Elect. For albeit he giueth vs no such plaine particuler proposition as this is Thou art Elected vnto euerlasting life yet no lesse is concluded in the heartes of the Elect in such Aphotismes as are generall euen as each particuler man is determined capable of reason by the vniuersalitie of this Axiome Euery man liuing is a creature reasonable though the Assumption be suppressed This therefore is the course that God taketh with vs He hath chosen all and euery one whom he decreed to be faythfull heyres of saluation And this maine Maxime in tearmes generall is proclaymed by the Apostles at the Standard to all that are Elect. The Proposition in generalitie standeth thus All the Faythfull are elected to euerlasting life Heere the word stayeth and medleth not with the Miner Now heere God effecteth by Fayth that hee bestoweth on vs that wee make the Minor in our mindes in this manner But I am of the fellowship of the faythfull as feeling that I truly beleeue in Christ How commeth therefore now thy cause to be concluded that thou art Predestinated to eternitie of glory Truely by God that giueth the proposition from the Gospell and by working thine heart with the worke of faith which hee worketh in thee to goe on with the assumption It is therefore manifest that God by the word of the Ghospell where he pronounceth all the faythfull to be elected that he doth reueale his particuler election to euery one that is of the fayth Onely it standeth euery Beleeuer in hand that as often as hee heareth the generall Proposition hee make the Assumption and inferre it in the nicke and vpon the necke of it And so doth the Lord reueale to euery man his speciall malediction by this generall Scriptures enuntiation Cursed be euery one that abideth not in all thinges which are written in this Bo ke Though hee doth not come to tell euery man in his eare that hee and hee is accursed For this may euery one gather of himselfe his conscience telling him that he hath started from the Statutes of God like a broken Bowe 3. The third kind of meanes by which God vnfouldeth and layeth open to vs our state of Saluation is the effectes in vs aswell inward at outward effectually assuring the same vnto vs in a double respect 1. First because these effectes are such as God giueth them to none but onely to the Elect. 2 Next for that they are not simply the effectes of Election but also such and such as they be the engrauen Seales and the perfect Stampe thereof For God is like to the Sunne to vs. The Sunne while it striketh vs with his radiant Beames and in a manner looketh vs on the face leaueth such an impression of his light in our eyes as wee reciprocally by the participation of the same light see the Sunne it selfe the very light thereof For the light of the Sunne the beames thereof sent downe vpon vs reflect againe vpon the Sunne it selfe So the Foreknowledge of God in which from all eternitie he did would acknowledge vs for his owne is so in God as in it selfe is not to be seene of vs but yet as God acknowledgeth vs to be his and engraueth the Forme and Image of this knowledge in vs that are elected he bringeth it to passe as wee acknowledge this God for our onely true God and bid all other farewell So that God fâ—st looketh downe from Heauen on vs and acknowledgeth vs and so by communicatioÌ„ of this knowledge light vnto vs we are thereby made to know him againe Hereto serueth that which Christ sayth J know my Sheepe Ioh. 10.14 and immediatly inferreth thereupon I am knowne of mine As if hee should haue sayd While I know them for my Sheepe and marke them out as Shepheardes doe their Sheepe with a red stroake euen of my redde blood I make them on the other side by the participation of my knowledge that they acknowledge me for their Shepheard The same learning the Apostle giues the Galathians where he faith Sâ—eing yee k ow God Gal. 4.9 yee rather are knowne of God c. Where hee would haue the Galathians know that all their knowledge holdeth in â—ayne from the foreknowledge that God had of them The like may be said of the Loue of God in which he loued vs in Christ before the ground-worke of the World was layde which loue of vs is more then Adamantine and hath been the onely Loadstone to draw our loue by retaliation vnto him For Gods loue to vs being eternall and to eternall life must beget in time in vs a loue somewhat like seruing to the eternitie of his glory whereto pertaineth these wordes of S. John Not that wee loued God 1. Ioh. 4.10 but that hee first loued vs making our loue the consequent of his loue So that by the sinceere loue we beare towardes him we consider of the latitude and qualitie of that loue wherewith God in Christ from all eternitie hath prosecuted vs. Now what is all this his Loue but our Election Now that none is elected vnto life euerlasting who beare not in due time these effectes and cognizances of their Election about them it is manifest by such Scripture places which deale in the poynt of Predestination The holy Apostle telleth vs that wee were elected that wee should be holy and without blame Ephes 1.4 And hee further informeth vs that such whom God Predestinateth are likewise Called and Iustified and so consequently qualified with Fayth and the knowledge of God wherewith they acknowledge God for their Father and with loue whereby they imbrace him as their Father And finally with good will and setled resolution Rom. 8.30 constantly and continually to seeke his glorie But we come to the effectes by which we come to the knowledge of the causes They are of two sortes 1. Such as necessarily appertaine to all without which they are not capable of eternall life 2. Such as are annexed as dependances and appurtenances thereunto Of the first sort are 1. Christ as Mediator and Priest and his obedience and righteousnesse for without Christ there is no saluation 2. Our effectuall Vocation to Christ by the holy Spirit and the coniunctaunces thereof our Iustification and so our Regeneration therevpon These foure Predestination Vocation Iustification Glorification are so coadunited and coanimated togeather as they cannot be diuided And so no man can be Glorified who is not Iustified and no man can be Iustified that is not first effectually Called as no man can be so called who is not Predestinated Without these meanes no not the very Infants can attaine to this end of their endlesse Glorie Wherefore inwardly all the Elect children by the Holy ghost in their kind are Called and Iustified that they may be likewise Glorified Of the Second sort which Infantes by reason of their age can not haue which notwithstanding follow the rest of the Elect though in some they
us Felix singeth the same songe with the former Sâ—â—uâ— spe futurae resurrectioâ—is Wee are secure vnder hope of the Resurrection to come Cornelius Cornelius Bitontius in cap. 8. an Rom. Bishop of Bitonto one of their owne side speaketh loudly and liberally for vs in this wise Qui in Christo Iesu sunt nihil habent vnde timere debent They that are in Christ Iesu haue nothing whereof they should be afrayde Si quidem securi sunt de salute Inasmuch as they are secure of their saluation Antonius Maâ—â—â—â—â—us Anton. Mariâ— in the Chapter holden at Trent durst stand foorth and preach not onely of the doctrine of the certaintie of Saluation but also of our securitie therein speaking in this wise Ab operum nostroruÌ„ gloria auersi in illius patris elementia et voluntate et in perpetuum conquâ—escamus Item indubitationis labirintho non errant qui per Christum adepti sunt IustitiaÌ„ sed in sâ—curitate mentis in pace consâ—ientiae in laetitia cordis audent dicere Abha pater Wee wholly draw our mindes from any confidence in our owne workes and repose our trust in the louing kindnesse and goodwill of our heauenly Father for euer Also they erre not in the maze of mistrust who haue obteined righteousnesse through Christ but they date boldly say in the securitie of Minde peace of Conscience ioy of Heart Abâ—a Father The same Doctor in the same Councell Concil Trident Act 1. Anno. 1546. was thus peremptorie in this poynt protesting of his owne Fayth herein on this wise Si Caelum ruat si Terra euanesâ—at si Orbis dissoluatur praeceps ego in eum erectus ero si Angelus de caelo aliud mihi persuadâ—re contendat dicam illi mathema O faelicem Christiam pâ—ctâ—â—is fiduciaâ— Though Heauen should passe away the Earth consume to nothing and the whole World should be dissolued I shall erect my selfe towardes him And though an Angelicall Doctor from heauen should goe about to perswade me otherwise I should tell to his head that he is accursed O the happie assurance of a Christian soule â—e Oratione The very Tâ—â—â—â—entine Catechisme thus speaketh in our cause Fides est quae preces fundit preces facit vt omni dubitatione sublata stabilis aâ— sâ—rma sâ—t fides It is Fayth that powreth out Praiers conceiueth Praiers that all distrust remooued our Fayth might be firme and stable Some of the best of the bunch of Papiâ—tes doe preach and publish this true certaintie and holy securitie that wee speake of At Treâ—â— this cause hath been throughly canâ—ased not by vollie of wordes but by volumes of Bookes Catharâ—â—us is our Champion against Dâ—minicus Soto in which Booke of his he telleth vs how the Schoolemen are diuided in this Doctrine how they preferre their owne Reasons and their vaine Philosophie before the holy Scriptures and so turne aside out of the right way They distaste these wordes of Securitie and Certaintie but they should rellise them the better if they would beare in minde this text out of Jsaiah Isai 32.17 The worke of righteousnesâ—e shal be peace euen the worke of Iustice and quietnesse and assuraunce for euer They are tearmes the Fathers commonly take vp as in the precedent instances you haue heard Cyprian Cyp. de mortalit serm 4. admireth we should otherwise speake or thinke where he saith â—t tu dubitas eâ— flactuas Hoâ— est Deum omnino non noscere Hoc est Christum credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis â—ffendere Hâ—c est in Eâ—clesia construtum fidem in domo fiâ—ey non â—aâ—erâ— Doest thou doubt and wauer This is altogeather not to know God This is to displease Christ the Maister of the Faythfull with the sinne of Incredulitie This is to be in the Church and to denie the Fayth in the very House of Fayth In respect of the indiuiduall societie that is betweene the Flesh and the Spirit doubts and quaimes must often arise and come vpon our heartes and trouble our Fayth Incredulitie betweene times will assault euery man when his Fayth is at the best the sensuall part of man euer coueting against the Spirit but Fayth will quiet all these brawles and broyles at the last be our Faith neuer so eclipsed with Cloudes tossed with Tempestes winnowed by Sathan driuen at by the Dartes and all the fierie Dartes of the Deuill though brought into an agonie bloodie sweate and extasie as Christ was in the Garden and on the Crosse yea though almost brought to vtter desperation the very brimme and introduction into the Hell of the damned then God seemeth to stand a farre off and to hide him selfe in the needfull time of trouble to stop his eares with Waxe and not to heare vs though we make many Prayers to hold his hand still in his boosome and not to plucke it out in our extremities Fayth being the victorie that ouercommeth the whole World and so wee conclude this first Question Whether one may be certaine or his particuler Election affirmatiuely as ye haue heard and put it out of question with this ioyfull acclamation of the Prophet Blessed be God that hath shewed 〈◊〉 so great kindnesse in a strong citie That hath seâ— vs in this inuincible fortresse of Fayth so that we may cast out our Gantlet and prouoke all our enemies to the field and to the foyle so that neither Life nor Death neither Principalities nor Powers thinges present nor things to come nor any things else in the nature of thinges can make a separation betweene God and vs. The second Question now vnder our decision is How our particular Election may be knowne There be two wayes of knowing it 1 First by going vp as it were to Heauen there to prie into the very priuities of God and then to come downe and to come into our selues But we disclaime this course as pernicious perilous God hauing drawne Curtaines of blacke Cloudes and Darknes ouer his Tabernacle round about him Bernar. serm 31. in Cantica Ad Deum accedendum non â—â—â—uenduâ— Wee may come to God but not Concitate câ—â—â—u praeter viam Wee must not rush violently into his presence Chamber 2. Secondly by the contrarie by descending into our heartes by going vp from our selues to Gods eternall Counsaile This is the way chalked out vnto vs which we may safely walke which teacheth vs by tokens in our selues to gather what was the eternall Counsaile of God touching our saluation These tokens are two not taken from the Primitiue causes of our Election but rather from the latter effectes thereof 1. The testimonie of Gods Spirit 2. The workes of our SanctificatioÌ„ This is proofe enough in Law For the Law hath spoken it In the mouthes of two or three Witnesses shall euery thing be confirmed The Spirit of God is a Witnesse for the nonce the best that is in Heauen sealing the certaintie of adoption in our heartes with the singer of his grace
Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Where it is assumed as a matter confessed that a man may know his Fayth and so his Election Fayth being the infallible marke of our Election By Reasons wee confront them in the cause thus 1. That which a man is bound certainely to beleeue he may certainely know and that without notice of speciall Reuelation But euery faythfull man standeth bound to beleeue that he is elected it being the positiue precept of God that wee beleeue in Christ 1. Ioh. 3.23 This is his commaundement that wee beleeue in the Name of his sonne Iesus Christ. To beleeue in Christ being not onely to beleeue that we are Adopted Iustified Redeemed by him but also eternally to be Elected in him 2. Againe we dispute thus That which is consigned and sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God of that we may be sure for then are wee sure of our Leases and Grauntes when they are sealed vnto vs. But our Adoption and so by sequell our Election is sealed vnto vs by the Spirit of God This Scriptures conceale not but reueale vnto vs â— Cor. 2.12 where they say Wee haue receiued not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the thinges that are giuen to vs of God As in an other place thus Ephes 1.13 Jn whom also ye haue trusted after that yee heard the word of trueth euen the Gospell of your saluation whereâ—â— also after that yee beleeued yee were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise If our Aduersaries hereto shall obiect that this obsignation of our Adoption is morally by our works to beare vs in hand that this our knowledge of our Adoption is but coniecturall and probable wee further answere that the holy Spirit sealeth our Adoption by begetting in vs a speciall confidence For when as we heare the Promises of God and withall ruminate and meditate vpon them in commeth the holy Ghost in the nicke inclining the Vnderstanding the Will to imbrace them and then draweth them on to giue consent vnto them and to rest contented in them Whence ariseth that speciall assurance that we are Gods adopted Children and that wee stand in his fauour If further it shall be obiected that the Catholike-fayth chargeth none to giue Fayth to that which God neither by written or vnwritten Word or otherwise by Tradition hath intimated vnto vs and how that by none of these wayes it hath been suggested that this man Peter or that man Cornelias is Predestinated by God and therefore that no man is constrained particularly to beleeue this or that man to be saued let them be thus answered that albeit this particular proposition J am Elected be not so broadly set downe in the Bible yet inclusiuely as Species in sico genere as Logicians speake is it there contained So as by naturall collectiue inference it is set downe in the word by disputing in this manner Ioh. 6.35 Whosoeuer truely beleeue are elected But â—aruely doe beleeue therefore J am elected The Proposition or first part of this Reason is the verie Scripture the Assumption or second part commeth from the Conscience of the beleeuing person The Conclusion naturally issueth from them both 3. Our next Argument shal be thus formed The Fayth of the Elect or otherwise that which we call A sauing Fayth is a certaine and particuler perswasion of forgiuenesse of sinnes and of eternall life That Fayth is this resolute perswasion and that this Resolution is of the nature of Fayth Scriptures doe conclude as where Christ sayth to Peter Math. 14.31 O thou of litle Fayth wherefore did â—est thou doubt As where he sayth to his Disciples Math. 21.21 If yee haue Fayth and doubt not As where Saint James monisheth thus Let him aske in Fayth Iam. 1.6 and wauer not The Fayth that was so much commended in Abraham He doubted not of the Promise of God through vnbeliefe Rom. 4.20 but was strengthned in the Fayth In the second place that Fayth is a particuler perswasion applying thinges beleeued it is thus prooued The propertie of Fayth is to receiue the Promise so S. Paul That yee might receiue the Promise of the Spirit through Fayth Gal. 3.14 and the thing promised which is Christ with his spirit of which sayth our Sauiour As many as receiued him Ioh. 1.12 to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the Sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his Name It is this that giueth vs courage and confidence these two beeing the worthy effectes of our Fayth as Paul teacheth saying Ephes 3.12 By Christ we haue boldnesse entraunce with confidence by Fayth in him Boldnesse is when a sinner dare presse into the presence of God and not be dismaide with the menaces of the Law or the vnderstanding of his owne vnworthinesse nor with the manifold tryalles of the Diuell and it is more then certaintie of Gods fauour which a generall Fayth can not breed as Papistes would haue it This generall Fayth without doubt beeing in Cain Saul Achitophel Iudas and such like yea in Sathan himselfe who not-withstanding despaired and some of them desperatly did fordoe themselues and the Diuell for all his fayth quiuereth as a Leafe tossed with the wind in the presence of God 4. Lastly I oppose against them thâ— multiplicitie of instances as very pregnanâ— proofes of the cause congested by S. Iohn iâ— his first Epistle whose intentioÌ„ through 〈◊〉 the whole Letter is to shew how a maâ— may ordinarily and plenarily know thâ— hee is in Gods loue and so in the state oâ— eternall life The places are very strong on our side and they are these Hereby we are sure that we know him 1. Ioh. 23. if we keepe his Commaundementes vers 5. If we keepe his word hereby we know that we are in him In this are thâ— children of God knowne 1. Ioh. 3.10 and the children of the Diuell Thereby we know that we are of the trueth vers 19. and shall before him assure our heartes Hereby we know that we dwel in him Chap. 4.13 and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit These thinges haue I writen vnto you Chap. 5.13 that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may know that yâ—â— haue eternall life Now our Aduersaries thus slubber vp an answere to these Testimonies 1. That none of them doe necessarily imply any such certaintie of Diuine knowledge in asmuch as those thinges which we learne by coniectures we may be sayd to know This is but an hungrie Answere by their leaue and a very miserable shift which with what facilitie we list we dissolue and doe away For thus S. Iohn directly deliuereth vs the drift of his Epistle Ioh. 1.4 These thinges write we vnto you that your ioy may be full But it must needes be an vncertaine ioy which a doubtfull and coniecturall
The fourth Obiection is thus laide in against vs. There can be no Iustification where there is not Fayth and Repentance But no man can be certaine by the certaintie of Fayth of his vnfained Repentance of his sinnes past and of such a Fayth as God requireth of vs in asmuch as the worde performes no testimonie of our particuler Fayth and Repentance therefore no man can be certaine by the certaintie of Fayth that his sinnes are forgiuen him Our Answere is this that a man by his Fayth should be certaine of his Fayth and Repentance there is no such necessitie because the obiect of Fayth is not of thinges present but of thinges to come whereas Fayth and Repentance are truely present in all that truely beleeue and repent it will suffice if any man any way be vndoubtedly certaine that he hath them And albeit some men fondly feed vpon their owne Fancie as vpon a Restoratiue that they haue Fayth and haue it not as they that dreame that they are great persons when they are out of their dreame finde the contrarie yet the true beleeuer knoweth aswell that hee beleeueth as hee that vnderstandeth knoweth hee vnderstandeth and as hee that beleeueth a man on his word knoweth hee beleeueth him and as hee that holdeth Monie in his hand knoweth that hee holdeth it Wherefore Paul calleth on the Corintians 2. Cor. 13.5 to prooue whether they haue Fayth or no to insinuate that it is a poynt to be prooued and discerned of vs And hee professeth this discerning skill in himselfe where hee sayth J know whom J haue beleeued 2. Tim. 1.12 And S. Iohn maketh it as cleare as the Sunne 1. Ioh. 3.24 By thâ—s wee know that hee dwelles in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. And whereas they vrge vs further herein that albeit we may know that we haue this Fayth yet we can not know whether it be of sufficiencie or no for our securitie in this cause We answere that true Fayth not blinded with hypocrisie in the mediocritie and imperfection thereof sufficeth to assure vs of our particuler Election as the least measure of Manna fedde them in the Desart Exod. 6. as well as they that came in with Cornu copta and had made greater prouision As a Palsie shaking Hand could receiue the benefite of an Almes as well as the strongest Arme and soundest Hand of all As the Flesh that is the weakest part of man hath as much vinacitie in it as the very stones that are of such solide and firme composition The sinceritie of our Fayth beeing of more worth with God then the perfection of it The Will with God is the measure of the action the Desire of any Grace in God is the very Grace it selfe He that hath but a Will to serue God hath the Spirit of God and hee that hath the Spirit of God is in Christ and hee that is in Christ shall neuer see damnation God will approoue his owne workes which he hath wrought in thee and will not reiect thee for thy worke 5. A fift Obiection throwne vpon vs hath deduction from such Scripture authorities as commende Feare vnto vs the contrarie qualitie as it should seeme to this godly securitie of Conscience that this Doctrine of the Knowledge of our particuler Election seemeth to implie as where Salomon sayth Pâ—â—â— 28.14 Blessed is the man that Feareth alway â—â—ul 2.12 As where Paul sayth Worke your saluation with Feare and trembling As where the same Apostle sayth Rom. 11.20 Thou standest by Fayth be not high minded but Feare As where the royall Prophet in the Ode 〈◊〉 2.11 sayth Serue the Lord in Feare and reioyce in trembling Vpon which places Stapleton croweth as a Cocke on the dunghill out of the aduantage that he presumeth he hath against our Doctrine which he sayth giue the foyle to our counterfeite Fayth of our perswasion of Gods Loue not possibly to be lost and to the opinion we hold of the indeleble Fayth of the Elect and to all our Diuinitie of the certaintie of Grace and Saluation His Sophistication and fallacie is thus framed Where there yet remaineth to the beleeuer and to him that standeth in the Fayth matter of feare there this conceiued Beliefe of ours this Fayth inexpungible this presumptuous assurance can not haue a place His reason is because nothing is more aduerse to Securitie then Feare nothing more destroyeth this our certaintie of Saluation then this our facilitie of possibilitie of falling from Grace neither may that be deemed indeleble that is in such danger and hazard to be lost But the Apostle sayth he striketh with feare yea such as beleeue and stand in the sayth therefore in this securitie of ours there is an absolute nullitie I cannot greatly blame him for his dowtie dispute to keepe vs still in suspense of our saluation for the Doctor knoweth well that all their questuous occupation whereby they liue is in the life of this their luxate doctrine and how that if this our diuinitie should stand they might burne their Bookes as the Bookes of curious artes were serued spoken of by Luke in the Actes of the Apostles for the whole masse and waight of all their building their Purgatorie Masse Indulgences Satisfactions Merites and the whole Papacie leaneth vpon this base of base minded Doctrine doubtfulnesse of saluation without which doubt out of doubt all would come tumbling downe with a witnesse at the sound of this our Preaching as the Walles of Hiericho sometimes did at the noyse of the Trumpets of Rammes hornes But I answere Stap eâ—on in his Argument that the Assumption of his Sillogisme is faultie two wayes 1. First for that the Apostle doth not put feare into the heartes of the faythfull standing in the Fayth but only such as make detraction froÌ„ the Faith such as our Hipocrites and seruers of the times such as neuer indeed beeing in the Fayth can not tarrie or stand in the Fayth Secondly he doth not affright the faithfull standers in the Fayth with the terrour of their fall but onely monisheth them to that feare which consisteth in modestie and humilitie Bellarmine in his Bookes of Iustification Bellar. lib. 3. cap. 12. de Iustificat to establish this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Sophisters and to ouerthrow our position of the certaine knowledge of our Predestination vseth the selfe-same argument more briefly framed thus Where feare is there is no assurance but we are all willed to feare therefo e there is no assurance The Proposition is true vnderstood of the seruile feare vnable to stand with this assurance for this feare is in the Diuels who beleeue and tremble But as it hath reference to the filiall feare which is a feare of God of modestie of humilitie it is erroneous false for it is in the nature of this feare not to quench but to kindle Fayth to conserue and to increase it Againe there