Peter sayth To the Elect by the foreknowledge of God the father 1. Pet. 1. Then to know what this Election of God is and what in the Scriptures it dothe signifye Wée describe and defyne Election to bée the frée choyce of the good wyll of the Almyghtie GOD appoynting and prescrybyng in the Booke of lyfe before the beginning of the world whom he will haue to be saued and compted amongest the iust Whom he will haue holy and without faulte before hym to bée his children by adoption to set foorth his glory This choyse this choosing this aforeappoynted purpose and ordinaunce of God is aboundauntlye set foorthe in the firste chapter to the Ephesians That this commeth of the frée wyll of God and hys onely grace freely without our deseruing contrary to the vayne opinion of the Papists and Anabaptists the same chapter and the nexte chapter folowing dothe plainely testifie Epe 1. 2. And most euidently the Lord in his maiestie speaking to his seruant Moyses Exod. 33. declared all this to stande of his mercy saying I will haue mercie vpon whom it liketh me and I will shew mercie where it shall be my pleasure for so is the meaning of those wordes I will haue mercy vpon whom I will haue mercy Paul also declaring in this place the woorke of God béetwixte these two children Iacob and Esau Romaynes 9. saythe thus of this frée Election wheÌ„ Rebecca was with child with one and the same father Isaac before the children were borne when they had neyther done good nor bad that the purpose of God whiche is by Election mighte stande it was sayde to her not for the cause of workes but by the grace of the caller the elder shall serue the younger As it is written saythe hée Iacob I loued but Esau I hated Of the booke of life Moyses speaketh Exod. 32. And Christ himselfe Luk. 10. Saying to his Apostles Ioy you and be glad for your names are written in the boke of life in the heauens And in the 69. Psalme it is spoken against the wicked Let them not be written amongst the Iust and put them foorth of the booke of life And agaynst the false Prophet Ezechiel 13. He shall not be in the counsaile of my people nor written in the booke of the house of Israell There be two finall causes also of this eternal purpose of the election the which Paule rehearseth in the first chapter to the Ephesians the one toucheth God the other perteineth to man He hath Elected vs béefore the foundations of the worlde sayth the Apostle that wée mighte be holy and without blame And thys answereth the wicked which would abuse the mercies of God to their lust Againe it followeth He hath Predestinate vs that he might choose vs to be hys chyldren that hys name may bée praysed And this stoppeth the mouthes of al our Aduersaries that say that thys doctrine is not to the prayse of God so that they must cease to slaunder this doctrine vnlesse they wil hinder the glory of God and denie the open Scriptures Nowe it is to be noted and marked dyligently that thys woorde Election is taken after two sortes in the Scripture some tymes as it signifieth absolutely the frée choyse will and appointment of God without the respecte of the reuelation of the woorde and message of saluatyon And thus speaketh the holy Apostle Saincte Paule of Election saying of the carnal Iacob They were enimies concernyng the Gospel for your cause but concernyng the Election they are beloued for their parents For the gyftes of God and hys callyng are suche that hée can not repente Euen as you once were mysbeléeuers from God but nowe haue attayned mercie by theyr mysbeléefe that they should attayne mercie also Thys Election expresseth absolutely the secret purpose of God without the respect oâ—â—â—uelation of the woorde or any of our workes followyng Vnder thys first kynde of Election were those hundreth and twenty thousande whiche God dyd choose and kéepe vnto hymselfe in Niniue amongst the Idolaters and the seuen thousande which God dyd leaue for hymselfe in Israel in the thirde booke of kings the. 19. chap. Yea those that yet are not are thus elect chosen and amongst al nations both Iewes in thys long blindnes banishment from their countrey amongst the Turkes in theyr Idolatrous wickednesse yea amongst the Edomites the Sabees the Indians and Ethiopians And in the late blyndnesse of the Popishe church wherein we togither wyth our fathers were altogether Idolatrous all Hypocrites and counterfaite Christians thys absolute Election whereby the mercyfull Lorde God did reserue and kéepe hys chosen vnto him in all places all ages all countreys without respect of persons dyd most euidently appeare Howbeit this secresie of election muste onely bée lefte to the Maiestie of God where when how and whom he thereby saueth and sheweth his mercy For to the blynde iudgemente of man all these people rehearsed and suche like séemeth reiect reprobate and caste away as appeareth by Ionas condemning the Niniuites by Elias coÌ„demning the Israelites and a long while vntil God had by miracle from Heauen deliuered hym from that errour vnto the chiefe Apostle Peter iudgeing all the Gentiles to bée a polluted people farre from the fauour of God. The seconde kynde of Election is set forth and knowen euident and open by the spirit of God working in the harts of the elect and chosen by fayth and trust in God his promises through Christ teaching vs that we are the children of God chosen to him selfe by Iesus Christe from the beginning and therfore preparing vs to an holy and blamelesse lyfe to the laude prayse of the grace of god The which Election besides the dayly experience of our consciences may bée approued by the testimonies of these Scriptures compared togither Esay 59. Rom. 8. Ephe. 1. Coloss 3. and a very briefe and perfecte description of thys Election 2. thess. 2. in these wordes We ought to thanke God that he hath chosen you from the beginning by the sanctifying of the spirite and the beléefe of the truth to the which he hath called you by our Gospell to attayne the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christe By this gratious election was Iacob dearely beloued in his mothers wombe and Ieremy knowne vnto God before he was fashioned in his mothers wombe Ieremie 1. And to be short all other the eleect of God are thus chosen sanctified and beloued from the beginning from before the foundations of the world froÌ„ euerlasting to euerlasting For there is no change of tyme with God séeyng that all thinges are present in his sighte For vnto him a thousande yeares are but one day but the course change of times are in vs our déedes our knowledge in mans chaungeable wisedome This Election must of necesitie driue downe the pryde we haue of our owne strength our owne power our owne nature our owne frée wil our owne merits our owne iustification of our owne workes and bryng vs
God his maiestie must néedes be secluded and excused who is the lawe maker the creator no creature hauing no euill motion nor ledde with any affection which might make his worke euill Like as the creature is for the most part blame worthy bicause euen when it doth the best of all It is subiect to some affection eyther selfeloue or hatred of some other yea the Lorde God may vse any of his creatures in any worke without the blame of any euill as well as the Smith may make his coles to flame or to quenche them eyther the same péece of yron sometimes his hammer sometime his tongs or stithy Wherefore though very much might be sayde in this parte that as the potter may make of one péece of clay what him liketh the Smith may make of his yron diuers instrumentes yet following the godly wisdome of S. Paule I thinke it more méete to beate downe mans subtilties with the contemplation of the Maiestie of the mightie God pronouncing boldly that suche as say if my lyes and sinne set foorth his glory why am I then iudged as a sinner let vs doo euill that good may come and so in their wycked words dare make God the author of euil hath their worthy damnation alreadie as Paule sayth Rom. 3. For of necessitie whiche their eyes can not sée suche diuersitie of sinne and grace of righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse of the contrarietie and change of things must be in this wōderfull creation of heauen and earth by the high maiestie of God appoynted and ordeyned For what néeded the goodly creature of lighte If there had bin no darknesse or howe shoulde this benefite haue bin felte or perceyued what matter or cause of vttering iustice mighte haue bin founde without sinne and vnrighteousnesse howe shoulde grace haue bin shewed if no wrath had bin deserued No the mightie God thereby most euidently vttereth his maiestie in that he sheweth how the heauens fal into darknesse without him the earth into dust the Angels into diuels the men into sinne and so finally without him all things to come to nought that he might be magnified creating all things his sonne our sauiour renowmed who hath redéemed vs all hys holy spirite exalted who hath renewed all vs that be his elect and chosen Nowe to what creature is the maiestie of God bounde and founde debter of his spirite If he withholde it from any his dreadfull maiestie may rightly withhold it for who hath giuen him first to aske any thing agayne of debt or dutie If his maiestie do giue his spirite it is of his frée mercy and grace If the earth fal into dust if man fal into sinne that all things may be knowne to be nothing without God what blame deserueth God or who dare accuse him No let all flesh fall downe before his maiestie and confesse All things doth onely rest vpon thée O Lorde thou hast created all things of nothing so that without thée they all do fall to their originall to shewe themselues vayne and nothing worthe weake wretched miserable wherfore if we haue any good thing it commeth of thy mercy if we haue any weaknesse sinne or infirmitie it cōmeth of our owne concupiscence lusts vanitie our perditiō is of our selues our sinne is of our selues only of thee is our saluatiō thou made vs clay potts vessels to thine vse Do thou with vs as thou shalt think good in thine eyes and the shame shall fall vpon our own faces The seconde cause which concerneth man wherby many mistake this doctrine is that God exhorteth man always in his Scriptures to good and forbiddeth euill with many terrible threatnings whiche things seemeth not to be néedful say they seeing the Elect shall be saued the Reprobate condēned by decree sentence giuen vpon them before they be borne To this we do answer that these exhortatiōs and cōmunications are very necessarie to both twaine bicause God leadeth vs men alwayes like reasonable creatures not like insensible stocks or stones And to the Elect they are most necessarie pricks and spurres to stirre the dull flesh toward his dutie as all good men feeleth can beare witnesse To the Reprobate they are testimonies of the good will of the almighty God to them opened and vttered but openly resisted refused and reiected according to the saying of oure Sauioure Christ If I had not come and spoken to them they had had no sinne but nowe they haue no pretence or excuse for their sinne Peraduenture you will answere me They can not obey vnto it What is the cause thereof I pray you bicause they lacke the spirite of Christe to leade them you will say I dare easily graunt you but will they graunt this will they thinke you submit them selues vnder poore Christe and the foolishnesse of the crosse and not rather boast and brag their wisedome their knowledge and their vpright dealing and righteousnesse Are not these the men that dare thus boast We knowe as well as the Preacher can tell vs Is the spirite of God departed from vs to speake with him As was sayde to Micha 2. of the Kings 22. chapter Or as the Pharisies did answere vnto Christe are we blinde To whome our Sauiour sayth agayne If you were blinde you had no sinne but nowe you say you sée therefore your sinne remayneth Iohn 9. Thus doubtlesse they are so farre from the submission subiection to poore Christ that contrariwise they doo willingly and naturally followe their father Lucifer who did lift him selfe arrogantly aboue Christ the sonne of righteousnesse and euermore fighteth agaynst Christ though the mightie power and high wisdome of God turneth his euill will and all theyrs to his glory and good purposes None other wayes than bodily and naturall darknesse which by the wonderfull wisdome of God clearly setteth foorth the bright sunneshine and yet laboureth by continuall course to shadow the sunne and to couer the whole earth Wherfore the Lorde God to dryue away this naturall darknesse from man exhorteth to iustice and equitie which is hys nature and the Image whiche man ought to counterfeit And alwayes commaundeth thyngs therevnto agreable And forbiddeth that he is not that is to say iniquitie and dehorteth therefrom by his Prophets and Preachers publyshing his wyll and pleasure which is the light and lawe most perfect to man his noble creature whom he hath made for his honour and glory whom he hath appoynted to beare hys Image vppon earth of iustice righteousnesse and innocency But bicause thys Image could by no creature perfectlie bée expressed vnlesse the same were fully replenished with the self same Godhead bicause that all things besidesfoorth had some imperfection bewraying their originall the darknesse as Iohn calleth it the Tohu and Bohu as Moyses dothe it name The vayne vanitie and wilde deformitie whence they were by creation altered recouered and broughte into lighte and life as appeared in Adam falling from truthe to lyes streight at the beginning nowe
of necessitie the sonne of God who onely is good of nature becommeth man and taketh this office to beare the Image of God inuisible Colos 1. And to be the head of that spirituall perfection whiche was to be wrought in mankinde by his aforeappoynted purpose and becommeth the first begotten of all creatures for by him were all things created both in heauen and earth visible and inuisible maiestie Lordeship rule and power by whom and in whom al things are created and he is before all creatures and in him all things haue their béeing And he is the head of the body he is the beginning and first begotten of the head that in all things he might haue preheminence For it pleased the father that in him should dwell all fulnesse and by him to reconcile all things to him selfe And to set at peace by him through the bloud of hys crosse both things in heauen and things in earth for euen you sayth Paule whiche in times past were straungers bicause your mindes were set in euill works hath he nowe reconciled in the body of his flesh throughe deathe to make you holy and blamelesse and without fault in his sight Séeing then that this can not be denied to be the course of God his holy working to driue away this darknesse and to bring man to his light to take away sinne and to bring man to a life blamelesse the state of innocencie and his owne likenesse shal it not be moste uecessarie to haue Preachers and teachers to tel vs this same and to admonishe vs wherevnto we be called séeing of our selues and our owne reasons no suche thing can be perceyued Therefore haue we preachings and exhortations as Paule sayth for when the worlde thorough wisdome knew not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God throughe the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeued 1. Corin. 1. And as he also saythe of hym selfe in another place We do preach this rychesse in Christe the hope of your glory warning all men and teaching all men in all wisdome to make all men perfect in Christ Iesu Thus serueth then exhortations dehortations comminations and publications of the lawes and wyll of our Lorde God that he may be knowen the Lorde and gouernour ouer all the thynges hée hath created and the onely lawe maker amongst hys creatures publishyng vnto all that perfect equitie and Iustice which ought in no case to be resisted Whervnto if they can not attayne they must confesse and knowledge theyr own infirmitie and weaknesse and submit them selues vnder the mighty hande of God and so doyng they shall be receyued as children of the most louing and most mercifull father in suche degrees of perfection as he hath appoynted to the beautifying of the body of his sonne our head So that the Lorde God dothe teache all and lighten all men that come into the worlde bothe chosen and Reprobate with such a knowledge as doth the good Prince which vnto all his Subiects proclaymeth his statutes and publisheth his lawes but like a good and tender father he leadeth his children regenerate and borne a newe neyther of flesh nor bloud nor the will of man ' and guideth them with his fatherly spirite in the pathes of the same lawes writing in their hearts what is his good will and pleasure In the which course of God his wonderfull worke the wicked hathe no cause to complayne for as their father whom they doo followe is named the Prince of thys worlde so they haue the world at will and are riche roysters and welthy worldlings trampling vnder their féete poore Abell and the despised Christians neyther will they change their estate with any such no when they are called from darknesse to be partakers of light of life and the heauenly daynties layde vp in poore Christ they despise that estate excusing their purchases their marchaundise and their earthly lustes and delightes Luke 14. Wherfore in the other worlde they that héere are oppressed shall haue comforte and the other torment Suche is the order then of God his working that by the contrarietie of the Chosen and Reprobate of Iacob and Esau of Pharao and Israell and the wisedome of God and the wisedome of the worlde he wyll set foorth his maiestie his power his diuinitie his Godhead so muche as may be knowen vnto man that is to say in his wisedome iustice mercy and almightinesse For comparing his wysedome to any other wisedome nowe appeareth the contrarie that it is very foolishnesse euen darknesse compared vnto light death vnto lyfe lyes vnto truth as Paule sayth When they accompted them selues wise they were made very fooles and chaunged the truthe wyth lyes the glory of the immortall God to mortall and corruptible creatures They following their owne righteousnesse could not come to the righteousnesse of God in Iesu Christe Wherefore of necessitie God dyd shut all vnder sinne that his mercy myghte flow ouer all And that hys mighty power might appeare he hath created the heauens and earth wherein we do sée lighte and darknesse death and life shame and glory weaknesse and strength lyes and truthe righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse to serue to the setting foorth of hys glory that man maye be driuen to saye with Paule O the depthe of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of god How incomprehensible are his wayes Howe vnsearchable are his iudgemēts For who hath knowen the minde of the Lorde or who hath bin his counseller Or who hath giuen him ought aforehand that he might be repayed For by him and throughe him and in him are all things to him be prayse for euer Amen And as this holy Apostle Paule dothe submitte him selfe to the great depthe of the wisedome of God and his wonderfull Regimente and Prouidence and would beate and driue downe all flesh by the consideration of the same So also al our Fathers from the beginning hath layde this the onely foundation of their faythe Wherefore Moyses beginneth to stablish the faith of man at the historie of the creatiō so foorth by the order of God hys present gouernaunce about the things made and created And Dauid for a confession of his faithe pronounceth of this prouidence Psa 95. I do know that thou art a great Lorde and a Lorde aboue all Gods. All thinges whatsouer the Lordes pleasure was he hath made in the heuēs the earth the seas the botomlesse waters Againe by the worde of God al thinges were set in their places by the spirit of his mouth all the powers that be in them And Paul considering most déepely and prououncing moste playnely thys diuine gouernaunce of the creatures and Godly prouidence of the creator in all things for his Elect and chosen sayth thus Roma 8. We knowe that all thinges woorke for the beste vnto them that loue God who also are called of purpose for those which he knewe before he also predestinate that they shoulde be like fashoned to the shape of hys