the diuine eleccion neither quench or diminishe the diuine charitie Yea hereof our sinnes toke occasion to be shewed with excesse of more loue Roma v. We are not by this inuited to more Idlenes nor to watche when we shall haue Manna from heauē neither to be wickedly occupyed but we are drawē and moued so much more to loue him as he is discouered to vs by more bountie and charitie But those that are not by Christe regenerate are of so base vyle a mind through sinne that they can not thinke God to be so liberall as to geue heauē without our workes But they ought at the leaste to thinke that to bye it the bloud of Christ is sufficiēt without adioyning therto their workes to boote which surely are rych iuels to be mingled with his God is so frāke that he hath geuen vs Christ Roma viii and in him al thinges and canst not thou thinke he hath geuen the heauen It is also our greater glorie that God hath loued vs somuche that his owne selfe hath wylled to take the care charge of our saluation And so to that ende hath wylled his only sonne to die vpon the crosse so that if with all our trauaile we might enter into heauen by our selues the glorie only of the crosse is a far greater glory then any other which by our selues we could attaine Yea there is no other trew glory then to glorie to be so much loued of God that he hath to saue vs put his sonne vpon the crosse He may not dwel in his owne loue that willeth to be happy and only glory in God If we myght glorye of ourselues we should haue wherof to waxe proude and prefer our selues afore oure brethern where otherwyse we should haue occasion to be humble and geue to God all honoure and glorye as to him it apperteineth i. Timo. i. And further such as beleue thē selues to be by grace elected saued sonnes of God heyres and sure therof not only because ther remaineth no more to get God in Christ hauing geuen them all but also by the great vnderstanding they haue of the goodnes of the Lord they are cōstrained to worke as childrē for the glori of their father and not for their owne gaine and so also sure of their saluacion with Christ they turne them with al their force to seke the saluacion of their brother they demaund also grace with a bolder spirite and confidence sence they axe it not for their owne lucre but for he honor of God Ephesi i. Rom. vi Psal xxxii and to his laude and gloy so that in the worldes to come may be sene aboūdant riches of his fre mercy Moreouer such hope to be hard for that thei thinke not to deserue grace Rom. iiii Gala. iii. ii Cor iii. Ioh. iii. neither put their trust in their owne workes but in the goodnes of God being inspired and moued therto by the holy gost Suche also as feele that our saluacion dependeth not vpon vs but oure damnacion and that it standeth wholye in the hande of God are forced to turne their backes to them selues and theyr faces to God Where as the cōtrary belefe wold make the contrary operacion they would withdraw them from God and seke to reste with hope in them selues also if God had elected vs with this condicion Ephe. i. If we wolde do well we should be vnder the lawe contrary to Paul neither we should be saued for the law saueth not but worketh wrathe and is the minister of cursing and damnacion Let him therfore that lusteth haue Christ for his iudge for I wyl none of him but as a sauiour If our eleccion by fre mercy dyd harme vs he wold not thē haue elected vs so But note them that thinke to haue theyr eleccion in their owne handes thou shalt se that thei are in their owne loue and trust presumtuous and full of vyce and yet for all thys they be so blynd and arrogant that they wyll haue heauen by iustice But let vs praye to the Lorde that he gyue them knowledge to the ende they may render to God all laude honour and glorye throughe oure Lorde Iesus Christe Amen ¶ Howe excellent oure eleccion is the seconde Sermon PAul magnifieth our eleccion fyrste in his behalfe that hath elected vs sayinge Wee are elected neyther by man nor Aungell but by God Hyer cā not he go Then cōcernynge hym that elected vs oure eleccion is moste excellente And lykewyse concernynge the circumstaunce of tyme although aboue there is properlye no course of tyme. He elected vs as Paull wryteth before the constitucion of the worlde Ephe. i. meanynge from wythoute begynnynge sooner coulde he not electe vs. And moreouer he saythe that he elected vs which are most base most vile most abiect wormes in comparison of him Bi the sinne of Adam we were all defyled infected in firme frayle blynd malingnaunte full of venim contrari to god enemies and rebels so that a thinge more miserable coulde not haue binne chosen Paule doth also magnifye oure election in respect of the dignittie to the whiche we are elected and sayth he hath not chosen vs to be hys seruauntes or frendes but to be hys children nothyng to god can be more nyghe entire and dere thē his children nether is it possible to imagine a greater dignitie It doth include al other vertues and goodnes it is so hyghe and excellent Being then elected from so miserable an estate to be the sōnes of god He hath also chosen vs to be the brethren of Christe therby with him coheires of god Rom. viii yea the worlde is oures Chryst with al his gyftes al that is the fathers is the sonnes therfore al is ours that is gods whose goodes we mai dyspose as children their fathers And bycause we should shame to be the sonnes of god not hauing the maners graces and vertues conueient to suche a dygnitie therfore not onlye oure heauenlye father hath chosen vs to be his sonnes but hath blessed vs not wyth wordes onlye but wyth effectes not as Isaac blessed Iacob or Esau but wyth all spirituall bless nge in thinges celestiall And so accordyng to Paule Ephe. i. Collo i hathe made vs mete to be partakers of the feloweship of lyght delyuering vs frō the power of darkenes hath ledde vs into the kingedome of his beloued sonne God then with oute beginninge did determyne to iustifye glorifye and magnyfie those that he hadde elect and euen so he hath done Rom. vii◠as Paule wryteth who also exaltyth our election for that cause sainge that it was not our good worckes which God forsawe wythout beginning that were the cause of our electiō but he chose vs by mere mercie accordynge to the decreed purpose of his owne wyll to the laud and glorie of his mercie we were not then chosen bycause we were Holye but bycause we shoulde be holly bi his election and to
for that onlye benefite feele so muche the greate goodnes of God that we myght be sure and certayne of our saluacion And nowe he in euery creature dothe sparkle towardes vs loue with innumerable benefites yea in Christe vpon the Crosse casteth he the flame of perfecte charitye and shall not wee feele so muche the goodnes of God that wee should beleue to be his electe If one onlye shulde be saued I wold truste suerly to be he if al the men angells wold tel me that I were dampned I cold not beleue them althoughe thei did alledge al the reasonnes possible but I wolde euer giue more truste to Christe alone who vpon the crosse with his bloude and deathe doeth tel me I am saued thē I wold to al the rest for he alone hath more power in me thē al the reasons authorities without him Prouided only that I se him with liuely fayth dead for my saluacion Yea in that case seing my selfe Gala. i. by Christ to be the sōne of God I wold with Paule excōmunicate the very angels as superior to them if thei wold saie the cōtrary or gainesaie the gospel and the great loue and benefit which in that case I shuld fele by Christ Paraduenture thou wilt say it semeth me not that I cā be suer of mi saluacion because I am fre to do euell so mai I sinne be dāpned Our life is in such sort variable that to giue a certeine iudgement we must tarye the end for euery one wolde haue thoughte that Iudas shuld haue bene saued when he was called of Christ yet it is sene that it is contrarye I answere thou begilest thy selfe in thinkinge thy saluacion dependeth vpon the likelyhod of thy worckes Ephe. i. Paule affirmeth that God hath elected vs by his mere mercy in Christ not bicause we were holy or for that he foresawe oure good workes but because we should be holy and should do good workes and perseueryng in thē we should dye in his fauour and grace Inwardly doth God cal his eelecte geueth them knowledge of him Roma viii and doth iustifie glorifie them Therfore doth Paul adde and say if God be with vs who cā be against vs And he ment if we be once electe we can no more lose our selues meanyng there is nothing that can let the eleccion of God Yea euery thing serueth to saluacion euen sinne Therfore where thou saieste thou mayst sinne it is true and peraduēture thou shalt sinne Neuertheles if thou be the electe thou shalt algates ryse againe and be saued wherof thou mayst be certein and sure so that once at the least thou haue perceyued thy selfe in Christ and by Christ saued neither thou oughtest so much to dispayre in thy selfe as that thou shuldest not much more trust in the goodnes of god knowyng that the Gospel is not the law but mercie and know thou that when the electe fall in any sinne whiche God doth not permitte but for the benefite of them and the other electe whilest they are in that erroure they fele in them selues a certeine hyddē vertue whiche withholdeth and refrayneth them from doyng worsse it biteth nippeth and reprehēdeth them of the euel fact and doth enduce and spurre them to conuert There remaineth euer a certeine hate of sin although they be sometime ouercome of frailtye So that they neuer turne frō God with al their power nor run wholy to vice with a lose bridell God hath them euer for his owne and gouerneth them as his lawefull Childrene And speaking oftē in their herts he saith that which he said to his Apostles Luke xii feare not litle flocke for it hath pleased youre father to giue you his kingdom of his mere goodnes although you be vnworthy And if thou woldest bring in Salomō who sayth none knoweth whether he be worthy of hate or loue I answere It is clere chyflie by the wordes whych folow that he ment that man were he neuer so iust wise was so blinde in this world that he cannot know by the workes of God that is by prosperity or aduersity whether of him self he be worthi of hate or loue And this is bicause God giueth his giftes so indifferently to the good and euell to the electe and reprobat Thou wilt say yet Paul said i. Cor. xiiii my cōsciēce doth not reproue me yet am I not therby iustified before God therfore it can not be knowen But I answere that th entent of Paul was to saye that thoughe by grace of the Lorde he had ministred the Gospel in suche sorte that his conscience dyd not rebuke him of any erroure whiche was imputed vnto hym for a sclaunder of false christians neuertheles he held not him selfe iuste for this neither was he iuste he iudged him selfe iuste by Christe and not by preaching the Gospel irreprehensibly in the syght of man but yet not in the presence of God for that he hath not preached it with the whole force of spirit fayth loue So that here Paul did condēne the opiniō of them which iudge thē selues iuste by theyr owne workes but he doth not reproue the iudgemēt of those which iudge thē selues righteous saued by the bountie of God death of his only begotten sōne but doth approue it With Paule also agreeth Iob Iob. ix when he sayde that although he were iuste he durste not iudge him selfe so that is he durste not holde hym for ryghteous by his owne proper ryghteousnes and workes but by the iustice of Christe Sence then that it maye and oughte to bee knowen of vs that wee are in the fauoure of God and hys electe lette vs force vs continuallye to encrease in more knoweledge of the Goodnesse of God so that firmely establyshed in the lyuelye faythe of oure saluacion we maye as chyldren render hym all honoure laude and glorye by Iesus Christ oure Lorde Amen ¶ Vvhether it be good or euel to beleue that we are electe the fourthe Sermon SOme saye that it is euel to beleue that we are electe bycause that as the beliefe to be reprobate bringeth men in dispeyre so the beliefe of eleccion is cause of presumpcion But the iuste and the holy flye bothe the one and the other extremitie They are not exalted in presumpcion beleuing to be electe nor fallen in the botomles pyite of dispeyre wyth beliefe of dampnacion but kepe the meane waye euer standing betwene both And I say that it is true that none ought to dispeyre or yet to presume but assuredlye to hope and beleue to be saued and elected Mary by oure owne workes this is an euyll vyce and ought to be fled But to beleue to be elected and saued by the liberalitie of God by the deathe of Christe vpon the crosse and hys workes thys is no presumpcion but a hope whych hath regard as diuine theological vertue not to oure merites but onlye to God by Christe And as we cā not loue him
hebrues that which in faith do imitate folow Abraham they are the elect Mala. i. When God also in Mala. sheweth to the Iues that he hath loued thē because he loued Iacob of whom they descended and hated Esau His reason had ben vnuailable if God dyd loue and those by workes For the Iewes might haue answered if thou didest loue Iacob the Hebrues it was because thou didest forsee their good workes and in lyke case thou wouldest haue done to Esau and the Gentils Roma ix if thou haddest foresene any good workes in them But Paule sheweth that the Messias is come also to the gētils because God geueth his gyftes with out hauinge respecte to workes If thou demaund wherfore he hath elected thē Paul answereth because it is written I wyl shew mercy on whom it pleaseth me Roma ix Therfore Paule doth inferre and bringe in that paradise is not his that wyl nor that runneth or laboreth by hymselfe to get it but his that God wyl shewe mercy vnto He myght also haue answered that although God hated Esau before he was borne before he dyd sinne he is not therfore wycked for he had hym not in hate or he did forese his wickednes But he saith that he doth indurate whō he wyl to set forth the brightnes of his glorie And to his purpose he doth alledge the example of Pharao Now tel me howe it is possible that God can forse in vs any good if he determine not to geue it vs Thou wilt say he saw that some could vse well frewil and some not therfore he chose the fyrst and refused the seconde they coulde not vse it well wythout hys grace Wherefore then dyd he determine to geue that grace of well vsynge to the one and not to the other It behoueth to returne to the deuine wyll and saie because it pleased him not for the vsinge wel of fre wil is the effecte and frute and not the cause of election Peraduenture thou wylte saye he did determine to geue grace to all but he sawe that some wold vse it wel and those he chose and some euel and those he forsoke But tell me the vse of that grace is also the gyfte of God wherfore did he not determine to geue that grace to all also to vse it Thou muste nedes saie at laste also because it pleased him not If thou wilt saie those that vsed it not well was not because thei lacked the grace to vse it no more then the other but they did not occupye it when they had it the desalte was theires not of God nor of the grace If it were so we shuld haue wherin to glorye in our selues But Paul is in the contrarie willeth that to God ought to be rendred all honour and glorye i. Cor. iiii Romm iiii i. Timo. i. Iero. i. so as frō him commeth al goodnes We might also of our selues seperate vs frō the reprobate and so our hope shuld not be al wholy in God our saluaciō could not be certeine and suer as Chryst said nor the cause of oure election so hid Ihon. x. Rom. iiii vi.ix and .xi. as Paule saieth it is yea fre mercie shulde be no more fre merci if we might be saued by worckes and paradise shuld be a rewarde and not a gyfte cleane agaynst Paule The Hebrues dyd mo warckes thē the gentils and neuertheles he did chose the gentils and reproued the Iewes that soughte to be iustified by theyr workes God from the beginning for sawe in vs nothing but repugnancie and rebelliō agaynst his grace being by the sinne of Adam the children of ire proue Ephe. ii Gene. viii Rom. xi Psal xvii ii Reg. xxii Psalm xliii i Cor ii Iaco. i. Ihon. xv and enclined to all euyl Paule calleth our elecciō the eleccion of fre mercye Dauid sayth he saued me because he loued me and because it pleased him He saueth then his electe because he delitethe in them and distributeth his mercy after his owne wyl Thē he hath begotten vs voluntarily by mere mercye and not by our workes so that the .xij. Apostels dyd not chose Christe but he chose thē to the Apostleship So we be not they that haue chosen God to saue vs but God is he that hathe chosen vs to saluacion Euen as Paul was called withoute workes by free mercy because it pleased God so he was elected to shewe his mercie Acte ix Gala. i. i. Timo. i. Ephe. ii and the aboundaunt ryches of his glorie It is humilitie it selfe to beleue that we are chosen by grace Thys opinion geueth al glory to God and to vs only confusion And because we can not erre in glorifiyng to much the fre mercie and bountie of God and abatinge the pryde of man Therfore it is most sure yea although it stode not wyth the holye scriptures as it doth And the more it displeaseth the carnal man because it cōfoundeth al hys glorye so much the more it is pleasing to the spiritual because it magnifieth God Christ his fre mercy the gospel And to say my opinion it pleaseth me best to be all wholy in the hande of God Yea if mine elecciō were in my custodie I wolde if I myght render it vnto God in whose hand it must of force be better and more sure Yea woe to vs if in the least point it did depend vpō our selues Se then what becommeth of them that imagine although falsely that it dependith only vpon the goodly workes that they do to make thē selues elected again wher on the other partie thou shalt se that those which with lyuely faith beleue to be by the mere mercy of God and by the death of Christe in the number of the electe and sonnes of God for that they fele in Christe and by Christ the greate charitie of God are by strength of the spirite and loue forced to do worckes to bee wondered at not seruile for they see them selues heyres but the worckes of a sonne sincere and pure to the glorie of their lyuely father beynge preuented by loue If thou wouldeste beleue we are not worthye to be so elected by free mercye I woulde aunswere neyther that Chryste shoulde suffer for vs vpon the Crosse but dyd he not therfore die Christe hathe not elected vs because we were worthy therof but for the glorie of his goodnes Ephe. i. The cause of oure eleccion is not then to bee soughte but at the diuine wyll Of the reprobate I entende not to dispute wherefore God hath cast them of because it is neyther nedefull to vs nor profitable to knowe It serueth to humble vs and to knowe better the greate goodnesse of God that wee are elected by his grace and not by our workes The christiane ought to beleue to be one of the chosen Ephe. i. i. Cor. ii.v. and it ought to suffise hym to haue Christe for his booke in the which he seeth hym selfe
hath elected some other some not if this grow of the suspicion that God may or haue erred The godly knoweth certeinly by faith that he can not erre hereupoÌ„ resteth There are some that aske after it of arrogaÌ„cie and presuÌ„pcion They woulde be answered that god had elected them for theyr good workes to haue wherein they myght glory of them selues And wheÌ„ they hearsay that God hath elected them by grace it displeaseth them they gainsaie it seming them there resteth nothinge to glory in And they perceiue not that thys is the whole glory of the humble and true christiane to be saued by the mere grace of God and Christ crucified and to glorie only in God by Christe and in them selues not to se but thynges worthy to be ashamed of to th end that to God only be honour and glory i. Timo. iiii It groweth also to many of vnreuerence for if they coulde se howe inaccessible the maiestie of God is howe irreprehensible is his wyll and howe incoÌ„prehensible is his wisedome they wold not set them selues to dispute with God specially if they knewe howe blynd Roma ix darke fraÌ„ticke and folyshe they be And who art thou sayd Paul that wilt dispute with God answer and contend with God Paul was returned from the thyrd heauen where he had heard secrets so hygh that it was not lawfull to speake to man Neuerthelesse doynge reuerence to the diuine secret iudgementes he sayd O profouÌ„d riches of the wisedome and science of God how incoÌ„preheÌ„sible are his iudgementes And man blynd folyshe and vngodly is so high minded that he wil do wronge to God condeÌ„pning him and reproue his holy iust irreprehensible iudgementes And how many are thei that seke to knowe speake wryte of it and be commeÌ„ded therfore And al that they ran Imagine by force of their owne wytte and naturall knowledge which can not perce so hygh secretes they put in writyng And they are as arrogant as if they were in goodnes and sapience superior to God to be adored of the worlde they condemne the workes of God Ther are mani which are not coÌ„teÌ„t to know asmuch as God hath vouchsaued to opeÌ„ to vs but they wold knowe also a great deale more But it is not the office of a good seruaunt to wyl to know al the secretes of his Lorde yea the sonne ought to contente hym with the secretes of his father and to know of it only as much as is reueled to him and to be suer and certeine that he wil not faile to manifest al that shal be expedieÌ„t for him euen so we ought to contente vs to knowe that which God hath and dothe reuele vs knowing that he doth loue vs in such sorte that we haue not wherin to doubte that he wyll fayle to manifest vnto vs all those secretes the knowledge wherof shal be profitable and necessari Ihon. xv Yea christ him selfe said that he had made knowne all that he hadde heard of the father oure office is to seke to taste and fele with the spirite that which he hath opened to vs and we may also desire to know all that pleaseth God to reuele vs for the benefite of oure soule and his glory nowe for that God to beate downe carnall man to the ende that to him be geuen al honoure laude and glorye hath vouchesafed to open in the holy scriptures wherfore he hath elected some other some he hath not Therfore we mai ought to seke to know it that we may so much the more honour God but we ought to beleue it to be so as God hath declared to coÌ„tent vs with that way God hath taken in electing reprobating neither to thinke nor suspect that God hath erred nor ought to desyre any other waye but to be satisfied and pleased with so much as pleaseth the Lorde without beinge curious in wyllynge to knowe more then that which pleaseth God to reuele vnto vs and all that to th ende that by Iesus Christe we may render him al honor laude glorie Amen ¶ Of the diuerse effectes that it worketh in man to beleue that one eleccion is al in the handes of God and that of him only it depeÌ„deth the seuenth Sermon IT is seene by experience that of one selfe cause doth growe some times contrary effectes And is euideÌ„t bi the sun whiche hardeneth mire and â—etteth waxe and this is by theyr diuerse disposicions Euen so of the belief that our eleccioÌ„ is wholy in the handes of God dothe springe in men contrary effectes by theyr contrary disposicions The vngodlye perceiuing that in the deuine minde is resolued theire beinge to be saued or dampned they are wroth with God thei blaspheme him with their hearte they cal him parciall and vniuste they giue them selues to do euell Inoughe sayinge euerye waye that shal be which God hath infalliblye foresene immutabli determined yea their faltes thei cast in the face of god thinking that he is the cause therof many also despaire of their saluacion presume more of them selues then they hope in God they beleue that they shuld be saued if theyr saluacion dyd depende vpon them selues therfore if thei could disturbe the deuine counsayles and make that their saluacion shuld not be in the handes of god they wolde do it And this is for that they knowe not their owne greate mysery howe blynd infirme frail and vnprofitable thei are to God impoteÌ„t of them selues to goodnes and full of all wickednes and that thei dyd neuer worke if it were put in the balaÌ„ce of deuine iustice that merited not to be punished and so likewise they fele not the great goodnes of God nor the benefits of Christ but thincke him to be Irefull reuengable disdaineful proude parpetuall vniust and malignaunt as them selfes are There are some whiche haue not perfecte fayth but they are not so vngodly as the fyrste Nowe these when they heare say or thincke that their saluacion is all in the handes of God they remaine confused and euell contented And this is also for wante of knowledge of the goodnes of God they truste partly in God and partly in theÌ„ selues they loue not God nor truste nor hope perfectly in him they remaine doubtfull and knowe not whether it be best to depend all vpon God or not and it semeth them that it shulde haue bene beste that in some parte it shuld depend vpoÌ„ them selues yet thei thincke it wel beinge al in the handes of God troubled in suche sorte that thei caÌ„ not tel which to chuse Therfore they liue in a great perplexiti They consult some times with the holye scripture or with theÌ„ that haue the knowledge of the truth they find that it is al in the handes of God they iudge wheÌ„ their eies are somewhat opened to the goodnes of God their own miseries that it staÌ„deth wel and that so it is beste but then harkeninge to humane
him selfe to be wounded of his childern and beare with it to the end that some daye opening theire eies thei may se their greate ingratitude and the excessiue loue that he beareth them God also of these may be afterwarde suerlye serued at euerye noble and great enterpryse as of them that are altogether his not only for that he hath created and preserued theÌ„ but much more because that by sinne being loste with the bloud of his only begotteÌ„ sonne he hath recouered them And so was Christe serued of Paul of his other mighti chaÌ„pions we muste of force confesse also that God doeth well to permitte the sinnes of the reprobate to excercise the elect in vertues for the greater triumphe of Chryste and his glorie But it semeth that it shulde haue bene better that after that God had serued his tourne with them he shoulde touche theire herte and geue them his knowledge and his grace so that they also of theire sinnes should take occasion to reknowledge theire vice and the goodnes of God so that they might be saued to them ye ought to say sence ye confesse that God hath done well to permitte the sinnes of the reprobate ye can not deny but that for theÌ„ thei deserue to be dampned Ye are also forced to sai that god dampneth them iustli â—ence that thei haue sinned God then doth wel to permitte them to sinne and when they haue sinned he may iustli damne theÌ„ because that voluntarilie thei did sinne and the falte was theires and not Goddes Ye can not then complaine you of God if he dampne you but are constrained to saie he doeth well And if they saie it is true but yet it shulde seine vs to be better and with his greater glorye if after he were serued of theÌ„ he wold saue them To these I answere firste that is beste whiche pleaseth God because it pleaseth him to dampne theÌ„ therfore that is beste Then if God in the end of the life shuld geue light to all And so at last euery one shuld conuerte thei wold do manie more enormious sinnes theÌ„ they do For the vngodlye wolde saye we maye do eueri euell let vs take oure pleasure and liue frelie without any feare for euery waye in the end we shal be saued And for that one onlye sinne is worse theÌ„ al the peines of the dampned therfore it is beste that they be dampned Theire dampnation serueth also to the electe in as much as that seruaunte whiche when he seeth iustice done to his felowe seruaunte that before woulde haue strangled hym knoweth the goodnes of his Lorde and the malignitie of the man so the electe by seyng in the dampned the iustice of god do come to more knowledge of his mercye and iustice and also of theyr owne miserie God is serued then of the reprobate to illustreate and setforth his glory and vseth theÌ„ for instrumentes not only whyle they are in this lyfe but in death and in hell His glorie also is more discouered as Paul wryteth by hauinge in his great house vessels of golde of syluer of wodde and earth of mercy of wrath But let vs thanke God that he hath elected vs and praye hym that he geue vs so muche lyght of his goodnes and so muche feruencie that althoughe he wold euer be angry wyth vs not onely we should be content but that we holde it for a singuler priuiledge that he wyl vouchsafe in such maner to serue him self of vs to th ende that in euery state for euer we may render him al laude honour and glorie by Iesu Christe oure Lorde Amen ¶ Wherfore God hathe elected vs the nynthe Sermon IT shuld be no lesse then a very folyshenes when one entendinge to speake of colores shuld brynge in the opinion of one that is borne blynd and not illuminate by miracle So is it madnesse in the thinge supernaturall to alledge the iudgement of them that are not inspired but with naturall vnderstandinge And by aduenture haue talked of high hydde deuine secretes euen as it hath semed well in their owne blind and darcke vnderstaÌ„ding hauinge therby their eies euer open to magnifie man Now bicause that of the supernatural matters ther is so much knoweÌ„ as is reueled and opened to vs. Therfore lokinge in the holy scriptures Ephe. i. I find that God hath elected vs by Chryste that is that God lokinge in the progeny of Adam saw nothing there that was worthy of our election but tourninge the regarde to his own goodnes and Christes in whom he was so wel pleased Math. iii. Ephe. i. that bi him he did electe vs he therfore chose vs not because we were holie but because we shulde be so that the deuine grace founde no saintes but made saintes Therfore did Paule geue thanckes to God that had made vs mete to the enheritaunce of saintes He chose vs then because it pleased him so for he loued vs frelie without seinge in vs any thinge worthy therof Ephe. i. He elected vs as wryteth Paule after the decreed purpose of his owne will to the laud and glory of his fre mercie and not for our worckes So that not bicause we were iuste and worthi in his sighte he did electe and cal vs but as Paule saieth bicause he hath elected Roma viii therfore he doeth call iustifie and glorifie vs. In suche sorte that he willed not the end for the beginninge sake but the beginninge for the end sake He hath saued vs after Paul not by the worckes that we haue done but by his mercy In a nother place he saieth that he hath deliuered and called vs with his holye vocarion not after oure worckes but accordinge to his pourposed mercie ii Timo. i giuen all readie to vs before the creacioÌ„ of the world so then as of the secretes reueled to the litel ones and hidden from the wise and prudent Christe did giue none other cause but for that so it pleased the father Math. xi so of our electioÌ„ there may no nother cause be alleged but only because it is the pleasure of God Paule willeth that the purpose that God hath made vs maye not depende vpon our workes because it shulde not be firme as it is nor we sure as Christ sayth we are and Paul also If thou woldest say that Paul to the Rom. spake of the eleccion of Iacob Esau Roma ix Iohn x. Rom. viii Roma ix concerning the fyrst byrth not coÌ„cerninge the heauenly inheritauÌ„ce I wold answere that Paule with that trope dothe declare the maner of the eternal eleccion to paradise otherwyse the eleccioÌ„ of Iacob shuld be in vaine in the which is sene touching the thinges of the present life nothing but calamitie trouble But the principall intente of Paul is to proue that although the carnall Hebrues be not saued it resteth not therfore that Iesus is not the Messias for that the promises were made to the spiritual