Paul to the Philip. To you saith he it is giuen not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake How Augustine recanted his former error By these and the like testimonies of diuine Scripture Augustine being conuicted freely acknowledged his error in this point and retracted it de praedest sanct cap. 3 passimeo libro Ad Simplicianum Sancti Ambrosij successorem apud Mediol lib. 1. quaest 2. contra 2. Epist Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 8. Retract lib. 1. Aug. de bono perseu cap. 12. cap. 23. lib. 2. cap. 1. For it is incident to man to fall and to erre but wittingly and willingly to continue in error is deuillish neither ought any man to bee so vniust or enuious that either he will not profit himselfe or els hinder others that are desirous to profit Fourthly The fourth opinion that the foreseene abuse of free will to infidelitie and other euill works is the cause of reprobation confuted by Augustine other confesse that the cause of election to eternall life is in God alone namely his grace and good pleasure but they suppose no lesse than the former writers that the cause of reprobation is in men themselues to wit the foreseene abuse of freewill to infidelitie and other euil works For they be afraid least any iniquitie should bee with God if some bee said to bee reiected of him without all respect of workes Therefore that they may maintaine his iustice forsooth they write that as many as bee reprobated are reprobated for finall sinne foreseene Among the Schoolemen Scotus and his disciples follow this opinion Scotus Hereupon some of that same leauen haue defined reprobation to be the eternall foreknowledge of the euill vse of freewill Thomas Argentinus his definition of reprobation Lib. 1. q. 2. by reason whereof God hath decreed to depriue some man of his grace in this present life and to punish him in the life to come with euerlasting paine But as Augustine ad Simpl. rightly iudgeth If we should graunt that reprobation dependeth of euill workes foreseene it should altogether follow on the contrarie that election also ariseth of good workes foreseene Which if it be true it is false that it is not of workes Fiftly therefore and that is the true opinion The fift opinion soundest and best as foreseene workes or faith of such as shall be saued are not the cause of their election so neither is the vnbeleefe or other sinnes foreseene of them that shall bee damned the cause of their reprobation but that they are in Christ of meere mercie elected and these are iustly from the same mercie reiected according to the purpose of Gods will which as it is most free so most iust and the very rule of all equitie and iustice CHAP. VII A demonstration of election freely arising oft h◠meere good pleasure of God FOr the defence of this trueth and the larger confutation of the contrarie opinions there be sundry arguments and testimonies of the Scriptures and those most cleere and euident from whence we will onely produce some The 1. reason 1. The cause is not later than the effect But workes and faith in vs and the very will and desire to beleeue and what good vse soeuer of freewill in vs bee later than election For all these things are temporall whereas election is eternall according to the sayings He elected vs before the creation of the world Ephe. 1. Matth. 25. 2. Tim. 1. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid He hath called vs with an holy calling according to his purpose and grace which is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Obiection If they except that our workes not as done but as to be done and foreseene of God are alike eternall Answere we answere that God foresaw no good worke or will in vs which he decreed not to effect in vs and which in predestinating he prepared not for vs as it is said to the Ephes 2. We are his worke created in Christ Iesu vnto good works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them And chap. 1. of the same Epistle He hath chosen vs before the foundations of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him From whence we vnderstand seeing in that we are predestinate of God to life it commeth to passe that wee doe good workes and beleeue so euen the foreknowledge of future faith in vs and of those good things which we shall doe is later then election at the least in order reason The 2. 2. To the same end it commeth if we should argue thus Good workes likewise faith and what vse soeuer of freewill to worke or to beleeue or els to thinke of any goodnes flow from the meere grace of God as the effects of Gods electiō as at large after shall be shewed Therefore neither as done neither as to be done and foreseene of God can these things be considered as the causes of election For nothing can bee both the cause and effect in respect of the same thing Ad Simpl. lib. 1. Workes saith Augustine do not beget grace but are begotten of grace Two fine similitudes The fire warmeth not that it may be hot but because it is hot Neither doth the wheele therefore runne well that it may bee round but because it is round So no man therefore worketh well that he may receiue grace but because he hath receiued it 3. The 3. reason If our foreseene good workes were the cause of predestination to eternall saluation they should bee the cause also of our calling and iustification The later is false Therefore also the first The Maior is proued by the rule That which is the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused as they speake that is of the effect But predestination is the cause of vocation and iustification as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified The Minor also is most easily proued 2. Tim. 1. seeing the holie Ghost expressely testifieth that we are saued of God and called with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Likewise Paul in his Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians most largely discourseth of iustification euery way freely bestowed He requireth faith surely as the meane whereby we applie righteousnes and saluation offered to vs in the Gospell but not as of our selues for it is the gift of God And therfore if euen the foreknowledge of faith Ephes 2.8 as from vs be set downe to be the cause of election it will follow that neither iustification is euery way free Otherwise it standeth firme that we are iustified by faith as by a meane yet faith is not
the Iewes The scope of the ninth chapter to the Romanes wherewith in that age the minds of many meÌ„ were greatly tempted as though Gods word either should fayle and the promise be made frustrate or else Iesus of Nazareth should not be the Sauiour promised of God for one of these twaine seemed to follow because the couenants seruice of God and promises belonged to the Israelites at large sheweth that the elect onely to wit the sonnes of the promise and not of the flesh indifferently from among the Iewes and Gentils are the true seed of Abraham and the true Israelites to whom the promised blessing and saluation in Christ do appertaine And so the Apostle entreth into the ample and profound doctrine of predestination wherein that wee may speake of the matter now in hand omitting other thing he plainely teacheth as touching the cause of predestination that God considering that he is most free electeth whome hee will of meere grace and reprobateth whom hee will in the iust albeit secret counsell of his owne will Iacob 8. Esau 1. He teacheth this by the example of Iacob and Esau of whom the one was prefered before the other by the meere fauour of God because when as they were both equall in all things being conceaued of one copulation the children as yet vnborne wheÌ„ they had done neither good nor euill an oracle was giuen vnto their mother Rebecca The elder shall serue the yonger Therefore election is not of workes but of grace And in vaine shall a man flee here vnto the cauill of foreseeing of some good in Iacob because Paul would remoue all difference from those two bretheren that wee might throughly vnderstand them to bee alike in respect of themselues 2. The Apostle expresselie bringeth backe the cause of the difference betweene Iacob and Esau and by their example in generall between the elect reprobates vnto the purpose and good pleasure of God whereby surely hee elected and reiected whom he would and because he so would Rom. 9.11 For this purpose of God is according to his election 3. The Apostle to make it more plaine addeth Not of workes but of the caller Which wordes some conster with that that goeth before that it may be a description of election free and not of works other referre them to the verbe following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was said which reading Augustine followeth ad Laur. cap. 98. whatsoeuer it be it appeareth that election and vocation which is the effect thereof is of grace and â—ot of workes And simply hee remooueth whatsoeuer respect of workes so that without anie merites of good or euill workes God loueth one and hateth the other For if he would that the future either good workes of the one or the euill workes of the other which God foresaw should be meant he would not say not of workes but he would say of future workes and thus hee would haue answered that question as Augustine noteth Enchir. ad Laur. cap. 98. and ad Simplic lib. 1. quaest â— 4. That prophetical speech teÌ„deth hereunto Iacob I haue loued and Esau I haue hated Therefore Gods election discerneth betweene the elect and reprobates And that consisteth herein saith Iohn not that we loued him but that he loued vs. 1. Ioh. 4. Neither is this anie obstacle that we knowe that God loueth all his workes and hateth not anie thing that he hath made because as it is said also before there be degrees of the loue of God and because he willeth not to all men this benefit which is eternall life therefore it is said that he loueth some Wisd 11. and hateth some 5. The same thing appeareth by his preuention Is there vnrighteousnes then with God For this question should haue no place at all vnles it were the Apostles meaning that election surely is not of anie workes done or to be done but of the alone good pleasure of God Aug. ad â—awâ— cap. 38. For if anie man be elected or reprobated of God as he foresaâ— that a man would vse wellâ— or ill his free wil humaine reason it selfe wil confesse that this is most equall But because it heareth where all things be alike that yet God according to his owne will chooseth one and refuseth another and so to them that are equall giueth vnequall things from hence ariseth that raging of mans reason against the righteousnes of God 6. Vnles it were thus the Apostle answering the obiection alleaged would not reiect it with indignation saying God forbid but thus he would or might answer the question that God destinating euery one to punishment or rewarde according to his merits at the least foreseene cannot bee thought vniust This had been a most plaine and easie defence of Gods iustice 7. He vseth a farre other answere whereby hee seemeth not so much to dissolue as to binde fast and confirme the question when he saith He said to Moses I will haue mercy on whom I wil haue mercie and I will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion By which sentence we are taught that God albeit in a generall speech he withdraweth his mercie from none yet according to a certaine manner of mercie he hath appoynted to haue mercie vpon some and not vpon others and that therefore because it so pleaseth him for so when we would signifie a certaine free power we are wont to say I will doe that I will doe 8. From whence also the Apostle thus out of that oracle inferreth Therefore it is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie But if the beginning of saluation were of ourselues as they imagine that auouch that election commeth of our good workes or good will foreseene then surely it were in him that willeth and in him that runneth contrarie to the Apostles saying Neither is it any thing worth that some Semipelagian may say that grace helpeth the will being weake to accomplish that which is good yet prone thereunto and therefore it is saide It is not in the willer nor runner but in God shewing mercie as though it were saide The onely will of man is not sufficient if there be not also the mercie of God for we answere with Augustine if Enchir. ad Laur. cap. 32. ad Simpl. lib. 1. because the onely will of man doth not accomplish saluation it is well saide It is not in man that willeth but in God shewing mercie euen on the other side if the mercie of God alone doth not accomplish it it should be well said It is not in God shewing mercie but in man that willeth which godly eares cannot abide It remaineth then that for this cause it is said it is not in man that willeth and runneth An excellent saying that the whole may bee giuen to God who both prepareth mans good will that is to be holpen and doth helpe it being prepared For as it is written His mercie preuenteth vs
him CHAP. XIII A wicked eye without cause suspecteth God of vniustice Obiection THat obiection now followeth which arising from the rashnes that I may not say the impietie of humaine reason greatly troubleth the mindes of the simple And that is that the wicked eye of mans wit suspecteth God of iniquitie if without any merites of good or euill men he chuse one The reasons of the obiection and refuse another of his meere will for it seemeth vniust in distributions if wee distribute vnequally to them that be equall But men if we set aside the difference of merits are equall Therefore if without difference of merites God doth vnequally distribute chusing one and refusing another it seemeth that there is vnrighteousnes with him Further how shall we defende the righteousnes of God if of his meere will he hath predestinated so many thousands of men not moued with any merite or worke of theirs vnto eternall torments This seemeth vniust cruell and intollerable to iudge of God and herewith so many and great men in so many ages haue been offended and who would not be offended saith Luther De ser arbit Answere to the first reason of the obiection when he had largely answered this very obiection Concerning inequalitie already before I haue answered that it appertaineth to iustice in those things that be distributed of duty that vnequall things be not distributed to them that be equall but not in those things which a man of his owne accord and of fauour distributeth without any iniurie of another As that householder reproued them that murmured Friend I doe thee no wrong take that thine is and goe thy way I will giue to this last as vnto thee May I not doe what I will with mine owne Is thine eye euill because I am good Let them therefore learne to restraine that wicked eye who murmur against God as vniust and an acceptor of persons Obiection But say they it is an vniust thing that in one and the same euill cause one man is deliuered and another punished because it is a iust thing that both be punished Answere Yea both are iust whether the creditor require his debte or forgiue his debter so it be without defrauding any man but it is vniust onely to require that which is not due August epist. 105. Therefore Let vs as Augustine godly aduiseth vs giue thankes to our Sauiour seeing that we see not that rendred vnto vs that we knowe in the damnation of thē that are like vs to haue bin also due vnto vs. Neither let vs be vnthankefull De bono perseuer cap. 8. that our mercifull God according to his good pleasure to the praise of his glorious grace hath freed so many from so deserued destruction that if hee should deliuer none from thence yet he should not be vniust Answer to the second reason Further as for the multitude of such as perish I answere that neither in respect of them is there any vnrighteousnes in God For on whom there is no mercie shewed Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 99. them God iudgeth he dealeth not vniustly with them And as vndeserued grace is giuen to such as are freed so no other but due punishment is rendred to them that are damned that neither they can boast themselues to bee worthie nor these complaine that they are vnworthie Epist 105. For because the whole lumpe is worthily condemned iustice rendereth due dishonour and grace bestoweth due honour not through the prerogatiue of desert nor by necessitie of destinie nor by rash fortune but through the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God De bono perseu cap. 8. epist 106. If therefore Gods goodnes bee vnderstood in forgiuing debt and his equitie in requiring it there is no way iniquitie found in God He commendeth mercie that is set free and he that is punished blameth not iudgement Do praedest grat cap. vlt. I will say somewhat more with Augustine If mankinde that at the first was created of nothing should be borne without the due originall of death and sinne yet the omnipotent creator would for euer condemne some of them to destruction who could say to the Almightie Creator why hast thou done thus For he that freely gaue them their being when they were not had power to appoint to what end they should be Neither could the rest say why should Gods will vary all mens merits being alike because the potter hath power of the clay But now seeing iust punishment is rendered to such as shall be damned and vndeserued grace is bestowed vpon such as bee saued what man forgetting mans condition may discusse the secrets of Gods minde Obiection But some man will say Why will he in the same matter punish me rather then him or free him rather than me Answere I answere that it is in Gods will and not in ours as it is not in their will that bee debters but in his to whom a debt is due that he either requireth Ad Simpl. lib. 1. q. 2. or forgiueth the debt Hereupon Augustine In Adam we all die and we are one lumpe of sin owing punishment to the diuine and high iustice which whether it bee exacted or pardoned there is no vnrighteousnesse And it is an arrogant part in debters to iudge of whom it is to be required and to whom it is to bee remitted It belongeth to God to require it of whom it pleaseth him and to forgiue it to whom it pleaseth him who doth not require that which is not due neither forgiueth that which is none of his The same writer elsewhere Epist 105. Why God doth thus to one man and otherwise to another his waies are vnsearchable and his iudgements past finding out the great depth whereof we ought rather to reuerence than curiously to search out that wee may escape a dangerous downfall Therefore repressing the impudencie of this question let vs say with the Apostle Rom. 11. O the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements How the mouthes of wicked men must be stopped about this doctrine and his waies past finding out Also O man who art thou that reasonest with God Doth the pot say to the potter why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power ouer the clay Neither let it grieue vs thus to stop the mouthes of exclaimers For if they be not ashamed to gainsay not vs but Paul why should it irke vs to tell them this againe and againe that the Apostle hath said De verbis Apost serm 20. Augustine notably following the Apostle saith Thou man expectest from me an answere and I am a man Therefore let vs both heare him that saith O man who art thou Better is faithfull ignorance than vndiscreet knowledge Seeke for deserts thou shalt finde nothing but punishment O height Peter denieth the theefe beleeueth Marke this notable saying O the depth Seekest
things are not done vnlesse God doe permit them Whereupon saith he after this sorte it is not inconuenient that God hath predestinated euill things while he correcteth not euill men and their euill workes but he is said more specially to foreknowe and predestinate good things because he maketh them both to be and to be good but in euill things he causeth onely that they essentially be and not that they be euill Fulgent lib. 1. ad Mon. Contrariwise Fulgentius in his first booke to Monimus where plentifully and of purpose hee handleth this question defineth Sinnes are foreknowne but not predestinate to be done yet punishment for â—â—â—e is predestinate of God that the good and righteous God foreknew surely the sinnes of men because nothing that was to come could be hid from him yet that he predestinated no man to sinne This opinion he confirmeth by the definition of predestination which in his iudgement is nothing else than the preparation of the workes of God or the mercifull and iust disposition of a diuine worke that should come to passe Seeing therefore that iniquitie pertaineth not to the worke of God which he knoweth how to punish and not to commit it will follow of the definition already brought that a man is not predestinated of God to commit sinnes Hee bringeth also his reason That sinners should be vniustly punished of God if by his will they should sinne as being predestinated of him to sinne Aug. de pred sanâ—â— cap. 10. How predâ—stination and foreknowledge differ Further he citeth Augustine and Prosper to be of the same minde For Augustine in that notable worke that hee wrote of the predestination of Saints chap. 10. distinguishing betweene Gods foreknowledge and Predestination saith Predestination cannot be without foreknowledge but foreknowledge may bee without predestination How predestination foreknowledge differ For by predestination God foreknew the things that he would do but he was able to foreknow euen the things that he doth not as all sinnes For albeit some things are so sinnes that they be also punishments of sinnes yet here sinne belongeth not to God but iudgement The same man vnto the Articles falsely laid to his charge Art 7.8 9. quibusdam seq when the Pelagians spitefully traduced the doctrine of predestination as though hee would make God the author of sinnes refuting that detestable and abominable blasphemy at large thus writeth The Lords predestination is neuer without goodnes neuer without iustice for all the waies of the Lord are mercie and trueth And the holy deitie liked not to prepare the adulteries of matrones and the deflouring of maidens but to condemne them nor to appoint them but to punish them And in the same place Gods predestination hath not stirred vp moued or caused the falls of them that perish nor the malice of wicked men nor the iniquities of sinners but he hath altogether predestinated his iudgement whereby he will render to euery one as he hath done be it good or euill which iudgement should not be if men should sinne by the will of God Also There is no predestination of God for the transgression of the law and the committing of any kinde of sinne It is sufficient to know that the standing of things bee of him and that the ruines of things bee not of him neither doth it follow as they that obiect such things suppose that God hath taken away repentance from them to whom he hath not giuen it and that he hath throwne them downe whom he hath not lifted vp seeing it is one thing to make guiltie an innocent person which is farre from God another thing not to haue pardoned a wicked man which belongeth to the desart of a sinner Againe Aug. Hypognost 6. The rule of this matter in question must surely bee maintained which is cleere by diuine testimonies that sinners in their owne euils are foreknowne onely Ad 14. obiect Gallorum Why infidelity commeth not of predestination but punishment is predestinated for them Hereunto Prosper a learned and godly man consenteth The infidelitie of such as beleeue not the Gospell is not bred of Gods predestination For God is the author of good things and not of euill And in his answere to the 15. obiection God only foreknew and did not also predestinate those things which should not haue from him the cause of their working To the same purpose did the Councell of Araus determine in their last canon And as for Anselme he disagreeth not so much in sense as in words from the things which these fathers write iudge seeing hee vsed the word predestination in a more generall signification for preordination making it all one to predestinate and to decree that a thing should be And now there is nothing at all done Marke this that the Lord is vnwilling with all yet so that we know that good things are done by his assistance and working euill things are permitted he giuing them ouer and ordaining and directing them to such good ends as it pleaseth him And this is it that Fulgentius also writeth that God surely is not the author of euill thoughts Lib. 1. ad Mon. yet that he is the ordainer of euill wils and that he doth not cease to worke some good of the euill worke of euery euill man Obiection Some man may say that the elect are predestinate not onely to glorie but also to righteousnesse to wit to faith and good workes Therefore also that the reprobates may seeme to be predestinate both to sinne and to punishment Answere Answ Election and reprobation doe agree in this that as election is the preparation of glory so reprobation is the preparation of punishment Thom. in 9. ad Rom. lect 1. but they differ that election importeth the preparation of faith and good workes whereby a man commeth to glorie How election and reprobation agree and differ but reprobation doth not import a preparation of sinnes whereby a man commeth to punishment Wherefore this onely followeth seeing the elect are predestinated to faith and repentance that they may be holie and blameles before God that the reprobates are not predestinated to the same grace Obiection But the hardening of reprobates is predestinated of God And that is sinne Therefore some sinne is predestinated of God Answere The answere to this obiection is manifest by those things that haue been spoken For the hardening of reprobates is so sinne that withall it is also the punishment of sinne and it so faire forth pertaineth to Gods predestination because it is not farre from the working of it For those things that bee so sinnes that withall they be also punishments of sins in them not sinne but Gods iudgement pertaineth to Gods predestination as I haue shewed out of Augustine CHAP. XIX That predestination is stedfast and vnmoueable THe fourth part of this whole treatise The necessitie of predestination is vnmoueable according to the diuision set downe in
was first made became wicked Is God a debter vnto vs to restore vs because we lost grace receiued Or shall it not therefore be lawfull for him to require againe of vs that which is his owne He hath power to exact it and hath power also to remit it But of whom it must bee exacted and to whom it must be remitted it belongs to the Lord to iudge and not to the debters Obiection But say they the reprobates while God forsaketh and hardeneth them cannot auoide sinnes And it seemeth vniust if God should punish a man for those things that he cannot auoide Answere I know surely that this seemeth vniust to Albert Pighius and other Sophisters whose wisedome God hath made foolishnes but how vniustly it is manifest for if that reason were any thing worth God could not without a token of crueltie and iniustice punish originall sinne which certainly no man can auoide in his birth Obiection They obiect this also He that foreseeth sinne and doth not hinder it when he may is not without fault God foreseeth sins and doth not hinder them when he might most easily Therefore c. Answere Hereunto some make answere that God doth not put away sinnes because hee will haue his reasonable creature to retaine his libertie and choise of good and euil which otherwise he should lose But if that reason were forcible either Gods grace should be destroyed whereby the godly and elect auoide sinnes or els they must be said to want the choise of good and euill Therefore to answer more truly we must here remember that wee ought not to dispute of the righteousnes of God after the rule of mans righteousnes The first proposition taketh place concerning men and not concerning God For men both by the societie of nature Gods law are bound one to â—nother that one should procure the welfare of another and hinder the destruction But God is bound to none and he may doe with his creature what hee will without the iniurie of the creature as Lord of all and hauing full dominion ouer his owne goods Further because of his omnipotent goodnes and wisedome he can tell how to worke good euen of euill which men cannot doe Which things seeing they stand thus let no man in his heart accuse God who will render to euery one according to his workes Psalm 102. but let euery one blame himselfe when he sinneth and let him say when he is damned Thou art iust O Lord in all that thou doest vnto vs and all thy iudgements are true And whosoeuer is set free let him say Psalm 144. The Lord is mercifull and full of compassion he hath not recompenced vs according to our sinnes Obiection 7 As for that that was added touching despaire that it was bred in the mindes of men by the doctrine of the constant and vnchangeable purpose both of Gods election and reprobation Predestination is 〈◊〉 ground of our comfort and no cause of despeâ—ation it is also a meere slaunder Nay it is the most true ground of all our comfort and saluation that we know that God hath chosen his owne in Christ before the foundation of the world who beleeue in him and hath predestinated them vnto adoption according to the good pleasure of his owne will and that this purpose of free election and predestination is so firme that neither it can bee changed of any creature neither doth God euer repent him of his gifts and calling This thing the places of Scripture euery where confirme which speake of predestination as what the Apostle saith â— Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his Doubtles the Scripture speaketh this to our consolation least wee should be troubled for the reuolt of some men from the Gospell and for other offences And more fully Rom. 8. We know that all things work for the best to them that loue God that is to them who are called of purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated also to be made conformable to his image c. And thus concludeth I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor any creature can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu We see how the Apostle armeth vs against all temptations of this world with this perswasion that election is sure and stable whereby wee are chosen in Christ vnto eternall life freely and of his meere loue as the Lord also in the Gospell comforteth vs therewith Matth. â—3 Ioh. 10. Luke 10 11. that the elect cannot be seduced that he suffereth not his sheepe to bee pluckâ— out of his hand that our names are written in heauen Also feare not little flocke for it pleaseth your father to giue you a kingdome And in Iohn Ioh. 6. least the faithfull should be offended through the obstinacie of the vnbeleeuers what soeuer the father giueth me saith he commeth vnto me and he that commeth vnto me I will not cast him forth because I came downe from heauen to doe his will that sent me Therefore by the view of these sayings of Scripture it appeareth that the doctrine of the firmenes of Gods election is reuealed vnto vs for this cause that it might bee the foundation of all certaintie against all kinde of temptations which arise either in respect of our infirmitie among so many dangers of the godly or of the vnbeliefe or apostacie of others from the faith or in respect of other thing Hereof saith Luther notably when he had auouched Praefat. ad Rom. that the decree of predestination is sure and vnmoueable addeth moreouer that this necessitie is most necessarie vnto saluation and consolation He assigneth the reason because we be so wâ—â—ke in our selues that if our saluation consisted in our owne stregth very few or none should bee saued for the deuill would ouercome all men But now saith he seeing Gods decree is sure and most certaine and cannot be altered by any creature wee haue hope to ouer come sinne at the length Luth. de ser arb cap. 144. Hee teacheth the same thing at large and amplifieth it by the consideration of so many perils and deuils daily assaulting vs. Aâ—â—de praedâ—st sanct cap. â— And surely it is a wonder among so many streites wherewith our life is beset that any man had rather betake himselfe to his owne infirmitie than to the certainety of Gods promise and grace Obiection I am vncertaine of my election which maketh me sad But thou wilt say the will of God concerning my selfe is vncertaine vnto me And this is it that maketh me sad and sorowfull that seeing there is a certaine and sealed number of them that be predestinate which cannot be increased nor diminished I am vncertaine whether I belong to that number if I knew this I would rest my selfe in that sure foundation Answere Answere This is one question whence we may knowe our selues to be elect
meere false accusations and haue been fully before confuted in their places Obiection But say they albeit these conclusions of mans reason are ill drawen from the determined sentence of Gods will Whither this doctrine must be concealed because it offendeth some touching those that shall be saued and damned which we terme Predestination yet for their sakes who are offended this doctrine albeit true ought to be concealed rather than taught and propounded The reason is this The truth ought often to be concealed for their sakes that cannot comprehend it by the example of Christ I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them away now and of the Apostle I could not speake vnto you as spirituall but as vnto carnall euen as to babes in Christ I haue giuen you milke and not strong meate for ye were not yet able for it neither as yet ye be A Syllogisme But it is confessed that many cannot comprehend the doctrine of predestination Therefore for their sakes it ought to be concealed namely least we should make them worse who do not vnderstand it while we would make them better learned that do vnderstand it Answere De bono perseu cap. 16. Vnto this argument long agoe often vsed of the Semipelagians doth our Augustine answere And hee answereth to the Maior which is onely particular and then is of force when a man runneth into daunger by speaking onely the truth and not also by concealing it I will set it downe in Augustines words When the trueth may be concealed It were tedious to seeke out or alleage all the causes of concealing the truth yet this is one least we make them worse that vnderstand it not while wee desire to make them better learned that doe vnderstand it who though wee should conceale such a thing are neither the better learned nor worse But when a truth standeth thus that he that cannot vnderstand it is made worse by our speaking of it and he that can is made worse by our concealing of it When the trueth must be taught and not concealed ought not the truth rather to be spoken that he that is able to vnderstand it may vnderstand it than to be concealed that not onely both may not comprehend it but also that he that is of a better vnderstanding may become worse who if he should vnderstand it more men by him might learne Let the truth therefore be spoken specially where some doubt forceth vs to speake it and let them vnderstand it that are able least peraduenture when it is concealed for their sakes that cannot vnderstand it such as are able are not onely defrauded of the truth but also intangled in falsehood Luthers answere albeit in other wordes is all one with this de seruo arbit cap. 40. And this differēce is most easily confirmed Are not many at this day offēded The Apostles taught the trueth though many were offended at it Rom. 3. 6. long ago were offended at the doctrine of grace iustificatiō by only faith in Christ Iesu that they spoke euil of the very Apostles falsly reported thē to say Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof let vs sin that grace may abound And yet for that cause ought not the true doctrine of grace the iustification of a man be suppressed with one silence neither must we be an occasion of any mans perishing that is deluded with a false perswasion of his workes and merites So 1. Cor. 1. as Paul testifieth Christ crucified was a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Grecians Did Paul therefore slacke any whit of his wonted diligence in preaching the worde of the crosse yea because by foolish preaching it pleased God to saue such as beleeue he determined to know nothing but Christ Iesu crucified Farwell then that preprosterous warynes of those men that suppose that the doctrine of predestination ought to be buried in silence because it agreeth not with the iudgement of the flesh We on the contrary stand to the iudgement of the spirit and say that reason must be commaunded both euery where else in causes of faith and also especially in this So it shall come to passe that the mysteries of heauenly doctrine may be layd open and made sweete vnto vs. Obiection And whereas it was alleaged besides that the more ancient fathers before Augustine had defended the Catholike faith for so many yeeres euen without this defining of predestination hereunto it is answered Answere to the obiection concerning the fathers before Augustine that the ancient fathers were not altogether silent in this matter For euen they preached the true grace of God as it ought to be preached that is before which do goe no merites of man De bono perseu cap. 19. Which thing Augustine sheweth plainely by the testimonies of Cyprian Ambrose and others That is an excellent saying of Cyprian We must glorie in nothing seeing nothing is ours But Ambrose sayd Our heart and thoughts are not in our owne power Also Amb. in Luc. in expos proamij the will of men is prepared of God and whatsoeuer is honourable in the saints the same is of his grace The same writer vpon Luke intreating of the Samaritans that would not receiue Christ withall learne saith he that he would not receiue hollow hearted conuerts for if he would he would haue made them deuout that had no deuotion in them For whom he vouchsafeth he calleth Greg. Naz. whom he will he maketh religious Gregorie Nazianzene also is cited of Augustine who witnesseth that both giftes come from God both to beleeue in God and also to confesse what wee beleeue Besides it is the consent of the whole Church which neuer wanted this thing in her prayers For when did not the Church pray for vnbeleeuers for her enemies that they might beleeue and for the faithfull that they might grow from faith to faith and continue therein to the ende Neither doe the faithfull aske any other thing in the Lordes prayer specially when they say leade vs not into temptation but that they may through the gift of God continue in a holy obedience As therefore the Church was borne hath growen and nowe increaseth in these prayers so also in this faith to beleeue that the grace of God is giuen not according to the merites of them that receiue it seeing the Church would not pray that faith might be giuen to vnbeleeuers and perseuerance in faith to the faithfull vnlesse she had alwayes beleeued of a certainety that they be the giftes of God And who wil say that those fathers and the vniuersal Church did so confesse the grace of God that they durst deny his foreknowledge which not only the learned but also the vnlearned confesse Futher if they so knew that God gaue these things as that they were not ignorant of his foreknowledge that he would giue to whom he would giue out
OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND THREE BOOKES Wherein the controuersie of the vniuersalitie of Redemption and grace by Christ and of his death for all men is largely handled HEREVNTO IS ANNEXED A TREAtise of Gods Predestination in one booke Written in Latin by IACOB KIMEDONCIVS D. and professor of Diuinitie at Heidelberge and translated into English by HVGH INCE Preacher of the word of God BY WISDOME PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KINGSTON for HVMFREY LOVVNES 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the Great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell HAuing finished the translation of this volume Right Honorable I was in doubt whether I might safely send it forth as a matter that would as it ought to be imbraced fauored of eueryone into whose hands it should come or to offer it to the view of some honorable person and to commend it to his fauourable protection and in his name to publish it If I had resolued vpon the first way as I doubt not but it should haue found many friends euen all the louers of the trueth that would gladly haue accepted it so I know it should haue had many aduersaries among vs in this land as it hath had in other countries alreadie and commeth now abroad in our owne tongue from thence greatly reproched and withstood with a spitefull enemie albeit to his shamefull foyle and disgrace in the end And therefore I thought it best to follow mine author as he offereth the knowledge and custodie of the trueth which he here maintaineth vnto a high and mightie Prince so I am bold to offer my translation of so worthie a worke vnto your honorable protection and defence against euill tongues and erronious spirits The cause that is handled here is Gods the ground that it hath is the trueth of his holy word the witnesse and testimonie thereof is the vniforme consent of the Church of Christ beleeuing and confessing the same the matter hereof is the redemption of our soules the comfort of our consciences the stay of our faith and the anchor of our hope If the certaintie of these things right Honourable be called in question and taken from vs that are mortall men what ioy can we haue in any thing that here for a time wee enioy What hope can wee haue of a better life when this fraile one shall be taken from vs and wee all shall be called to giue our account But as Satan the enemie of our saluation hath alwaies heretofore sowed tares among the wheate and corrupted the sinceritie of the trueth with errors and lyes and that vnder a faire pretence so at this day when he could not effect his purpose so farre as he desired by the late and lamentable strife that he hath raised among vs though thereby he hath quenched the zeale of many and made them fall from their first loue hath euen now in our Church as he hath done in others raised a doubt and broâ—hed a controuersie in the maine grounds of our Religion and faith to wit in the doctrine of mans Redemption by the death of Christ and of Gods eternall predestination Wherein as he doth not greatly preuaile because the gouernours of our Church and the consent of all that bee godly and learned for the most part therein are against him so that hee may proceede no further in time to come and that the mindes of men may bee setled in the trueth of their saluation I haue thought it my dutie to the Church of God to testifie my loue of the trueth and my vnfained care of the knowledge of the fame among vs and continuance thereof in our posteritie by taking paines to translate into our vulgar tongue these bookes Herein you shall plainly see that albeit the death of Christ the sonne of God as touching the greatnes of the price be sufficient for the redemption of whole mankinde in the world yea if there were many worlds of them as Anselme saith yet the proprietie of redemption belongeth to those that are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ by faith and the grace of regeneration the rest who liue without faith and regeneration not belonging to this redemption from sinne and death Or which is all one you shall see it proued by infallible testimonies of Scripture by generall consent of antiquitie and of new writers and by substantiall arguments that redemption from sinnes righteousnes and saluation are benefits proper to the Church and not common to all and euery one elect and reprobate beleeuer and vnbeleeuer to the saued and damned You shall plainly see I say that the Sauiour promised to the world and preached of alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy prophets and Apostles is appoynted by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue onely and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it be proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein we beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to be vniuersall Against this trueth the aduersarie fighteth eagerly and impudently with bitter reproches and lyes grieuous blasphemies flat contrarieties grosse absurdities peruerting the naturall sense of the sacred Scripture and abusing the ancient writers But all these his weapons wins him not the victory for either they be blunt and cannot hurt our cause or else the edge of them is turned against himselfe and his owne masters in whom he glorieth Luther Brentius and the rest whose disciple and follower he would faine be leaue him in his bad cause nay are brought in plainely reprouing and condemning his opinion as erronious and speaking for the trueth on our side Nay further it is here flatly auouched that the olde Pelagian heresie and impietie which Augustine long agoe confuted and the Church of God then condemned is the father of the birth and beginning of our aduersaries opinion As for the treatise of Predestination annexed hereto it serueth specially for the fuller euidence and greater certaintie of those things that are handled in the former bookes concerning the vniuersalitie of grace and redemption For the remnants of the Pelagians of old and at this day affirming none at all to bee excepted from the redemption of Christs blood and in respect of God maintaining eternall life to bee prepared for all are therefore fallen to the extolling of such grace because they would in no case confesse that God according to the purpose couÌ„sel of his own will in his secret iudgement but manifest worke maketh one vessell to honor and another to dishonour nor will assent hereto that the number of the predestinate can neither be increased nor diminished Both which points are fully handled and plainly proued against them in this booke Praefat. ad Rom. Luther saith notably
vndertake the charge of them The first taught them the worship of the gods and kingly instructions The second aduised theÌ„ to affect fauour the trueth in their whole life The third that they would not be ouercome with any desire but accustome themselues to liue like freemen in very deed kings ruling themselues aboue al things not seruing any desires The fourth made theÌ„ stoute least through feare they should commit any thing not beseeming their dignitie and become seruants This instructioÌ„ of one that should be a Prince florished amoÌ„g the Persians And surely they rightly iudged that he ought to be trained vp in the precepts of wisedome that is of religion and of the kingdome but that being ignorant of Gods trueth they imbraced a false religion through the magical instruction of Zoroaster An instruction not vnlike albeit euery way farre better as being taken out of the cleerest fountaines of heauenly wisedome hath happened vnto your Highnesse most gracious Prince Neither haue the praiers of Salomon been wanting both of your Highnesse which from your childhood hauing taken delight in the knowledge of profitable and good things hath beene earnest in dayly prayers with God and is vncessantly instant desiring to be indued by him with an vnderstanding heart and also of all good men who publikely and priuately haue most regarded that thing and not without cause And how much hath been effected thereby manifest experiments doe testifie and such as shall be with thankefull hearts made knowne to posteritie to the honour of God First because that noble Prince and Lord the Lord Iohn Casimire Tutor and a second parent as it were to your Highnes being lately taken out of this life your flourishing age and already ripe to gouernment and your iudgement riper than your age most excellent Frederike haue afforded vs a refuge and solace in so hard a case Then because after you had taken vpon you the gouernment of most large Dominions wee â—oyfully haue seene such trials of your great vertue and such foundations haue beene layd of good gouernment although in a lamentable and wicked time that it hath lifted vp the mindes of all men vnto a singular good expectation Goe on forwarde therefore in this minde and vertue most noble prince Elector be strong in the Lord and in his mightie power remember the Lordes exhortation in old time to Ioshua I will bee with thee as I was with Moses I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be of good comfort that thou mayest doe according to the Law Let not the booke of the Lawe depart from thy mouth Then thou shalt deale wisely and prosperously in all things In like maner also the holy man Dauid as we read diligently exhorted his sonne Salomon 1. Kings 2. when being as yet a child hee was now consecrated to raigne The Lorde God who taketh away Dan. 2. and appointeth Princes and from whom commeth wisedome and fortitude endue your highnes more and more with vertue from aboue But most noble prince Elector and gracious Lorde seeing these foure bookes of the Redemption of mankinde and Gods Predestination being written by me a yeere agoe should nowe come abroad vnder the authoritie of your gouernment I thought that this my duety should be acceptable to your Highnes if I should intitle and offer them most humbly vnto you and that in respect of that thankefulnesse whereunto I am many wayes bound to your Highnes I know well inough that I am not able this way to make a full recompence yet freely to professe the same is the propertie of a thankefull person Further because in these and the like Ecclesiasticall controuersies that arise from restles wits it is meete that Princes especially should haue the knowledge and custodie of the trueth to the intent that malicious detractors and deprauers may doe the lesse hurt to Christian religion At this day we are slandered of malicious men with a new crime that is fained against vs as though wee should deny that Christ died for al men An impudent reproach For according to the Scriptures we also confesse the same but we denie that thereupon it followeth that all mankinde without exceptioÌ„ of any one are by the death of Christ indeed iustified saued and restored into the bosome of grace hauing receiued the pardon of their sinnes whether they beleeue or no. This is a deuise of man and therefore to be refused if wee will retaine the consent of the Prophets and Apostles Acts 10. Ioh. 3. to wit that euery one that beleeueth in Christ Iesu receiueth remission of sinnes through his name the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Now the doctrine of Predestination according to which God saueth in mercie some of the damnable lumpe of mankind and in iustice punisheth others for their sinnes being in the same lumpe vtterly forsaken is of it selfe plaine if we desire rather to follow the direction of Gods spirit than the consequences of foolish reason But reason being troubled with the depth of Gods grace and his iudgement leaueth here nothing vnassayd as we may see by the example of the Pelagians old and newe the first Augustine of old time soundly confuted and Luther the latter De ser arb alibi Therefore let those men that would be counted Lutherans looke to it how they doe agree in iudgement both against Luther the truth it selfe also with the Pelagians But I make an end praying God that vnder your Highnes the studies of peace learning and pietie may alwayes florish Amen At Heidelberge the 12. of March 1592. Your Highnesse most humbly bounden IACOBVS KIMEDONCIVS D. A table of certaine places of Scripture expounded in these Bookes GEn. 3. The seede of the woman c. 100 I will put enmitie c. 101 Gen. 12. 22. In thy seede shall all nations c. 105.201 Leuit. 16. Of the Scape Goate 107 Deut. 7. God hath chosen thee to be a people 283 Esay 53. He hath laid the iniquities of vs all c. 103. 202 Esay 62. Tell the daughter of Sion 205 Ierem. 23. In his dayes Israel shall be saued 204 Ierem. 31. I will make a couenant with the house of Israel c. 203 Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner c. 335 Osea 13. Thy destruction is of thy selfe 334 Zach. 2. Reioyce O daughter Sion 204 Zach. 3. I will take away the iniquitie of that land 105 Zach. 9. Thy king commeth vnto thee 204 Psalm 2. I will giue thee the heathen for c. 106 Wisd 1. God made not death 334 Ecclesiasticus 33. As one day excelleth another 285 Matth. 1. He shall saue his people 180 Matth. 7. I neuer knew you 210 Matth. 18. Of these little ones that beleeue in me 166 The parable of the debter 126 Matth. 26. Which is shed for many 181 Luk. 1. He hath redeemed his people 182 Luk. 2. I tell you of great ioy 183 A light to lighten the
that our Lord and Redeemer our King and high Priest Iesus Christ came into the world Christ was borne in the 42. yere of Augustus Anno mundi 3963. made of the seede of Dauid after the flesh in the 42. yeare of the raigne of Octauius Augustus which was the yeare of the world 3963. after Funccius supputation Yet I am not ignorant that others disagree from that account certaine of the olde Latines and Greekes ascending vp to the 5000. yeare but by a plaine error in account which riseth from the difference betweene the Hebrew copies and the Greeke Septuaginte But to proceede in my purpose the Lord from the time of his comming and appearing in the flesh sustained all his whole life both in bodie and soule the wrath of God against the sinne of all mankinde but specially in his end 1. Pet. 2.24 when he bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree Coloss 2.14 and tooke out of the way the hand-writing of death that was against vs nailing it on the crosse And it is recorded that this was done in the 34. yere of the incarnation of Christ He suffered death in the 18. yere of Tiberius being 34. yeres old or as Epiphanius saith 32. yeres and 74. daies on the 12. day of the Calends of Aprill that is 21. of March and in the 18. of the raigne of Tiberius Caesar Yet Epiphanius contra Alogos haeres 51. will haue all the yeres of Christs presence in the flesh from his birth to his passion which he writeth was done the day before the 13. of the Calends of Aprill to be only 32. and 74. daies differing one yeare from the former opinion And the same man diligently refuteth the naughtie supputation of others who misunderstanding that prophesie of Esai chap. 61 that I may preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord thought that the Lord after he had finished only one yeares ministerie after his baptisme by Iohn suffered death in the full thirtith yeare of his age In which opinion was Seuerus Sulpitius who noteth that our Lord was crucified when the two twinnes Fusius and Rebellius were Consuls And their Consulship fell in the 31. yeare of Christ as Epiphanius witnesteth But now to omit the curious searching out of these things least any should marueile that Christ after so many thousand yeares should bee made manifest at the length vnder Tiberius as it were in the euening of the world Heb. 9. and as the Scripture speaketh in the end of the world to abolish sinne by the offering of himselfe wee must thinke that it happened not so by chance or fortune but by the eternall counsell and prouidence of God Wised 81. 11.17 which as the Wiseman saith reacheth mightily from one ende to another and disposeth all things pleasantly and ordereth all things in number weight and measure Hereupon saith Peter 1. Epist 2. Christs comming into the world after so many thousand yeares was appoynted so from al eternitie in Gods counsell as the Scripture teacheth vs. that the Lambe by whose precious blood we are redeemed was made manifest in the last times for our sakes being foreordained before the foundations of the world were layd And by the witnes of Paul Gal. 4. God sent his sonne made of a woman after the fulnes of time was come And he meaneth the time of the incarnation of the Sonne and of our redemption by him which was before appointed of his heauenly father which thing the similitude vsed in that place doth declare For he had said that the heire being an infant is vnder tutors vnto the time appointed of the father So Ephes 1. he mentioneth the fulnes of times for the restoring of all things by Christ And that we may more certainly vnderstand that this time of the restoring of all things was by God from all eternitie appointed the same was by diuine inspiration plainly foretold by the mouth of the holie Prophets 1. Epist 1. who as Peter teacheth foretold of the grace that should come to vs searching when and at what instant that foreshewing spirit of Christ that was in them should declare the passions that should happen to Christ and the glorie that should follow Vnto whom it was reueiled that not to themselues but vnto vs they should minister those things We haue examples in the prophesie of Iacob Gen. 49. and of the 70. weekes in Daniel chap. 9. And euery where the Prophets when they foretell of the kingdome of Christ haue made mention of the last daies A question Why came he in the old age of the world and not in the beginning after the fall Acts 1.7 But some man may aske why in the old age and almost end of the world hath God sent his sonne to be a Redeemer and not rather straightwaies after the fall of mankinde Although it be not our part curiously to enquire into the counsell of GOD and it is sufficient to answere curious wits as Christ answered his disciples It is not for you to know the time or seasons which the father hath put in his owne power yet there are reasons of some account alleadged by learned men Thom. part 3. quaest 1. art 5. of the redemption or sending of the Sonne of God so long deferred First it was expedient that the greatnes of mans disease and corruption should more and more be felt Foure causes why Christs birth was so long deferred and made manifest not by the examples of one age onely but of many Therefore God left man first in the state of nature that hee might know the strength or infirmitie rather of his nature after when it decaied he receiued the Law which being giuen the disease increased through the fault not of the Law but of nature that so his weakenes being knowne he might crie vnto the Phisition and seeke for the helpe of grace Secondly the Law and the Prophets the figures and legall shadowes and promises of Christ to come ought to haue their course also and the greater the Iudge or Lord is that was to come the longer rew of cryers or heralds ought to go before as the glosse saith vpon that to the Galathians chap. 4. When the fulnes of time came Thirdly it is agreeable to order that that which is vnperfect and naturall should be first and then that which is spirituall 1. Cor. 15. Therefore the states of nature and of the law as being more vnperfect haue well gone before the state of grace and that by a iust distance of time Fourthly that way the godly were exercised in faith and in the expectation of the redemption to come which when they had beheld a farre off through faith they dyed not obtaining the promises as farre foorth as the exhibiting of the Messiah did not fall out in their times Hereupon the author to the Hebrewes setteth out their faith and long sufferance with notable praises and propoundeth them vnto vs for imitation Heb.
creature through Christ seeing the Apostle writeth so expresselie If any man be in Christ that is hath admitted the faith of Christ and beleeueth in him as Hierome Theophylacte and other ancient writers obserue he is a new creature And Augustine saith Contr. faust lib. 11. cap. 8. Therefore euery new creature that is the renewed people by faith in Christ hath now cause to hope in him Therefore such as are and remaine without Christ neither are nor euer were new creatures and whereas Paul saith We know no man hence forth after the flesh the meaning is not that euery one is renewed by the benefit of Christ as the aduersarie wresteth the saying but this he meaneth that all not regenerate be to him as though they were not yet borne that he respecteth or praiseth no carnall thing in any man but approueth him who is made a new creature by the faith of Christ that he may liue henceforth to him and not to the world Augustine and Theophylacte restraine that word no man to the beleeuers in sense somewhat diuerse from that we now spake of Hereof it is manifest that the opinion of the vniuersall redemption and renewing of all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers is cleane contrary to the words of the Apostle Goe to then thou wilt say How saith hee that Christ died for all I answer because the benefit of Christ is sufficient of it selfe to saue all although it haue effect in those onely who cleaue vnto Christ as members vnto the head by the holy Ghost August Theophylact. Augustine in the place before cited and Theophylact in his comment respecting efficiencie restraine the generall terme according to the custome of the scripture vnto the faithfull for euen they alone are dead to sinne and liue to Christ who died and rose for them And Augustine bringeth the place Ephes 2. Confirming this opinion where the Apostle saith When we were dead because of sinnes he hath quickened vs together with Christ by whose grace ye are saued and hath raised vs and placed vs together in heauen that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace towards vs for ye are saued by grace thorow faith and ye are the worke of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes The 3. place Rom. 8.31 32. Thirdly the place Rom. 8. is obiected If God be for vs who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all c. But here nothing is proued concerning the generalitie of men simplie but of the vniuersality of the faithfull and elect seeing the generall terme All is restrained vnto such as when the same Apostle writeth of Abraham that he is the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and of that high Ierusalem that it is the mother of vs all verilie he would not haue it vnderstoode of all men but of all the faithfull The same restraint is here for vs all and many things concurre if we consider what goeth before and what followeth which most plainely confirme this opinion Certainely these are the words of beleeuers and such as insult ouer the world which they ouercome by faith If God be for vs who can be against vs How shall hee not bestow vpon vs all things who hath not spared his owne sonne for vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ In all things we are more then conquerors thorow him that loued vs. Againe Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect August It is God who iustifieth Hereupon Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. writeth that this is a saying concerning the kingdome of the elect If God be with vs who can be against vs and the rest that follow But it is obiected that Paul speaketh to all to whom he wrote his epistle among whom there were some not elected but to be cut off with the vnbeleeuers That is likely to be true but it is meete and right according to the nature of charitie that Paul should iudge of all the sonnes of the Church at Rome and elsewhere so long as the contrarie did not appeare as of the beloued and elect of God as he witnesseth of himselfe Phil. 1.7 and 1. Thess 1.4 The sayings euen now cited are examples thereof Gal. 4.26 Rom. 4.16 and 8.18 Fourthly it is said Hebr. 2.8 The 4. place of aduersary Hebr. 2.8 to 17. 9 c. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he put all things vnder him he omitted nothing that is not subiect vnto him But now as yet we see not all things subiect vnto him but we see Iesus crowned with glorie and honour who was made for a little while inferior to the Angels for the suffering of death that by the benefit of God he might taste of death for all For it was meete that he for whom are all these things and by whom are all things should by bringing many sonnes vnto glorie consecrate the prince of their saluation thorough afflictions For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one For which cause he was not ashamed to call them bretheren saying I will declare thy name vnto my bretheren in the middest of the Church will I sing praise vnto thee And againe I will trust in him And againe Beholde I and the children whom God hath giuen me Because therefore the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also was made partaker of the same that by death he might abolish him who had the power of death that is the deuill and might deliuer as many as thorough feare of death were all their life subiect vnto bondage For verely he tooke not vpon him the Angels but the seede of Abraham Thes 168. Out of these words Huberus frameth certaine arguments which let the reader iudge and weigh with me First thus he inferreth All things are subiect vnto Christ without exception therefore also the reprobates and by consequence they ought also to belong to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace I answer that all things are subiect vnto Christ 1. Cor. 15. â— 26. 55. but not vnto the communion of Saluation otherwise the diuell also with his Angels sinne death and hell it selfe should be receiued vnto the fellowship of saluation and grace according to the minde of this disputer But all things are subiect vnto him because he hath rule ouer all is Lord of all whether they be beleeuers or vnbeleeuers of these to death of the other to life as Faber Stapulensis hath well written vpon this place To that that he writeth that the reprobates are subiect vnto Christ as their Sauiour that is that they might bee saued wee will then consent when he hath taught that al things are subiect vnto Christ for saluation euen sheepe and oxen and the very deuils Truly all things are subiect vnto Christ the Sauiour Matth. 28. but not as to
beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are receiued into grace and made partakers of remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluation in Christ Of which thing that we may not doubt at al in the Miscellanies of D. Ierome Zanchie of godly memorie Zanchius there is the iudgement extant of the Church and schoole of Tigur touching certaine Theses of the said Zanchie which at that time were hatefully pursued of certaine that moued the same mischiefe that Huber doth The promises of the free mercie of God and of sure and eternall saluation saith Zanchie in his 13. proposition albeit they be propounded vniuersally to all and are so to be preached yet vnto the elect onely in very deede they doe belong And straight after in 14. proposition Wherefore when Paul saith God will haue all men to be saued if a man restraine that word all men to the elect in any order of men whatsoeuer they be also if a man interprete that saying 1. Ioh. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the whole world for the elect dispersed or to be dispersed hereafter through the whole world he doth not depraue the Scripture Of the vniuersalitie of the promise of grace What do those lights of the Heluetian Church Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Marty Simler Lauater and the rest say to these things They doe not onely assent that the promises touching the free mercie of God and sure and eternall saluation doe belong vnto the elect onely but also they confirme it with this reason That the promises are hidden things for faith and can no otherwise be perceiued then by faith therfore they belong onely vnto them who are adorned with faith by God Certainly say they the promises of this kinde are to be preached vnto all because the ministers of the word know not such as are elect according to purpose and they haue a flock consisting of reprobates and elect but they are made effectuall by the power of Gods spirit in them onely who are of the number of the elect Afterward touching the other proposition that is this whole controuersie they make a pure and cleere confession publishing it with a lowd voice in these words The vniuersalitie of the elect in the worde All men by the opinion of new writers We truly are of the same iudgement and cannot reiect with a good consciēce that exposition which also we acknowledge to be agreeable to the text and not once alleadged by Augustine a father most worthie praise of all for which interpretation he was neuer of any man condemned of heresie In the same place they subscribe also to Zanchies opinion that true faith is giuen once onely to the elect The elect perseuer in faith and that the elect once indued with true faith and ingrafted into Christ by the holy Ghost cannot altogether lose faith shake off the holy Ghost and wholly fall frō Christ and that because of the promise of God and the prayer of Christ Notwithstanding that true faith and the spirit is as it were a sleepe and languisheth in the Saints when they fall but is not altogether taken away otherwise the seede of God should not remaine in them as it is said 1. Ioh. 3. Behold Huber the sentence of so many worthie men whom thou hast gotten for thy defendors consenting against thee Therefore there is no cause that thou shouldest seeke after craftie wresting of words and make wiles to intrap men through some phrases of theirs whose iudgement is so plainly knowne Yet least thou shouldest chaunce to doubt of these things Zuinglius take but the aduise of Huldrich Zuinglius onely the ornament of thy Heluetia and the brightnes of all kinde of learning Annot. in Euang. epist Pauli per Leonem Iudae editis There be many such kinde of speaking vsed afterward in like maner of his successors Annot. ad Heb. In Ioh. 6. In Ioh. 12. That the son of God tooke flesh that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world that his flesh was giuen for the life and redemption of the whole world and that he died for all that he might quicken all by himselfe In Ioh. 17. and by his death giue life to the vniuersall world that Christ came to saue all and to giue eternall life to all c. That man surely vseth thus to speake but in a farre other sense than thou huntest for such kinde of speakings in his schollers and successors For expounding himselfe he expressely writeth In Matth. 15. Whereas Christs death is the remedie and plaister of our diseases and wounds yet that many feele not the efficacie thereof In Ioh. 3. namely such as doe not acknowledge their sinnes Also that he was sent to forgiue sinnes to all repentant sinners and to communicate eternall life that he is the life and saluation of the godly the life of beleeuers and such like In Ioh. 6. praefat in histo de pass In epist ad Rom. 3. In Ioh. 12. And yet he taketh away the sins of the whole world and giueth life to all both because no sinnes in the world are forgiuen but by and for the onely reconciler Christ Iesus and also because he is an vniuersall Sauiour to wit not onely of the Iewes but of the Gentiles also that they that haue the fruition of Christ his oblation may for euer goe to God through him and may haue by faith through Christ the blotting out of all their sinnes as more at large a man may see in the same writer tom 1. expostul ad Fridolium Attend and weigh O Huber and cease to abuse the testimonies of thine Heluetians The 8. testimonie Musculus The same thing I say of Musculus whose iudgement who so looketh into I know very well he will marueile at Hubers wit and at his desire and captious kinde of speaking to peruert all things De remiss pecc q. 2. Thes 586. These are his words That the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men This Huber catching at greedily setteth it in his booke in great letters but malitiously altogether pulled away from the words following wherein lieth the meaning of that saying to wit that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men as farre forth as the Gospel is to be preached to euery creature and the mercie of God to be set forth to all And so Musculus vnderstandeth the sayings Ioh. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. So God loued the world Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world not that remission of sinnes by the grace of God befalleth to all without difference of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers which is the opinion of the aduersarie and not of Musculus Nay thus he testifieth openly If we consider them who by the grace of God obtaine remission of their sinnes as of the elect so of these also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates whose sins he saith are
The promise requireth faith And often elsewhere after this sort is the promise of saluation and eternall life made vnto the beleeuers repeated For the promise requireth faith and in respect of the beleeuers it is vniuersall as Ambrose also well expoundeth it lib. 1. de poenit ca. 10. Ambrose He that hath faith hath eternall life he is not excluded from pardon whosoeuer beleeueth shall not perish When he saith whosoeuer no man is excluded no man excepted All saith he that is of what state soeuer of what fall soeuer if he beleeueth let him not be afraide of perishing Now out of this vniuersall ground this is the argument wherewith we ouercome the world the diuell sinne death and hell A Syllogisme shewing how a man ought to applie to himselfe the generall promise Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ shall be saued by his grace and not be ashamed for euer The faithfull person assumeth I beleeue Lord. The conclusion followeth Therefore I shall be saued by the grace of God and not be ashamed for euer The maior of the Syllogisme is plaine by the promises produced before He that beleeueth hath in himselfe the proofe of the minor The beleeuer knoweth himselfe to haue faith and how for he certainely knoweth himselfe to beleeue his owne minde so telling him and his ready and vnfayned studie of new obedience witnessing the same whereupon faith is knowne as the tree by the fruites For as Iohn saith 1. Epist. 2. By this we are sure we know him if we keepe his commaundements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Hereupon also Augustine hath left it in writing that euery one most certainely seeth his faith if he haue the same Which saying of his Luther in Galat. 4. cap. Luther also alloweth as right and godly Yea the Apostle himselfe prescribeth this rule 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether you be in faith examine your selues Wherein he sufficiently declareth that such as be ingraffed into Christ by a true faith may haue the knowledge therof in themselues Marke this But if Satan as if he is a lyar and murtherer from the beginning dare denie vnto thee that thou beleeuest yeelde not vnto him whosoeuer thou art O man who throughly perceiuest the tokens of faith in thy selfe but contrariwise goe most boldlie and say vnto him Goe behinde me Satan Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 1. for thou sauourest not the things which are of God I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded 1. Thess 5. that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day He is faithfull who hath called me who also will effect it A weake faith ought not to cast a man downe Neither is there any cause why thou shouldst bee troubled and cast downe in minde for the imperfection of faith and for those contrary motions feare doubtings heauines and manifolde temptations wherewith we daily fight as long as we carrie about this bodie of death For we know him who hath said Beholde my seruant whom I haue chosen my beloued Esay 24. Matth 12. he shall not breake a brused reede and smoking flaxe hee shall not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victorie Matth. 14.31 16 8. How often hath the Lord testified by notable examples in the Gospell towards his disciples and others greatly weake in faith how he doth not cast off but with great loue and lenitie receiue and cherish such as are weake in faith and daily maketh them more stronger Faith therefore although it be faint Rom. 14.3 so long as it is true and sincere shall not fayle of his effect Onely let him who feeleth himselfe to doubte exercise his faith If thou doubt doe this and wrestle against doubting let him say with the father of the child that had the dumbe spirit I beleeue Lord Mark 9. Luk. 17. helpe mine vnbelefe and let him pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Is this to driue men to desperation Is this to reason from pure particulars And what other consolation I pray you may be brought whereby a man may be made certaine of his saluation to wit that he is iust before God and heire of eternall life Certainely if we haue no other ground of comfort than that such as shall bee saued and damned the elect and reprobates are all alike redeemed by Christ we shall fall headlong into desperation Therefore madde and foolish he must needes be that thus concludeth They that are saued and damned The weake and wofull comfort that ariseth from the redemption of all and euery one without exception are all alike redeemed by Christ Ergo it will come to passe that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore it appeareth that that vniuersalitie of men redeemed no one at all excepted which the aduersarie so greatly talketh of is not the proper ground of Christian consolation but we must come to faith which putteth difference betweene those that shall be saued and damned For by faith we receiue the merite of Christ and applie it to our selues and therefore he that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleeueth not in the sonne Iob. 3. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And hitherto at the length is the aduersarie brought will he nill he to the intent he may assigne some thing certaine of the certaintie of saluation We saith he The aduersarie himselfe confesseth the truth Thes 534. Doe knowe that saluation is certaine vndoubted and constant and we say that it pertaineth vnto them who by faith abide in Christ and we say that they shall abide in faith who suffer not the word of vniuersall grace vpon all The faithfull shall continue Luke 22. Ioh. 17. to be taken frō themselues We also say the same thing and further say that they shall perseuer in the word and assurance of grace who are once ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuelie faith he praying for them and giuing them this freely that their faith shall not fayle For this foundation being once remoued of the perseuerance of true beleeuers what certainty can any man haue of the grace of God in time to come and therefore of his saluation What that the vniuersalitie of the promise which they so greatly vrge must then needes fall Flat contraries For these are flat contrarie that all beleeuers are saued and that some beleeuers doe fall away and perish But if saluation pertaine to them as it doth which by faith abide in Christ what shall we say of vnbeleeuers they are excluded Therefore let him looke to it Huber Thes 266. sequent who auoucheth that they are alike saued by Christ as well as any other and that the promises of grace and life belong to them also Obiection But grace is vniuersall Answere I answer
onely who should beleeue in him and repent For that cause he saith And he shall beare the sinnes of many Luther also vpon that saying Luther in Is 53. My righteous seruant by the knowledge of himselfe c. defineth Christian righteousnes to be nothing els than to know Christ and this onely to be the way of our deliuerance from death and sinnes and that this knowledge doth free vs and that there is no other comfort Therefore it is an error to claime for al men simply freedome from sinne and death The same thing plainly appeareth by the forme of the new couenant Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. Behold the daies shal come The 3. place Ierem. 31. saith the Lord when I will make a new couenaÌ„t with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I brought them out of the land of Aegypt but this is the couenant which I will strike with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people Neither shall euery one teach his neighbour saying know the Lord for al shal know me from the least to the greatest among them and I will be merciful to their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Hence wee see that remission of sinnes which is wrought by the death of the Mediatour is the benefit of the new couenant Whereupon it followeth The benefits of the couenant belong to the sonnes of the couenant that it appertaineth to the sonnes onely of the couenant But how that all are not the sonnes of the couenant first from hence it is plaine that these promises I will put my lawes in their mindes I will bee their God and they shall be my people they shall all know me agree not simply vnto all men Then because it is flatly sayd that this couenant is made with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda which thing must be vnderstood of the Church of the Iewes and Gentiles that true Iuda and Israel whereof the Apostle also speaketh Gal. 3. Ye are all one in Christ Iesu and because ye are Christs ye are Abrahams seede and heires by promise Ier. 23. 33. The 4. place The like promise we haue Iere. 23. and 33. Behold the daies shall come saith the Lord that I will raise vp to Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall raigne in whose daies Israel shal be saued and Iuda shall dwell boldly We see here also the redemption of the Messiah peculiarly attributed to his people because Luk. 1. as the Angell Gabriel testifieth he raigneth ouer the house of Iacob that is the Church and of his raigne and his peace there shall be no end Euery where also in the Prophets when they foretell of the comming of the Redeemer and of saluation to be wrought by him the word of promise is peculiarly directed vnto the Church vnder the name of Sion Zach. 2. The 5. place as Zachar. 2. Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I will come and dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord and many nations shall be gathered together in that day and they shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee and the Lord shall possesse Iuda his portion in the holy land and shall choose as yet Ierusalem That this must bee vnderstoode of the Church collected from euery place the things that we reade 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. and Apoc. 21. vers 2. will not suffer vs to doubt at all Zach. 6. The 6. place And in the 9. chapter of the same Prophet it is said Reioyce greatly O daughter Sion shout for ioy O daughter Ierusalem Behold thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee who is iust a Sauiour poore â—iding vpon an asse and he shall speake peace to the Gentiles and his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the flood to the ends of the earth Ephes 2. For the Catholike Church of Christ is dispersed through the whole world which Christ as Paul witnesseth is our peace and hath made both Iewes and Gentiles one abolishing enmitie through his flesh that he might make one man of two in himselfe and hath reconciled both in one bodie vnto God by his crosse slaying enmitie by it and comming hath preached peace both to them that were farre off and to them that were neere Agreeable to this is the word of promise Esay 62. Esay 62. Behold the Lord proclaimeth vnto the vtmost parts of the earth Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy saluation shall come behold his reward is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called a citie sought for and not forsaken What was this citie but the high Ierusalem which is the mother of vs all for it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest not Gal 4. breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate woman hath more children than she that hath an husband After which sort also the citie of God the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem with her sonnes dispersed among all nations is gloriously described in the 87. Psalme And these bee they of whom speaketh this propheticall word here They shall call them a holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Wherefore seeing the prerogatiue of so great dignitie is proper to the sons of the Church and the household of God it is iniuriously extended to those that are without But that we may not go farre it is certaine Acts 10. as Peter sheweth that all the Prophets doe witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him receiueth remission of sinnes through his name And as Paul affirmeth the righteousnesse of God is approued by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. the righteousnesse of God I say in all and vpon all that beleeue Col. 1. Now the righteousnesse of God and remission of sinnes is redemption it selfe Colos 1. Wherefore by the one consent of all the Prophets redemption is proper to the beleeuers and nothing at all belongeth to the vnbeleeuers CHAP. VI. The same thing is proued by some types of the old Testament I Will onely annexe certaine typicall or shadowed things of the old Testament wherein now long agoe the very same thing hath been declared The redemption of Israel out of Egypt and Babel And first it is manifest enough that the redemption of the people of Israel out of Egypt and after out of the captiuitie of Babel were as certaine shadowes and figures of this true redemption and grace gotten by Christ as here and there wee may see in the Prophets Tuitiens hath this similitude vpon Ioh. 17. Therefore looke how much difference there is betweene the Egyptians perishing with
himself hath made and to punish in many what he hath not made Whereunto also that tendeth that he writeth Epist 105. ad Sixt. presbyt Albeit God make vessels of wrath vnto perdition to declare his wrath and to manifest his power whereby he well vseth the euill and to make knowne the riches of his glorie towards the vessels of mercie which he maketh to honour yet he himselfe knew how to condemne and not to make iniquitie in the same vessels of wrath made for the merit of the lampe vnto deserued shame that is in men created for the benefit surely of nature but destinate to punishment because of their sinnes These things Augustine Reprobates are created for the good of nature and appoynted to be punished for sinne to Gods glorie and the saluation of the Elect De praedest gra c. 6. Therefore they that shall be damned are created for the good of nature and are appointed to punishment and damned for sinnes and that not as though it were to this last end that is that they might bee for euer tormented but both for the saluation of the elect and also especially for the glorie of God according to the threefold maner briefly assigned of Augustine in the words of the Apostle Of which matter elsewhere also he hath left it written that God vseth the perdition of some to the saluation of others and would haue the destruction of such as shall perish to be an argument of saluation to thē that he hath predestinate to be vessels of mercie Also Why is not grace giuen to all De bono perseuer cap. 8. I answere because God is a righteous Iudge therefore both freely grace is giuen of him and also by his iust iudgement against others it is declared that grace helpeth them to whom it is giuen and so God commendeth more freely his grace in the vessels of mercie How God could elect or reprobate men from euerlasting seeing then they were not Lastly if it trouble any man how God from euerlasting hath elected or reprobated them that as yet were not let him consider that to God all things are present for he comprehendeth with an eternall and stedfull view all times and temporarie things together Therfore before he would make vs he foreknew vs and in his foreknowledge when as yet he had not made vs he chose vs before the creatiō of the world Within the world we were made and before the world wee were elected for he foreknew vs in his prescience vnchangeably abiding whom hee in his time would create after his image and likenes and whom falling through his permission from that dignitie into the pit of sinne and death he would either deliuer through the vndeserued bountie of his mercie or els condemne through deserued and true iudgement CHAP. V. Of the causes of predestination ANd these things of the first question Let vs come to the second The materiall cause be men and the things that God hath decreed for them wherein the causes of predestination are demanded And the materiall cause surely men themselues are and those things that God decreed to doe for the predestinate as are grace faith good workes and perseuerance in goodnes c. in this present life and glorie in respect of the elect and punishment in respect of the reprobates in the life to come Further the definitions before alleaged doe shew the forme The finall cause The finall cause also both of election and reprobation is of Paul not obscurely declared when Rom. 9. he testifieth that God would shew his wrath and make knowne his power in the vessels of wrath formed to destruction but in the vessels prepared for mercie he would make knowne the riches of his glorie Whereunto tendeth that also of Pharao To this end haue I stirred thee vp that I might declare my power and that my name may be knowne in all the earth And of the elect Ephes 1. he saith He hath predestinated vs to be adopted for sonnes to the praise of his glorious grace Briefly the last end of election and reprobation is the glorie of God as the Wiseman teacheth Prou. 16. He hath made all things for himselfe euen the wicked against the euill day But he would make manifest specially his mercie in the saluation of the elect De bono perseuer cap. 12. and his wrath in the punishment of the rest and yet his goodnes and iustice in all Because as Augustine witnesseth It is good when due debt is rendered and it is iust The chiefe question is of the impulsiue cause of election and reprobation when debt is without any mans hinderance freelie forgiuen But the question chiefly in controuersie is of the impulsiue cause of election and reprobation which is referred to the kind of efficient causes whether any cause can be assigned which might moue God to chuse and refuse To the vnderstanding of which question wee must distinguish For the question may be taken either generally Two questions The first generall why he eelected some and reiected others why he hath elected some and reiected others or particularly of the election and reprobation of euery one why he hath elected these men and reprobated those As for example why he hath elected Iacob before Esau Moses before Pharao Peter before Iudas And of the first question wee must render a reason from the things that before haue been spoken of the end of predestination For the end either is considered as it is in the things themselues and as it followeth the action and so it is properly called an end or els as being comprehended in the minde and desire it moueth the doer and so it is counted the impulsiue cause Therefore seeing in them that shall be saued God hath set downe the manifestation of his mercy to be the last cause The manifestatiō of Gods mercie and iustice is the impulsiue cause and in thē that shal be damned the manifestation of his iustice and the end as far forth as it moueth to doing is to be takē for the efficient cause therefore this manifestation both of mercie and iustice that is of the goodnes and glory of God is after a sort the efficient cause both of electiō reprobatiō of some The second particular why this man before that No reason but the onely will of God can be giuen why this man is elected and that man is reprobated shewed by two similitudes But why he hath elected these men and reprobated those wee can alledge no other reason thereof than the meere most free and most gratious will and good pleasure of God As surely in the vniuersalitie of things there may be a reason assigned why God in the beginning created one part of the first matter being in it selfe wholly of one forme vnder the forme of fire another parte vnder the forme of earth namely that so there might be a diuersitie of kinds in things naturall But why this part hath
no cause to alleage beside the alone and that free and iust wil of God Thâ— very thing is meant by the distinction that some make The decree of predestination and the execution of that decree betweene the decree of predestination whereof there is no cause but the will of God and the execution of the decree the cause whereof be the sins of such as shal be damned From the meaning of which distinction that which Thomas writeth doth not disagree Expos in 9. ad Rom. That the prescience of sinnes may be called some reason of reprobation in respect of the punishment which is prepared for the reprobates to wit in as much as God purposeth to punish the wicked for sins which they haue of thâ—selues and not of God Ecâ—â—us in Chrysopass And according to Richard as Eckius reporteth The merites of men are the reason of reprobation in * Quantum ad connotatum respect of that which is notorious which is temporall bardening and future damnation but saith he there is no reason to wit in man of the preordination vnto that damnation Caluin respecting the same thing Comment in â— ad Rom. graunteth that the next cause of reprobation is that wee are all accursed in Adam by natiue corruption which is dispersed throughout all mankind which is sufficient vnto damnation As Esau saith hee was worthily reiected because naturally hee was the child of wrath yet Paul auoucheth that without respect of anie fault or vice his condition was worse than his brothers that we may learne to rest in the naked and simple good pleasure of God What neede many wordes whom God hath reprobated therefore he hath reprobated because he would But he hath reprobated that is foreordained to inflict iust punishment for sinne As Augustine also is rightly vnderstood when he saith Cont. duas epist Pela li. 1. c. 20. that God maketh some vessels of wrath according to merite for naturally we are all the children of wrath others vessels of mercie according to grace CHAP. XII A confutation of certaine obiections against the expounded doctrine of the cause of Election and Reprobation BVt the greatnes of the question which wee handle troubleth the senses of men that too proudly reason of the wil of God whereby it commeth to passe that many obiect manie things against this height of the diuine mercy and iudgement whereby when there is no diuersity nor difference of merites among men themselues one is predestinated that he might be seuered and chosen out of the masse of perdition and be made a vessell for honor and another is reprobated to be a vessell for dishonor First the very name of Election seemeth to be against it For Obiection 1 Election specially is made in respect of some qualitie whereby one excelleth or seemeth to excell another So wee are went in chusing to prefere faire things before ill fauoured sit things before vnfit and more profitable things before such as bee lesse profitable Therefore it seemeth that we must say that God also respected something in the elect for which cause hee preferred them before others Esay 55. Answere Answere The thoughts of God are not as the thoughts of men neither his waies as our waies saith the Lord. Wee men are wont to chuse after the aforesaid maner Election and loue in God is faire otherwise than in men but election and loue are farre otherwise in God than in men For the will of man is moued to loue by beholding of some good in the thing loued in respect of some good as it is said true or els in appearance it prefereth the thing it chuseth before another and counteth it deare But the will of God is the cause of al goodnes in the creature and therefore God loueth man not for any good thing that he can chuse in him What it is to loue but rather because he loueth him therfore in chusing he preferreth him before others to wit by willing that good to him which hee willeth not to another For to loue is to will good to a man Obiection 2 Secondly the Apostle saith 2. Timothie 2. In a great house there be not onely vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth and some surely to honour others to dishonour If therefore a man shall purge himselfe from these things hee hall bee a vessell for honour sanctified and fit for the Lords vse c. Therefore that we may bee vessels for honour or dishonor elect or reprobates it dependeth on our selues Answere But doubtles they that abuse this place must needes first with Sophysters and the enemies of grace also maintaine that the clensing of a man consisteth in the strength of free will For as long as it is the benefite of grace it abideth to be the effect of election whereby vessels for honour are made and by no meanes can be the cause of it Further the consequence is denied because in that place he handleth not the cause of predestination as Ro. 9. but onely a marke is taught whereby we may know the elect and the Saints which is a sincere and constant confession of Gods name The true sense of the Apostles words before and a studie of righteousnes For the Apostle preuenteth the offence that might arise of the Apostacy of Hymeneus and Philetus men of great worth as they had been estemed and sheweth to the comfort of the faithfull that the elect cannot perish but that they bee knowne to God and not to vs vnlesse it be by the effects and by that that followeth as wee speake according to the rule Let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Therefore it is our part to perseuer in a true confession to imbrace righteousnes and not to ioyne with the teachers of errors and other wicked men that we may be that is in very deede may testifie that wee are the vessels of honour We are commanded 2. Peter 1. The 3. obiection to make our calling and election sure to wit by good workes as some Greeke and Latine copies haue it added and the sense of it selfe requireth it The argument will be such as this is That is the cause of election whereby it is made strong and sure But election is made sure by good workes Therefore good workes are the cause of Election Answere It is answered in respect of God election is firme in it selfe or in the purpose of God the chuser 2. Tim. 2. Rom. 9. because as the Apostle witnesseth the foundation of God standeth sure and his purpose according to electioÌ„ abideth not of works but of the caller But in respect of vs election is made sure by good works as by the effects For because we be elected that we may be holy and blamelesse not without cause is holinesse of life accounted the triall and declaration of election And this is the meaning of Peters wordes From whence an answere
among other things these he mentioneth Rom. 1. Therefore that is for a recompence of their error God gaue them vp into shamefull affections and into a rebate mind to do the things that were not conuenient being full of all vnrighteousnes fornication wickednes coueteousnes c. 2. Thess 2. Because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued God sent vnto them a strong force of error that they might beleeue a lye Isa 19. God hath cast among them the spirite of error and they haue seduced Egipt And chapter 63. why hast thou made vs O Lord to erre from thy waies hast thou hardened our hearts that we should not feare thee 1. King 22. By Gods commaundement and in his iudgement a lying spirite went forth to seduce Achab by the false Prophets He doth these things after a wonderfull and vnspeakeable maner Augustine saith Augustine who knoweth how to worke his iust iudgements not onely in the bodies but also in the harts of men who maketh not euill wills but vseth them as he will seeing he cannot will any thing vniustly Cypr ser de â—rat dom in 5 petit Cyprian also vpon the petitioÌ„ Lead vs not into teÌ„ptation or as he readeth Suffer vs not to be lead c. writeth that the aduersarie can do nothing against vs vnles God before hath permitted him The diuell hath power against vs in two respects and thence is power giuen him and that that euill one hath power against vs in two respects either to punishment when we haue sinned or els to glory when wee are tryed Which thing in so many wordes welneere our Augustine expresseth De serm Dom. in monte lib. 2. Temptations saith he are made by Sathan not by his authority but by Gods sufferance either to punish men for their sins or els to proue and exercise them of Gods mercy Therefore by all these proofes a man may after a sorte perceiue Gods hardening is not only permission but also the operation of his wrath that hardening when in the Scriptures it is attributed to God signifieth not onely permission but also the operation of Gods wrath for that I may say nothing of outward things which make to the induration of reprobates the deuill himselfe who worketh mightily in the children of disobedience is so in the power of God that he doth nothing but at his commaundement God is the reuenger and not the author of sinne And this is diligently to bee marked that whether by forsaking or by any other waie that maÌ„ can shew or not shewe God who is most highly good and vnspeakeably iust doth exercise such kind of iudgements he is not the author but the reuenger of crimes while he punisheth one sin with another For we seeke for the merite of mercie saith Augustine and we find it not Ad Sixtum Epist 105. because there is none least grace should bee made of none effect if it be not giuen freely but rendred for deserts But we seeke for the merite of hardening and we find it For for good cause the whole lumpe of sin is condemned from the first beginning of it Rom. 5. and as age increaseth so wickednes thereupon groweth through a mans owne will and thereupon also damnation Therefore the Scriptures rehearse deliuering vp into euil lustes and efficacie of error and such like as the scourges of Gods wrath and the iust recompence of reward Obiection But God worketh thou saist hardnes of heart But hardnes of heart is sin for what is it els than to resist the commaundement of God as Stephen cast the Iewes in the teeth Therefore God worketh sin Answere 1 Answere First God worketh not hardnes of hart as hath been said by instilling malice but by forsaking and deliuering vp to the lusts of the hart to the deuil himselfe Answere 2 Secondly Contra Iul. pel lib. 5. cap. 3. in the Minor there is a fallacie of the accident For as Aug. teacheth the hardnes of heart as manie other things may be considered three manner of waies to wit as it is sin as it is the punishment of former sinnes Hardnes of heart taken three waies and as it is the cause of sinnes following namely when through the error of a blind heart some euill is committed And these diuerse respects concurre accidentally in one and the same worke Therefore as farre forth as hardnes whereof wee speake is a sin it is the worke of man and the deuill and it is Gods worke no otherwise than as it is apunishment For hee is the author of euery punishment of sinne whatsoeuer it be because euery punishment of sin as it is such is good because it is iust But God is not the author of sin because it is euill And God is exceeding good and iust and cannot be the author of an euill and vniust thing as it is written Thou art a God that hast no pleasure in wickednes Psalm 5. Lib. 5. Stromat And Clemens Alexandrinus citeth out of the Poet Iupiter who raigneth ouer the Gods and beholdeth all things is not the cause of euils to mortall men Hereupon dependeth an answere to an other obiection also Obiection 2 That if God hardens men they that sin They that be hardened haue no defence for it and that for two causes seeme to be made excusable For who may resist his will Answere But for two causes no place of defence or shift is left for such as be hardened First because the merit of induratioÌ„ sticketh fast in themselues as we haue seene Secondly they themselues wittingly and willingly harden their owne heart against Gods commaundement and indurate themselues as of Pharao not onely it is written that God hardened him Exod. 8. Wisd 2. but also that he hardened his owne heart And the wiseman witnesseth that the wicked erre because their own malice blindeth them For through malice they shut their owne eyes least they should see and stop their eares least they should heare like the deafe adder that stoppeth her eare Psalm 58. least she should heare the voice of the charmer CHAP. XVIII Whether God hath predestinated the infidelitie of the reprobates and sinnes in generall ANd these things of the effectes of reprobation But here further the question was wont to be asked i. Whethetr reprobates as they are said to be predestinated to suffer damnation for sins so also be predestinated to sins theÌ„selues infidelitie and others whereby they draw damnation vpon themselues or no And generally whether God predestinated any man to sin Some men surely feare not to auouch it as not repugnant vnto the trueth Anselme lib. de Concord gra lib. â—ib nor inconuenient Of which opinion is Anselme Bishop of Canterbury who was famous in the yeere 1060. for he boldlie affirmeth that there is a predestination not only of good things but may be said also to be of euill things after a sort because euill
the beginning is of the vnchangeablenes of predestination Where wee must consider that election and reprobation namely the decree of God concerning the either sauing of men in mercie or the punishing of them in iustice cannot be changed so that of the number of the elect any one perisheth or contrarily any of the reprobates be saued but as well the one be vnfallibly saued as the other be vnfallibly damned This opinion may be confirmed by many testimonies of the sacred Scriptures Ioh. 6. the Lord saith The elect cannot perish not the reprobates be sauâ—d because Gods decree is vnchangeable towards both proued by many places euery one that the father giueth me shall come vnto me and all that commeth vnto me I will not cast forth And chap. 10. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer and no man shall plucke them out of my hand My father who gaue them me is greater then all neither can any man pull them out of my fathers hand 1. Ioh. 2. They went of from vs but they were not of vs. For if they had been they had surely continued with vs. 2. Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale God knoweth who are his As also Apoc. 7. there is mention made of the seale of the liuing God and of the certaine number of them that are sealed in their foreheads to wit of the seruants of God whom his grace preserueth harmeles and vntouched among the midst of the stormes of calamities vpon sea and land So afterward in the same booke chapter 13. and 17. power is giuen to the Dragon and beast to seduce the whole earth yet the elect are excepted whose names are written in the booke of life from the foundation of the world Therefore the elect cannot be deceiued at the least finally As also Mat. 24. False Christs and Prophets shall arise and shall worke great signes and miracles to seduce if it might bee the very elect What meaneth that saying of Paul Rom. 8. Wee know that all things worke for good to them that loue God that is that are called of purpose In Soliloq c. 28. All things he saith euen euill things yea sinnes themselues as Augustine witnesseth And most plainly the Apostle confirming the same addeth For whom hee foreknew them hee predestinated also to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne Whom he predestinated them he hath iustified and glorified also What shall we say then to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs euen he who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shal he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall accuse the elect of God who shall condemne who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Neither death nor life c. And in the 9. chapter of the same Epistle It cannot bee that the word of God should faile On whom he will he hath mercie and whom he will hee hardeneth Who shall resist his will And chap. 11. God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew which thing he there sheweth by the example of Elias times and of the Iewes of his time among whom albeit farre degenerate and enemies to the Gospell yet God reserued to himselfe a remnant according to the election of grace And he annexeth a saying worthie to bee remembred Israel obtained not that he sought for but the elect attained it and the rest were hardened And a little after Therefore as touching the Gospell they are enemies for your sakes but in respect of election they are loued for their fathers sakes For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance that is surely fixed without changing as Augustine expoundeth who also warneth vs to vnderstand this saying not of that calling whereof it is sayd Many are called c. but of that whereby the elect are called Secondly Predestination is vnchangeable The 1. reason the propounded sentence leaneth on most effectuall reasons For what things God from eternitie foreknoweth they must needes certainly and vnfallibly come to passe as they be foreknowne of him For foreknowledge is the knowledge of a thing that shall be And that which shal come to passe must needes bee done And it is confessed already that God foreknoweth who shall be saued and who shall be damned Ergo c. Further the decrees of God are vnchangeable The 2. reason But election and reprobation as it is said be the decrees of God of sauing whom he will in mercie and condemning whom hee will in iustice Therefore it cannot be but both election and also reprobation is firme and immutable so that neither the elect can perish nor the reprobates be saued For of the immutabilitie of Gods secrets it is said 1. Sam. 15 2â— Numb 23.23 The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent For he is not a man that he should repent Also God is not as a man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should be changed He hath said and shall he not doe he hath spoken and shall he not accomplish And in Esay The Lord of hosts hath decreed and who can breake it Esay 14. â—4 27. The hand of the Lord is stretched out and who shal turne it away And My counsell shall stand and I will doe all my will Cap. 46.10 But in that God now and then denounceth and threatneth some things which yet afterwards he doth not A doubte by the example of the Niniuites and of Ezechias wee must vnderstand that therein the Scripture speaketh according to the nature of second causes or els with the condition secretly vnderstood of repentance and prayer as Iere. 18. such like sayings are expounded and not in respect of Gods simple and absolute decree In which sense it is well said of Gregorie The Lord knoweth how to change his saying but neuer knoweth how to change his counsell And of Augustine God knoweth how to change his saying if we would change our life Thirdly The 3. reason examples manifestly proue the infalliblenes of predestination Pharao Sehon and the kings of the Canaanites with their subiects were appointed to destruction What was done their hearts were hardened that they might fight against Israel and perish for their sinnes And it is expressely written Exod. 4. Deut 2. â—s 11. 1. Sam. 2. 2. King 12. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts to fight with Israel that he might destroy them So Elies sonnes hearkened not to the voyce of their father because the Lord had appointed to destroy them Roboam heard not the people because it pleased the Lord by that meanes to rent the kingdome 2. Sam. 7. and to pull it away from Salomons race Absalom and euery man of Israel despised the good counsell of Achitophel and heard Husai because the Lord minded to destroy Achitophels counsell to
Iupiter saith Thinkest thou alone O daughter deare from thee to put away vnconquerable fate And afterward The fates that stable be and do abide for aye feare neither planets thunderbolts nor any great decay The stoicall sate De Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 5. Also this opinion is commonly attributed to the Stoicke philosophers albeit Augustine doeth mitigate their opinion because they said that the knitting together of things by fate doth depend vpon Iupiter whom they supposed to be the soueraigne God For in Aulus Gellius li. 6. cap. 2. there is Chrysippus his definition of fate or destinie What fate is that it is the naturall and vnchangeable coniunction order of all things froÌ„ euerlasting Cicero de fato As Cicero also noteth the opinion of such meÌ„ as say that all things are brought to passe by a naturall binding and coupling together without interruption These dotings not only the Church but also sounder phylosophie reiecteth and condemneth both because they take from God his libertie and omnipotencie and also because they abolish the order and manner of working ordeined by Gods wisedome in second causes For some second causes bee ordeined of God to certaine and determined effectes other be not but of their owne nature are indifferent to bring forth this or that effect Fate for Gods prouidence Lib. epist 18. Other men doe terme the connexion and order of all causes hanging on the wil of God by the name of fate which we vse to call Gods prouidence So Anneus Seneca The fates leade him that is willing draw him that is vnwilling most euidently called that fate which in the same place hee had called the will of the highest father And Apuleius saith In dogmaâ—e Platonis that fate is a diuine Lawe whereby the ineuitable purposes and entreprises of God are brought to passe De caus lib 4. After the same maner Boëtius spake many things of fate For he will haue a fatall order to depend vpon the simplicitie of the diuine prouidence How Gods prouidence and fate doe dister by Boetius so that prouidence is a diuine way disposing all things but fate is a disposition inherent in moueable things that is the execution of that eternall prouidence in God And seeing fate proceedeth from the beginning of an immoueable prouidence he writeth that hence it commeth to passe that it also is immutable With such men as these bee if we credite Augustine De Ciuit. lib. 5. cap. 7. wee must not greatly contend about the worde seeing they attribute the very order of causes whereby euery thing is done that commeth to passe to the will and power of the Soueragne God whom most truely wee beleeue both that hee knoweth all things before they be done and also leaueth nothing vndisposed and all powers are from him Euill wils are not from God albeit not all wils proceede from him For euil wils are not from him because they are against nature which commeth from him Christians must not haue the word fate or destinie in their mouthes Yet because wee must speake of diuine things according to the rule of pietie it is beter to abstaine from the word fate or destinie as Augustine in the same place notably aduiseth vs chapter 1. Humane kingdomes are altogether appointed by the diuine prouidence which if a man therefore attribute to fate because he vnderstandeth thereby the very will and power of God let him hold his iudgement still but let him reforme his tongue But it is an vngodly sacrilegious thing Marke this well that some endeuour to finde fault with that order of causes which are coupled together which order is certaine with God foreknowing disposing it such men must at length needs fall to this point that they will both deny Gods foreknoweldge and also all prophecie that is clearer then the light as Cicero did de diuinat 2. For if all future things be foreknowne that they shall in that order come to passe as they are foreknowne that they shall bee And if they shall come to passe by this order the order of things is certaine with God foreknowing them And if the order of things be certaine the order of causes also is certaine For not any thing can be done before which there went not some efficient cause Obiection 3 Of freewill But in this order of causes that are ioyned one with another is there any libertie of our free will Doeth the chaine of predestination constraine the very motions also of mens mindes Answere Libertie threefold I answere there is a threefold libertie according to the common distinction libertie from coaction from sinne and from miserie Of these three libertie from coaction or compulsion is the propertie of the will that cannot be lost as Bernard sayeth that is that whatsoeuer it willeth whether it bee that which is good by the grace of God or that which is euill of it one nature it alwayes willeth it freely that is with a voluntary motion and not by compulsion Wee doe surely many things against our will and compelled yet the will it selfe can desire or chuse nothing vnwillingly and forced because if it should wil by constraint it should vnwillingly wil which implyeth a contradiction Euchir cap 30. Otherwise as it is in Augustine man naughtily vsing freewill lost both himselfe and it and hereby hee that is the seruant of sinne is at libertie to sin but to doe right cously he is not free vnles being deliuered from sinne he begin to be the seruant of righteousnesse Moreouer if by free be meaÌ„t that which is subiect to none nor dependeth vpon any other thing Libertie from subiection the will hath not or is limited in that sense wee must not doubt that there can be no libertie of mans will but that all things are done of necessitie as God hath foreknowne and worketh by his vnfallible counsel Cap. 16â— and power as Luther often mentioneth in many places in his booke of seruile will For as other things so the elections of the wils of angels and men are subiect to Gods prouidence Acts 17. in whom we liue bee and are mooued and who inclyneth the heart of a king whither souer he will Gregorie Nyssene in his booke that he wrote of man saith prouidence is of such things as be not in vs And Damascene lib. 2. orth fid writeth Damascene that God foreknoweth only the things that are in vs and doeth not foreordaine them But these are daungerous speeches and ought not or cannot be admitted but very warily as Thomas aduiseth vs Tho. cont gent. lib. 2. cap. 90. Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib 5 cap â— And Augustine much better All wils are subiect to the wil of God euen all wils because they haue no power but what he granteth them Obiection But thou wilt say What is determined of God necessarily so commeth to passe as it is determined
peraduenture hee will more increase the griefe because hee seeth a sharpe purgation to be more necessary Fourthly Ambrose weighing Peters words to Simon against the Nouatians that commonly abused them Lib. de poenicent cap. 5. teacheth by many examples that that is the custome of the Scripture euen boldly to vse through a certaine simplicitie of vtterance such kinds of speaking wherein there is some shew of doubting Obiection 4 Furthermore whereas the aduersaries alleage that the certaintie of grace if men could be sure of it would be an occasion and cause of great licentiousnes and Epicurish securitie it is a meere ignorance and slander For it cannot be but the feeling of the loue of God towards vs whereby the multitude of our sinnes is gratiously couered should beget more and more in our hearts towards him againe the loue of new obedience as it is written Psal 13. 18. With thee is mercie that thou maist be feared Also I will loue thee O Lord my strength my tower and the horne of my saluation What if the aduersaries themselues confesse that a speciall reuelation is graunted to some of the certaintie of their saluation It will follow then by their own opinion that God doth cast such men into the danger of prophanenes and Epicurish securitie Neither doth it any whit hinder the certaintie of saluation Prou. 18. that we are commanded to be fearfull in auoiding falles not to be puffed vp nor to bee ouer wise but to feare Rom. 11. 1. Cor. 10. Marke this that he that seemeth to stand fall not For by these and such like the securitie of the flesh and not faith is condemned and the vse of the meanes subordinate to saluation is required So Paul albeit he was certified by an Angell of his owne safetie and of theirs that failed with him and beleeuing God that so it should come to passe as he had told him yet he suffered not the mariners to flie out of the ship but said vnles these men abide in the ship ye cannot be saued Acts 27. Thus the confidence of saluation and a godly care to vse the meanes and not to tempt the Lord doe very well agree together They vse also to charge our doctrine with presumption Obiection 5 Beucer de Concor aâ—t grat but in vaine For we beleeue God that promiseth Wherfore our confidence and certaintie resteth not vpon our own presumption but vpon his promise as Augustine well distinguisheth tract 22. in Ioh. Finally they wrest for their purpose what our writers plainly Obiection 6 confesse themselues that no man can exclude in this world all doubting alwaies of his owne saluation and of the care that God hath of him Whosoeuer say they doubteth of his saluation is not sure of it but all men doubt therefore no man is sure of it But this snare we easily auoide by this caution or distinction He that doubteth is not sure to wit for that time that he doubteth and in speaking of some * Idea patterne of certaintie But now doubting oftentimes ariseth but not alwaies in the minds of the godly because of the infirmitie and battell of the flesh against the spirit and they get with much adoe the vpper hand againe by this vertue and power to whom they crie with teares I beleeue Lord Mark 9. helpe my vnbeliefe And albeit this be a sufficient impediment that we can not attribute vnto the godly the * Ideam maner or forme of the certaintie of faith whereby all doubting and trembling is excluded yet there is not sufficient cause to depriue them of all certaintie of grace and saluation vnles a man would by the like reason auouch Ierem. 12. Abac. 1. Psalm 73. that euen the holy men of God Ieremie Abacuc Asaph and others were vncertaine of the prouidence of God and his righteous gouernment of all things because of some doubtings that were in them concerning that matter Therefore let it stand as a certaine thing that while wee liue in this mortalitie and banishment as it were of this world we be not without the way and meane whereby to our comfort wee may bee made sure of our saluation And while this standeth fast it necessarily followeth that wee may know and be assured of the election also of vs to eternall life For seeing saluation belongeth to the elect onely doubtles the certaintie of it cannot stand without the certaintie of Gods election which is the fountaine beginning and ground of saluation CHAP. XXIIII How and by what meanes we are made certaine of the election of vs in Christ Reuelation is needefull MOreouer the meane whereby a man may be made sure of the election of himselfe vnto eternall life dependeth vpon the reuelation not of flesh and blood but of God himselfe the chuser Rom. 11. 1. Cor. â— For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who is of his counsell Or what man knoweth the things that belong to a man but the spirit of a man that is in him So no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God And we saith the Apostle haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we may know what things God hath bestowed vpon vs. Seeing therfore the counsels of God cannot bee knowne without diuine manifestation what marueile is it if so great a secret I meane the predestination of vs to adoption and to eternall life cannot otherwise bee seene into of vs And if we assay speculatiuely or as they speake à priore to search into the eternall counsell of God concerning our saluation the great depth of it will swallow vs vp and hee that searcheth out Gods maiestie Prou. 25.27 shall be ouerwhelmed with the glorie of it But there is for the most parâ— a threefold reuelation of election first by the most certaine effects of election it selfe Reuelation is threefolde secondly by the word of promise and thirdly by the seale of the holy Ghost The first way therefore as I said is by the effects of election such as these are a true and liuely saith in Christ The first way wherby a man may know himselfe to be elected The effects of election ingrafting into Christ by faith iustification and the regeneration of the spirit shewing it selfe more and more by newnes of life and the studie of righteousnesse and good workes By these à posteriore wee iudge of election as the proper cause of them For strong reasons are drawne as from the cause to the effect so againe from the effect to the cause as it is knowne by the rules of Logike The Minor of this argument to wit that faith iustification conuersion c. proceede from election as the proper cause wee haue confirmed before at large when wee intreated of the effects of predestination here onely let certaine sayings of Scripture be viewed Act. 13. As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued
taught to the common people in sermons may easily bee confuted For it becommeth vs not to bee wiser than Christ himselfe his holy Apostles and Prophets who all haue freely witnessed to learned and vnlearned the true doctrine of predestination how hard soeuer it may seeme to the flesh As for example Christ said Many are called and few chosen And again Al that the father giueth me coÌ„meth vnto me My sheep heare my voyce but you beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe Paul certainly not in a corner but publikely and before the whole world saith It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that sheweth mercie c. And againe God willing to make knowne his goodnes c. All these things forsooth are such if wee beleeue these moderators as nothing can be spoken more vnprofitably Marke this speech if the â—â—â—tiâ—oâ— well But say I If God will haue such things spoken and published abroad and that it is not to bee respected what may follow or what carnall wisedome shall inferre thereupon who art thou O man that doest forbid them As who say thy creator shall learne of thee his creature what is profitable what is vnprofitable to be preached Or what shall seeme tolerable in the iudgement of men vnskilfull surely I will not say commonly most vngodly that onely shall be profitable and what is contrariwise that shall straight be reputed vnprofitable and pernicious What is more foolish than to make Gods word so subiect to the pleasure of men Let rather the whole earth bee silent before the Lord and let all the inhabitants of the earth reuerence the words of his mouth CHAP. XXVII That the doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessary with the answers to such obiections as haue been made against it Obiection WHat profit then or what necessity moueth men to publish such things seeing so many euils and offences seeme to arise from thence to the troubling of the hearts of such as be simple and vnlearned Answere I answere It were sufficient to say because so it pleased God in whose will we must simply rest ascribing the glorie to him that seeing he is most wise and most iust he doth no man wrong â— Cor. 1. and cannot doe any thing foolishly and rashly whatsoeuer the flesh supposeth For the foolishnes of God is wiser than men and likewise the vnrighteousnes of God is more righteous than men With this answere the godly are content Yet for the greater confusion of this error alreadie ouerthrowne Predestination is profitable and necessarie to be taught The 1. reason and that we may be the more instructed in the trueth I will briefly shew it not onely to bee profitable but also necessary that the doctrine of predestination be taught and preserued among Christian people And first it is profitable and necessarie for this cause that the true God may be rightly knowne as he reuealeth himself in his word that is to say how that he hath mercie on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will and of the same lumpe maketh one vessell to honour and another to dishonour that is he hath decreed to bestow vndeserued grace vpon vessels of mercie prepared of himselfe by whom being seuered from the corrupt and damnable lumpe of mankinde they might be saued while the rest in the same masse of perdition are forsaken and shall bee condemned for sinne whereof the one belongs to his mercie the other to his iustice whose iudgement mercie the Church often singeth Psalm 101. Dan. 4.32 Rom 9. Matth. 20. De ser arbit cap. 143. And who is he that may say vnto him why dost thou so Shall the pot say to the potter why doest thou make me thus Hath not the pottter power ouer the clay Is thine eye euill because the Lord is good Such a God doth the sacred Scripture declare vnto vs. But God being spoyled as Luther auoucheth of power and wisedome to chuse what shall he be but an Idoll of fortune by whose power all things should come to passe at all aduentures And at length it will come to this that men are saued and damned God not knowing it as one that hath not appointed by a sure election such as shall be saued and shall be damned but offering to all his generall goodnes and mercie hath left it at mens pleasures whether they will bee saued or damned while he in the meane space perchance goeth to the Ethiopians banket as Homer speaketh of his Iupiter The doctrine of predestination is profitable and necessarie to be preached to know the grace of God against the â—elagians The 2. reason and Semipelagians and so to humble vs that he that glorieth may glorie in the Lord. Augustine saw this when he sayd Either predestination must so be preached as the sacred Scripture euidently speaketh of it De bono perseu cap. 16. that the gifts and calling of God in them that bee predestinate may be without repentance or els it must bee confessed that the grace of God is giuen according to our merits which sauoureth of Pelagianisme And in the next chapter Exhortations are not hindred if faith and perseuerance and good workes themselues be said to be Gods gifts and that foreknowne that is predestinated to be freely giuen but rather that dangerous error is hindered and subuerted by the preaching of predestination when the grace of God is sayd to be giuen according to our merits that he that glorieth may glorie not in the Lord but in himselfe Hereupon the same father chapter 20. of the same booke testifieth that he was vrged of necessitie to write largely of predestination because of the Pelagians who sayd that the grace of God was giuen according to our merits which thing saith he is nothing els than a flat deniall of grace The opinion of the Pelagians The Pelagians imagined that grace was offered indifferently to all men and that in respect of God eternall life was prepared for all but that it was in the power of men to refuse or receiue grace and saluation offered And that some are saued because they imbrace grace as of themselues and through their owne free will And that others be damned because when they may yet they will not receiue grace when it is offered What other thing is this than to make warre both against grace and predestination The doctrine of the Semipelagians Now such among them as would seeme more moderate and did not so much make a shew of Pelagianisme as secretly and a farre off onely follow it as those reliques of the Pelagians of whom Prosper and Hilarie write did confesse surely that no man is sufficiently able of himselfe euen to begin any good worke much lesse to performe it the nature of man is so ouerthrowne but they would haue yet some endeuour and will which onely may seeke after the Phisition and is not able of it selfe to doe any thing to remaine in