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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22702	Two bokes of the noble doctor and B. S. Augustine thone entiteled of the predestiuacion [sic] of saintes, thother of perseueraunce vnto thende, whervnto are annexed the determinaciouns of two auncient generall councelles, confermyng the doctrine taught in these bokes by s. Aug. all faythfully translated out of Laten into Englyshe by Iohn Scory the late B. of Chichester, very necessary for al tymes ...; De praedestinatione sanctorum. English.	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; Scory, John, d. 1585.	1556 (1556)	STC 921; ESTC S100326	111,327	288

neither beleue his doctrine nor miracles For it is not incredible that all men then were so affected as we maruell that a great multitude syns hys cōmynge haue ben and yet do continue vntyl thys daye and yet neuertheles from the creation of mankynde he neither ceased to preache vnto them sometyme more secretlye and somtyme more openly accordynge as it semeth vnto God mete for the tymes neither wanted there that beleued in hym and that from Adam vntyl Moses and amonge the selfe people of Israel whiche by a speciall mystery was a propheticall nacion amōg other nacions also before he came in the fleshe For seyng ther is mencion made in the holy bokes of the Hebrues of diuerse euen from the tyme of Abraham which were neither of hys kynred nor of the people if Israel neither of other nacions made of the common wealthe of Israel whych neuertheles wer partakers of thys mysterye why maye we not thynke that ther wer dyuers here and there also among other nacions altho we do not reade any mēcion to be made of them in the sayd authorities So that saluacion that commeth thorow thys religion Christes religion is thonly true religion by the whych beyng only the true religion true saluacion is truly promysed dyd neuer wante vnto any that was worthy and to whome so euer it was wanting he was vnworthy to haue it And this is preached syns the begynning of mans generaciō vnto the worldes ende to some men to saluacion but to some to damnacion And by this it appeareth that to whome soeuer it was not preached at al that they were knowen aforehāde to be such as would not beleue and an example of these are al they to whome thys saluaciō was opened and yet they beleued not But whē it was preached vnto them that wolde beleue they were therby prepared vnto the felowshyp in the kyngdōe of heauen and the holy angels Perceyue you not that I would haue spoken thus muche of the foreknowledge of Christ without anye preiudice of the secrete counsell of God of other causes as I thought sufficient to conuince the infidelitie of the Paganes which had obiected this question For what is more true then this that Christe knewe aforehande what men would beleue in hym at what tyme in what place But I dyd not then thynke it necessarye either to enquyre or dispute whether Christ beynge preached vnto them they should haue had fayth of them selues or haue receyued it by the gyft of God that is whether God had only foreknowen them or had also predestinate them Therfore when I sayd that Christ would then appeare vnto men haue his doctrine to be preached among thē when he knewe and where he knewe were such as wold beleue in hym Thys myght also haue ben spoken thus that Christ would the appere vnto mē and haue hys doctrine to be preached then and where he knewe to be suche as were chosen in him before the foūdacion of the worlde was layd But and if I shoulde then haue made thys answere I should haue caused the reader to haue endeuoured hymselfe to haue searched out those thinges S. Aug. had neuer so clearly disputed of grace predestinacion yf he had not ben forced therunto by the heresie of the Pelagians which nowe I muste nedes by reason of the Pelagians error dispute more diligently and more largely I thought it therfore good to speake briefly that that was sufficient at that tyme to be spoken omitting as I haue sayd the depenes of the wysedome and knowledge of God and without ani preiudice of other causes of the which I thought not good then but at some other tyme to dispute more conueniently The .x. Chapter IN lyke maner where as I sayd that the saluacion which cōmeth thorow thys religion did neuer want vnto any that was worthy and that to whō so euer it was wātyng he was onworthy to haue it if it should be discussed searched wherby any man is made worthy ther be that wolde saye that they are made worthy by the wyl of man Worthynes but we saye that they are made worthye by goddes grace or by goddes predestinaciō Furthermore thys only difference is betwene grace and predestinacion The difference betwene predestinacion and grace Ephe. 2. predestinacion is a preparaciō to grace but grace is the very gyft it selfe Therfore this that the Apostle sayeth not of workes leste any man should boast hymselfe for we are his worckmanship created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes is grace but that that foloweth whiche God prepared aforehande that we should walke in them is predestinacion which can not be wythout a foreknowledge al thoo the afore knowlege maye be without predestinacion For by predestinacion God knewe aforehande the thinges that he hymselfe would do Whervpon it is sayd he ordeyned those thynges that were to come But he is able to knowe aforehāde tho thynges also that he dothe not as al maner of synnes For altho ther be cerceyne synnes which are also punyshmentes for synnes for the whiche cause it is wryttē God delyuered them vp vnto a leude mynde Rom. 1. that they shoulde do those thynges that were not comly yet ther is no synne cōmytted on God des behalfe but ther is only his iugement Wherfore the predestinacion of God which is to our benefyt and comforte is as I sayd the preparacion aforehande to grace but grace is the effecte of the same predestinacion When God therfore dyd promyse vnto Abraham the fayth of the gentyls in his sede Ben. 17. Rom. 4. sayeng I haue made thee a father of many nacions whervpon the Apostle sayeth therfore by fayth is the inheritaunce geuen that it myght come of fauoure Goddes promyse is grounded vpon his predestinacion and not vpō mās wyll and the promyse myght be sure to al the sede This promyse was not grounded vpō the power of mans wyll but vpon the predestinacion of God For he promysed not that what men but that what he hymselfe should bryng to passe For altho men do worke such good thynges as apperteyne to the worshippinge of God yet it is he that is the cause Men are not the cause that god performeth his promyse that they do those thynges that he cōmaundeth but they are not that cause that he should performe that whiche he hath promysed For otherwyse to performe goddes promyses should stande in the power of man and not in the power of God so that which was promised of God to Abrahā should be performed by mā But Abrahā beleued not so but he beleued geuyng glory to God Rom. 4. because he was able to performe those thynges that he had promysed he sayth not that he was able to tel aforehande he sayeth not that he was able to knowe aforehāde For he can bothe tel aforehande and also knowe aforehande dedes that are none of hys but he sayeth he is able also

herte godly thoughtes wherby he maye haue fayth Gala. 5. that maye worke by loue The whych goodnes to receyue kepe and in the same to go forwardes cōtinually vnto th end we are not able to thinke ani thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3 ▪ but oure ablenes cōmeth of God in whose power ar both oure hertes and thoughtes Wherfore of two infātes that are bothe fast wrapped together in the bādes of original synne why thys is taken and he forsaken All are not called alyke of two vngodly persones that be nowe of age and discrecion why thys is called after suche a maner that he maye folowe the caller but the other either is not called at al Of two godly persons or at the lest wise is not called after suche a sorte that he maye folowe the caller the iudgementes of God are vnsercheable Notwithstanding this ought to be moste certeine to the faythful that the one is of the nombre of the predestinate but the other is not For yf they had ben of vs sayeth one of the predestinate 1. Ioan. 2. whiche out of the Lordes breste dyd sucke thys secrete they had vndoubtedly continued wyth vs. What meaneth thys I praye you they were not of vs for yf they had ben of vs they had certeinly continued wyth vs Were they not both created of god bothe borne of Adam both made of the earthe and of hym whych said I haue made all breath Esay 57. Dyd they not both receyue soules of one and the selfe same nature Laste of all were they not bothe called and folowed the caller bothe of vngodly iustifyed and both renewed by the fountayne of regeneracion But yf he whych certeinly knew what he said should heare thys he might aunswere and say These are true and accordyng to all these thynges they were of vs neuertheles by a certeyne other differēce they were not of vs For yf they had ben of vs they should vndoubtedly haue continued wyth vs. But in conclusion what is thys difference God hys bokes are open Goddes boke let vs not turne awaye our face The deuine scripture dothe crye let vs therfore gyue eare They were not of them because they were not called accordynge to purpose Roma 8. They were not electe in Christ before the makyng of the world They were not made heires thorough hym Ephe. 1 They were not predestinate accordynge to the purpose of hym that worketh all thynges For yf they had bene so they had ben of the nombre of thē and should wythout all doubt haue continued wyth them For that I maye omitte to declare how possible it is for God What god can do yf he wyll to conuerte the willes of men vnto hys fayth that are turned from hym and are agaynst hym and so to worke in their hertes that they may not gyue place to any aduersities neither beyng ouercome by any maner of tentacion should departe frō hym Forasmuche as he can bryng this also to passe as the Apostle sayeth that he wyll not suffer them to be tempted 1. Cor. 10. aboue that they shal be able to beare The .ix. Chapter THat I maye therfore I saye omitte to declare this certeinly god could knowynge aforehande that they shoulde fall awaye haue taken them out of this lyfe before thys should haue happened Shall we returne agayne thether that we maye yet dispute how folyshly it is sayde that deade men shal be iudged also for those synnes whyche God knewe aforehande that they would do yf they had lyued The whych is so repugnaūt to a christian vnderstanding and vtterly to mans iudgement that I am also ashamed to confute it For why may it not be said that the gospel it selfe bothe was preached in vayne wyth so great labor and sufferyng of the saintes and is also yet so preached yf mē might be iudged also without the hearing of the gospell accordyng to the disobedience or obedience which god knewe aforehāde that they shoulde haue had yf they had herde it Luce. 10● Neither should Tyrus and Sidō haue ben damned altho more easelye thē were those vnbeleuyng cyties wherin the myracles and signes of the Lorde Christ were wrought For yf they hadde ben wrought amonge them thei had done penāce in ashes and sackeloth as the wordes of the truthe do testifie in the whych hys wordes the Lorde Iesus do declare vnto vs the depe mistery of predestinacion For yf it shal be demaunded of vs why so great miracles were wrought amonge them whyche beholdynge them would not beleue and were not wrought amonge them which should haue beleued yf they had sene them what shall we aunswere Shall we make that aunswere whych we haue before made in an other boke where as I aunswered to syre certeine questions of the Pagants neuertheles wythout any preiudice of other causes whyche maye be founde out by wyse men For when it was demaūded why Christ came after so many ages I made thys aunswer as ye knowe that in those times and in those places whē wheras the gospell was not preached he knewe aforehāde that they would all be suche at the preachyng therof as were manye in hys corporall presence whyche would not beleue in him Io. 11.12 no not after he had raysed vp the deade In like maner a lytle after in the same boke in the same question what maruel is it said I forasmuche as Christ dyd knowe the worlde to be so full of infideles in the formar ages This answer may serue for our tyme also that he would not and that vp on good cause preache vnto them whych he knewe aforehāde would neither beleue his wordes nor myracles Certeinly we can not saye thus of Tyrus and Sydon and in them we knowe that these iugemētes of God do appertaine to those causes of predestinacion wythout preiudice of whyche hydde causes I sayd that I made then this aunswere For it is an easye matter to atruse the infidelite of the Iues that spronge of fre wyll The frutes of frewyll Math. 11. whyche would not beleue so great miracles wrought amonge them Which the Lord rebukyng reproued and sayd wo be to the Lorozaim and Gethsaida for yf the myracles had bē wrought in Tyrus and Sydon whych haue ben wrought in you they woulde longe ago haue done penaunce in ashes and sackclothe But are we able to saye that the people also of Tyrus and Sidon would not haue beleued yf suche myracles had ben wrought amonge them or els that they should not haue beleued yf they had ben done amonge them The Lorde hym selfe doth wytnes that they should haue repēted with great humilite yf so be those sygnes of Goddes myracles had bene wrought among them And neuertheles they shal be punyshed in the daye of iudgemēt altho wyth a lesser punyshment then those cyties that would not beleue by the miracles that were wrought amonge them For the Lord sayeth after neuertheles

therfore in his forknowledge chosen any mans workes which he should gyue hym but he hath in hys for knowlege chosen fayth so that he hath chosen hym whom he knewe aforhāde would beleue in hym to whō he myght geue the holy Goost that by workynge of good workes he myght also attaine to eternal lyfe I had not yet diligētly sought The cause why s Aug. continued solonge in this error Rom. 11. nor yet foūde out what maner a thing the election of grace was wherof the same Apostle sayeth The remnaunt are saued by the election of grace whych verely is no grace yf any merites at al go before it leste that whych is now geuen shoulde not be geuen accordyng to grace but rather as dewtye recompensed to merites Wherfore thys that I sayd immediatly For the same Apostle sayeth it is the selfe same God that worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. but in no place it is sayde that God beleueth all in all and then after I added For in that we beleue it is our owne but in that we worke wel it is his that geueth the holy goost to them that beleue suerly I would not haue sayd thus yf I had then knowē that the self fayth had ben also founde amonge goddes gyftes whych are gyuen of the same spirite Both then are oures for the choise of wyl yet that notwythstandyng both are geuen thorowe the spirite of fayth and charitie For not charitie only but as it is wrytten Charitie with fayth frō God the Father and the Lorde Iesu Christ And where as a lytle after I sayd thus Ephe. 6. for to beleue and wyll is oures but to gyue to them that beleue and wyl power to worke well thorowe the holy goost by whome the loue of God is spred abrode in our hartes is his This is true but by the same rule both these are also his forbecause he doth prepare the wyl both are oures because they are not done excepte we be wyllyng And by this whiche I sayd also after For neither can we wyll except we be called and whē after callyng we shall wyl our wil and runnyng are not sufficient except God geueth strength to vs rūnyng and brynge vs thether whether he do cal vs And then after I concluded thus It is therfore manifest that it lyeth neither in the rūner nor in the wyller that we worke well but in God that hath mercye thys is a moste true sayeng Rom. 9. There is one peculier callīg that belōgeth only to gods chosen wherof is men on made Ro. 8. this is accordyng to the purpose of God But I dyd speake but lytle of that callyng whyche is wrought accordyng to the purpose of God For thys maner of callynge belongeth not to al that are called but onlye to the electe Therfore this that I sayd a lytle after For lykewyse as in them whome God hath chosen not workes but fayth begynneth the merite that they maye worke thorowe the gyft of God Euen so in them whome he condemne infidelitie and vngodlynes begynneth the merite of paine that by the self paine they may also worke wyckedly this I said moste truely but yet I sayd not that the merite of fayth was also the selfe gyft of God neither dyd I thynke it a thynge worthy to be enquyred for And in an other place For vpon whom sayd I he hath mercy he maketh hym to worke wel and whome he dothe harden he leaueth hym to worke euel But bothe that mercy is geuē to the merite of fayth goynge before and also thys harding to the precedynge wyckednes The whyche verely is true but yet we ought to haue serched further whether that also the merite of fayth do preuent gods mercy that is whether thys mercy is therfore only wrought in man because he was faythfull or whether it was also wrought that he myght be made faythfull 1. Timo. 1. For we reade as thapostle sayeth I haue opteined mercy that I myghte be made faythful he sayeth not because he was faythful It is then geuen vnto the faythful but it was also geuen that he myght be made faythfull Wherfore in an other place of the same boke I sayd most truly For yf not of workes but thorowe goddes mercy we be both called that we mai beleue and also when we beleue it is geuē vs that we maye worke well the Gentyls are not to be enuyed for this mercy neuerthelesse I dyd not there so diligently entreate of that callynge which is accordyng to goddes purpose as I ought to haue done The fourth Chapter YOu se verely what was then my iudgement of fayth workes althoo I traueled in the cōmendacion of god his grace in the which iugement I perceaue that these oure brethren are at thys present because they haue not so muche endeuoured thēselues to profyt and to go forwardes wyth me in readyng my bokes as they they haue in the onlye readyng of them The common fault of al papistes in redyng the doctores whyche gnawe only vpō their errors and depraue al that they haue writtē well as they do the scriptures For yf they had thus endeuored them selues they should haue founde this matter dissolued accordyng to the truth of the holy scriptures in the first boke of the two which I wrote in the begynninge of my Byshopryke vnto Simplitianus of blessed remembraunce by shop af the Churche of Millane successour vnto S. Ambrose except peraduenture they neuer sawe them Which yf it be so I pray you cause that they mai haue the sight of thē I dyd fyrste speake of the fyrst of these two bokes in the second boke of my retractacions where as my wordes by these Amōge the bokes sayd I which I made beyng Byshoppe I wrote the first two vnto Simplicianus byshop of the churche of Millane the successour of the moste blessed Ambrose of diuers questions wherof I bestowed two in my first boke that touche matters that are entreated to the Romanes The first of these questiōs is of that which is wrytten what shal we thē say is the lawe synne God forbyd Rom. 7. vnto that place where he sayeth who shal delyuer me frō this body of death The grace of God thorow Iesu Christ our Lord. These wordes of the Apostle the lawe is spiritual but I am carnal and the reste which declare the battayle betwene the spirite and the fleshe I dyd so expounde as thoo thapostle had described a man beyng yet vnder the lawe and not vnder grace For longe after I came to the knowlege that those wordes and that more truely myght be also vnderstand of the spiritual mā The latter question in this boke reacheth from that place where he sayeth neither was it so wyth her only Rom. 9. but also when Rebecca was with chylde by one I meane by our Father Isaac vntyl these wordes where he sayeth except the Lorde of hoostes hadde left vs seede we should haue ben made

merites of thē that receiue the grace but accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll vnto the prayse glory of the selfe grace of hys that he that dothe glorye should in no wyse glory in hymselfe but should glory in the Lorde whyche gyueth to suche men as he wyll The wyll of god because he is mercyful and yf he gaue not yet he is ryghtfull and to whome he wyll not gyue he dothe not gyue that he maye cause the ryches of hys glory to be knowen Roma 9 amōge the vessels of mercy For in giuing to certeine that whyche they do not deserue he would vndoubtedly haue hys grace to be fre and so to be his grace in dede Grace but in not gynyng to all he dothe declare what all dyd deserue He is good in shewyng mercy to some he is iust in punyshyng the reste Yea he is good to all For it is a good thyng to render that whych is dewtye and he is iuste to all for it is a iuste thynge when that whych is dewe is geuē wythout fraude of any man But the grace of God is defended to be without merites that is to be true grace altho the baptised infantes be not as the Pelagians iudge delyuered from the power of darkenes because they are not as they thynke holden vnder any synne but are only trāslate into the kingdome of the Lorde For so also the kyngdome of heauen is gyuen Heauen geuen to infantes wyth out merites to whome it is gyuen wythout any good merites and to whome it is not geuen wythout any euel merites it is not geuen The whych we are wont to obiecte agaynst the same Pelagians when they laye to our charge that we ascribe the grace of God to desteny in affermyng that it is not geuē for our merites sake Satum But they do rather in infantes ascribe the grace of God to destenye whych saye that there is desteny where as is no merite For no merites by the selfe Pelagians iudgement also can be founde in yonge children why some of them should be sent into the kyngdome and some of them should be banyshed out of the kingdome But like wyse as that I might declare that the grace of God is not geuen for our merites sake I had nowe rather defende thys accordynge to bothe our iudgementes that is as well accordyng to our owne iudge met whych do afferme that yonge chyldren are bonde vnder original synne as also the iudgement of the Pelagians whiche deny originall synne And notwithstanding this I ought not therfore to doubt but that the infantes haue somwhat whych he maye forgeue them that do saue hys people from theyr synnes Euen so also in my thyrde boke of fre choyse Math. 1. I dyd resyste the Manicheis accordynge to both vnderstādinges whether ignorance and difficultie wythout the which no mā is borne be the punyshmentes or the begynninges of nature yet neuertheles I do defende but one parte of those I haue there also euidently enough declared that thys is not the nature of the created man S. Aug. bokes were obiected agaynst himselfe but the payne of the condempned man The aūcienty therfore of that my boke is vaynely obiected agaynst me as a prescripciō that I should not intreat the cause of infantes as I ought to do vpon their cause cōuince by the lyght of the manyfest truthe that the grace of God is not geuen for mans merites sake For yf I when I beganne my bokes of fre choise at Rome beyng a laye man and dyd fynyshe the same in Aphrica beyng priest dyd yet doubt bothe of the dānacion of infantes that were not regenerate and also of the delyueraunce of them that were renued No man as I suppose is so vniust and so enuious Who be vniuste enuious whyche would forbyd me to profyte and go forwardes and would iudge it mete that I should continue and abyde styll in thys doubt But seyng this may be vnderstande more truely they ought not to thynke that I therfor doubted of thys matter because I thought it good thus to conuince them against whome I thē wrote that whether these were the payne of original synne in yonge chyldrē accordyng as the truthe teacheth or were not as some errynge suppose Neuertheles the mynglyng together of two natures that is of good and euell whyche the Manitheis error dothe bryng in oughte not to be beleued in no wyse God forbyd that we should leaue the cause of yonge chyldren after suche a maner that we shoulde saye that we were vncerteine whether the infātes that dye beyng regenerate in Christe do passe into eternall lyse but those that are not regenerate do passe into the seconde deathe because it is wrytten By one man synne entered into the worlde and death by the meanes of synne and so death went ouer all men Roma 5. Otherwyse thys can not be truely vnder stande neither do any delyuer frō eternall death wherwith synne is moste iustely recompensed either great or smale but he only whiche beynge wythout any synne of hys owne either originall or actuall dyed for the remission of oure synnes Let vs not be ashamed to repere one aunswer to the same obieccion both original and actual But why do he delyuer rather these thē them We say againe againe neither ar we wery or ashamed of this aunswere O man what arte thou that disputest wyth God hys iudgementes are vnsearcheable and hys wayes past finding out whervnto we adde thys Ro. 9.11 Eccle. 3. Seke not oute the thynges that are aboue thy capacitie and searche not out the thynges that are to myghty for thee Do you not perceiue dearely beloued howe folyshe an opinion it is and howe contrary to the holsome fayth and syncere truthe that we should affirme that yonge chyldren that be deade shal be iudged according to suche workes as they were afor sene to haue done yf they had lyued In to thys opinion are they cōpelled to falle whych certeinly all men that haue vnderstandynge thoo they haue neuer so lytle wyt and namely christians do abhorre whych would none otherwyse varey from the Pelagians error but that they myght yet stille thynke it lawful for them to beleue and also to defende by disputacion that the grace of God thorow Iesu Christe our Lorde wherby alone We are holpē by grace alone after the fall of the fyrst man in whome we all fell we are holpen is gyuen accordyng to our merites Whiche Pelagius hymselfe for feare that he should be condemned dyd condemne in the presence of the byshoppes of the East churche beyng hys iudges But yf thys can not be affirmed I meane of the workes of the deade good or euell whiche they should haue done yf they had lyued and therfore none at al and suche as neuer shal be in Goddes forknowlege but yf thys I saye can not be affermed whyche you perceyue howe falslye it should