publick service if otherwise of known zeale against the Papists 2. Several examples of that kinde in the places of greatest power and trust in the Church of England particularly of Mr. Fox the Martyrologist and the occasion which he took of publishing his opinion in the point of predestination 3. His notes on one of the Letters of John Bradford Martyr touching the matter of Election therein contained 4. The difference between the Comment and the Text and between the authour of the Comment and Bishop Hooper 5. Exceptions against some passages and observations upon others in the said Notes of Mr. Fox 6. The great breach made hereby in the Churches Doctrine made greater by the countenance which was given to the Book of Acts and Monuments by the Convocation An. 1571. 7. No argument to be drawn from hence touching the approbation of his doctrine by that Convocation no more then for the Approbation of his Marginal Notes and some particular passages in it disgraceful to the Rites of the Church attire of the Bishops 8. A counterballance made in the Convocation against Fox his Doctrine and all other Novelismes of that kinde 1. IT was not long that Queen Mary sate upon the Throne and yet as short time as it was it gave not only a strong interruption for the present to the proceedings of the Church but an occasion also of great discord and dissention in it for the time to come For many of our Divines who had fled beyond the Sea to avoid the hurry of her Reign though otherwise men of good abilities in most parts of Learning returned so altered in their principals as to points of Doctrine so disaffected to the Government formes of worship here by Law established that they seem'd not to be the same men at their coming home as they had been at their going hence yet such was the necessity which the Church was under of filling up the vacant places and preferments which had been made void either by the voluntary discession or positive deprivation of the Popish Clergie that they were faine to take in all of any condition which were able to do the publick service without relation to their private opinions in doctrine or discipline nothing so much regarded in the choice of men for Bishopricks Deanries Dignities in Cathedral Churches the richest Bâ—nefices in the Countrey and places of most command and trust in the Universities as their known â—eal against the Papists together with such a sufficiency of learning as might enable them for writing and preaching against the Popes supremacy the carnal presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament the superstition of the Masse the halfe communion the celâ—bratin of Divine service in a tongue not known unto the people the inforced single life of Priests the worshiping of Images and other the like points of Popery which had given most offence and were the principal causes of that separation 2. On this account we finde Mr. Pilkington preferred to the See of Durham and Whittingham to the rich Deanry of the Church of which the one proved a great favourer of the Non-conformists as is confessed by one who challengeth a relation to his blood and family the other associated himself with Goodman as after Goodman did with Knox for planting Puritanisme and sedition in the Kirk of Scotland On this account Dr. Lawrence Humphrey a professed Calvinian in point of doctrine and a Non-conformist but qualified with the title of a moderate one is made the Queens professor for Divinity in the University of Oxon Thomas Cartwright that great Incendiary of this Church preferred to be the Lady Margarets professor in the University of Cambridge Sampson made Dean of Christ-church and presently proptor Puritaxismum Exauctoratus turned out again for Puritanisme as my Authour hath it Hardiman made one of the first Prebends of Westminster of the Queens foundation and not long after deprived of it by the high Commissioners for breaking down the Altar there and defacing the ancient utensils and ornaments which belonged to the Church And finally upon this account as Whitehead who had been Chaplaine to Queen Anne Bulline refused the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury before it was offered unto Parker and Covâ—rdale to be restored to the See of Exon which he had chearfully accepted in the time of King Edward so Mr. John Fox of great esteem for his painful and laborious work of Acts and Monuments commonly called the Book of Martyrs would not accept of any preferment in the Church but a Prebends place in Salisbury which tide him not to any residence in the same And this he did especially as it after proved to avoid subscription shewing a greater willingnesse to leaue his place then to subscribe unto the Articles of Religion then by Law established when he was legally required to do it by Arch-Bishop Parker Of this man there remains a short Discourse in his Acts and Monuments of Predestination occasioned by a letter of Mr. Bradfords before remembred whose Orthodox doctrine in that point he feared might create some danger unto that of Calvin which then began to finde a more general entertainment then could be rationally expected in so short a time And therefore as a counter-ballance he annexeth this discourse of his own with this following title viz. Notes on the same Epistle and the matter of Election thereunto appertaining ' 3. As touching the Doctrine of Election whereof this letter of Mr. Bradford and many other of his Letters more do much intreat three things must be considered 1. What Gods Election is and what the cause thereof 2. How Gods Election proceedeth in working our salvation 3. To whom Gods election pertaineth and how a man may be certaine thereof Between Predestination and Election this difference there is Predestination is as well to the Reprobate as to the Elect Election pertaineth onely to them that be saved Predestination in that it respecteth the reprobate is called reprobation in that it respected the saved is called Election and is thus defined Predestination is the eternall decreement of God purposed before in himself what shall befal all men either to salvation or damnation Election is the free mercy and grace of God in his own will through faith in Christ his Sonne choosing and preferring to life such as pleaseth him In this definition of Election first goeth before the mercy and grace of God as the causes thereof whereby are excluded all works of the Law and merits of deserving whither they go before faith or come after so was Jacob chosen and Esau refused before either of them began to work c. Secondly in that the mercy of God in this Definition is said to be free thereby is to be noted the proceeding and working of God not to be bound to any ordinary place or to any succession of choice nor to state and dignity of person nor to worthinesse of blood c. but all goeth by the meere will of his own purpose as it is
written spiritus ubi vult spirat c. And thus was the outward race and stock of Abraham after flesh refused which seemed to have the preheminence and another seed after the Spirit raised by Abraham of the stones that is of the Gentiles So was the outward Temple of Jerusalem and chaire of Moses which seem'd to be of price forsaken and Gods chaire advanced in other Nations So was tall Saul refused and little David accepted the rich the proud and the wise of this world rejected and the word of salvation daily opened to the poore and miserable Abjects the high mountaines cast under and the low valleys exalted c. And in the next place it is added in his own will by this falleth down the free will and purpose of man with all his actions councels and strength of nature according as it is written non est volentis neque currentis sed miserentis Dei c. It is not him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So we see how Israel ran long and yet got nothing The Gentile runneth began to set out late and yet got the game So they which came at the first which did labour more and yet they that came last were rewarded with the first Mat. 20. The working will of the Pharisee seemed better but yet the Lords Will was rather to justifie the Publican Luk. 18. The elder son had a better will to tarry by his father and so did indeed and yet the fat calf was given to the younger son that ran away Luk. 15. whereby we have to understand how the matter goeth not by the will of man but by the will of God as it pleaseth him to accept according as it is written non ex voluntate carnis neque ex voluntate viri sed ex Deo nati sunt c. Which are born not of the will of the flesh nor yet of the will of man but of God Furthermore as all then goeth by the will of God only and not by the will of man So againe here is to be noted that the will of God never goeth without faith in Christ Jesus his Son And therefore fourthly is this clâ—use added in the definition through faith in Christ his Sonne which faith in Christ to us-ward maketh altogether For first it certifieth us of Gods Election as this Epistle of Mr. Bradford doth well expresse For whosoever will be certain of his Election in God let him first begin with faith in Christ which if he finde in him to stand firme he may be sure and nothing doubt but that he is one of the number of Gods Elect. Secondly the said faith and nothing else is the only condition and meanes whereupon Gods mercy grace Election vocation and all Gods promises to salvation do stay accordingly the word of St. Paul si permanseritis in fide and if ye abide in the faith Col. 1. 3. This faith is the mediate and next cause of our justification simply without any condition annexed For as the mercy of God his grace Election vocation and other precedent causes do save and justifie us upon condition if we believe in Christ so this faith onely in Christ without condition is the next and immediate cause which by Gods promise worketh our justification according as it is written crede in dominum Jesum salvus eris tu domus tua Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved thou and thy whole house And thus much touching the Definition of Election with the causes thereof declared which you see now to be no merits or works of man whither they go before or come after faith For like as all they that be borne of Adam do taste of his Malediction though they tasted not of the Apple so all they that be born of Christ which is by faith take part of the obedience of Christ although they never did that obedience themselves which was in him Rom. 5. Now to the second consideration Let us see likewise how and in what order this Election of God proceedeth in choosing and electing them which he ordaineth to salvation which order is this In them that be chosen to life first Gods mercy and free grace bringeth forth Election Election worketh Vocation or Gods holy calling which Vocation though hearing bringeth knowledge and faith in Christ Faith through promise obtaineth justification juctification through hope waiteth for glorification Election is before time vocation and faith cometh in time justification and glorification is without end Election depending upon Gods free grace and will excludeth all mans will blinde fortune chance and all peradventures Vocation standing upon Gods Election excludeth all mans wisdome cunning learning intention power and presumption Faith in Christ proceeding by the gift of the holy Ghost and freely justifying man by Gods promise excludetâ—â— all other merits of men all condition of deserving and all works of the Law both Gods Law and mans Law with all other outward means whatsoever Justification coming freely by faith standeth sure by promise without doubt fear or wavering in this life Glorification appertaining only to the life to come by hope is looked for Grace and Mercy preventeth Election ordaineth Vocation prepareth and receiveth the Word whereby cometh faith Faith justifieth Justification bringeth glory Election is the immediate and next cause of Vocation Vocation which is the working of Gods Spirit by the Word is the immediate and next cause of faith Faith is the immediate and next cause of justification And this order and connexion of causes is diligently to be observed because of the Papists which have miserably confounded and inverted this doctrine thus teaching that Almighty God so far as he foreseeth mans merits before to come so doth he dispense his Election Dominus prout â—njusque merita fore previdet ita dispensat electionis gratiam futuris tamen concedere That is that the Lord recompenseth the grace of Election not to any merits proceeding but yet granteth the same to the merits that follow after and not rather have our holinesse by Gods Election going before But we following the Scripture say otherwise that the cause onely of Gods Election is his own free mercy and the cause onely of our justification is our faith in Christ and nothing else As for example first concerning Election if the question be asked why was Aâ—raham chosen and not Naâ—hâ—â— why was Jacob chosen and not Esâ—u why was Moses 〈◊〉 and Pharâ—â—â—â—â—â—dened â—â—â—dened why Dâ—vid accepted and Saul refused why few be chosen and the most forsaken It cannot be answered otherwise but thus because so was the good will of God In like manner touching vocation and also faith if the question be asked why this vocation and gift of faith was given to Cornelius the Gentile and not to Tertullus the Jew why to the poore the babes and the little ones of the world of whom Christ speaketh I thank the Father which hast hid these from
the wise c. Mat. 11. why to the unwise the simple abjects and out-casts of the world of whom speaketh Saint Paul 1 Cor. 1 You see your calling my brethren why not many of you c. Why to the sinners and not to the just why the beggars by the high-wayes were called and the bidden guests excluded We can ascribe no other cause but to Gods purpose and Election and say with Christ our Saviour quia Pater sic complacitum est ante te ye Father for that it seemed good in thy sight Luk. 10. And so it is for justification likewise if the question be asked why the Publican was justified and not the Pharisee Luk. 18. Why Mary the sinner and not Simon the inviter Luke 11. Why Harlots and Publicans go before the Scribes and Pharisees in the Kingdome Mat. 21. why the sonne of the Free-woman was received and the bond-womans Son being his elder rejected Gen. 21. why Israel which so long sought for righteousnesse found it not and the Gentiles which sought it not found it Rom. 9. We have no other cause hereof to render but to say with Saint Paul because they sought for it by works of the Law and not by faith which faith as it cometh not by mans will as the Papists falsely pretendeth but onely by the election and free gift of God so it is onely the immediate cause whereto the promise of our salvation is annexed according as we read And therefore of faith is the inheritance given as after grace that the promise might stand sure to every side Rom. 4. and in the same Chapter Faith believing in him that justifieth the wicked is imputed to righteousnesse And this concerning the causes of our salvation you you see how faith in Christ immediately and without condition doth justifie us being solicited with Gods mercy and election that wheresoever election goeth before faith in Christ must needs follow after And again whosoever believeth in Christ Jesus through the vocation of God he must needs be partaker of Gods election whereupon resulteth the third note or consideration which is to consider whither a man in this life may be certaine of his election To answer to which question this first is to be understood that although our election and vocation simply indeed be known to God onely in himselfe a priore yet notwithstanding it may be known to every particular faithful man a Posteriore that is by means which means is faith in Christ Jesus crucified For as much as by faith in Christ a man is justified and thereby made the childe of salvation reason must needs lead the same to be then the childe of election chosen of God to everlasting life For how can a man be saved but by consequence it followeth that he must also be elected And therefore of election it is truly said de electione judicandum est a posteriore that is to say we must judge of election by that which cometh after that is by our faith and belief in Christ which faith although in time it followeth after election yet this the proper immediate cause assigned by the Scripture which not onely justifieth us but also certifieth us of this election of God whereunto likewise well agreeth this present Letter of Mr. Bradford wherein he saith Election albeit in God it be the first yet to us it is the last opened And therefore beginning first saith he with Creation I come from thence to Redemption and justification by faith so to election not that faith is the cause efficient of election being rather the effect thereof but is to us the cause certificatory or the cause of our certification whereby we are brought to the feeling and knowledge of our election in Christ For albeit the election first be certain in the knowledge of God yet in our knowledge faith only that we have in Christ is the thing that giveth to us our certificate and comfort of this election Wherefore whosoever desireth to be assured that he is one of the Elect number of God let him not climbe up to heaven to know but let him descend into himself and there search his faith in Christ the Son of God which if he find in him not feigned by the working of Gods Spirit accordingly thereupon let him stay and so wrap himself wholly both body and foul under Gods general promise and cumber his head with no further speculations knowing this that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish John 3. shall not be confounded Rom. 9. shall not see death John 8. shall not enter into judgement John 5. shall have everlasting life John 3. 7. shall be saved Mat. 28. Acts 16. shall have remission of all his sins Act. 10. shall be justified Rom. 3. Cal. 2. shall have floods flowing out of him of the water of life Joh. 7. shall never die John 11. shall be raised at the last day John 6. shall finde rest in his soul and be refreshed Mat. 11 c. 4. Such is the judgement and opinion of our Martyrologist in the great point of Predestination unto life the residue thereof touching justification being here purposely cut off with an c. as nothing pertinent to the businesse which we have in hand But between the Comment and the Text there is a great deal of difference the Comment laying the foundation of Election on the Will of God according to the Zuinglian or Calvinian way but the Text laying it wholly upon faith in Christ whom God the Father hath Predestinate in Christ unto eternal life according to the doctrine of the Church of England The Text first presupposeth an estate of sin and misery into which man was fallen a ransom paid by Christ for man and his whole Posterity a freedome left in man thus ransomed either to take or finally to refuse the benefit of so great mercy and then fixing or appropriating the benefit of so great a mercy as Christ and all his merits do amount to upon such only as believe But the Comment takes no notice of the fall of man grounding both Reprobation and Election on Gods â—bsolute pleasure without relation to mans sin or our Saviours sufferings or any acceptation or refusal of his mercies in them As great a difference there is between the Authour of the Comment and Bishop Hooper as between the Comment and the Text Bishop Hooper telling us cap. 10. num 2. that Saul was no more excluded from the promise of Christ then David Esau then Jacob Judas then Peter c. if they had not excluded themselves quite contrary to that of our present Authour who having asked the question why Jacob was chosen and not Esau why David accepted and Saul refused c. makes answer that it cannot otherwise be answered then that so was the good Will of God 5. And this being said I would faine know upon what authority the Authour hath placed Nachor amongst the reprobates in the same Ranck with Esau Pharaoh and Saul all
have compassion on him that shall deserve it de congruo but Of him of whom I will have compassion ' Now as he followeth the Dominicans or rigid Lutherans in laying down the grounds and method of Predestination so he draws more to them also and the Zuinglians also touching Gods workings on the will then possibly may be capable of a good construction ' God saith he of his Infinite power letteth nothing to be exempted from him but all things to be subject unto his action and nothing can be done by them but by his principal motion So that he worketh in all manner of things that be either good or bad not changing their nature but onely moving them to work after their natures So that good worketh good and evil worketh evil and God useth them both as instruments and yet doth he nothing evil but evil is done alone through the will of man God working by him but not evil as by an instrument ' Which last Position notwithstanding all the subtilty in the close thereof how far it is from making God to be the Author of sin I leave to be determined by men of more Scholastical and Metaphysical heads then my simplicity can pretend to 8. For Tyndal next though I shall not derogate in any thing from his great pains in translating the Bible nor from the glory of his suffering in defence of those truths for which he dyed yet there were so many Heterodoxes in the most of his writings as render them no fit rule for a Reformat on no more then those of Wicklif before remembred the number and particulars whereof I had rather the Reader should look for in the Acts and Monuments where they are mustered up together about the latter end of the Reign of King Henry the eighth then expect them here That which occureth in him touching Predestinat on is no more then this 1. ' Grace saith he is properly Gods favour benevolence or kinde minde which of his own self without our deservings he reacheth to us whereby he was moved and inclined to give Christ unto us with all other gifts of Grace ' Which having told us in his Preface to St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans he telleth us not long after that in the 9 10 11. Chapters of the Epistle the Apostle teacheth us of Gods Predestination ' From whence it springeth altogether whether we shall believe or not believe be loosed from sin or not be loosed By which Predestination our Justifying and Salvation are clear taken out of our hands and put into the hands of God onely which thing is most necessary of all for we are so weak and so uncertain that if it stood in us there would of truth no man be saved the Devil no doubt would deceive him but now God is sure of his Predestination neither can any man withstand or let him else why do we hope and sigh against sin ' Discoursing in another place of the act the will hath on the understanding he telleth us ' that the will of man followeth the wit that as the wit erreth so doth the will and as the wit is in captivity so is the will neither is it possible that the will should be free when the wit is in bondage c. as I erre in my wit so I erre in my will when I judge that to be evil which is good then indeed do I hate that which is good and then when I perceive that which is good to be evil then indeed do I love the evil ' Finally in the heats of his Disputation with Sir Thomas Moor who had affirmed That men were to endeavour themselves and captivate their understandings if they would believe He first crys out ' How Beetle-blinde is fleshly reason and then subjoyns that the will hath no operation at all in the working of faith in my soul no more then the childe hath in begetting of his father for saith Paul it is the gift of God and not of us my wit must conclude good or bad yet my will can leave or take my wit must shew me a true or an apparent cause why yet my will have any working at all ' 9. I had almost forgot John Frith and if I had it had been no great loss to our rigid Calvinists who not content to guide themselves in these disputes by Gods will revealed have too audaciously pried into the Ark of Gods Secret Counsels of which spirit I conceive this Frith to be not that I finde him such in any of his writings extant with the other two but that he is affirmed for such in a letter of Tyndalls directed to him under the borrowed name of Jacob For in the collection of his pieces neither the Index nor the Margent direct us unto any thing which concerns this Argument though to the writings of the others they give a clearer sense howsoever made then in favour of the Calvinian party then the books themselves or possibly was ever meant by the men that made them * Now Tyndals Letter is as followeth Dearly beloved Jacob my hearts desire in our Saviours Jesus is That you arm your self with patience and be bold sober wise and circumspect and that you keep you a low by the ground avoiding high questions that pass the common capacity but expound the Law truly and open the Rule of Moses to condemn all flâ—sh and prove all men sinners and all deeds under the Law before mercy hath taken away the condemnation thereof to be sin and damnable And then as a faithful Minister sâ—t abroach the mercy of our Lord Jesus and let the wounded consciences drink of the water of life And then shalt your preaching be with power not as the Doctrine of Hypocrites and the Spirit of God shall work with you and all consciences shall bear record unto you and feel that it is so And all doctrine that casteth a mist on these two to shadow and hide them I mean the Law of God and mercy of Christ that resist you with all your power Of him it is or of such high Climers as he was who we finde Tyn-speaking in another place ' But here saith he we must set a mark upon those unquiet busie and high-climing wits how far they shall go which first of all bring hither their high reasons and pregnant wits and begin first from on high to search the bottomless secrets of Gods Predestination whether they be predestinated or no These must needs either cast themselves headlong down into desperation or else commit themselves to free chance careless But follow thou the order of this Epistle and nuzzel thy self with Christ and learn to understand the Law and the Gospel means and the office of both that thou mayest in the one know thy self and how thou hast of thy self no strength but to sin and in the other the grace of Christ and then see thou fight against sin and the flesh as the seven first Chapters teach
all which things are absurd But for censure first the Authority of the Prophet was brought directly contrary in terms where God sayth That if the Just shall abandon justice and commit iniquity I will not remember his works The Example of David was added who committed Murther and Adultry of Magdalen and S. Peter who denied Christ They deâ—ided the folly of the Zuinglians for saying the Just cannot fall from Grace and yet sinneth in every work The two last were uniformly condemned of temerity with exception of those unto whom God hath given a special Revelation as to Moses and the Disciples to whom it was revealed that they were written in the Book of Heaven IX Now because the Doctrine of Predestination doth naturally presuppose a Curse from which man was to be delivered it will not be amiss to lay down the Judgment of that Councel in the Article of Original sin which rendred man obnoxious to the dreadful curse together with the preparatory Debates amongst the Scool-men and Divines which were there Assembled touching the nature and transmitting of it from Adam unto his Posterity and from one man to another Concerning which it was declared by Catarinus That as God made a Covenant with Abraham and all his Posterity when he made him Father of the faithful So when he gave Original Righteousness to Adam and all man-kinde he made him seal an Obligation in the name of all to keep it for himself and them observing the Commandment which because he trangressed he lost it as well for others as himself and incurred the punishent also for them the which as they are derived in every one and to him as the cause to others by vertue of the Covenant so that the actual sin of Adam is actual sin in him and imputed to others in Original for proof whereof he grounded himself upon this especially that a true and proper sin must needs be a voluntary Act and nothing can be voluntary but that transgression of Adam imputed unto all And Paul saying that all have sinned in Adam it must be understood that they have all committed the same sin with him he alledged for example that S. Paul to the Hebrews affirmeth that Levi payd Tythe to Melchisedeck when he payd in his great Grandfather Abraham by which reason it must be sayd that the Posterity violated the Commandments of God when Adam did it and that they were sinners in him as in him they received Righteousness X. Which Application as it was more intelligible to the Prelates Assembled together in the Councel then any of the Crabbed Intricacies and perplexities of the rest of the Scoolmen irreconcilable in a manner amongst themselves so did it quicken them to the dispatch of their Canons or Anathamatisms while they had the Notions in their heads against all such as had taught otherwise of Original sin then was allowed of and maintained in the Church of Rome but more particulary against him 1. That confesseth not that Adam by transgressing hath lost Sanctity and Justice incurred the wrath of God Death and Thraldom to the Devil and is infected in Soul and Body 2. Against him that averreth that Adam by sinning hath hurt himself only or hath derived into his Posterity the death only of the Body and not sin the death of the Soul 3. Against him that affirmeth the sin which is one in the beginning and proper to every one committed by Generation not imitation can be abolished by any other remedy then the death of Christ is applied as well to Children as to those of riper years by the Sacrament of Baptism ministred in the form and rite of the Church CHAP. III. The like Debates about Free-will with the Conclusions of the Councel in the Five Controverted Points I. The Articles against the Freedom of the Will extracted out of Luther's Writings II. The exclamation of the Divines against Luther's Doctrine in the Point and the absurdities thereof III. The several Judgments of Marinarus Catarinus and Andreas Vega. IV. The different Judgment of the Dominicans and Franciscans whether it lay in mans power to believe or not to believe and whether the Freedom of the Will were lost in Adam V. As also of the Point of the co-operation of mans Will with the Grace of God VI. The opinion of Fryer Catanca in the point of irresistibility VII Faintly maintained by Soto a Dominican Fryer and more cordially approved by others but in time rejected VIII The great care taken by the Legates in having the Articles so framed as to please all parties IX The Doctrine of the Councel in the V. controverted Points X. A Transition from the Councel of Trent to the Protestant and Reformed Churches I. THese Differences and Debates concerning Predestination the possibility of Falling away from the Faith of Christ and the nature of Original sin being thus passed over I shall look back on those Debates which were had amongst the Fathers and Divines in the Councel of Trent about the Nature of Free-will and the power thereof In order whereunto these Articles were collected out of the Writings of the Lutherans to be discussed and censured as they found cause for it Now the Articles were these that follow Viz. 1. God is the total cause of our works Good and Evil and the Adultry of David the cruelty of Manlius and the Treason of Judas are the works of God as well as the Vocation of Saul 2. No man hath power to think well or ill but all cometh from absolute necessity and in us is no Free-will and to affirm it is a meer Fiction 3. Free-will since the sin of Adam is lost and a thing only titular and when one doth what is in his power he sinneth mortally yea it is a thing fained and a Title without reality 4. Free-will is only in doing ill and hath no power to do good 5. Free-will moved by God doth by no means co-operate and followeth as an Instrument without life or an unreasonable Creature 6. That God correcteth those only whom he will though they will not spurn against it II. Upon the first Article they spake rather in a Tragical manner then Theological that the Lutheran Doctrine was a frantick wisdom that mans Will as they make it is prodigious that those words a thing of Title only a Title without reality are monstruous that the Opinion is impious and blasphemous against God that the Church hath condemned it against the Maniches Priscillianists and lastly against Aballardus and Wickliff and that it was a folly against common sense every one proving in himself his own Liberty that it deserveth not confutation but as Aristotle sayth Chastisement and Experimental proofe that Luther's Scholars perceived the folly and to moderate the Absurdity sayd after that a man had liberty in External Political and Oeconomical Actions and in matters of Civil Justice that which every one but a Fool knoweth to proceed from Councels and Election but denied Liberty in matter of
aforementioned ' That our Saviour Christ according to the will of his Eternal Father when the time thereof was fully accomplished taking our nature upon him came into this World from the high Throne of his Father to declare unto miserable sinners the Goodness c. To shew that the time of Grace and Mercy was come to give light to them that were in darkness and in the shadow of death and to preach and give Pardon and full Remission of sin to all his Elected And to perform the same he made a Sacrifice and Oblation of his body upon the Cross which was a full Redemption Satisfaction and Propitiation for the sins of the whole world ' More briefly Bishop Latimer thus ' The Evangelist saith When Jesus was born c. What is Jesus Jesus is an Hebrew word which signifieth in our English Tongue a Saviour and Redeemer of all Mankinde born into the World This Title and Name To save appertaineth properly and principally unto him for he saved us else had we been lost for ever ' Bishop Hoâ—per in more words to the same effect ' That as the sins of Adam without Priviledge or Exemption extended and appertained unto all and every of Adams Posterity so did this Promise of Grace generally appertain as well to every and singular of Adams Posterity as to Adam as it is more plainly expressed where God promiseth to bless in the seed of Abraham all the people of the world ' 8. Next for the point of Universel Vocation and the extent of the Promises touching life Eternal Besides what was observed before from the Publique Liturgie we finde some Testimonies and Authorities also in the Book of Homilies In one whereof it is declared That God received the learned and unlearned and casteth away none but is indifferent unto all And in another place more largely that the imperfection or natural sickness taken in Adam excludeth not that person from the promise of God in Christ except we transgress the limits and bounds of this Original sin by our own folly and malice If we have Christ then have we with him and by him all good things whatsoever we can in our hearts wish or desire as victory over death sin hell c. The truth hereof is more clearly evidenced in the writings of the godly Martyrs so often mentioned as first of Bishop Latimer who discourseth thus ' We learn saith he by this sentence that multi sunt vocati that many are called c. that the preaching of the Gospel is universal that it appertaineth to all mankinde that it is written in omnem terram exivit soâ—us eorum through the whole world their sound is heard Now seeing that the Gospel is universal it appeareth that he would have all mankinde be saved that the fault is not in him if they be damned for it is written thus Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would have all mankinde saved his Salvation is sufficient to save all mankinde Thus also in another place That the promises of Christ our Saviour are general they appertain to all mankinde He made a general Proclamation saying Qui credit in me habet vitam aeternam whosoever believeth me hath eternal life ' And not long after in the same Sermon ' That we must â— consider wisely what he saith with his own mouth Venite ad me omnes c. Mark here he saith mark here he saith Come all ye wherefore should any body despaiâ— or shut out himself from the promises of Christ which be general and appertain to the whole world ' The like saith Bishop Hooper also telling us ' There was no diversity in Christ of Jew or Gentile that it was never forbid but that all sorts of people and every progeny of the world to be made partakers of the Jews Religion ' And then again in the example of the Ninivites ' Thou hast saith he good Christian Reader the mercy of God and general promise of salvation performed in Christ for whose sake onely God and man were set at one ' 9. The less assistance we had from Bishop Hooper in the former points the more we shall receive in this touching the causes why this great benefit is not made effectual unto all alike Concerning which he lets us know ' That to the obtaining the first end of his justice he allureth as many as be not utterly wicked and may be helped partly with threatnings and partly with promises and so provoketh them unto amendment or life c. and would have all men to be saved therefore provoketh now by fair means now by foul that the sinner should satisfie his just and righteous pleasure not that the promises of God appertain to such as will not repent or his threatnings unto him that doth repent but these means he useth to save his creature this way useth he to nurture us until such time as the Holy Spirit worketh such a perfection in us that we will obey him though there were neither pain nor joy mentioned at all ' And in another place more briefly ' That if either out of a contempt or hate of Gods Word we fall into sin and transform our selves into the image of the Devil then we exclude our selves by this means from the promises and merits of Christ ' Bishop Latimer to the same point also ' His Salvation is sufficient to satisfie for all the world as concerning it self but as concerning us he saveth no more than such as put their trust in him and as many as believe in him shall be saved the other shall be cast out as Infidels into everlasting damnation not for lack of salvation but for infidelity and lack of faith which is the onely cause of their damnation ' One word more out of Bishop Hooper to conclude thiâ— point which in fine is this 'To the Objection saith he touching that S. Peter speaketh of such as shall perish for their false doctrine c. this the Scripture answereth that the promise of grace appertaineth to every sort of men in the world and comprehendeth them all howbeit within certain limits and bounds the which if men neglect to pass over they exclude themselves from the promise of Christ ' CHAP. XI Of the Heavenly influences of Gods grace in the Conversion of a sinner and mans co-operation with those heavenly influences 1. I The Doctrine of Deserving Grace ex congruo maintained in the Roman Schools before the Council of Trent rejected by our ancient Martyrs and the Book of Articles 2. The judgement of Dr. Barns and Mr. Tyndall touching the necessary workings of Gods grace on the will of man not different from that of the Church of England 3. Universal grace maintained by Bishop Hooper and proved by some passages in the Liturgie and Book of Homilies 4. The offer of Universal grace made ineffectual to some for want of faith and to others for want of repentance according
for finally or totally and much lesse for both And that he doth so in the Gag I shall easily grant where he relateth only to the words of the Article which speaks only of a possibility of falling without relating to the measure or duration of it But he must needs be carried with a very strange confidence which can report so of him in his book called Appello Caesarem in which he both expressely saith and proveth the contrary He saith it first in these words after a repetition of that which he had formerly said against the Gagger ' I determine nothing in the question that is to say nor totally nor finally or totally not finally or totally finally but leave there all to their Authors and Abettors resolving upon this not to go beyond my bounds the consented resolved and subscribed Articles of the Church of England in which nor yet in the Book of Common Prayer and other divine offices is there any tye upon me to resolve in this much disputed question as these Novellers would have it not as these Novellers would have it there 's no doubt of that For if there be any it is for a possibility of total falling of which more anon ' He proves it next by several Arguments extracted from the Book of Homilies and the publike Liturgy Out of which last he observeth three passages the first out of the Forme of Baptisme in which it is declared that the baptized infant being born in original sin by the Laver of Regeneration in Baptism is received into the number of the children of God and Heirs of everlasting life the second out of the publick Catechism in which the child is taught to say that by his Baptism he was made a member of Christ the child of God and an inheritor of the Kingdom of heaven The third out of the Rubrick before Confirmation in which it is affirmed for a truth that it is certain by Gods word that children being baptized have all things necessary for their salvation and be undoubtedly saved And thereupon he doth observe that it is to be acknowledged for a Doctrine of this Church that children duly baptized are put ' into a state of Grace and salvation and secondly that it is seen by common experience that many children so baptized when they come to age by a wicked and lewd life do fall away from God and from the state of Grace and salvation wherein he had set them to a worse state wherein they shall never be saved ' From which what else can be inferred but that the Church maintains a total and a final falling from the grace of God Adde hereunto that the Church teacheth men to pray to Almighty God not to take his holy Spirit from us And in another place that he suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from him which certainly she had never done were it not possible for a man so far to grieve and vex the holy Spirit of God and so far to despair of his gracious mercie as to occasion him at the last to deprive us both of the one and the other 9. Next for the Homilies as they commend us unto Gods people a probable and stedfast hope of their salvation in Christ Jesus so they allow no such infallibility of persisting in grace as to secure them from a total and final falling In reference to the first they tell us in the second part of the Sermon against the fear of death ' that none of those their causes of the fear of death that is to say the sorrow of repenting from our worldly pleasures the terrible apprehension of the pangs of death and the more terrible apprehension of the pains of hell do make any trouble to good men because they stay themselves by true faith perfect charity and sure hope of the endlesse joy and blisse everlasting All therefore have great cause to be full of joy that be joyned to Christ with true faith stedfast hope and perfect charity and not to fear death nor everlasting damnation ' The like we finde not long after where it speaks of those ' when being truly penitent for their offences depart hence in perfect charity and in sure trust that God is merciful to them forgiving them their sins for the merits of Jesus Christ the only natural Son ' In the third part of which Sermon it is thus concluded ' He that conceiveth all these things and beleeveth them assuredly as they ought to be believed even from the bottom of his heart being established in God in his true faith having a quiet conscience in Christ a firm hope and assured trust in Gods mercy through the merits of Jesus Christ to obtain this rest quieâ—ness and everlasting joy shall not only be without fear of godly death when it cometh but greatly desire in his heart as S. Paul did to be rid from all these occasions of evil and live ever to Gods pleasure in perfect obedience of his Will with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour to whose gracious presence c. ' By all which passages it is clear and evident that the Church teacheth us to entertain a probable and stedfast hope of our salvation in Christ Jesus but whether it teacheth also such an infallibility of persisting in grace such a certainty of perseverance as to exclude all possibility of a total or a final falling we are next to see 10. And see it we may without the help of Spectacles or any of the Optical instruments if we go no farther than the title of two of those Homilies the first wherof is thus inscribed viz. A Sermon shewing how dangerous a thing it is to fall from God And it had been ridiculous if not somewhat worse to write a Sermon de non ente to terrifie the people with the danger of that misfortune which they were well enough assured they should never suffer Out of which Homilies the Appellant makes no use but of these words only ' Whereas God hath shewed unto all them that truly do believe his Gospel his face of mercy in Christ Jesus which doth so enlighten their hearts that they be transformed into his image be made partakers of the heavenly light and of his holy Spirit be fashioned to him in all goodnesse requisite to the child of God so if they do afterwards neglect the same if they be unthankful unto him if they order not their lives according unto his Doctrine and Example and to the setting forth of his glory he will take from them his holy Word his kingdom whereby he should reign in them because they bring not forth fruit which he looked for ' Besides which there are many other passages to this effect where it is said that as by pride and sin we fall from God so shall God and all goodness go from us that sometimes men go from God by lack of faith mistrusting of God and somtimes
she cannot be understood by the â—ight of Sense or Nature is justly placed amongst the number of those things which are to be believed and is therefore called the Catholick that is the universal Assembly of the faithful because it is not tyed to any certain place God who rules and governs all things can do all things No man is of so great power that he can so much as withstand him but he gives whatsoever he shall decree according to his own pleasure and those things which are given to us by him he is able to take them away ' 4. ' After the Lord God had made the Heaven and Earth he determined to have for himself a most beautiful Kingdom and holy Common-wealth The Apostles and Ancient Fathers that writ in Greek called it Ecclesia in English a Congregation or Assembly into the which he hath admitted an infinite number of men that should be subject to one King as their Soveraign and only Head him we call Christ which is as much as to say Anointed or to the furnishing of this Common-wealth belong all they as many as do truely fear honour and call upon God daily applying their minds to holy and godly living and and all those that putting all their hope and trust in him do assuredly look for bliâ—s of everlasting life But as many as are in this Faith stedfast were fore-chosen predestinate and appointed to everlasting life before the world was made witness whereof they have within their hearts the merit of Christ the Authour earnest and unfallable pledge of their Faith which Faith only is able to perceive the mysteries of God only brings peace unto the heart only taketh hold on the Righteousness which is in Christ Jesus Master ' Doth then the Spirit alone and Faith sleep we never so securely or stand we never so wrestless or slothfull work all things for us as without any help of our own to convey us to heaven Scholar ' Just Master as you have taught me to make a difference between the Cause and the Effect The first principal and most proper cause of our Justification and Salvation is the goodness and love of God whereby he chose us for his before he made the world After that God granteth us to be called by preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ when the Spirit of the Lord is poured upon us by whose guiding and governance we be led to settle our trust in God and hope for the performance of his promise With this choice is joyned as companion the mortifying of the Old man that is of our affections and Iusts from the same Spirit also cometh our Sanctification the love of God and of our neighbour justice and uprightness of life Finally to say all in summe whatever is in us or may be done of us honest pure true and good that altogether springeth out of this most pleasant Rock from this most plentiful Fountain the goodness love choice and unchangeable purpose of God he is the cause the rest are the fruits and effects Yet are also the choice and Spirit of God and Christ himself causes conioyned and coupled each with other which may be reckoned amongst the principal causes of salvation As oft therefore as we use to say that we are made righteous and saved by Faith only it is meant thereby that faith or rather trust alone doth lay hard upon understand and perceive our righteous making to be given us of God freely that is to say by no deserts of our own but by the free grace of the Almighty Father Moreover Faith doth ingender in us love of our neighbour and such works as God is pleased withall For if it be a lively and true Faith quickned by the Holy Ghost she is the Mother of all good saying and doing by this short tale it is evident by what means we attain to be righteous For not by the worthiness of our deservings were we heretofore chosen or long ago saved but by the only mercy of God and pure grace of Christ our Lord whereby we were in him made to do those good works that God had appointed for us to walk in And although good works cannot deserve to make us righteous before God yet do they so cleave unto Faith that neither Faith can be found without them nor good works be any where found without Faith immortality and blessed life God hath provided for his chosen before the foundations of the world were laid ' 3. These are the passages which Mr. Prin hath gathered out of Poynets Catechism to prove that Calvinism is the true genuine and Original Doctrine of the reformed Church of England in the Points disputed for my part I can see no possible inconvenience which can follow on it in yeilding so far to his desires as to admit the passages before recited to be fully consonant to the true genuine sense and proper meaning of all but more especially of our 9. 10. 13. 16. and 17. Articles then newly composed so that whatsoever is positively and clearly affirmed in this Catechisme of any of the Points now controverted may be safely implied as the undoubted Doctrine of our Church and Articles For who can find if he looks upon them with a single and impartial eye that all or any of the passages before treated can be made use of for the countenancing of such a personal and eternal election without relation unto sin as is supposed by the Supra-Lapsarians or without reference to Christs death and sufferings as is defended by the Sublapsarians in the Schools of Calvin what ground can a man find here for the Horribile Decretum that cruel and most unmerciful decree of preordaining the far greatest part of all mankind to everlasting damnation and consequently unto sin that they might be damned What passage find we in all these either in opposition to the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption though that be afore said to be here condemned or in maintenance of the irresistible working of the grace of God as takes away all freedom and cooperation from the will of man and renders him as unable to his own conversion as to the work of his own being begotten to the life of nature or to the raising of his dead body to life of glory And finally what assurance is here that the man once justified shall not fal into deadly sin or not continue in the same multiplying one sin upon another till he hath made up the measure of his iniquities and yet all this while remain in the favour of God and be as sure and certain of his own salvation by the like unresistible working of the holy Spirit as if he had never wandred from the ways of Righteousness He must see further into a Milstone then all men living who can conclude from all or any of these passages that the Zuinglian and Calvinian Doctrines the Anti Arminian Doctrines as that Author calls them are manifestly approved and undeniably confirmed by
to Baroe betwixt whom and Dr. Whitacres there had been some clashings touching Predestination and Reprobation the certainty of salvation and the possibility of falling from the grace received And the heats grew so high at last that the Calvinians thought it necessary in point of prudence to effect that by power and favour which they were not able to obtaine by force of argument To which end they first addressed themselves to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh then being there Chancellor acquainting him by Dr. Some then Deputy Vice-Chancellor with the disturbances made by Barret thereby preparing him to hearken to such further motions as should be made unto him in pursuit of that quarrel Bat finding little comfort there they resolved to steere their course by another compass And having prepossest the most Reverend Arch-bishop Whitgift with the turbulent carriage of those men the affronts given to Dr. Whitacres whom for his learned and laborious Writings against Cardinal Bellarmine he most highly favoured and the great inconveniences like to grow by that publick discord they gave themselves good hopes of composing those differences not by the way of an accomodation but an absolute conquest and to this end they dispatcht to him certain of their number in the name of the rest such as were interessed in the quarrel Dr. Whitacres himself for one and therefore like to stickle hard for the obtaining their ends the Articles to which they had reduced the whole state of the business being brought to them ready drawn and nothing wanting to them but the face of Authority wherewith as with Medusa's head to confound their enemies and turne their adversaries into stones And that they might be sent back with the face of authority the most Reverend Arch-bishop Whitgift calling unto him Dr. Flecher Bishop of Bristol then newly elected unto London and Dr. Richard Vauhan Lord Elect of Bangor together with Dr. Tyndal Deane of Elie Dr. Whitacres and the rest of the Divines which came from Cambridge proposed the said Articles to their consideration at his house in Lambeth on the tenth of Novemb. An. 1595. by whom these Articles were agreed on in these following words 1. Deus ab eterno praedestinavit quosdam ad vitam quosdam reprobavit ad mortem 1. God from eternity hath predestinate certaine men unto life certaine men he hath reprobate 2. Causa movens aut efficiens predestinationâ—s ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aut perseverantiae aut bonorum operum aut ullius rei qui insit in personis Praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. Praedestinatorum praefinitus certus est numerus qui nec angeri nec minui potest 3. There is predetermined a certaine number of the Predestinate which can neither be augmented or diminished 4. Qui non sunt Praedestinati adsalutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur 4. Those who are not predestinated to salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. Vera viva justificans fides piritus Dei justificantis non extinguitur non excidit non evanescit in Electis aut finaliter aut totaliter 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God justifying is not extinguished falleth not away it vanisheth not away in the Elect either totally or finally 6. Homo vere fidelis id est fide justificante praeditus certus est pleriphoria Fides de Remissione peccatorum suoâ—um salute sempiterna sua per Christum 6. A man truly faithful that is such an one who is endued with a justifying faith is certaine with the full assurance of faith of the remission of his sinnes and of his everlasting salvation by Christ 7. Gratia salutaris non tribuitur non incommunicatur non conceditur universis hominibus qua servari possint si velint 7. Saving grace is not given is not granted is not communicated to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum nisi datum ei fuâ—rit nisi pater eum tâ—axerit omnes homines non trahuntur a patre ut veniant ad filium 8. No man can come unto Christ unlesse it be given unto him and unlesse the father shal draw him and all men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son 9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate uniuscujusque hominis servari 9. It is not in the will or power of every one to be saved 3. Now in these Articles there are these two things to be considered first the Authority by which they were made and secondly the effect produced by them in order to the end proposed And first as touching the authority by which they were made it was so far from being legal and sufficient that it was plainly none at all For what authority could there be in so thin a meeting consisting only of the Arch-bishop himself two other Bishops of which but one had actually received consecration one Deane and half a dozen Doctors and other Ministers neither impowred to any such thing by the rest of the Clergy nor authorized to it by the Queen And therefore their determinations of no more Authority as to binding of the Church or prescribing to the judgement of particular persons then as if one Earl the eldest son of two or three others meeting with half a dozen Gentlemen in Westminster Hall can be affirmed to be in a capacity of making orders which must be looked on by the Subject as Acts of Parliament A Declaration they might make of their own opinions or of that which they they thought fittest to be holden in the present case but neither Articles nor Canons to direct the Church for being but opinions still and the opinions of private and particular persons they were not to be looked upon as publick Doctrines And so much was confessed by the Arch-Bishop himself when he was called in question for it before the Queen who being made acquainted with all that passed by the Lord Treasurer Burleigh who neither liked the Tenents nor the manner of proceeding in them was most passionately offended that any such Innovation should be made in the publick Doctrine of this Church and once resolved to have them all attainted of a Premunire But afterwards upon the interposition of some friends and the reverend esteem she had of the excellent Prelate the Lord Arch-Bishop whom she commonly called her Black Husband she was willing to admit him to his defence and he accordingly declared in all humble manner that he his associates had not made any Articles Canons or decrees with an intent that they should serve hereafter for a standing Rule to direct the Church but only had resolved