet doth hee not stay there nor so expresse the last maner of Election Whereupon he addeth forthwith Accordyng to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glory of his grace If Gods Election stād accordyng to the purpose of the freé will of God by what meanes will Osorius iustifie that Election cōmeth accordyng to his foreknowledge of workes to come As though Gods Election and foreknowledge did depende vpon our Actions and not rather our actions vpon his Election and foreknowledge Therfore Osorius doth deale falsely whereas he defineth the purpose of God to be a Iudgemēt preordinated before whereby God doth ordeyne some vnto glory and others some vnto destruction accordyng to the choyse of those thynges which he doth see will come to passe First in that he calleth it by the name of Iudgemēt I seé no reason at all why he should so do for as much as Iudgement is properly executed in sinnes
before committed but Purpose concerneth thyngs to come preuenteth them Agayne if we must speake after the proper phrase of speache whatsoeuer is done by Iudgement must neédes be cōfessed to be righteously done according to deserte not accordyng to Grace But whereas the Election Predestinatiō of God which I think Osor. would gladly expresse by this word Purpose for this word Predestinatiō he dare scarse meddle withall as not worthy the finesse of a Ciceronian proceédeth from grace and not from workes by what meanes may any sentence be geuen vpon workes that were neuer done or how will Osorius say that Election commeth by Iudgement geuen vpon workes which Paule affirmeth to be ascribed to Grace freé mercy onely all merite of workes beyng excluded Hee sayth that in the euerlasting counsell of God all things which are which haue bene and which shal be are all as if they were presently in the sight of God so that in executing his iudgement he needeth not to regard the thinges thēselues I do confesse that all thinges whatsoeuer are be open and present to the foresight of God as if they were presently and openly done but what will Osorius conclude hereof vnto vs forsooth he doth conclude hereupon that God hath already determined according to the diuersitie of mens actions foreseéne by him before after this manner To witte That whome God doth foresee will cōtemptuously despise his benefites those he hath excluded from Paradise contrariwise whom God doth foreknow will behaue themselues in this lyfe dutifully and vertuously those he hath mercifully chosen to euerlasting lyfe as worthy of his mercy To impugne this crafty cauillacion I perceaue I shal be pestered not with Osorius alone but with Pelagius and with the whole troupe of the Pelagians for this hereticall schoole chattereth not vpon anye one matter more then in maynteining this one heresie But Paule alone shall suffice at this present to refell all the rable of them The force of the Argument tendeth to this ende at the last The wonderfull quicksited mynd of God did throughly perceaue euen from the beginning what manner of lyfe euery person would leade as well as if the view thereof had bene layed presently open before him Ergo Gods purpose was applyed according to the proportion of euery mans workes and life forseene of God before to choose the good to saluation and to iudge the wicked to damnation This argument is altogether wicked and tending altogether to Pelagianisme And the conclusion meerely opposite to the doctrine of S. Paule For if the difference of eternall election reiection do depend vpon workes foreseéne before Then doth the Apostle Paule lye who affirmeth that election is of Grace not of Workes Rom. 11. and agayne in the 9. Chapter of the same Epistle That the purpose of God might remayne according to election not of workes but of him that calleth What and shameth not Osorius to affirme that which the Apostle doth deny If it were expedient for me to ruffle Rhetorically agayne with a Rhetoriciane You seé Osorius howe great and howe champaine a plaine lyeth open for me to triumph vpon you and such crauēs as you are with lyke force in farre more weighty matter What tragicall exclamations could I bray out here what quartaine feuers what outrages frensies madnes dronkennes impieties impudencies yea what whole Cartloades full of raylinges and reproches frequented by you and pretely pyked out of your Cicero could I now throw back agayne into your teeth and spitt euen into your owne face But away with these madd outragies of rayling and this cāckred botch of cursed speakyng worthy to bee rooted out not of mens maners onely but to be razed out of the writinges bookes also of christians the contagious custome wherof being frequented by you to the noysome example of the worlde I do verily thinke vnseemely for the dignity whereunto you are aduaunced neyther would I wish any man to enure himself vnto the like after your example namely in the debating of so sacred a cause where the controuersie tendeth not to the reuēgement of iniury but to the discouery of the truth where skirmishe must be mayntayned and conquest purchased by prowesse of knowledge and Gods sacred scriptures and not by outrage of rayling And therefore to returne our treatise to the right tracke of the Scriptures leauing all bypathes aside the Apostle doth deny that election springeth out of workes What aunswere you to the Apostle Osorius you will vouch that old rotten ragge worne out to the hard stumps by your schoolemen to witte that the workes that were foreseene are the cause of predestination not those whiche are done but which are to be done for so doe the schoolemen expound and distinguishe it but this will be proued many wayes both friuolous and false by sundry reasons First if this be true which you did earst confesse and whiche Pighius doth euery where inculcate that of all thinges whatsoeuer nothing is to come or past but is as it were present in the sight of God Agayn if there be no diuersitie of times with God because his knowledge comprehendeth as you say all thinges past present and to come as though they were present in view how can hys election or reiection spring out of workes then that are yet to be done If they bee present in what sence call you them to be done in after tyme but if they be to come and to bee done in after tyme how call you them present or how doe these thinges agree together that there is nothing to come in respect of the foreknowledge of God and yet that election must be beleued to issue frō out the foreknowledge of works to come 2. Agayne in what respect soeuer these workes are taken whether in respect of God or of men which your schoolemen do distinguishe into works done and works to be done they vauntage thē selues nothyng by this distinction but that the question will continue as intricate as at the first For whereas all good workes which either men worke or shall worke do proceéde frō God the question reboundeth backe agayne frō whence it came first to witte Why God accordyng to the same purpose should geue good workes more to one then to an other if the performaunce hereof did arise of foreseéne workes and not rather of the determined will of him that calleth whiche is not limited by any conditions of workyng 3. Whereas the Scripture doth manifestly declare that we are created elected to good workes it appeareth therfore that good workes are the effectes of Predestination But the effectes cānot be the cause of that wherof they were the effectes Ergo workes can not be the cause of Predestination But if they alledge that not workes but the foreknowledge of workes in the purpose of God be the cause out of the which the Grace of Election ensueth and is gouerned surely neither can this
be agreable to reason For God did also foreknow the euill will of the reprobate as there is nothyng in the world that his vnsearcheable purpose did not foreknow euen aswell as he foreknew before the glory of the elect that should come yet did he not therfore chuse vnto glory some bycause he foreknew thē nor did chuse all thynges which he did foreknow but whatsoeuer his Electiō had predestinated it is out of all doubt that the same were all foreknowen 4. Agayne the foreseéne pety workes which they make to be the cause of Election are either our owne or properly apperteynyng to God If they be Gods and not ours where then is the freédome of our choyse any merites of works But if they be ours that is to say in the direction of our owne willes then is that false that Paule teacheth God it is that worketh in vs both to will and to worke declaryng hereby that we are vnable to will or to attemp any thyng that good is without Gods assistaunce 6. The fift reason is this whatsoeuer is the cause of the cause is worthely adiudged the cause of the effect If the foreseéne workes of the faythfull be the cause of Predestination certes they must neédes be the cause of Iustification also whiche is directly opposite and aduersary to the doctrine of Paule and the Grace of Christ. 6. Workes as they issue from vs are thynges vncerteine But Gods Election is a thyng alwayes certeyne and permanent Now by what reasō will Osorius proue then that thyngs beyng of their own nature certeine vnchangeable shall depēd vpon thynges transitory and variable Not but foreknowledge sayth he of thynges that are foreseene doth stand in a certeine permanēt and vnremoueable assuraunce Neither do I deny this And therefore when the foreknowledge of God hath established thyngs in such a Necessary vnaduoydeable assuraunce whiche will be chaunged by no alteration what should moue him to gnaw so greédely vpon Luther for teachyng such a Necessitie of our workes 7. When as God did regarde the people of the old Testament as a Damsell naked polluted and adulteresse c. Agayne in the new Testamēt where we are heare the vyle things things despised in this world and thyngs which are not to be had in estimation with God Moreouer whereas accordyng to the testimony of August Gods Electiō is said to haue ouerpassed many Philosophers notable for their vertue famous for the cōmendable cōuersation of life doth not the thyng it self declare sufficiently that the whole exploite of our saluation is accōplished not of any desert of our workes that were foreseéne but of his onely bountyfull benignitie and most acceptable freé mercy 8. Moreouer what shall be sayd of Infantes who are taken out of this worlde assoone as they are Baptised what shall we thinke of the theéfe hangyng on the Crosse and others the lyke who hauyng lyued most abhominably were yet receaued into the kyngdome of Christ by holy repentaunce onely thorough fayth whenas they had done no good worke at all were either any workes to come foreseéne in these persons which were none at all shall we Iudge that they wanted Electiō bycause they wanted workes foreseéne before 2. Furthermore whereas this seémeth to be the onely scope of Paules Epistle to extoll and aduaunce the freé mercy of God by all meanes possible surely this scope is vtterly ouerthrowen and rooted out if the whole action of freé Election must be decided by merites of workes foreseéne before Whiche matter moued Augustine so much that to preferre knowledge of workes yea of foreknowledge of fayth either before the Grace of Election he adiudged matter of all other most intollerable 10. Lastly bycause Osorius doth so scornefully loathe our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innouations as her termeth them as newfangled deuises of rascallike abiects to make it euidēt that we are not altogether destitute of antiquitie to iustifie our Assertions to be true we will ioyne with vs herein the Iudgement of Augustine who excludeth foreseéne workes altogether from the worke of Gods Electiō For these are his wordes most expressely set downe And least peraduenture the faythfull should bee thought to be Elect sayth he before the foundation of the world for their workes that were foreseene he proceedeth addeth therto But if Electiō come by Grace then cōmeth it not now of workes Or els Grace now is not Grace at all c. What say you moreouer to this that in an other place hee doth vtterly deny that choyse was made of the younger to beare rule ouer the Elder through the very foreknowledge of any workes at all c. Which matters being thus set in order what remayneth but that we encounter with our aduersaries argumentes wherwith they endeuour to reuiue the auncient heresie of Pelagius and hale it out of hell agayne For as those olde heretiques dyd teach that mans will was so farforth freé as that euery man was elected for the merite of their workes foreseéne before by God none otherwise do these our new Pelagians iarre vpon the same string or not very much vnlike treading the track of their forerunners the Archheretiques referring all thinges in lyke sort to workes foreseéne before least something maye seéme to bee found altogether without recompence in the behalfe of our most bountifull and souereigne God And amongest these notable Champions rusheth out this couragious ringleader Osorius and geueth a proud onset agaynst the kingdome of Grace and hath so disposed the whole force of hys battery that the maiestie of Freewill may not by any meanes bee endamaged trustyng chiefly to this Target of proofe before mentioned arguyng on this wise If election did consist of freemercy onely sayth he without respect or choyse of any the thinges that God did foresee he might be worthely accused of vnaduised and rashe dealyng But now whereas God accordyng to his vnpenetrable counsell doth determine all thinges aduisedly in a certayne well disposed order Ergo Gods Election doth not consiste of his mercy onely without respect or choyse of workes which he foresaw would be done by the faythfull To aunswere these thinges brieflye If Osorius senselesse iudgement were not throughly ouerwhelmed with heddinesse and rashenes he would not skatter abroad such black and thick cloudes to vse Augustines wordes and such crafty cautels of confused disputations We doe know and confesse Osorius that God doth neuer any thyng at all aduētures nor vnaduisedly Yet doth not that rashe imagination therefore followe whiche you haue as rashely conceaued in that blynde denne of your intoxicate braynes to witte that workes foreseene before are the cause of Election Moreouer Gods Election is neyther therefore decreéd vpon without cause nor yet therefore guyded by blynde chaunce though it hang not vpon the choyse of works afterwardes to be done But Osor. beyng a very naturall Philosopher and very Ethicall seémeth to
Cauiller did oppose agaynst him selfe Is there any vnrighteousnesse with God why doth he yet complayne of man who is able to resiste his will It may appeare most euidētly that Paule was fully resolued there that as well Election as reiection did depend altogether vpon the very will of God without all mans deseruynges For otherwise there had bene no place to make this Obiection For if they onely should be chosen that did deserue and they likewise should be onely cast away which did not deserue what reasonable man might murmure at this when Gods Iustice rewardyng euery man accordyng to his deseruynges did now leaue no cause to moue man to be offended nor gaue any stumblyng blocke to the Apostle to enter in this kynde of Obiection But let vs now draw neare to the aunswere of the Apostle it selfe which seémeth to me to be two maner of wayes The one in respect of the person whereby he stoppeth the mouth of the murmurer O man what art thou that pleadest against God The other in respect of the thyng whereby he doth expresse the very cause it selfe perswadyng it by a certeine similitude of the Potter and the clay For as the Potter in makyng his vessels doth not regard any desert on the clayes behalfe Euen to Gods purpose in the gouernement of his Election is at libertie and freé from all respect of workes and is directed by the onely will of the maker And for this cause Paule doth make this comparison betwixt this Election of Grace and the power of the Potter Doth the thyng formed sayth Paule say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the Potter power ouer the claye to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour And yet GOD hath much more power ouer men then the Potter ouer the clay In deéde the Potter hath power to fashion his vessels as him listeth If God were not able to doe the lyke with his creatures then were the Potter of more power then God For the Potter is able to fashion his vessels yea to breake them and fashion them a new after his own will And shall God then be bounde to our merites and regulate his Election by the measure of our deseruynges Take this Argument if it may please you The power that the Potter hath ouer his vessels the same power hath God ouer men The Potter is of power to make vesseles to honour or to dishonour as him listeth nor is bounde to any worthynesse of the Claye Ergo God is of power to dispose his creatures after the bountie of mercy or measure of his Iustice as him listeth without all regard of deserte in his Creatures To this Argument the aduersaries make this aunswere that they do not take away power from God and that they are not able so to do neyther did euer meane anye such thinge but that onely power which he putt of from himselfe And albeit there is nothing that his omnipotēt power cānot bring to passe yet would he neuerthelesse be no more able then was be seéming to his Iustice. And because it is horrible to condemne anye man without deserte by the same reason it standeth not with equitie to defraude good workes of their due rewarde And therefore it behoueth Gods Iustice to yelde this of Necessitie that whom God would haue to be saued the same he should haue chosen for their good workes foreseéne before and the Reprobates hee should destroy for their wickednesse for otherwise if heé had no consideration of workes his Iustice could not be constant and vnchaungeable And therefore this Trifler doth conclude vpon the premisses That the Lutheranes assertion is false that in the worke of Election and Reiection choyse or respecte of workes is meerely opposite and cōtrary to the libertie and power of God c. But this obiectiō is to be encountred withall on this wise That it is one thing to treate of Election and an other thing to treate of Gods iudgement As concerning Gods iudgement it is true that no man is damned vnlesse heé haue deserued it through wickednes of sinne and that no man is saued vnlesse same cause be found in him which may be imputed vnto him for saluation But it is not so in Election and Predestination which is accomplished by Gods Freewill without all respecte eyther of former workes or workes to come afterwardes Or els what meaneth the Apostle by speaking of gods freé Election when he sayth Not of works but of him that calleth Whereupon let vs heare what Augustine wryteth Saying this not of Workes sayth hee but of him that calleth was spoken touching that the Elder shal be in subiection to the Yonger For he doth not say of works past but when he spake generally of workes in that place hys meaning was as well of workes already done as of workes that were to be done to witte workes past which were none at all and workes to come whiche as yet were not c. Workes therefore haue both their place and tyme but in Election they haue neyther place nor tyme neither is there any thyng effectuall in Election besides the onely will of God which neither hangeth vpon Fayth nor vpon Workes ne yet vppon promises but Workes Fayth promises yea and all other thinges whatsoeuer do depend vpon Election Neyther is Gods Election proportioned after the qualitie or quantitie of our workes but our workes rather directed by his Electiō none otherwise then as the effectes do depēd vpon the cause not contrariwise the cause vpon the effectes And yet in the meane tyme God is not vnrighteous Neither doth GOD therfore offend in Iustice distributiue if he haue mercy on whom hee will haue mercy or if hee doe harden whom he will harden And why so because hee oweth nothing to any man for whereas all men are borne by nature the children of wrath altogether why might not God according to the purpose of hys will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and agayne cast them awaye whom him listed leauing them to their naturall filthe and corruption to witte not hauing any compassion vpon them Wherby all men may throughly perceaue as well the reprobate what the cause is that they are rightfully condēned as the elect also how much they be indebted to God for this his so vnmeasurable mearcye These matters beyng so cleare your foolish consequent then whereby you wrestle so much for the vpholding of works against the Election of Grace as though if God did not work Electiō for the merite sake of the workes foreseéne that then his Iustice could not possible beé acquited nor defēded frōiust accusation of slaunder is vtterly fonde faynte and not worth a rush for if it were true then is not Election of Grace but of workes yea Paule spake foolishlishly also saying that the remnant are saued according to the Election of Grace and according to the purpose
he liue and be conuerted shall now alter his nature and will not the lyfe but the destruction of a Sinner whenas also all things are good that God hath created can he hate the worke of his owne handes yea not onely after he hath created it but also before hee hath made it I am not ignoraunt Osorius of these and such lyke your not absurdities but cauilles rather which you are wont to thrust vpon vs now and then To the which to make a playne and distinct aūswere First the nature of causes it selfe must bee considered Then must a playne distinction of Gods will be opened For when question is made of Gods will the Scripture doth not speake therof alwayes after one maner phrase of speach nor expresse the same euery where after one onely signification Sometymes this name of will is taken in a most large and ample signification for that which Gods decreé hath determined shall come to passe in all matters As in that place of Paule God doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercy and doth indurate whom he will c. And agayne God did what soeuer he would doe in heauen and in earth And in an other place Bycause it seemeth so good in thyne eyes O Father Luke 10. And this will seruyng in eche respect to as many purposes as the foreknowledge and essence of God doth both go before all other meane and secondary causes in order of tyme and of it owne power also doth dispose all thynges good Syr not as though it would enforce them agaynst their willes by any outward coaction but doth so dispose and order thyngs with a certeine secrett power as that through their voluntary and seruiceable yeldyng they atteyne at the last to the same purpose whereunto the will of God did first chiefly foreordeyne and direct them Whereby it commeth to passe that though the will of God of it selfe make no persons euill properly yet that wicked persons notwithstandyng shall accōplish the will of God if not accordyng to the euent and successe properly and absolutely yet by accidentall meanes So that on this wise albeit the destruction of the wicked proceéde from the voluntary corruptiō of man not from Gods will as from the nearest cause yet do not those wicked persons fulfill their wickednes without Gods will For in as much as it is a due scourge and punishment of sinne man is not punished therewith without Gods will Agayne by this word will is signified sometymes that wherewith God by his expresse word doth notifie him selfe to be delighted to be well pleased and which is acceptable in his sight Of whiche sort are all thynges whiche be naturally good and commendable In which significatiō God is sayd not to will wickednes nor to will the death of a sinner And of this will speaketh the Apostle This is the will of God your sanctification And this will the faythfull onely do performe properly and simply We haue spokē now of will we must now create somewhat of the order of causes Wherein this is to be noted aboue all other To witte that the first causes haue alwayes relatiō to the vttmost endes the meane concurraūt endes effectes to the meane middle causes Forasmuch therfore as the will of god that is to say the decreé of God is the originall of all causes we must then seeke out what the last end is which may be answerable to this will now the same is sufficiently discouered by Paul If God sayth he willing on the one side to shew hys wrath and to make his power knowne do with much sufferaunce and lenyty beare with the Vessels of wrathe prepared vnto destruction and on the other side to make knowne the richesse of hys glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory c. By which wordes who doth not easely perceaue that the last and principall ende of Gods workmanship doth consist in this not that wicked men should perish but that the Larges of hys heauenly mercy should more mightely increase in the saluation of hys faythfull Now because this could not be brought to passe by any other meanes vnlesse there were some on the contrary part vpon whome the seueritie of Gods Iustice might be exequuted it seémed good therefore to the Almighty Creator of all the creation in this vnspeakeable Workshop of the whole world to dispose his vessels to seuerall vses not all vnto honor nor yet all vnto dishonor but some he made seruiceable instrumentes of hys Iustice other some meéte instruments of hys mercy not that he created his creatures to this effect as to the finall and vtmost end of hys purpose that they should perish but because he had so determined with himselfe in his secret counsell before the foundations of the world not to haue mercy vpon all therefore it could not othertherwise be but that such as should be forsaken of him beyng forsaken and yelded ouer to themselues should fall away of very necessitie For Gods grace withdrawing assistaunce mans imbecillity must withall neédes fall to the ground and Nature being nowe ouerthrowne Gods Iustice coulde not but execute his office punish greuously of very necessitie And hereof cōmeth the destruction of the reprobates persecutors of hys people the efficient cause wherof cōsisteth truely in euery of their own corruption but the cause deficient in the will of God And therefore we ought not to Iudge alyke of the causes of Election and Damnation For although these be certayne brāches of predestination and concurre altogether in one kynde one originall and one end yet do they differ notwithstanding in the maner The fountayne original of them both is the decreé of God and the ende is the glory of God And yet is not Election to lyfe euerlasting of the same sort that reprobation to destruction is For hee hath chosen by making hee doth reiect not by doyng somewhat but rather by forsaking And in the saluation of that Godly that whol cause is so wholy shut vp in God as that besides him no person nor cause can come betwixt that may challenge any interest in the title of Election and Saluacion But that matter goeth otherwise in the destruction of the reprobate for albeit such as perishe are not damned at all without the will of God yet besides this will also that obstinate rebellion of mans will thrusteth it self in wherby they do worthely procure to thē selues deserued Damnation For God doth neyther so cast of those whom he doth cast away as one that did enforce them to commit filthines but forsaketh euery such one and yeldeth him ouer to hys owne guiding Now Freewill beyng nothing els but fraylty and feéble weakenes it selfe vnable to defend the brickle inclination of nature agaynst the monsturous assaultes of vnsatiable lust yeldeth it selfe coward captiue to euery storme of suttle Tētation By meanes whereof
a whiles Let vs heare Augustine hereupon and make him as it were Iudge of the cause For where question is made Whether God did call all men indifferently by a generall inspiration to fayth and Saluatiō Augustine doth make this aunswere For as much as vocation or callyng is taken two maner of wayes to witte internall and externall true it is sayth he that all men are indifferently called after the maner of that externall calling but all are not as indifferently drawen by this internall vocation And if the cause be sought for why all are not drawen indifferently but that to some it is geuen to others some not geuen He maketh this aunswere Some there be that will say quoth he it is the will of man But we say it is the Grace and Predestination of God But God doth require mē to beleue I confesse sayth he yet is fayth neuerthelesse the gift of God For he that doth require faith doth promise withall that he will bring to passe that they shall performe that which he commaundeth c. And agayne If it be demaunded whether mercy be therefore geuen to man bycause he beleueth or that mercy were therfore bestowed vpon him bycause he should become beleuyng to this questiō he maketh the very aunswere of the Apostles I haue obteined mercy bycause I should be faythfull He doth not say bycause I was faythfull c. And this much hetherto out of Augustine Let vs now come to Pighius And bycause we are happened vpon this place to discourse vpon to witte the equall dispensatiō of Gods mercy It shall not be amisse to consider briefly his opinion herein agreéyng with Osorius altogether For these be the speaches of Pighius God doth offer him selfe sayth he an equall and indifferent father to all persons he ouerspreadeth all mē generally with the one selfe same gladsome beames of mercy and clemency without any difference Now if some through this lenitie become tractable and other some hereby made more indurate this discrepaunce proceédeth frō the corruption of mē There is no vnequallitie of distribution of lenitie and mercy in God For proofe whereof takyng a Similitude out of the Epistle to the Hebrues the iiij Chap. For as not euery land watered with like bountyfulnesse of the heauenly dew doth yeld lyke fruite to the husbandman but one land yeldeth forth corne an other thornes brambles the one wherof is blessed of God the other accursed euen no lesse ioyously doth the mercy of God shyne indifferently with generall and equall largesse and bountie towardes all vniuersally which beyng set wyde open to all alike doth deny it selfe to none but such as will refuse it them selues But some turne to amēdemēt of life through this mercy others some do abuse this mercy to more outragious licentiousnes of sumyng And agayne fetchyng a similitude frō the heate of the Sunne Whereas the Sunne yeldeth one selfe same heate we doe seé that through the same the earth is made more stiffe and hard and the waxe softened and made more plyable Hereupō Pighius gathereth That what soeuer difference is betwixt the good and the reprobate the same wholy to issue out of the corruption of men and not out of the will of God But our Expositours haue sufficiently aunswered this slipper deuise that this Assertion of Pighius and of his mate Osorius that Gods mercy is powred alike into all men is vtterly false and absurde where they do affirme that God maketh no choyse in the dispensation of his Grace that there is great difference betwixt the godly the vngodly in deéde that there is great difference betwixt the good bad we do not deny But where they doe ascribe the principall motion and efficient cause hereof in mans will onely and not in God onely they are altogether deceaued For as concernyng the common nature of mā truly in this we may with more certeintie determine equabilitie of condition in mankynd as that they reteine one semblable condition and qualitie of freé choyse for as much as all beyng created out of one lumpe are alike all poysoned alike with one kynde of infectiō as men that be altogether vnable of them selues to doe any thyng auayleable to Saluation And for as much as this imbecillitie doth infect all mākynde alike as with a generall pestilence It appeareth therfore euidently that this difference standeth not so much vpon the determination of their will or at least if it stand vppon their will yet that it doth not proceéde first from mans will but from the callyng of God whiche offereth it selfe not alike to euery one nor after one maner to all ingenerall but doth diuersly drawe some after one sort and some after an other For as I sayd before The Scriptures haue set downe a double maner of callyng the one wherof is generall and outward The other is inward accordyng to purpose to witte the callyng of them whose willes the holy Ghost doth enspire and enlighten with an inward effectuallnesse But this Similitude of the Clay and Waxe is ridiculous and worthy to be laughed at Bycause that this distinction can not be appliable to Freewill after the fall of Adam For of the whole ofspryng of Adam not some be plyable as Waxe nor some lumpish as hard earth For where God doth fashion vessels of one kynde of Clay as Paule sayth some vnto honour some vnto dishonour no mā is so madd to affirme that the Clay is the cause of this difference but the Potter rather Moreouer to as small purpose serueth that place to the Hebrues which treateth not of Grace Freewill but of the word of God and men whom he doth exhort by way of demonstratiō and cōparison of frutefull grounde to receaue the word of God fruitefull and professe the same with effect The same also is to be vnderstanded of that Parable of the good ground yeldyng to the husbandman plenty and aboundaunce of fruite mentioned in the Gospell But how may these be applyed to Freewill or what will Pighius coyne hereof If Gods word take roote in none but such as be good what auayleth this sentence to establish the doctrine of Freewill For the question is not here whether they onely be good which receaue the word of eternall lyfe effectually But this is the pointe that must be touched From whence men receaue habilitie to be made good of the nymblenesse of their owne will or of the callyng of God And therfore that Parable serueth to no purpose in this case as beyng applied for none other end but to signifie the dispensation and disposition of Gods holy word which in a maner may aptly be compared to seede wh though the husbandman do sow vpon euery ground indifferētly yet it yealdeth forth fruite but in a fewe yea in those also that be good groundes But hauing now rent in sunder these slender and trifling cob webbes The aduersaries notwithstanding be neuer a deale the
whereas he sayth that the remnaunt of flesh euen in the holy ones is like a wilde sauadge Tyger euer resistyng against the Spirite and whereas also he doth cōuince the whole fleshly Iudgemēt of mā of faultynes naturall he differeth herein nothyng at all From Paule and Augustine Augustine writyng vpon Iohn Let no man flatter him selfe sayth he of him selfe he is a Sathan◠Let man therfore take away Sinne that is his owne and leaue righteousnes vnto God c. Osorius is not so blokishe as to make Luther equall with Diagoras but much more wicked And why so He adiudgeth is to be more tollerable to thinke there is no God at all thē to conceaue that God is wicked and vnrighteous But Luther doth conceaue him both wicked and vnrighteous Ergo c. Undoughtedly a very haynous fact yea more then Diagoricall If so be that any man either were euer so detestably abhominable as to be able to conceaue any such thyng of God But frō whence shall this mylde charitable allegation of this most curteous Prelate appeare at the length vnto vs to be truly vouched agaynst Luther For sooth vnlesse I be deceaued as the mā is not altogether blockish he will coyne vs this euident demonstration out of the bottome of his owne braynes Whosoeuer doth impute the faulte to an other of the thyng he can not auoyde doth vnrighteously Sinne is a thyng in man that can not be auoyded as Luther doth say Ergo God imputyng Sinne vnto man after Luthers doctrine is vniust The Maior proposition is true in those persons which were not them selues the cause of the thyngs whiche they could not auoyde But man now through his owne will hath throwen him selfe into that Necessitie of Sinnyng which he is not able to ouercome Wherupon the fault of the trespasse that he committeth is iustly imputed vnto him selfe nor can he nothwithstādyng chuse but doe the thyng that is committed And so by this reason the Maior is false Moreouer as touching the Minor Two thynges are to be considered in Sinne as it is taken to be the punishment of Sinne cleauyng fast vnto vs. The Acte and the Imputation For although the Acte he not taken away altogether through the corruption of nature Yet through Christ the Imputation of the Sinne is take away Therfore if a man cā not be freé from Sinnyng Let him obteyne a remedy for sinne in Christ in whom Sinne though be vnauoydable in this weake nature yet can not be hurtfull at all bycause it is not imputed Whereupon Augustine very fitly Sinne sayth he may be auoyded not when the proude will is aduaunced but when the humble and meeke will is holpen And the same is holpen in them which call earnestly by prayer which do beleue and which are called accordyng to Gods purpose He is in vayn cōmaūded to make choise who hath no power to applye him self to the thing which he doth chuse But we are commaunded to chuse both lyfe and death aswell good as euill Ergo We haue abilitie in vs to applye our selues aswell vnto life as vnto death aswell vnto euill as vnto good These thynges are alledged lyke as if there were any man that did vtterly driue away wil or abilitie of freé choyse frō mē We doe confesse that man hath a freé not a coacted power to chuse good or euill For we do chuse both not through any coaction at all but of our owne voluntary will albeit our choyse is not all alike in both for we make choyse of the thyngs that apperteine vnto Saluation after one sorte and of the thinges that are wicked after an other sorte For wicked thynges and thynges that are not godly euery man greédyly catcheth after of him self is greédyly carried thereunto yet so neuerthelesse of him selfe as of his owne nature he can not otherwise do if he be not hoplē But good godly thyngs no man can chuse through the naturall inclination of Freewill vnlesse he be thereunto assisted by the ayde of the holy Ghost This therfore that is read in the Scriptures God left man to the power of his owne counsell he set before mans face lyfe and death good and euill aduising him to chuse life c. Is a true saying but with this restrainte alwayes annexed that of hym selfe he was able to rush into all euill and beyng ayded by the holy Ghost he might be able to doe well on the other side not beyng holpen that he is neither of abilitie to do any thyng acceptable to God well nor could chuse by any meanes but worke the thyng that was displeasaunt vnto God If man be not the thyng that he can not be of his owne power and will but be compelled of Necessitie to be that which he ought not to be Ergo This is not now to be imputed to man nor yet seemeth he to be in any fault for it The Aunswere is out of Augustine Nay rather it is therfore the fault of the man that he is not without Sinne bycause it came to passe by mans will onely that he should come to such a Necessitie which could not be counteruayled vp the onely will of man If to Sinne be naturall not voluntary then either is it not sinne now or surely not to be imputed But if sinne be voluntary and not naturall nor of Necessitie then in respect that it is voluntary it is auoydeable by will that it neede not cleaue vnto vs of very Necessitie Augustine doth Aunswere God created Nature at the first pure and sounde◠which may not be accused as if it were the cause of Sinne. But afterwardes mans owne will did defile this good nature which beyng now corrupted conceaueth Sinne which neither can be healed without the grace of God Moreouer touchyng the thing that is done by will voluntaryly it can not be denyed but that the same will may be chaunged and so the will being chaunged the thing also that was done voluntaryly may be altered But whereas it is sayd that will may be chaunged by will it selfe this sauoreth surely of a wonderfull arrogancie For asmuch as the flesh willeth agaynst the Spirite and the Spirite agaynst the flesh as the Apostle him selfe witnesseth And these two are at warres agaynst eche other so that ye may not doe the thynges that ye would Gallat 5. Either a man may be without Sinne or he can not be without Sinne. If he can not what reason is it that Sinne that can not be but present should be imputed If he may be without Sinne how is will then bounde by Necessitie which might haue eschued the thyng that was committed And to this also Augustine maketh Aunswere That a man may in deede be without Sinne if God do helpe him we do not deny but this reason proueth not that there is any man without Sinne that is not holpen neither do we agree thereunto
But when a man may be without sinne and by whom that is the thyng that is in question If thou wilt say in this present life and in the body of this death how then do we pray in this life forgeue vs our sinnes If maÌ„ can of him selfe be without Sinne. Ergo Christ dyed in vayne c. But Osorius vnderproppeth his Freewill here with this crooch in couplyng the grace of God with it disputyng on this wise By the assistaunce of Gods Grace nature may subdue Sinne. The grace of God doth assiste them that be his owne Ergo In the thynges apperteinyng to God all Necessitie of Sinnyng is quyte excluded Least Osor. may not seéme to differre nothyng at all from the Pelagians he doth vphold the cause of Freewill with an addition of Grace And yet for all this he doth not so catche the thyng that he gapeth for but that a Necessitie of sinnyng shall alwayes be resiaunt euen in the holy ones of God Grace assistyng sayth he Nature may exclude Sinne. If he meane the perfect assistaunce of grace by the wh all infirmitie of nature is taken away the Maior is true but that Minor is false For to confesse as truth is the riches of Gods graces to be wonderfull and his blessyngs which God powreth into his Elect to be magnificent yet this Grace of God doth not make any man of such a singuler perfection in this world but that the best of vs all many tymes offende in many thynges and do pray dayly that our trespasses may be forgeuen The grace of God in deéde doth helpe our infirmities that they may be lessened and pardonable but to be cleane cutte away that I do vtterly deny it doth in deéde helpe out infirmities yet leaueth it vs neuerthelesse in our infirmities that he may alwayes help vs. How plentifully the Grace of Christ was powred vpon hys holy Apostles no man is ignoraunt which Grace notwithstanding did not make perfect their strength to the full measure but the same grace rather was made perfect through their infirmitie In part fayth S. Paule we do know and in part we do perceaue But when that is come which is perfect then shall that which is vnperfect be abolished For now we behold as by a glas in a darck ridle but then shall we see face vnto face nowe doe I know in part but then shall I know as I am knowne And therfore to aunswere at one word If Osorius do meane that assistaunce of Gods Grace which may make absolute and perfect obedience in this life Augustine will immediately deny the same who discoursing vpon the first commaundement whereby we are commaunded to loue God withall our hart and our neighbour as our selfe We shall fulfill that commaundement sayth August when we shall see face to face And immediately after And therfore the the man hath profited much in this lyfe in that righteousnes which ought to be accomplished who doth knowe by profiting how farre he is distaunt from the full perfection of true righteousnesse Lastly whereas it is argued from the power of Gods grace that sufficeth not to exclude Necessitie of sinning for it may come to passe through Grace and the absolute power of God that a man may not sinne at all And that the fire may not burne also And it might haue come to passe likewise That the punishment of the whole corrupted masse in Adames loynes should not haue bene deriued into the posterity if it had so pleased God Yet are not all things done that may be done vnlesse the decreéd Will of God do ioyne together with his power Not vnlike vnto this is the very argument of Celestius the Pelagian agaynst Augustine If God Will it may come to passe that man may not sinne in wordes nor in thought But Gods will is that no man should sinne Ergo Nothing withstandeth but that man may not sinne in wordes nor in thought The forme of this argumeÌ„t should rather haue bene framed on this wise If God Will and do minister help withall it may come to passe that man shall not sinne at all but God willeth helpeth withall that a man shall not sinne at all in worde nor in thought Ergo c. I doe aunswere with Augustine vnto the Minor That it is true in deéde that God willeth and helpeth agaynst the force of sinne I doe adde ouer and besides that no man is holpen but he that willeth and worketh somewhat himselfe also But two things are to be noted here both who they be that are holpeÌ„ how God doth help them Forsooth such as call vpon him such as beleue in the Sonne such as are called after the purpose of hys Will and such as whose will is sâ—irred vppe to this end to craue earnestly for assistaunce Because whom he hath foreknowne theÌ„ hath he also predestinate to be made like vnto the Image of the Sonnes of God c. Furthermore it must be coÌ„sidered by what meanes he doth helpe not to the ende that no more dregges of sinne should from thenceforth cleaue fast in the flesh but to the end that sinne should not raygne in the mortall bodyes of them whom himselfe hath sanctified through Grace What thing so euer God will haue to be done must of Necessitie be done God will haue all men to be saued Ergo It is of Necessitie that all men shal be saued I do aunswere vnto the Maior all things that God will haue done must be done of Necessitie so that God yelde hys helpe also together with hys will that they may be brought to passe Then I thus annswere to the Minor That it is true that God would haue all men to be saued with this addition annexed All to witte All that beleéue in the Sonne For without the Mediator he will haue no man saued But now sithence it is not geueÌ„ to all men to haue fayth nor that all men do repayre to Christ for helpe The fault hereof is their own vnbeleéuingnes not the will of God But some of Osorius pupills will vrge agayne Forasmuch as fayth is the gift of God and hys will that all should be saued is an vniuersall promise and that the greatnes of his mercy is prepared ready and set forth to all indifferently why then is not geauen to all indifferently to haue fayth is it because God will not geue it but so should he seeme an vnrighteous distributour and so should he offend in Iustice distributiue Or is it because men will not embrace the kingdome of GOD But this doth argue that men may take holdfast of the gift of fayth if they will And how then is the power of Freewill suppressed I do aunswere first out of the scriptures then out of August And they beleeued as many as were foreordeyned to lyfe euerlasting Actes 13. Augustine Two thinges are to be holden to be resiaunt alwayes in God That there is
no vnrighteousnes with God and likewise it must be firmely beleued that God hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and on whoÌ„ he will not haue mercy theÌ„ he hardeneth That is to say on whom he listeth he will not take mercy whereupon whether he geaue any thing or require that is dew vnto hym neyther he of whom he requireth it can well complayne of hys vniust dealing nor he to whom he geueth ought to be ouer proud and boast of hys giftes for the one neither rendereth any more then is due and the other hath nothyng but that which he hath receaued If God had commaunded vs to do the thinges that hym selfe saw were impossible for vs to do he might seeme worthely to be accused of vnrighteousnesse This obiection were perhaps to some purpose vnlesse the scriptures had prouided a Triacle for this malady namely Fayth in hys Sonne in whom when we do beleéue endeuoring in the meane whiles as much as lieth in vs we do then fulfill the whole Law of workes That is to say we do attayne full absolute righteousnes as well as if we had fulfilled the whole beyng endued wiâ—h righteousnes now albeit not properly our owne yet enioying hym notwithstanding whiche of God was made our righteousnesse by Fayth Whereupon Luther in hys booke of Christian liberty hath written very excellently That which is impossible for theé to bring to passe in the whole works of the Law sayth he which are in number many thou shalt easily accomplish with small labour Namely by Fayth Because God the Father hath placed all thinges in Fayth so that whosoeuer is indued with this Fayth may possesse all thinges and he that is voyde of this Fayth may possesse nothing at all After this maner the promises of God doe geue that which the commauÌ„dements do exact they do finish that which the law commauÌ„deth so that now he onely alone is he that may coÌ„mauÌ„d and he onely and alone is he that may bryng to passe c. To what end are ordinauÌ„ces to liue well prescribed why are threatninges added to the stifnecked and rebellious if men were not able to liue well why is a freedome of choyse set out vnto vs to enter into whether way we will if we can not be able to holde the right way who is so madde to commaund a blinde man to keepe the right path or who will commaund that man that is so fast bound as beyng vnable to moue hys arme but vnto the left side to reache hym a a thing on the right side whiche is not possible for hym to doe Augustine will aunswere That which man is not able to atteine to by nature vnto the same may he yet attayne by grace he doth meane there of liuyng commendably not of liuyng perfectly which was neuer as yet graunted to any one person in this life no though he were aided by grace but to Iesu Christ alone But ye will demaund agayne to what end then was the law published and naturall choyse set out vnto vs if that choyce be not free to make choyse of these thinges that are set forth to our Election I do aunswere That this complaynt of Nature might beé not altogether impertinent if he that gaue the lawes had created the same Nature such as we haue at this present But now whereas he did at the beginning create Nature vpright and vnspotted God according to the selfe same Nature did publishe hys law vnto men whiche shoulde be holy and vndefiled Neither could he do otherwise whose commaundemeÌ„ts if we be not able now in this corruption of Nature to accomplish with due obedience there is no cause why the fault thereof should be imputed to GOD who can neyther will nor commaund any thing but that which is most righteous but we our selues and our first parentes Authors of this disobedience and the Deuill the couÌ„sellor are to be blamed therfore God caÌ„ not be vnlike himselfe If we become vnlike to our selues whose fault is it ours or his Furthermore touching the obiection of the blind and the maÌ„ that was bound hereunto I do aunswere That the similitude is not in all respectes correspondent for this cause For if God had blynded man at the first or had chayned hym fast with such Roopes of Necessitie and afterwardes had commaunded hym whom he made blynde to keepe the right pathe or him whom he had first bounde fast to reach afterwardes ouer to the right hand this were perhappes not altogether from the purpose that is cauilled but now for as much as the cause of this blyndnes was procured by man him selfe and not sent by God he is not to be blamed that geueth necessary counsell to speake as Augustine doth but he that hath entangled him selfe into such a Necessitie out of the whiche he can by no meanes vntwyne him selfe agayne A righteous and wise Law geuer doth neuer proclayme such Statutes the performaunce whereof will exceede the abilitie and capacitie of his subiectes God is the most righteous and most wise Law geuer Ergo God in publishyng his law did prescribe nothyng beyond the capacitie and abilitie of his owne Creatures I do aunswere vnto the Maior two maner of wayes First That the same is true in deéde in those lawes whiche were established of the Lawgeuer to this onely ende that the subiectes should exactly performe the same But albeit GOD did desire this thyng chiefly that all men should precisely and throughly obserue his Ordinaunces yet besides this consideration there are many other endes and causes 1. That the Iudgement and wrath of God agaynst Sinne should be made manifest 2. That we might be more easily brought to the acknowledgemeÌ„t of our Sinnes and weakenesse 3. Thyrdly that vnderstandyng our weakenes the more we feéle our selues more heauyly oppressed with this burden the more sharpely we should be prouoked as with the Schoolemaisters rodde to fleé vnto Christ who is the end of the law 4. That by this Schoolyng as it were we may learne what way we ought to take that if it be not geuen vs at the least to atteyne the full and absolute obedience of the law yet that begynnyng to be obedient we may profitte as much as we may Secundaryly we do confesse that the Maior is true in respect of those lawes for the due obseruation of the which there is no cause to the coÌ„trary either by the Lawgeuer or in nature it selfe but such as appeareth rather in the Subiectes Whose onely fault and disorderous licentiousnes procureth the breach therof As for example If a Prince do sende foorth an Ambassadour in all respectes whole sounde and well enstructed to whom afterwardes he geueth in commaundement to put some matter in execution which he might very easily bryng to passe vnlesse through his owne default and disorder he made him selfe lame halte or vnable to execute the commaundement of his Prince Now if this Ambassadour
of God do loue do wish and earnestly desire to be saued But yet we do call these the effectes not the causes of mercy who beyng now made the Uessells of mercy could neuerthelesse not haue bene able of thēselues to bryng to passe that they should haue attayned the first primitiue Election of God August sayth that men are worthely cast away for sinne Ergo On the contrary if men are reiected for their sinnes why should they not aswell be predestinate for their good workes Augustine doth not meane here that reprobation that is cōtrary to predestination but vnder this reprobation he doth vnderstand the last end effect of Reprobation namely damnatiō And in this sence it is true that men are dāned for their sinnes not forsaken as they are neyther predestinate for their good works Luther and Caluine doth deny that it is in mans power before grace receaued to seeke and desire it But Augustine affirmeth the contrary Nay rather what is more common in Augustines mouth then these speaches Couldest thou be conuerted vnlesse thou were called Did not he that called thee back agayne bring to passe that thou shouldest be cōuerted And agayn do not presume vpō thy cōuersion for vnlesse he had called the back agayne thou couldest not haue bene conuerted And in an other place God doth not onely make willing of the vnwilling but maketh also obedient of such as are stifnecked and stubborne The doctours of the popish faction although deny not that nature is very much corrupted in originall sinne yet yeald they not thys much that man can do nothyng els but sinne Neyther that any thing els is taken away from Nature besides the supernaturall gift onely whereby Nature might haue bene made more perfect if it had not fallen And therefore that Nature was beautified with those supernaturall giftes of the which she is now spoiled the naturall power and abilitie of will remayning in her force notwithstanding This is most vntrue whereas Nature and will it selfe not by alteration of Substaunce but by accesse of sinne and disposition is so depraued and reuolted from God so weakened and spoyled through it own operation as that it may be not conuerted but by the onely grace of God hauing of her self no part in thys work but as farre forth as it is preuented by God Whereupon Augustine doth witnes That will doth not goe before but is handmayd to well doyng Wherefore the same Nature and substaunce of will remayneth still not chaunged into a new shape by Gods creation but defiled with the corruption and filthe of Nature The same affections also do remayne that were before in respect of their substaūce but in respect of their disposition they be so putrified and stincking that nothing can be found in them now that bringeth not with it some matter of filthines Who soeuer is holpen he doth worke somewhat together with hym that helpeth hym and suffereth not him self to be applyed meerely passiuely Will beyng not renued is holpen of Grace Ergo Freewill euen sithence the first creation seemeth to bring much to passe and not to be altogether applyed passiuely In the Maior proposition should haue bene added perse by it selfe For what soeuer worketh by it selfe hauing the help of an other is not altogether plyed passiuely but with this exception the Minor must be denyed for freedome of choyse when as it selfe neuer preuenteth grace following her but is altogether holpen of Grace goyng before according to the testimony of Augustine what can it bryng to passe at all of it selfe Or if it can do any thing at all by it selfe that whiche it is able to doe it doth in morall good thinges externall and ciuill exercises certes to deserue eternall lyfe to purchase the fauour of God Saluation Iustification and the euerlasting kingdome Freéwill is altogether vneffectuall but is a meere sufferer onely nor hath any thing but that which it hath receaued and is altogether vnprofitable yea when it hath done all that it can possibly do And this is it that Luther seemeth to stand vpon Let hym be accursed that will say that God commaundeth thynges impossible Melancton doth aunswere what soeuer were the occasion of this saying surely those wh vouch the same so busily vrge it seéme voyde of vnderstanding in the causes why the law of God was geuen worldly wisedome supposeth that lawes are published onely because they should be obserued But the Lawe of the Lord was ordayned for this cause chiefly that the Iudgement and wrath of God should be layd open agaynst sinne that it should conuince vs of wickednes and increase the horror therof that wickednes might be restrayned from to much licensiousnes that putting vs in remēbraunce of our own weakenes frayltie it should in steed of a schoole master enstruct vs to Christ as it is declared before And there was no lye found in their mouthes Apoc. 14. to this August maketh aunswere aduertising vs how man may be in this sorte sayd to be true of hys worde through the grace and truth of God who otherwise of hym selfe without all doubt is a lyer As is that saying You were sometymes darcknesse but now are ye light in the Lord when he spake of darcknesse he added not in the Lord but when he spake of light he annexed by and by in the Lord. But Osorius will vrge agaynst vs here Ergo Nature beyng holpen through grace sayth he may eschew all lying and sinning To aunswere hereunto agayne out of Augustine he that will speake so let hym be well aduised how he deale with the Lords prayer where we say Lord forgeue vs our Trespasses which we needed not to say except I be not deceaued If our consents neuer yelded to false speaking nor to the lust of the flesh Neyther would the Apostle Iames haue sayd We are trespassers all in many thinges for that man doth not offend but he whom flattering lust hath allured to consent contrary to the rule of righteousnes Thus much Augustine Out of the wordes of Ieremy If I speake of any Nation that I may destroy them and they do repent them c. And if I say the word that I may plant them and they tourn away from me c. vpon this the Romanistes do build as followeth Euen as men behaue themselues such shall the potters vessels be afterwardes Ergo it is false that the Lutheranes teach that the regard of worke doth fight agaynst Freedome and the power of God in chusing or refusing The Prophet doth treate here properly of the punishment rewardes which do follow mens workes at the last Iudgemēt and not of the maner of eternall Electiō which doth preceéde all our workes either goyng before as August reporteth which were none at all or comming after which were not as yet If the aduersaries of Luther shall wrest these words of the Prophet to the cause of Electiō as though
done by him we beleue assuredly is done either to expresse his power or to make his glory discernable or to commend his Iustice or els to discouer the wonderfull riches of his mercy Wherfore when Luther doth affirme that with GOD all thynges are done by an absolute Necessitie whether they come by destiny chaunce or any fortune at all why should not it be as lawfull for him to speake so as for Osorius to speake in the lyke phrase and in lyke titles of words That God is of Necessitie the best the most iust and the most wisest But I heare the sounde of an Argument from the Popish Diatriba They say that they abridge not God of his power no nor that they can do it neither would at any tyme otherwise then as him selfe hath abridged it Although there be nothyng but that the omnipotency of God can bryng to passe yet would he haue nothyng lawfull for him selfe to do that might be contrary to his Iustice. And bycause it is an horrible matter that any man should be damned without euill deseruynges and that it is not reason that good workes should be defrauded of their due reward therfore it must needes follow accordyng to the rule of Iustice that God should chuse thē whom he would haue to be saued for the good workes whiche he did forsee to be in them and condemne the other lykewise for their euill doynges For otherwise if he doe not regarde the workes then were not his Iustice constaunt and permanent This Obiection must be ouertaken after this maner It is one thyng to treate of Gods Election and an other thyng to treate of his Iudgement As concernyng the Iudgement of God it is euident that no man is damned vnlesse he haue deserued it for his wickednesse and that no man is saued vnlesse some matter be founde in him whereunto his saluation may be imputed It is farre otherwise in Election and Predestination which is accomplished accordyng to Gods Freé determination and coūsell without all respect of workes either goyng before or commyng after Or els how can that saying of the Apostle be true Not of workes but of him that calleth c. meanyng thereby the Free Election of GOD Whereupon let vs heare Augustine very aptly discoursing in his booke De Praedestin Grat. It is sayd not of workes but of him that calleth The elder shall serue the younger He doth not say of workes done before but when the Apostle spake generally not of workes here he would that men should vnderstand it both of workes done and already past and workes not as yet done that is to say workes past which were none at all and workes to be done which as yet were not done c. Workes therfore haue both their tyme and their place Certes in Electiō they haue neither tyme nor place Neither is any thyng here of any value but the onely will of God which neither dependeth vpon fayth nor vpon workes nor vpō the promises but workes fayth and the promises and whatsoeuer els doe all depend vppon it For neither are our deédes vnto him a rule to direct his Election by but our deédes are directed by his Election as the effectes do consequētly depend vpon the causes and not the causes vpō the effectes Neither doth God worke vnrighteously in the meane tyme in this if he take mercy on whō he will take mercy or if he harden whō he will harden And why so For sooth bycause he is indebted to no man For sithence we are all in generall euen from our mothers wombes ouerwhelmed drowned in this puddle of originall sinne he may accordyng to his good pleasure haue mercy on whom it pleaseth him and againe passe ouer whom soeuer hym lysteth and leaue them to them selues that is to say not take mercy vppon them Whereupon all men may easily perceaue aswell the Reprobates what it is whereof they may iustly accuse thē selues as also they that are chosen how much they are indebted to God for his great and exceédyng mercy Euen as if one man kill an other with a sworde no man doth therfore accuse the sword but he rather is knowen to be in faulte which did abuse the sword to murther with as good reason for asmuch as men are nothyng els but as instrumentes of wickednesse onely in Gods hand they that yeld of Necessitie are not so much in fault as he rather deserueth to be blamed that caused them to do wickedly If so be that men whom God hath created after his owne Image were such kynde of Instrumentes whiche lyke vnto a sword or sawe were driuen not of them selues and without any motion or consent of their owne or if God were such a Royster or hackster that would delight in the slaughter of men the similitude were not altogether to be mislyked Now to graunt vnto them that the wills of men are directed and are subiect to a stronger power then they are able to resiste yet do they not suffer onely as Instruments brutish and senselesse doing nothyng them selues in the meane whiles Men are drawen in deéde but with their owne wills as Augustine maketh mention Neither is any man euill but he that will him selfe And if man will be of his owne accord euill who ought to be blamed therfore but him selfe For where shall we say that sinne is but where a will is founde to committe Sinne But Osorius ceaseth not as yet frō his chatteryng They that doe affirme that God hath seuered out of all the vniuersall masse of mākynde some whō he would prepare to euerlastyng glory and some others whom he would appoint to euerlastyng destruction not for any other cause but bycause it so pleaseth him doe plucke Gods prouidence vppe by the rootes The Lutheranes do alledge none other reason of Gods Predestination besides his will onely Ergo The Lutheranes do foredoe and plucke the prouidence of Cod vppe by the rootes I beseéche you Osorius if as yet you haue not cast away all feélyng of an honest and sober Deuine vtterly returne to your selfe at the length In deéde say you so Do they foredoe Gods prouidence which say it is so for none other cause but bycause it pleaseth him c. What kynde of Argument doe I heare from you Cā God be pleased to do any thyng that is not most correspōdent to reason or cā any Reason be of all partes so absolutely perfect that can disagreé frō the chief and principall patterne of his will or do you seéme a reasonable man that doe talke so fondly But I beseéche you Syr. For as much as the will of God whether soeuer it bende and encline it selfe is nothyng els but a most perfect Reason of it selfe and of all partes most absolute and without blemishe and for as much also as Reason it selfe is nothyng els then the very rule of Gods will nay rather for as much as the will of God is the very essence
c. And these giftes of God in deéde as Augustine reporteth if there be no Predestination are not foreknowne of God if they be foreknowne then is there a necessary predestination of God which we do defend To conclude Christ doth aduertize hys disciples That God doth know well inough what they stand in neede of before they doe pray and yet he willeth them to pray notwithstanding shewing vnto them aforme of prayer also Sufficient aunswere is made nowe Osori if I be not deceaued vnto the obiections of your fraternity that is to say to your trifles and slaūders if not to all yet at the least to the very principall pillers and chiefe stayes of your vagarant disputation if not with such force and dexterity as may be able to putte your ouerthwhart obstinacy to scilence yet as much for the defence of Luthers cause as will satisfie the reasonable Reader I trust sauing that there remaineth one quarrell or cōplaynt of yours as yet agaynst Luther A hanger by of all the rest as it were whereunto I cannot tell what I shall say whether I were best to laugh at it or aunswere it for who can possibly resfrayne from laughter to reade that ridiculous counterfayte Prosopopoeia of yours wherein lyke a very foolish Rhetorician you haue thrust in vppon the stage a lusty Ruffler who in the person of a Swartrutter may accuse Luther for the vproares raysed by the countrey Boores in Germany As though of all that whole route of Clownes any one were heard at anye tyme to accuse Luther as Author of this tumulte or woulde haue vttered somuch as halfe a word of reproche against him for the same if he might speake for him selfe were not compelled to vse herein the counterfaite person of an other or as though the Hystories do not declare sufficiētly from whence the spryng head of all this mischief burst out at the first surely not from Luther but from an other Crowbyrde from an other Chayre of pestilence Osorius what soeuer it was But goe to Let vs heare what dronken eloquence this gallaunt counterfaite swart Rutter doth gushe out vnto vs out of Osorius drousie tankerd And with what flashes of thundryng wordes he meaneth to scorche vppe Luther withall O Luther why doest thou accuse the harmelesse and innocent why doest thou rage why art thou madde Truly I should haue wondered if Osorius would haue spoken any thyng agaynst Luther but with some haryshe eloquēce Nay rather Osori if your selfe be not starke madde what kynde of maddnes What rage what accusatiōs do ye tell vs of here Wherfore let it be as lawfull for Luther to aunswere for him selfe agayne and with like speéche not to the Germaine ruffler but to the Porting all Byshop whom if he might reproue agayn contrarywise after this maner O Osorius why do ye accuse the guiltelesse why doe ye keépe such a sturre why are you so franticke who if were well in your wittes would neuer reproche me with such madnesse But what haue I haue done what haue I deserued is it bycause I would not encline to the furious disorders of the rebellious what dyd I euer so much as moue a finger towardes that cause did I not reproue them forthwith with penne and speache very instauntly did euer man more earnestly bende the force of his arme agaynst them thē I did my writing If they would but haue harkened to my counsell and continuall admonitions the matter had neuer proceéded to so much bloudshead What And shall I receaue this recompence for my good meanyng towardes you to be accoumpted a madd man No say you not bycause ye wrote agaynst them doe we reprehend you but bycause you ministred the occasion of this vprore But from whence do ye gather this to be true Osorius Forsooth bycause they did learne this of you that we were not able of our selues to doe either good or euil for that God doth as you say worke all in all in vs. c. In deéde I haue denyed that to thinke good or euill is in our owne hād And what hereof I pray you in what respect are these wordes applyable to the Countrey Boores and to their rebellion Doth that man open a gappe of licentiousnesse and seditious treachery to husbandmen which doth abate that Freédome from mans will in doyng or atchieuyng any enterprise which your Deuines do falsely challenge as proper to mā Is it therfore lawfull to be wicked bycause many tymes men are hindered agaynst their wills from puttyng a mischief in executiō or shall the will be therfore not wicked in doyng wickedly bycause it is not freé but enforced to yeld to a necessary Seruilitie which of it selfe it is not able to shake away Is the wicked Spirite therfore excused bycause in doyng euill he doth it not so much of any Freédome as of Necessitie for how shall he be sayd to be freé which amiddes the race of his rudenes is now and then restrayned agaynst his will and is not Lord of his owne will not so much as in doyng euill yet doth this beyng not freé of him selfe nothyng withstād but that he continue euill still what and if I had sayd that the will of the wicked of it selfe is not freé but euery way captiue and bonde is it therfore to be imputed to God forthwith not to men whatsoeuer they shall do wickedly As though when men do thinke or committe euill they be compelled thereunto agaynst their willes are not willyngly and of their owne motion chiefly drawen thereunto For to confesse this saying to be most true That God is he that worketh all in all yet doth he bryng to passe nothyng in mā surely without their owne wills so that if there be any euill in them there is no cause why God should be accused for it but euery man must laye the fault of his owne folly and wilfulnes to his owne charge But say you for as much as God doth lead mens willes hereunto by what reason cā ye couple the stabilitie of your doctrine with the defence of Gods Iustice. I do aunswere First when we do ioyne the singuler prouidence of God workyng all in all in all the actions of mans lyfe we do set the same forth as all thynges may be referred to this as to the primer cause efficient which doth not worke properly but in respect of the last end of all thinges Here now for as much as God is of his owne nature most best and most perfect hereupon it commeth to passe that he which hath ordeined all thynges for him selfe can in no respect be the cause of euill 2. Then as touchyng the middle causes whereas there is no man that doth not fall through his owne default and the procurement of Sathan it shal be reason therfore that no man seéke for the cause of sinne without his own selfe and that he complayne not of God for the same 3. But yet to admit
scripture especially when mētion is made of Christ hymselfe or when Chryst hymself would vouchsafe to expresse hys great and inestimable benefittes towardes vs and the euerlasting efficacy of hys death and passion I know not how it had rather vnder certayne shadowes and mystycall resemblaunces as vnder Allegoricall cloudes to speake as Ierome doth signyfye the same more modestly rather then to proclayme it openly in wordes By meanes whereof we ought many tymes to consider That in the Propheticall Scriptures Christ our Lord Sauiour is called by sondry and seuerall names accordyng to the diuers seuerall operation and effectuall power and workyng of his Diuine Maiestie and pleasure towardes vs. For in that he doth enlighten the Darckenes of our mindes he is called the light of the worlde In respect of his wonderfull might and power surmounting all power whatsoeuer he is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda In respect that he guideth vs he is called the way In respect that he leadeth in he is called the dore In respect that we are none otherwise engraffed then in him he is called the Vine and we the Braunches And so according to the nature of his Innocency and our deliueraunce he is called the Lambe of God in respect that he loueth his Church with more thē an husbandly loue doth cherish it endow it cloath it beutyfy it he is called an husband he is called also the Rock sometime a grayne of Corne dead in the earth many times a Serpent set vppe vpon a Crosse sometymes a wellspring gushing out into life euerlasting And so in diuers and seuerall respectes he is called by diuers seuerall names In like maner bycause he feédeth and defendeth vs he is called A good Shepherd and bycause he feédeth vs with none other thyng thē with the death of his owne body shedding of his bloud He is also called our meate our bread and our drinke Moreouer bycause this bread and this drinke is of the Lordes owne mouth cōmaunded to be receaued to renew the remēbraunce of him for this cause those elementes do put on the nature of a Sacramēt and so vnder this very couer and mystery of a Sacrament are called his owne body and bloud Whiche least I shall seéme to iustifie of myne owne proper knowledge Let vs heare the testimony and agreable consent of Augustine Who reasonyng of Sacramentes and of the likenesse of thyngs wherof they be Sacramentes doth vtterly deny the Sacramentes can be in any respect Sacramentes at all vnlesse they haue a likenesse of some things and for that cause in respect of the likenesse of the thyngs them selues he affirmeth that they are many tymes called by the name of the thynges them selues So an Argumēt may be framed out of August on this wise The Sacrament of the last Supper hath a likenesse of the body of the Lord. No likenesse is the thing it selfe wherof it is the likenesse Ergo The Sacramēt of the Eucharist is not the body of Christ. But if Osorius be of opinion that Christes wordes ought to be taken simply accordyng to the bare letter of the flesh let him harken agayne to the same Augustine This is a Mystery sayth he that I tell you which if it be vnderstoode spiritually will quicken and geue life And the same Augustine in an other place opening playnly the figure of the same wordes doth witnesse directly on this wise The lord doughted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his body I could vouche many other graue and auncient Testimonies witnessing the same namely Tertullian Origene Ierome Chrisostome Theodorete Gelasius and others But of this matter I do not meane to make any curious discourse as now There shal be hereafter more fitte place for the same more at large by Gods grace In the meane space for my learnyng I would fayne learne one Questiō of Osorius who albeit hath not bene ouer much studied in Augustine yet hath at the least bene busied amongest the Rhetoriciās Let vs therefore consider the matter by the circumstaunces of Rhetoricke And to graunt this much first that Christ is omnipotent which accordyng to the power of his Diuine omnipotency can and is able to do all thyngs in heauē and in earth what matter should moue him now both to take away his owne body from hence which was but one onely body from vs yet withall should leaue the selfe same body behynde him with vs which though could not be done accordyng to the nature of humanitie yet to graunt that it might be done miraculously what profit then or what necessitie was there to worke a miracle herein You will say bycause the spouse the Churche could not lacke the presence of her owne husband Christ. And wherfore I pray you For this is the thyng wherein I desire to be taught of you chiefly Osorius sithence it is not credible that miracles which are wrought agaynst nature should be wrought rashly without some singuler or especiall consideration I am now therfore desirous to know what cause you will alledge To feede vs with his body you will say What to feéde our bellyes or our soules Surely our soules he hath fed already sufficiently enough long sithence in that very day wherein he washt away the Sinnes of the whole world and pacified all thynges both in heauen and in earth once for all What to feéde our bellyes then But he doth aboundauntly feéde vs with other foode dayly Moreouer neither cā Augustine nor yet the Scripture it selfe disgest this that man shal be fed with mans flesh and drinke mans bloud Do not prepare your teeth sayth he but your hart And agayne in an other place as many tymes els also inuityng vs to a spirituall eating of Christ Why doest thou make ready thy teeth and thy belly sayth he beleeue and thou hast eaten Agayne to beleeue in him sayth he is to eate that liuely bread Moreouer annexe hereunto That whenas Christ hath accomplished all the partes and duties of his holy office which neéded the vse of his flesh to performe the worke of our redemption In the which flesh he satisfied all the partes of the law pacified the wrath of his Father ouercame Sinne and death and the Deuill him selfe beyng the authour of death hath troden vnder foote for euer euer In which flesh he rose agayne and ascended into heauen like a most triumphaunt Conquerour Frō whence he doth euen now also miraculously nourish preserue and comfort his Church here on earth through the vnspeakeable power of his excellent omnipotency so that now to the full accomplishment of our Saluation seémeth no one thyng at all to remaine vnperformed but that onely last day of Iudgement These matters therfore beyng vndoughted true what thyng may that be now Osorius wherein his fleshly presence may seéme in any respect necessary from hence forth and not rather his absence in the flesh
souereigne with shauelyngs and infinite skulles of fectes fortified with those Canons Decreés Decretalles and Rescriptes pampered vppe with Pardons exalted with Idolatry sumptuous in superstition entangled with so many snares and Articles embrued in so bloudy a bootchery of Saintes that might easily fill vp a thousand Toonnesfull of Babilonicall horrour and crueltie aduaunced with so many more then Pharisaicall Traditions and peltyng Ceremonies which would easily ouerlade a monstruous Carricke glitteryng in gold precious stones and pearle enriched with large and great possessions patrimonies beautified with purple and scarlet finally so blazing in brauery with the Royalties of S. Peter If S. Peter if Paule the Apostle if the holy Fathers and auÌ„cient Doctours of that pure primitiue Church had seéne these glorious gawdyes which we seé veryly I doe beleéue they would so litle acknowledge this Church for Catholicke that they would euen from the bottome of their hartes vtterly abhorre it and would scarsely acknowledge it by the name of a Christian Church And thus much to your Maior Now I do aunswere to your Minor wherein you haue committed a great eskape in the word which the Logitians do terme aequiuocum or ignoratio Elenchi For this word Romayne Church is in the Maior taken after one sort in the Minor after an other sort In the Maior it noteth such a Church as did retayne the true worshippyng of God and sincerity of Religion as into the which were no poysoned infections of sinister Doctrine no filth of false opinyons crept But in the Minor thys word Church is of a farre contrary condition and quality as the which doth carry no resemblaunce at all of that auntient and primitiue Church besides a bare name onely and a certayne whorysh dissembling counterfayt of outward Succession In all thynges els which do make a true vnspotted and vndefiled Church it beareth so no countenaunce at all as that it seémeth rather vnder the name and Tytle of the Church to be at defiaunce with the Church rather and vnder the name of a ChristiaÌ„ souldior to fight agaynst Christ her captain trayterously to betraye him to Antichryst For if Christ be the verity it selfe surely counterfayt verity as Origen sayth is very Antichrist And therfore if they will iustify theyr consent and Antiquity by good argument Let them yelde vs such a Church of Rome as the auncient Fathers did honourably esteéme of and then shall it not want our agreéable and mutuall assent and allowaunce And let them make vs a playne demonstration of those ornaments which are worthely ascribed to a true Christian Church and we will confesse it to be a true Church Where the Church is sayeth Irene there is the holy Ghost and where the Spirite of God is there is also the Church and all grace But the Spyryte is the verity therefore verity is the life of the Church without the which the Church is blinde and euen dead being aliue and deserueth not so much as the name of a Church no more then the portraiâ—t or counterfayt of a man doth deserue to be called a maÌ„ properly whereupon the Church is with the Apostle very fittely called a sure piâ—ler and a foundation not of mans authority but of Gods verity And by the testimony of Lactantius that Church is called the onely Catholicke Church wherein God is worshipped aright which Church if the ofspring of the auncient Romanistes did now professe as truely and in the same forme as the Catholicke Fathers did extoll prayse it with such great commendation there would be no controuersy at all On the other side if they haue determined with theÌ„selues neither to admit the trueth within theyr Citie themselues nor to tollerate the same to beé preached being brought in by others let them accuse themselues not the Lutherans who had rather patiently endure coÌ„tinuall enmity and hatred of them then to become open aduersaries of the truth Moreouer lette them also cease hereafter to pray in ayd of antiquity number of voyces for defence of their church forasmuch as they can alleadge no true report of the one and the other can helpe them nothing at all For if it may be lawfull for vs renouncing the verity to mayntayne one cause by vouching antiquity and number of nations namely in those thynges which appertayne properly to Christ and his Church then let vs not spare to argue after the same forme of Logick The Religion of Mahumette hath bene of as long a continuaunce of tyme and yeares as the Church of the Pope Ergo Mahumettes Religion is of as great authority as the Popes And agayne The greatest part of Priestes haue long sithence bene ouer gredily couetous Ergo They that doe inueigh agaynst theyr greedy Auarice most be accounted Cosen Germaynes to the valdenses heresy Agayne The greater part of the people did cry out Crucifige and stoaned Stephen to death And the most part of meÌ„ do at this day follow their owne sensuality and lust Ergo Let vs all ioyne together in sensuality and lust If on this wise we shall thinke to measure the truth and sincerity of Religion by the standard of Antiquity and number of yeares what shall we winne by this argument when we doe heare that many are called but few are chosen when as fooles also be in number infinite when as from the highest to the lowest all are become couetous when as euen from the Prophette to the Priestes all worke deceit What shall we win I say by this argument but that the part of Sathan which is more in number shall be of greater force and seéme to tryumph agaynst the Lord But to lette passe the Romysh Church I returne to our own Church In the which Osorius hauing alleadged nothing hetherto nor being by any meanes able to alleadge any matter truely that may seéme either new or straunge in our doctrine or that doth in any respect swarue from the institution and discipline of the Apostles he runneth away from the question that concerneth the sincerity of Religion and doctrine and commeth to this point to catch some occasion of outward life and maners of men whereby he may reproch vs subtlely enough I warrant you imitating herein the old crafty Rhetoricall Foxes who feéling themselues altogether vnable to prosecute the cause which is specially in hand with effect do wring the state of the Question an other way or enforce the whole bent of theyr accusation agaynst theyr aduersary with some contrary cauillation turning Catte in the Panne that so being not otherwise able to compas theyr cause it selfe they may yet at least entangle theyr Aduersary with some perill and daunger Not much vnlike hereunto happeneth now to Osorius in this kinde of controuersy who being not able to mayntayne the cause of his guilty Church with any iustifiable argumentes bendeth himselfe wholly to defame our Churches with falsehoodes and vntruethes And on this wise at length addresseth his
Fryth that excellent learned young man and his companion imediately after committed to prison and suffred iust plague for their vniust crueltye And to passe ouer other what end Eckius and Iames Latomus came vnto I suppose you be not ignoraunt Mary Queéne of England after she had consumed so many godly Martyrs to Ashes being first forsaken of her husband and afterwardes raught away so quickly with such an vntymely death shall we thinke the same came to passe without some great iudgement of God Can you tell vs of nothing happening in your owne Countrey of Portingall after the horrible tortures and execution of William Gardiner which might haue bene a manifest token of Gods vengeaunce agaynst you But why doe I stay vpon these when as besides these infinite lyke presidentes be manifestly extaunt which ought worthely to terrify you and others also in the lyke For as for those Englishmen whom Haddon doth make mencion of there is no cause why you should be discouraged Especially sithence this litle Island is as your selfe doth confesse replenished with so many notable godly men excellent of witt of learning and of pietye who will neuer molest you as you say because they doe wonderfully agree and consent with you in Religion c. Surely Osorius in this you lye nothing at all wherein yet you haue forgotteÌ„ somewhat your olde wont For this is to true that you speake that here be ouermanye companyons and confederates of your errors in this Realme whereof some are roonne away of late more afrayd a great deale then hurt There be behind yet many tarryers I will not say Traytors to the Common weale whose witt and learning as we doe not despise so also doe we not feare any harme they can do vs for there is no question to be made at all of their witt nor of their learning but of other matters the direction and disposition whereof resteth wholy in the power of the Lord and not in any pollicye or force of men Lett these therefore whosoeuer they be whom you prayse so much haue their deserued prayse for their excellencye of learning and actyuitye of witt as much as you will who if they be of your sect may happely be learned doughtlesse godly they can not be Agayne if they be godly I am sure they will neuer agreé with you in thys Doctryne But as for mens agreément in opinion is not so much materiall Neyther is any part of our coÌ„trouersye at this present touching matters determinable by common consent multitude or wittes of men but must be decided by the infallible and vnchaungeable rules ordinaunces of the sacred Scriptures whereunto if your opinions be consonant as meéte is we will all together lykewise consent and agreé with you If otherwise what shall it preuaile you to be lincked in any vniforme consent of those men though they be neuer so excellently well learned but onely that you may seéme to become a raunging rouer emongest straggling Starters From thence you proceéd leauing them whom you say be of your minde and turne backe agayne to these Lutheranes and Haddonistes Who if would contend with you as you say with reasons with argumentes or with Testimonies you promise that you will not refuse the conflict But if they will brawle with cauntes and cursed speaking you will not be persuaded by any meanes to make them any aunswere c. Loe here a very pleasaunt panion and Maister of his Arte After that your gaye goodly choler had cought vpp as many slaunderous reprochfull croomes as it could eueÌ„ to the casting vpp of your gorge to the poysoning and infecting of godly and learned personages now at the last you prohibite them for pleading their causes least happely some one or other in making his purgation will sâ—â—t somewhat neare your holy Reuerent skirtes or least with some corrysiue in auÌ„sweryng he frett to much vpon the skabbe of your delicate conscience For that your Nature is of that complexion as will not lightly be offended with any slauÌ„derous touÌ„ges nor accompt it any ioate prayseworthy to exceede by any meanes in so filthy a kynde of contention Moreouer that it is no wisedome to spend your tyme so vnprofitably whereof you haue skarse any breathing from other more weighty afâ—ayres And therefore if HaddoÌ„ or any other of that Crew shal be so disposed as to rush vpon you with snatching and taunting more rigorously then shall beseeme them you will geue them free skoape to chauffe foame and exclayme agaynst you as much as they list and as much as they can And that it is not conuenient for your personage in respect of the charge that is committed vnto you that either you ought to be distempered with rayling or that you should aunswere to all cursed speaking If to these wordes and speéches all his other doinges and writinges were in eche respect correspondent what siner man might any man finde in this world what more noble mind what more excellent nature which hauing so throughly mortified his affections will not suffer him selfe to become impatieÌ„t with any iniuries or rayling raging agaynst him But if his doinges be called to an accompt before strickt Inquisitors and if they will examine his wordes by his deédes I beseéch you gentle Syr where was this mildnesse of spirit so gloriously commended by your selfe where was this lenity of nature where was this contempt of reproches exiled at that time whenas your reuerence being neuer prouoked with any iniury offered of our natioÌ„ nor so much as euer molested by word could not measure your insolent malice and wrath nor make any end of slaundering backbiting and rayling in so excessiue outrage agaynst the godly and learned Preachers of Christ both altogether vnknowen vnto you and withall neuer deseruing to be thought ill of at your handes Euery man must suffer the penalty of the breach of Law that himselfe maketh sayth Ausonius You require vs to cutt of all contentious brawling and to deale with you with sound Argumentes and Testimonyes We do like well your law For what can be more seémely for discreét Deuines then a calme and peaceable modesty in disputation not disquieted with any naturall motions nor waxing wroth with other mens rayling But who doth obserue this order that you doe prescribe worsse then your selfe good Syr If waÌ„t of time which you alleage in excuse or consideration of your function as you say be such an estoppell vnto you that you haue no leysure to aunswere to all mens raylinges how is it theÌ„ that in this your auÌ„swere to HaddoÌ„ be so many slauÌ„ders heaped vpp vpon slauÌ„ders so muche rayling in such skorpionlike nipping bitternesse wherein how vnmeasurably lauish you seéme beyond all coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of your personage all this your owne whole discourse remayneth a sufficient witnes against you wch doth breath out bray out and spew out nothing els but flames fierbraÌ„ds furyes botches madnes frensies outrages drouÌ„kenes feuers childishnes