proue it to be sothen oght you to be ashamed to burden God with such vnrighteous iudgement Doeth not God rather forgiue the offence alredie committed Let him be your God which condemneth the innocent afore he offend But he shall be my God which perdoneth and forgiueth the offence alreadie committed which in his verie wraithe doeth think vpon mercie And so with Iob will I conclude The great God casteth away no man ANSWER How ignorantly and how impudently ye confounde the eternall purpose of gods reprobation with the iust execution of his iudgementes I haue before declared and therefor here onely resteth to admonishe the reader that most vniustly ye accuse vs in that ye say that we hold and teache that God damned man before he offended This you be neuer able to shew in any of our workes for constantly in worde and writing we affirme that man willingly fell from God and made him self slaue to sathan before that death was inflicted vpon him and so neither make we death the reward of gods ordinance neither do we burden him with vnrighteous iudgement But say with the Apostle that death is the reward of sinne and that our God is righteous in all his workes and therefor be ashamed and repēt your manifest lie That God forgiueth the sin committed and doeth remēber mercie euen when he appereth in his hote displeasure to punishe his Churche with thankes giuing and ioy we acknowledge But that thereof ye cōclud ▪ as ye say w t Iob that the great God casteth away no man we can not cease to admonishe bothe you and the readers that either ignorantly orels maliciously ye corrupt and depraue the minde of the speaker in that place Elihu saieth not as ye alledge The great God casteth away no mā but saieth Behold the mightie God casteth away none that is mightie and valiant of courage He main teneth not the wicked but he giueth iudgemēt to the afflicted And in this behalf your master Castalio who notwithstanding that he vseth to take large libertie in translation where any thing may seme to serue his purpose is more circumspect and more faithfull then you be for thus he translateth that place Althogh that God be excellent yea excellent and strong of courage yet is he not so dissolute y t either he will kepe y e wicked or denie iudgemēt to the poore Althogh I say y t here is a greater libertie thē I wold wish a faithfull translater to vse yet hath he not so corrupted y e sense as ye haue done Elihu reasonīg against Iob affirmeth that albeit y e power of God be infinit yet cā not his workes be vniust but that they are wroght in all perfectiō of iustice how beit that often as we be dull and blinde we do not vnderstand nor se at the first the causes of the same yet God giueth daily declaration of his iustice in that the preserueth and somtyme exalteth the verteouse that before were afflicted and deiecteth from honors the wicked and the cruell oppressors Be iudge your self what this serueth for your purpose THE ADVERSARIE Some other be that grant that sinne was à cause why man is reprobate and there with they hold that gods absolute ordinance is also the caus this saing conteineth cōtradiction in it self for if it be gods absolut ordinance then is it not in respect of any other thing but as they say because it hath so pleased him if they ment that gods ordinance is the cause why sinners suffer death or that God ordeined that sinners for their sinne should suffer death I could agre with them but that were contrary to that which they haue said that God absolutly ordeined any man afore he was yea afore the world to death because so it pleased him for if death be the reward of sinne and for offence and sinne we do die then cometh not death by gods absolute ordinance And if I do grant that both gods absolute ordinance and also sinne are the causes of damnation after your meanyng marke well what inconuenience foloweth thereof first ye must grant me that gods ordinance is the principall and chefest cause for it can not be inferior to any other cause secōdly ye will grant that the first or principale cause called Causa Causae is the cause of the secōd ād inferior cause called cause causate so to cōclude gods ordināce which is Causa causae shal be the cause of sinne which is Causa causata As for a familiar exemple the heate of the son and the dew cause the grounde to be frutefull and God also is the cause thereof for he maketh the barren ground frutefull but forasmuch as God is the principall and first cause he must be also the cause of the same which is but the second cause Thus it is clerely proued that if gods ordināce were the cause of reprobation then gods ordinance should also be the cause of sinne and God should be autor of euill contrarie to the hole scripture contrarie to the opinion of all godlie men and contrarie to our faith But forasmuch as God willing I intend to answer at length to this wicked opinion in the confutation of the third error I will speak no more hereof in this place ANSWER No further answer nedeth to be giuen to these your most vniust accusatiōs then those which we before haue giuen for neither do we so vnreuerētly speake nor write neither yet do we vnderstād nor affirme that gods absolute ordinance is the principall cause of reprobation of sinne and of damnation but simplie we do teache that God in his etternall counsell for the manifestation of his own glorie hath of one maste chosen vessels of honor whom before all tymes he hath geuē vnto Christe Iesus that they in him should receiue lief And of the same masse he hath left others in that corruption in the which they were to fall and so were they prepared to destruction The cause why the one were elected we confesse and knowledge not to be in mā but to be the fre grace and the fre mercie shewed and frely giuen to vs in Christe Iesus who onely is appoīted head to giue life to the bodie Why the others were reiected we affirme the cause to be most iust but yet secrete ād hid frome vs reserued in his eternall wisdome to be reueled at the glorious comming of the Lord Iesus This one thing do we compelled by your blasphemous accusations repete oftener then we wold to the end that indifferent men may se what doctrine it is which you so maliciously impugne How so euer ye ioyn gods absolute ordinance and sinne togither we make so far diuision betwext the purpose and eternall counsell of God for absolute ordinance we vse not in that mater and the sinne of mā that we plainely affirme that mā when he sinned did neither looke to gods will gods counsell nor eternall purpose but did altogither consent to the will of
vs not onely of the Iewes but also of the gentiles as the Prophet Osee saieth aÌ„d so to the eÌ„d of y e chapter he establisheth the faith of the gentiles and coÌ„forteth them affirming that their vocation and election was fore spoken by Moises and the Prophetes and therefore that it was not a thing that came by chaÌ„ce but was appoiÌ„ted in the eternall couÌ„sel of God and therefor in his coÌ„clusion he assureth them that such as beleue in Christ Iesus shall neuer be confounded This simply but truelie I doute not haue I explaned the mynde of the Apostie in the former place which is That gods election dependeth not vpon man vpon his will purpose pleasure or â—â—gnitie but as it is fre proceding from grace so is it stable in godâ— immutable counsel and is reueled to gods elect at such tyme as he knoweth most expedient But because that of this we must after speak more now we recurne to our former purpose From the beginning we heare that God maketh a differeÌ„ce first by that generall diuision seperating and setting aparte the sede of the woman from the serpents sede After calling Abraham neglecting as it were the rest of the whole world in Abrahames sede he maketh plaine difference secluding Ismael that he should not be heir with Isaak But most especially in the wombe of Rebecca making the difference betwext the two children and their posteriâ—ie Which difference did continue euen to the dayes of Christe Iesus in such â—irmitie and stablenes that neither could the sinnes of the Paâ—riarches the subtill cruelâ—ie of Pharao the inobedieÌ„ce and grudgeing of the people their apostasie and defection from God by manifest idolatrie nor finally their long bondage and captiuitie alter or change this immutable counsell of God that the elder should serue the yonger that the Messiah should coÌ„ of the tribe of Iuda that of the loynes of Dauid should spring furth one to fit vpon his seat for euer And this difference which God by his own voice did stablish before the coÌ„ming of his dear SoÌ„ne Christ Iesus did the same Christ Iesus oure master appering in flesh ratifie and confirme For he plainely affirmeth that he was not sent but to the lost snepe of Israel and that it was not good to take the bread of the children and giue it to dogges By which two sentences he maketh an expresse difference betâ—ext the shepe and â—he goates and betwext the children and the dogges He feareth not to say to the faces of those that boasted them selues to be the sonnes of Abraham ye are not of God for if ye were of God ye should loue me but ye are of your father the deuill aÌ„d his desires ye will obey As this senteÌ„ce is fearfull so may it appere verey bold For they might haue obcted as they did are we not his creatures created to his own image are we not the sede of Abraham Do we not beare the figure of circoncision are we not collected in Hierusalem and do we not frequeÌ„t the temple yes verely but none of all these thinges made them to be of God in such sorte as Christ denied them to be of him For all these thinges may the reprobat haue commoÌ„ with the electe But Christ denied them to be of God that is to be the sonnes and wessels of his mercie elected in his eternall counsel borne of him by the spirit of regeneration by the which their stubborn blindnes being remoued aÌ„d they made obedient durst be bolde to call him Father In this sense Christ denieth them to be of God If any think that their wickednes and willfull refusall of grace offered was the cause that they were not of God as I neither excuse their manifest rebellion neither yet deny it to be a most iust cause of their condemnation so vtterly deny I that their perseâ— sinnes were the onely or the chefe caus of their reprobation For Christ him self feareth not to assigne an other cause Saing Therefor ye do not heare because ye are not of God If they had heard that is receaued aÌ„d beleued Christ Iesus aÌ„d his doctrine their sinnes had ben purged and their blindnes remoued But him could they not receaue And why because they are not of God But to the obiectioÌ„ that the fore knowledge of good workes or of rebellion to come should be the cause why God doth electe or reiecte we shalâ— God willing afâ—er ansâ—ere Now onely I mynde to folow that which I haue purposed which is that Christ Iesus him self maketh a plaine and manifest difference betwext one sorte of men and an other How often doth he affirme that his shepe do heare his voice that he knoweth â—hem and that they know him y t it hath pleased the Father to giue the kingdome to the litle flock That many are called aÌ„d few chosen That som there be whom Christ Iesus neuer knew no not enen when they wroght greatest miracles In all these and many places mo it is euideÌ„t that Christ maketh difference betwext one and an other but one place most notable all others I will shortly touche and put end to this mater Christ Iesus in that his most solemne and most coÌ„fortable praier after other things saâ—eth I haue manifested they name to the men whom thow hast geuen to me of the world They were thyne and thou hast giueÌ„ them vnto me and they haue kept thy worde And shortly after I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them whom thoâ— hast giuen vnto me Because they are thyne If in the hole scriptures there were no mo places to proue that in the Eternall counsel of God there is a difference of one sorte of meÌ„ from an other this onely one were sufficient For first he maketh mention of men giuen vnto him by the Father who were as he before affirmed chosen owt of the world and why were they giueÌ„ vnto Christe he answereth because they were the fathers And how they apperteined to God more then others is before said He further declareth what he had done vuto them what they also had done And what he did and wold do to the end for them he had opened vnto them the name that is the mercie goodnes constant trueth and perfect iustice of his heauenlie father which doctrine they had receaued and kept as they that were the grounde appointed to bring furrh fruiâ— in aboundance He did pray for theÌ„ that they should be sanctified and confirmed in the veritie The vertue of w c praier is perpetuall and at al tymes obteineth mercie in the presence of his fathers throne for his electe And lest that any doubte shoulde remaine as that these graces were common to all the worlde in plain and expresse wordes he affirmeth that he prayed not for the world but for those saieth he whom thow hast geuen vnto me If any deny a plane difference here to be made betwext one sorte of meÌ„
originall spring I think no man will so holde nor affirme euen so it is in this mater for faith and a godlie life that ensueth our vocation are the fruites proceding from oure election but are not to the causes of the same And therefor the Apostle to beat downe all pryde asketh what hast thow ◠mā which thow hast not receaued And if thou hast receiued it why gloriest thow as thogh thow hadst not receaued it The Apostle in that place speaketh not of one or two graces but what so euer is necessarie to saluation that he affirmeth to be receaued and that of fre grace as he yet more plainely doeth witnes sayeng Of grace are ye saued by faith and that not of your selues it is y e gift of God ād not of works lest any should glorie Now if man hath nothing but that which he receaueth of grace of fre gift of fauour and mercie what odious pryde and horrible vnthankfulnes is this that man shall imagine that for his faith and for his workes God did electe and predestinate him to that dignitie euen as if two or thre beggers chosen from the nomber of many were of the liberall mercie of a Prince promoted to honour should after brag and boast that their good seruice was the cause that the Prīce did choose them Shuld not euerie wise man mocke their vanitie yea might not the Prince iustly depriue them for their arrogant vnthankfulnes Might not the Prince haue left them in their wretched estate And what then shoulde haue become of their seruice Is it not euē so with mā lost in Adam whose fall in gods prescience and purpose was before his creation of which masse or lompe God of his owne fre grace did choose ād predestinate vessels of his mercie prepared vnto glorie that they should be holie as before is said shall these thē that finde mercie to worke good wordes boast as thogh workes were the cause thereof God forbyd For if the posteritie of Abraham did not obteine the inheritāce of the land of Canaan for any iustice that was in them yea if God did not choose them neither to the temporall nor eternal felicitie but of loue and fre grace onely as Moises doth witnes how shall we thinke that the Eternall inheritāce or gods election to the ioy and life euerlasting dependeth vpon any qualite within vs. Wonder it is that the Apostle sainct Paul intreating this mater of gods fre election was ignorant of this cause if it be sufficient For by that meanes in few wordes he might haue put silence to many dogges which then as men do now barked against this doctrine For if he had said God hath chosen afore all tymes to the participatiō of life a certein nomber because he foresaw that they should be faithfull obedient to his commandemēts and holie in cōuersation and vpon the other parte he hath reiected and reprobate others because he foresaw that they should be vnfaithfull disobediēt and vnclean of life this I say if those causes had been sufficient had ben a sensible maner of doctrine But the Apostle alledgeth no such reason but first beateth doune the pryde of man as before we haue touched and there after brusteth furth in this exclamation O the hieght of the riches of the wisdō and knowledge of God how incōprehensible are his iudgements and how vnsear cheable are his wayes This exclamatiō I say had bene vaine if either workes or faith foresene had bene the cause of gods electiō S. Augustin doeth mock the sharpe sight of mē that in his daies begā to se more depely then did y e holie Gost speaking in y e Apostle And we fear not to affirme that the men w c this day do attribute electiō or predestination to any vertue or qualitie within man do holde defend to their greate dāger that which none inducd with the Spirite of God hath left to vs written within the holie scriptures either yet that any of the chosē shal cōfes in their greatest gloric Let the hole Scriptures be red and diligently marcked and no sentence rightly vnderstand shal be founde that affirmeth God to haue chosen vs in respect of our workes or because he fore sawe that we should be faithfull holie and just But to the contrarie many places shall we finde yea euē so many as intreat of that mater that plainely affirme that we that we are frely chosen accordīg to the purpose of his good will ād that in Christ Iesus And what shall be the confession of the hole bodie assembled when they shall receaue the promissed glorie is expressed in these wordes of the 24 elders who casting their crownes before him that sitteth vpon the throne do say Worthy art thow o Lord ād our God to take honour and glorie and power For thow hast created all things and by thy will they are and were created And after they fall before the lambe ād sing a new song saying Worthie art thow to take the book and to open the seales thereof for thow wast killed and hast redemed vs to God by thy bloode and hast made vs to our God kings ād priestes ād we shall reigne vpon the earth No mention is here made of any worthines of man the creation is geuē to God and that all thinges are in that perfecte state which thē the chosen shall possesse is attributed to his will The death of the lambe is assigned to be the cause of the redemption yea of that great dignitie to which they are promoted I am fully persuaded that if any cause of gods electiō and of the fruite proceding of the same were or could be in mā that the holie Gost who is authour of all iustice wold not haue defrauded man of any thing which of right did appertein vnto him But seing that in no place the holie Gost doeth attribute any parte of mannes saluation to his owne merites or worthines I fear not to affirme that this pestilēt opinion is the instigation of sathan laboring by all meanes to obscure the glorie of Christ Iesus and to retein man in bōdage whom he infected with that first venom which he made hī to drink Saing ye shal be as gods Thus far with such plain simplicite as it pleased God to minister vnto me for the tyme haue proued y t gods electiō is Eternal y t it is stable y t he hath made a difference betwext one sort of mē and an other w c differēce althogh it came to know ledge of mā in time yet was it in gods purpose ād counsel before all tyme no les thē his creatiō was And last y t gods electiō depēdeth neither vpō o r workes nor vpō our faith but procedeth frō his Eternal wisdō mercie ād goodnes ād therefor is it īmutable ād cōstāt Now shortly will I go throughe if God permi me y e reasons of yo r booke Nothing vpō y e one parte y e imperfectiōs of y
For his mouth pronounced destruction against Ierusalem and yet sendeth he the ioyfull tydings of his resurrection to his disciples with that most singuler coÌ„fort that God remained vnto them both God aÌ„d father and eueÌ„ so doeth our Prophet Isaiah for in the oâ—e place he speaketh to the obstinate contemners but in the other place he speaketh to the afflicted children Wey I besech you the scriptures of God with greater reuerence The wordes of Christ ye likewies falsifie for he speaketh not of any common loue which he beareth to all meÌ„ but affirmeth that our heaueÌ„lie Father geueth good thinges or as Lucas affirmeth giueth the holie Gost to such as aske of him Ye must proue first that all aske in faith and according to his will which be the peculiar prerogatiues of the childreÌ„ of God before that Christes wordes can serue for your generall multitude either yet that you shall thereof be able to proue that God loueth all men a like Ye take your pleasure in reasoning with vs whom ye terme Careles by necessitie I will not recompence raling with raling but I pray God that thow the writer of this book shew hereafter greater diligence in godlynes then of many daies thow hast done where so euer thow hast hanted We vse not to subiect God to our corrupt affections but with reuerence and fear we leaue to his godlie wisdom the ordering of his creatures neither yet can you be able to proue that we either by word or writing haue affirmed that the principall end of any maÌ„nes creation was perpetuall paine But we affirme as before we haue declared that God for him self and for the manifestation of his own glorie hath created all thinges But of this we must after more largely speake The finall conclusion which ye collecte of nature is that God hath created none to miserie nor pain For that your master Castalio feareth not most blasphemously to affirme sayiÌ„g y t if he hath so done he is more crewell theÌ„ any wolfe O heauen and earth reuenge this blasphemie That man which here suffereth miserie and much clamitie yea and that also shal be adiuged to the fyre inextiÌ„guible is created of God or as you affirme is the birth of God I suppose your selues will not deny And that he suffereth all miseries by gods iust iudgementes and by his will expressed in his worde the scripture bâ—areth record For God saieth to the woman in sorow and dolor shalt thou beare thy children To the man In the sweate of thy face shalt thow eate thy bread and also cursed is the earth for thy sake Which and many mo places plainely witnes that God hath inflicted pain vpon man whom he hath created You answere That did God for the sin of man I confesse But yet is your foot fast in the snare For after sin man ceased not to be the creature as ye will terme him the birth of God If theÌ„ God be subiect to the law of nature as before we haue said and now agane repete that your vanitie and ignorance may the more appere so that he is bouÌ„de to do the self same thing to his birthes that nature moueth vs to doto our childreÌ„ I ask first why did God suffer man created to his own image to fall in to sin assuredly no naturall father will wittingly and willingly suffer his children to fall into apit or dongeon to destruction And secondarely I aske why did not God who is omnipotent hauing all wisdom and goodnes prouyde an other medicine for man then by death to ouercom so many miseries Thirdly if God wold that none shoulde be borne to miserie why did he not clearly purge the nature of Adam why did he not stay that venom and corruption in our first father why did he permitt it to infect all his posteritie There is no shift that here can serue you For if you say God was prouoked by the sinnes of the posteritie which he did forese to be in them so to do I answer that he foresaw nothing which his eternall and infinit power might not haue remoued aÌ„d remedied if so had pleased his godlie wisedom for then as now was he the God who alone may do what so euer he will in heauen and in earth And further I say that the fouÌ„tain being shet vp the flowing of sin by naturall propagation should haue ceased To gods permission we shall after answer To put end to his mater if ye coÌ„sider nothing els in the great varietie of gods workes but the onely miserie of the sufferer aÌ„d sin which we denie not to be a cause of the same ye haue no better profitâ—d in the schoole of Christ then had the disciples wheÌ„ seing him that was born blind they demanded this question Master say they who hath sinned whether this maÌ„ or his parentes that he should be born blind No other cause did they se of his miserie but sin And to theÌ„ it was straÌ„ge that any man could sin so greuously before he was borne that for the same he should be punished with perpetuall blindnes during his life And that he should suffer such miserie for the offences of his Parentes appered to them to repugne to gods iustice and to that sentence which before he had pronounced by the Prophete Ezechiel affirming that the son should not beare the iniquitie of the father But Christe Iesus in correcting their error giueth to you a profitable lesson if ye can receaue it affirming that neither he neither yet his Parents had sinned that so he should be borne but that the glorie of God should be manifested in him If gods glorie be declared and made manifest euen by the miseries which som creatures sustein Dare you therefor accuse God of creweltie Consider your bold foolishnes and repent your blasphemies before that vengeance strike After that ye haue concluded as you thinke our opinion to be naughtie by arguments drawen from nature you make a bold promes to proue the same by plain scriptutes And yet your first entrance is but by a reason not well grounded vpon these scriptures which ye alledge Thus ye write If God hath ordeined the most part of the world to perdition then were his wrath greater then his mercie but the scripture witnesseth that his mercie is ouer all his creatures Ergó will ye conclude He hath not created the most part of the world to perdition To proue that gods mercie is greater then his wrath ye bring furth the wordes of Dauid Psal. 30. 45. Isaiah 54. and of God him self proclaming his own name vnto Moises for these wordes are not the wordes of Moises as ye alledge but were spoken by God him self in the eares of Moises To the Maior I haue answered before that falsly ye burden vs that we affirme that God hath ordeined y e most parte of the world to perdition for we presume not to define what nomber God shall saue and how many he shall iustly
the deuill which did manifestly ganesay gods reueled will And therefor do we affirme that neither was the purpose nor counsell of God any cause of sinne but we say with the Apostle that by one man did sinne enter into the world The cause whereof was the malice of the deuill and that fre consent of man to rebelliō whose will was neither inforced neither yet by any violence of gods purpose compelled to consent but he of fre will and redie mynd left God ād ioyned with the deuil Conuict vs now if ye can that we make gods absolute ordinance which maner of speaking I say we abhorre to be the principall cause of sinne Albeit that ye wold be sene subtill in adding your ▪ Logicall termes Causa causae ād Causa causata yet doeth your similitude which ye bring furth for demonstration of your purpose declare that either ye haue not learned orels that ye haue forgottē the chief and principall point of right reasoning which all reasonable men confesse to be rightly to diuide For if ye can not diuide betwext the will of God working all thinges for his own glorie ād the operation of creatures be they Son Moone sterres rayn or dew who can work nothing but as God hath appointed I will not folow you as a God We say not that gods ordinance is the cause of reprobation but we affirme that the iust causes of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God and knowen to his godlie wisdō alone but the causes of sinne of death and damnation are euident and manifestly declared to vs in the scriptures to witt mānes fre will consenting to the deceiuable persuasiō of the deuill wilfull sinne and volūtarie rebellion by which entred death into this world the cōtempt of graces and gods mercies offered with the heaping vp of sinne vpon sinne till damnation iustly came These causes I say of sinne death and damnation are plainely noted vnto vs in gods holie scriptures But why it pleased God to shew merice to som and deny the same to others becaus the iudgementes of God are a deuoring depthe we enter not in reasoning with him but with all humilitie render thankes to his Maiestie for the grace and mercie which we doubt not but of his fre grace we haue receaued in Christ Iesus our onely head When you shall further charge vs that we make God autor of euill we haue good hope plainely to conuict your vennemous tongues of a most malicious lie Now to your wordes THE ADVERSARIE The Lord reasoneth with the inobedient Israelites which did forsake him saing O my people what haue I done vnto the or wherein haue I hurt the giue me answer If the Israelites had ben so well learned as you they might haue answered Lord thow hast preordinate us by thy immutable decre to fall away frome the so that of necessitie we must perish in this hast thow hurt vs with an vncurable wounde ANSWER How so euer we be learned if ye betimes repent not your vnreuerēt skoffing ād iesting at gods eternal predestination ye shall learn in experience that the immutable decre of God is most iust by the which y e fyre which neuer shall be quenched is prepared for the deuill and his angels and for all such as with trembling do not fear his godlie Maiestie and with sobrietie do not contemplat his iudgementes incomprehensible And thus I leaue your blasphemous boldnes to be repressed by the power of him whose iudgementes you mocke THE ADVERSARIE Now I intend with the helpe of God to answer to the arguments which they that be intangled with this error vse to alledge for the proof thereof leauing such as be ▪ but vaine and ingender rather contention then edefying answering to such as some most weghtie collected of certen places of the scriptures wherby it may be thoght that they may be deceaued beseching the gentill reader to wey the mater with an indifferent balance and first heare before thow refuse and God willing thow shalt not repent the of thy labor but forasmuch as the autor ād maīteners of this error do often make mention of election whereby they wold cloke their absurditeis I will first declare how election is taken in the scriptures thre maner of waies that is generally specially and most specially of all first we be all chosen and created in Christe Iesu as Paule witnesseth to the Ephesians in the first and second chapter and conforme to this election he lightned all them that cam into the world and calleth all men to repentance bothe greate and small riche and poore Iew and gētil male and female of all estates without respect of any person And all that be thirstie he calleth to come to the water of lief Secondly he commandeth them which com at the first calling to renounce father ād mother wief and childe with all other earthlie thinges yea and them selues also This is the secounde election where there departed an innumerable multitude which will not forsaik such thinges but for their own lustes Here departed Cayn with the monstrouse Giātes cruell tyrants and bloodie hypocrites and all persecuters which shed innocent bloode here departed Epicurus with all his bellie gods among which was the riche glotton which dispised Lazarus there departed Sardanapalus accompanied with venus and all that be drowned in the lustes of the fleshe Among which was Herodias There departed Cresus with many rich welthie persons among which was the rich yong man of whom we read in the Gospell that with a sorie countenance he departed frō Christe There departed Tarquinius the proude with such as be puft vp with the Pompe glorie of this world Among which was Herode◠of whom we read in the Actes of the Apostles that for his pryde he was striken of God and eaten of lyse There departed Demetrius the siluer smithe with such as will not forsak◠their filthie lucre Amongest which were the maister and mastres of the damsell possessed with a spirit that prophecied There departed a hole band of Stoikes with their destinie plaing fastor loose and that of necessitie which passeth all iuglers coming Among them are all such as defend that of mere necessitie a few nōber must be saued and of mere necessitie all the rest of the world must be condemned Who so abideth this seconde election and calling Christ commandeth them to take vp their crosse and folow him And thus to continue to the end this is the third and last election of which saieth the Lord I haue chosen the in the fire of tribulation here the seuentie disciples departed for they can not abyde this hard saing here doeth Iudas trudge they which remayn suffer greate assaultes in so much that som tyme they turn there backes to their enemies as the Apostles did when Christ was taken and there do worthie soldiours stagger stumble and fall as Peter when he denied his master and swore he knew him not And Thomas
what difference there is betwext the cause and the effect Election in which I include the fre grace and fauor of God is the fountaine frome which springeth faith and faith is the mother of all good workes But what foolishnes were it therefor to reason My workes are the cause of my faith and my faith is the cause of my election Thus gently I put you in mynd with greater reuereÌ„ce and circuÌ„spection to interpret aÌ„d applie the sacred word of God Thus ye procede THE ADVERSARIE Their fourth argument Hath not the potter power ouer the clay euen of the same lompe to make one vessel vnto honor aÌ„d an other vnto diâ—honor of this they inferre that God hath ordeined and made som to saluation and som to destruction and damnation But for the more perfect vnderstanding of this place afore thow go any further reade the xviii chapter of leremie and thowsâ—alt perceaue this to be the meaniÌ„g As the Potter hath the clay in his hand so hath God all men in his power and as the potter breaketh the vessell wherin is found an incurable faulte so God destroieth the man in whom there is found obstinate wickednes which can not be amended It is not the meaning of this place that God without any iust cause doeth make any man to destruction for as the Potter maketh no vessel to breake yet not withstanding he may but he will not lose both his clay and his labor but onely breaketh such as will not frame to be good notwithstaÌ„ding he made them to be good As euerie good artificer wold his work were good so God created no man to lose him but onely loseth them which will not be good whom he created to be good as the Lord saieth I planted the a noble vyne aÌ„â— a good roote whose sede is all faithfull how art thow then turned into bitter vnfrutefull and strange grapes God wold all men were good and that all men should be saued forasmuch as he is good himself and all that he maketh is good But as the Potter maketh of the same clay som vessels to serue at the table som in the kitchen or in the priuey so God hath som men to be in the bodie of Christ as eies eares and hands as Princes Prophetes Apostles som to be as fete and other secrete partes as laborers and other of the inferior sorte for whom he hath not besâ—towed so many and so excellent gyftes yet musâ—t thow vnderstand that it is not all one thing to be made to be broken and to be made to vnhonestvses Euerie vessel which is eâ—ill is broken whether it be made to honest or dishonest vses yea thogh it were made of gold And as it appereth plainely in Ieremie where the Lord saieth so thogh Conias the son of Ioacim King of Iâ—da were the signet of my right hand yet will I pluk him of aÌ„d therafter this maÌ„ Conias â—halbe lyke an image robbed and torne in peces hath a maÌ„ any thiâ—g appointed for a more honest vse theâ— his signet yet seest thow that if it becom noght it shall be broken distroied Againe euerie good vessell whether it be made to honest or diâ—honest vses it is kept and not broken Asâ—e the Potter and he shall answer the ihat he will be lothe to break any vessell but if any chance to be naught he sheweth his power in breaking of it Ask the husbond man and he shall answere the that he planted no frute tre to be barren but if it chance to be barren he cutteth it doune and plaÌ„teth an other in stede of it Ask the Magistrate aÌ„d be shall answer the that it is not his will to kill any of his subiectes for he wold that they were all good but if any becom a theif and murtherer he sheweth his power eueÌ„ ouer him in killing him Euen so saieth God I will not the death of the sinner but rather that he conuerte and liue I will not that any man be euill and therefor I forbyd all euil but if any man contrarie to my commandement and will of his own fre chose and mynd refufe the good which he might haue accepted and doeth the euill which he might haue left vndone then do I shewe my power ouer him in that I caâ—t him away like the shardes of a naughtie Pott which serueâ—h to no good vse ANSWER Why for the more perfect vnderstanding of Paules mynd any man should rather read the wordes of Ieremie writreÌ„ in the xviii chapter of his prophecie then the wordes written in xlviii chapter of the Prophete Isaiah I se no iust cause for plaine it is that the Prophete Ieremiâ— in that place hath no respect to gods eternall Election he disputeth not why God hath appointed in his eternall couÌ„sell â—om to lief and some to death but reteineth him self within the limites and boundes of the mater which theâ— he intreated Which was to assure the Iewes that God wold eieâ—â— them from that same land which to Abraham he had promised and had giuen to his posteritie and yet wold he preserue theâ— to be a people such as he thoght good This doctrin was strange and to many incredible for it appereth to repugne to gods promes who had pronouÌ„ced that to Abrahaâ— aÌ„d his sede he wold giue y t laÌ„d for euer Much trooble ad coÌ„tradiction as may be sene did y e Prophet suffer for the teaching and affirming this former doctrine And therefor it pleased the mercie and wisdom of God by dyuers meanes to strengthen and confirme him in the same AmoÌ„gest w c this was one V t coÌ„manding hiÌ„ to go downe to a potters house he promised to speak w t him there That is to giue vnto hiÌ„ further knowledge and reuelatioÌ„ of his will who when he cam found the potter as is writeÌ„ making a clay pott vpon his roteâ— and turning whele which Pot in his presence did break but the Potter immediatly gathering vp the Pot sherdes did fashion and for me it a new and made it a nother vessell euen as best pleased him And theÌ„ came the worde of y e Lord vpoÌ„ y e Prophete saing may I not do vnto you ô house of Israel euen as this Potter doeth Behold ye are in my hand ô house of Israelâ— euen â—as the clay â—is in the hand of the Potter By which fact sene and wordes after heard was the Prophet more confirmed in that which before he had taught To witt that God for iust causes wold destroy ad break downe the estate and policie of that common welthe and yet neuertheles wold repair and build it vp againe to such an estate as best pleased his wisdome as the sequele did declare for that great multitude corrupt with sin he hrak downe dispersing and scattering them amongest diuerse nations and yet after he did collect gather them togither and so made them a people of whome the head of all iustice Christ Iesus did spring But what hath
his vessell plaÌ„te a tre to be barren or kil any of his subiects we send you as befor to ask couÌ„sel at the plaine scriptures whether â—in God there is not a greater knowledge greater power aÌ„d a iustice more perfect althogh it be incoÌ„preheÌ„sible to o r dulseÌ„ses theÌ„ y t their is in y e potter husboÌ„d maÌ„ or Magistrate How that God wil not the death of the sinner but rather that he may conuerte and liue we shall shortlie God wiliÌ„g after speak And therefor omitting that which indigestly you heape togither I procede to that which foloweth THE ADVERSARIE Where ye replie w t that it lieth not in maÌ„nes will or ronning but in the mercie of God I answer by the same senteÌ„ce y t we may both will aÌ„d roÌ„ne which is coÌ„trarie to your hole purpose aÌ„d doctrine aÌ„d yet saieth the Apostle our saluatioÌ„ depeÌ„deth of the mercie of God for it is his fre gift The GeÌ„tiles w c for their wickednes wer reiect of God in vaine should they either wil or ronne w tout God exteÌ„ded his mercie towardes theÌ„ as he doeth now preseÌ„tly Lyke as on the other side the Iewes which for their sinnes be now abiect in vaine should they either wil or roÌ„ne without it pleased God to extend his mercie ouer theÌ„ as he shal do after that the fulnes of the GeÌ„tiles become in as witnesseth Paul â–ª for there we must vnder staÌ„d that wheÌ„ it pleased God to offer vs his mercie yet without we both will and ronne we shall not obtein the reward notwithstanding neither for our willing or ronning are we worthie to receaue saluation for it is the fre gift of God which he giueth to vs onely for his own mercies saik God offered saluation to Ierusalem not for the deseruing but of his mâ—rcie yet obteined they not saluation because they wold neither will nor ronne As Christ saieth how often wold I haue gathered thy children as the hendoeth her chekens and thow woldest not so the scribes and the Phariseis made the counsell of God towardes them of none effect for they dispised it Gods will was to saue them but they wold neither will nor ronne but kepe still their old passeâ— so they perished Wherefor vnto our saluation is required chiefly the mercie of God as the onely sufficient and the efficient cause thereof wherby we being vnworthie and his ennemies be reconciled and receaued vnto the feloship of the saintes Secondly is required that we both will and ronne not as the cause but rather as the effect anâ— frute of our reconciliaâ—ion declaring our selues to be thankfull for the benefits which we haue frely without our merits receaued otherwies the kingdoâ— shal be â—aken from vs againe and geuen to such as shall boâ—h will and ronne bringing furth the fruts thereof ANSWER Your ancient father Pelagius coniured ennemie to the fre grace of God did bragge and boast as you do that in man there was a will and a ronning But the probation of bothe is one that is to say your affirmation must suffice for auctoritie You boldly write that of those wordes of the Apostle neither it is of him that willeth neithâ—r yet of him that ronneth but of God hauing mercie it is plaine that we bothe will and ronne But how is this proued your long discourse in which it semeth that ye haue forgotten your self proueth no part of your purpose for the question is not what either the Iew or y e geÌ„till doeth ImeaÌ„ after they haue receaued the grace of God For theÌ„ we confesse that they haue yet not of theÌ„ selues a will aÌ„d studie to walk in godlines but the question is whether this wil aÌ„d studie which now by grace they haue receaued was anie cause of their election the contrarie whereof we haue before proued We do not imagine the faithfull meÌ„bres of Christes bodie to be stockes or stones insensible without will or studie of godlines â–ª but we affirme that it is God that worketh in vs the good will and the good thoght for of our selues we are not sufficient to think one good thoght We further affirme that except with all humilitie the fre grace offered with thankes giuing be receaued that they serue nothing to the saluation of the coÌ„temners But therewith we adde that it is God onely who taketh away the stonie and stubborne heart and giueth to vs a fleshie heart In which he by the power of his holie Spirit writeth his law maketh vs to walk in his wayes draweth vs to his Sonne Christ Iesus giueth vs into his protection I mean as faith assureth vs in our conscience aÌ„d so we acknowledge God alone by Christ Iesus his sonne to be the beginning the middes and the end of our sanctification godlie lief and saluation I for my part do yet againe praise God that his veritie is of that strength that somtymes it will compell the verie ennemies to bear testimonie to it And I pray God to retein you in that mynd that vnfeanedly you may beleue aÌ„d coÌ„fes that what vertues or good motions that euer be in you be the onely effects or fruites as ye call them of your reconciliation and neither cause of your election nor yet of your iustification That Ierusalem and the scribes refused grace and therefor iustly were condemned we consent with you but that euer it was the eternall couÌ„sell aÌ„d will of God to giue them life euerlasting that we constantly deny Our reasons we haue before alledged and after will haue occasion to repete som againe And therefor we procede Thus ye write THE ADVERSARIE Here with great vehemencie ye alledge these wordes of Paule who hath ben able to resist his wil of which saying ye inferre that God without any cause knowen to vs hath reprobated and damned many against which wil no man can resist These wordes did Paule write because he did foresee that of his former sainges som deuelish disposed persons wold take occasion to burden God with vnrighteousnes as ye do making him the author of euill for ye say that God hath a secrete will whereby he willeth the most parte of the world to be condemned which will because it can not be resisted therefor of mere necessitie by the immutable decre of God so many do perish further ye this affirming God to be the cause of damnation onely because it so hath pleased him ye cause many other to burst owt and say Sithe his will and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self and not to vs if any sinne be committed and surely for my parte were it not I abhorre your horrible doctrine wherwith ye cruelly affirme gods ordinaÌ„ce to be the cause of damnation I wold not medle further in this mater but with reuereÌ„ce behold the workes of God forasmuch as I se thankes be to God no work of God wheriÌ„ his mercie doeth not clerely shyne But if your saying were true
no difference betwext those two dictions or wordes The Lord of his mercie preserue his Churche frō so bolde so deceatfull teachers If altogither thou haddest bene ignorant with sorow of heart I could haue lamēted thy foolishenes but pererauing y e of set purpose and malice willingly to corrupt gods plaine scriptures that thow may blynd the more easely the eies of the simple with grief ād dolor I say that better it had bene for the neuer to haue bene born thē thus obstinatly to fight agaīst gods plaine trueth And that in such furie that where from the scriptures thou canst haue none assurance for thy error yet so thow darest wrest them y t they may seme to serue thy purpose Where so euer thou cāst wrest any place that it may be translated by this englishe To there thow ashamest not to affirm y t it is the self same phrase with this of S. Paule vesselles of wrathe prepared or ordeined to destruction This is sufficient to shew to the learned yea euen to such as do but vnderstand the firstprinciples of their grammer thy infidelitie ād craftie deceat in this mater But because such as vnderstand nothing in the latin tongue can not hastely espie thy craft I will trauale to make it so sensible as I can If I should say I am appointed to death to fele the punyshement of sinne and so to make sinne to cease will thow therefor say that this particle To in the former place where I say I am appointed to death and in the second place where I say to sele the punishement of sinne and to make sinne to cease are all one phrase and oght a like to be resolued I suppose thow wilt not for in the first place it cā be none other wies resolued but thus I am appointed to death that is I must nedes die but in the secōd place two causes of death be assigned for where I say to fele the punishemen◠of sinne I vnderstand that one cause of death is that I and all mē may fele how horrible is sinne before God and in this last I vnderstād that death so putteth an ēd to sinne that after it may not trooble the elect of God The phrase of S. Paule is much more different from all that thow adducest then be these phrases before alledged one differen◠frome an other for where he saieth vesselles of wrath ordeined to destruction he signifieth the final end of the vessels of wrath to be ordeined and before determined in gods eternall counsell And in all these places to prouoke the Lord to anger to defyle my Sanctuarie to kyndle gods wrath against Israel to make Israel sinne and such like are their actions signified to be the causes of gods anger gods wrath and why he reputed his Sanctuarie polluted Thus thy frowardnes causeth me to trooble the simple reader The place of leremie tho v maliciously doest peruerte for it cā be in nowies so trāslated But what tōgue so euer thow doest follow thow must say wo be to me O my mother that thus hast born me a man that am a brawler and a man of contention in the hole land The place of Paule 1. Cor. 11. serueth nothing for thy purpose for albeit there be a preposition ad which truely may be translated To yet that speach is far differente from the former speach of the Apostle for where he saieth Eat at home that ye come not togither to condemnation he doth admonish them of the danger which they know not w c was that such inordinat and riatouse banqueting ioyned with the cōtēpt of the poore without repentance must bring condemnation if thow list replie alledge that thow stickest not somuch to the termes as to the mater ▪ for in all these former speaches man pretēded one thing but an other thing ensued What cāst thow thereof conclude but that gods purpose sentence and mynd is not subiect to mannes purpose and intention True it is that nether Pharao did resist Moises of purpose to be plagued nether did Ieroboam erect the calues that Israel should be destroied but yet becaus God had so before pronounced ineuitably plagues and destruction did follow their inobedience If hereof ye will conclude as ye seme to do that those whose end is condemnatiō receaue not that by y e will of God because ye cōclude that which neither ye haue proued neither yet go about in this place to proue I will not trouble my self with answering for this present But whē ye shal go about to proue that God will all men to be saued as ye affirme I hope by gods grace to answer sufficiently For as we doubt not but gods iudgemētes are holie and most iust so we know that the conscience of the wicked shall fele in them selues and no where elles the causes of their condemnation Neither yet did any of vs euer hold beleue or affirme that any reprobate shall haue that libertie in the hell to quarell with God of the secrete causes of his condemnatiō for the bookes shall be opened and the secretes of all heartes shall be reueled To the suffering pacience and sorowing of God I haue before answered in the beginning of this your last confused gradation and so I will not trouble the reader with the repetition of the same The wordes of Ieremie which ye alledge can haue no such sentence as ye do gather for he doeth not speak of any passion that was in God as touching his eternall Godhead but onely doeth appeall to the conscience of the people how oft God had not onely rebuked but also from time to time corrected them euer calling them to repētance and suspēding their last punishment how beit that they continually from euil fell backward vnto worse And so at length was God werie oftener to repent that is to say at once he wold powre furth his iust vēgeāce which before so oft he had threatned Let the first chapter of Isaiah be commentarie to this place and I trust the sentence shall be plaine For there he affirmeth that in that people there was no hole part that is all order and policie was almost confounded Ierusalem was in a maner left desolate by the manifest plagues which had apprehended it but yet there was no trew conuersion vnto God And here he saieth thow hast left me saieth the Lord and I haue therefor lifted vp myn hād vpon the and haue scattered the. I am werie in repenting that is that I haue spared the so long I shall scatter them with the fan euen vnto the gates of the earth that is to the vttermost parte I haue made my people desolate and I haue destroyed them neuertheles they haue not turned frō their waies I trust y t euerie reasonable man will cōsider y t those wordes be rather spoken to admonish the people how God by all meanes had prouoked them to repentance then to declare vnto vs what nature or
others w c tyrannously and vniustly they by violeÌ„ce spoyle And thus doth y e diuersitie of the myndes of the workers make y e plaine differeÌ„ce betwext their vorkes An other God in expelling Dauid from his kingdom in giuing his wiues with great ignominie to be defiled by his own sonne Absalom and in commanding Semei to curse him had respecte to his owne iustice which can not suffer sinne vnpunished euen in his derest children thereby leauing exaÌ„ple to all ages folowing y t such as willingly wold not suffre gods greuous plagues shall auoid manifest contempt of his holy commandementes And this I think will all men confesse to be a work in so farre as it is wroght by God most iust and most equall for as God doth honor theÌ„ who do honor him so must they be contemned who coÌ„temne him But what was the mynd of Achitophell counseller of Absalom the incestuous adulterer and of Semei the blasphemous curser The one studied to make such hatred betwext the father and the sonne as after should neuer be reconciled The vnnaturall monsterous sonne declaring him self mortall ennemie to his father according to the wicked counsell thoght to bind vnto him the heartes of the people And Semei willing to make Dauid odious to all meÌ„ and to haue broght him if possible had bene to vttermost desperation powred forth y e vennym which before lurked in his hidde corrupte stinking stomock The same might I shewe in the precious death of the innocent Sonne of God in which the great and vnsearcheable loue of God towardes vs doeth shyne so that Christes death in so farre as it was the work of God proceded from loue from mercie iustice but touching the instrumentes whome God vsed in execution of the same as in an other place I haue said they looked nothiÌ„g to gods counsell but were altogether caried to iniquitie some by auarice some by pride and by ambition some by malice hatered and enuie so that amoÌ„gest them all none was found that studied to obey God nor his holy will reueled And thus it is euident â–ª why the work of God in such cases is iust aÌ„d good as it that is wroght in wisedom mercie and iustice and that for most iust cauâ—es purpose ende And why the workes of wicked men supposing y t God in some respect will theÌ„ are yet vniust and repugning to his will neuer doÌ„ne to obey him aÌ„d therefore are they and their workers subiecte to malediction veÌ„geance damnation pronounced by God in his lawe against the workers of iniquitie Nowe let vs examine your reasons If it was gods will say you that pharaâ— should refuse to let the people go then did he submit him self to the word of the lord I deny y e coÌ„sequent for neither did Pharao knowe y e holiewil of God neither did he submit him self to y t w c was coÌ„manded reueled vnto him The will of God was in y t people to giue an exaÌ„ple testimonie to y e world y t y e onely benedictioÌ„ of God was sufficieÌ„t to giue multiplication encrease to his Church euen against the determined fury of sathan and of all wicked that he wold giue vnto his Church being afflicted most ioyful and most wonderous deliuerance and finally that no obstinate enemie of gods people how so euer they seme to rage and triumphe shal in the end escaâ—p iudgement and vengeance iustly deserued Do you think that Pharao either knew this will of God either yet that he reteined y e people in bondage for any of these endes I think not then did he not submitt him self to gods will â–ª but obstinatly did resist so farre of gods will as was reueled vnto him And therfor I say that God and Pharao were of most contrary willes and most contrary mindes God williÌ„g his Name his power aÌ„d his wisedome to be preached and praised to the eÌ„d for the deliuerance of his afflicted people But Pharao willing to reteine in perpetuall boÌ„dage the people whom God commanded him to set at fredome libertie to serue him as he should commaÌ„d And therefor albeit that wicked Pharao was an instrument by whom those things were broght to passe yet were his workes neither well nor iustly donne but tyrannously and most obstinatly did he fight against God And therefor in the end most iustly was he punished Behold your spyder webbes with les labor dissolued burst then I am assured you and your great captaine Castalio did spinne knit veaue the same to your great shame perpetuall condemnation except that spedely you repent Now to the rest which foloweth in these words ADVERSARIE As for the senteÌ„ce which ye alledge God maketh hard hearted whom he will and of whom he will he hath mercie this place hath bene very vnresonably wrested of some of you so that therby you haue burdened God to be the cause of condemnation who at his pleasure receaueth or resiseth such as haue either of paine or pleasure deserued nothing at all God forbid that any man should conceaue such a phantasie of God but we must first learne how God lightened all men that cam into this world which light who so refuseth him the Lord by long sufferance with bountifull benefites and fatherly corrections doeth call to repentance But if we louing darknes better then light will vtterly refuse light or after we haue bene by the goodnes of God partakers of gods grace do forsaik the couenant of the Lord then hath he mercie on whom he will and that for his own saik and others he maketh hard hearted that is he giueth them ouer to their own hearts lustes So that the cause of their induration is not the will and pleasure of God which doeth nothing without a iust cause but their obstinate wickednes which will not be reformed These suffer iustly and the other receaue grace by the mercy fo God which may when he will haue mercie on whom he will and that besides his couenant ANSWER Because that nothing resteth to the end of this y o r book your blasphemies and raling excepted which is not sufficiently before answered I inteÌ„d onely to touch those things which you vniustly lay to our charges and fraÌ„kly coÌ„fesse in what pointes you and we do manifestly dissent in opinion and doctrine and first I say that most vniustly you accuse vs laying to our charge that we burden God to be the cause of coÌ„demnation the which we all with one coÌ„sent impute to maÌ„ to sinne and to y e deuil the first soliciter to sinne And therfor except that ye can note and euidently conuict some one or mo of vs that so hath written or affirmed of God ye can not be purged from the horrible crime of vniust accusatioÌ„ aÌ„d detestable sclaÌ„der We vtterly dissent from you that God lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world in such sort as you affirme that is hat he calleth all
steadfastly to cleaue and stick to the trueth whose force effect they se alwaies to haue bene one frome the begīning The giuers of these offēses shall no doubt sustein the wo pronounced against them by Christe Iesus But yet must the childrē of God vnderstand that of necessitie it is that such offēses come that the elect may first be tryed and after be partakers of that blessing pronoūced by our master in those wor des Blessed is he that is not offended in me The cause of these my former wordes is that as Satā euer frome the beginnīg hath declared him self ennemie to the fre grace and vndeserued loue of God so hath he now in these last and moste corrupted daies most furiously raged agaīst that doctrine which attributeth all praise and glorie of oure redemption to the eternall loue and vndeserued grace of God alone By what meanes sathā first drew mākynd frome the obediēce of God the scripture doeth witnesse To wit by powring into their hartes that poison that God did not loue thē and by affirming that by transgressiō of gods cōmandemēt they might attein to felicitie and ioy so that he caused them to seke life where God had prounced death to be This same practise hath sathan euer frome the beginning vsed to infect the Church with al kynd of heresie as the writings of Moises of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the godlie in the primatiue Church do playnelie witnes But alas to such blasphemie did neuer the deuil draw mākynd as now of late daies in the which no small nōbre are become so bolde so impudent and so irreuerent that opēly they feare not to affirme God to be vniust if that he in his eternal coūsel hath elected more one sort of mē thē an other to life euerlasting in Christe Iesus our Lord which thing of late daies is more planely come to oure knowledge thē before we could haue suspected and that by the sight of a book moste detestable blasphemous cōteinyng as it is intiteled The cōfutation of the errors of the careles by necessitie with that odious name do they burden all those that either do teach ether yet beleue the doctrine of gods eternall predestination ▪ which booke writtē in the english tōgue doeth cōtein as well the lies and the blasphemies imagined by Sebastian Castalio and laid to the charge of that moste faithfull seruāt of God Iohn Caluine as also the vane reasōs of Pighius Sadoletus Georgius Siculus pestilēt Papistes expressed ennemies of gods free mercies The dispitefull railīg of w t booke the manifest blasphemies in the same cōteined togither with the earnest req̄sts of som godlie brethren moued me to prepare an answere to the same others I dowbt not might haue done it with greater dexteritie but with reuerēce feare do I lay the talēt cōmitted to my charge vpō y e table of the Lord to brīg to his church such aduātage as his godli wisdō hath appointed But lest that some shoulde thīk that my labors might better haue bene bestowed in some other exercise I thoght expediēt to admonish all brethrē charitably to requyre of thē not to esteme the mater to be of small weight importāce ▪ for seing that gods fre grace is opēly impugned disdainfully refused I iudge it the duetie of euerie man that loketh for life euerlasting to giue his confession to Christe Iesus whose glorie is by these blasphemers to y e vttermoste of their power suppressed Some do thinke that because the reason of man can not atteine to the vnderstanding how God shall be iust making in his counsel this diuersitie of mankīd that therefore better it were to kepe silēce in al such mysteries then to trouble the braynes and myndes of men with curious disputatiōs I willingly confesse that al curiositie oght to be auoided and that with great sobrietie we oght to contemplate beholde that incomprehensible mysterie of our redēption But yet I say that the doctrine of gods eternal predestinatiō is so necessarie to the Church of God that without the same can faith neither be truely taught nether surely established mā cā neuer be broght to true humilitie knowledge of him self nether yet cā he be rauished in admiration of gods eternal goodnes and so moued to praise him as apperteineth And therefor we feare not to affirme that so necessarie as it is that true faith be established in o r har tes y t we be broght to vnfined humilitie y t we be moued to praise hī for his fre graces receaued so necessary also is y e doctrin of gods eternall predestination For first there is no way more proper to buyld and establish faith thē whē we heare and vndoubtedly do beleue that our election which the Spirit of God doth seale in our hartes cōsisteth not in our selues but in the eternal and immutable good pleasure of God And that in such firmitie that it cā not be ouerthrowen nether by the raging stormes of the world nor by the assaultes of sathan nether yet by the wauering and weaknes of our own fleshe Then onely is our saluation in assurance whē we fynd the cause of the same in the bosom and counsell of God For so do we by faith apprehend life and peace manifested in Christe Iesus that by the directiō and guyding of the same faith we looke farther to wit out of what fountaine life doth procede In Christe Iesus now presētly do we fynd libertie ād life he is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes and sanctification and redēption and in the promes of his Gospel is foūded the stabilitie of our saluation But yet we haue a ioy which far surmounteth this For albeit that we should heare that the mercies the graces of God were offered vnto all men and albeit also that we should fele that our heartes were somwhat moued to beleue yet onles the very cause of our faith be knowen oure ioye and comfort cā not be full For if we shall think that we beleue ād haue embrased Christe Iesus preached because our wittes be better then the wittes of others and because that we haue a better inclination and are of nature more tractable then be the cōmon sorte of men sathan I say can easely ouer throw all comfort buylded vpon so weak a ground for as the heart of man is vain and inscrutable so may it be that those that this day be tractable and obedient hauing also som zeale toward godlines yea and also bothe sense and feling of gods mercie such I say may shortly here after become stubborn in some cases disobedient in maters of greate importance tempted with lustes and finally they may be left so barren that rather they shal tremble at the sight of gods iudgemētes thē that they can reioyse in the free adoptiō of his children And therefor I say that except our comfort be
grounded vpon that foundation which neuer can be moued it is not perfect And that ground is this That when we vnderstand that presently we beleue in Christe Iesus because we were ordeined before the beginning of all tymes to beleue in him as in him we were elected to the societie of eternall life then is oure faith assuredly grounded and that because the giftes and vocatioÌ„ of God are without repentance and he is faith ful that hath called vs. his infinite goodnes which moued him to loue vs in an other theÌ„ in our selues that is in Christe Iesus according to his free beneuoleÌ„ce whiche he had purposed in him is to vs a towre of refuge w t satan is neuer able to ouerthrowe nor y e gates of hell shall neuer preuail against it For how so euer we be changeable yet is God in his counsel stable and immutable yea how weak how feble how dull that euer we be yet is there nothing in vs euen when we be in our owne iudgement most destitute of the Spirit of God which he did not se to be in vs before we were formed in the wombe yea and before the beginning of all tymes because all is present with him Which imperfections infirmities and dulnes as they did not stoppe his mercie to elect vs in Christe Iesus so can they not compel him now to refuse vs. And frome this fouÌ„taine doth flow this our ioye that with the Apostle we are bolde to crye who is able to seperate vs from y e loue of God which is in Christe Iesus for seing that the father who hath giuen vs for a peculiar inheritance to his onelie Sonne is so mightie that owte of his hand is none able to take vs away what danger can be so great what sinne is so greuous or what desperation so depe that is able to deuoure vs for seing it is God him self who will absolue vs from all iniquitie and seing that Christe Iesus his SoÌ„ne wil aduowe vs to appertein to his bodie what is he that dare ryse against vs to condemne vs The comfort hereof doeth none fele except the choseÌ„ childreÌ„ of God and that in the daye when mans iustice faileth and the battâ—lle of their conscience is most greuous and fearefull Therefore as faith springeth frome election so is it established by the true knowledge of that doctrine onely which this day is moste furiously oppugned by those who do not vnderstand the same And frome that same doctrine floweth the verie mater of trew humilitie For while we beholde the condition of those whom nature hath made equall to be so farre diuers the one from the other it is vnpossible but that the children of God in their own heartes vnfeinedly shal be humbled For whither so euer they shall directe their eyes they shall behold fearefull examples of blyndnes and of such iniquitie as all men iustly oght to abhorre but when they coÌ„sider them selues to haue receaued light in the midst of such dareknes and them selues to be sanctified in the midst of so wicked a generation from what fountaine can they say that this procedeth who hath illuminated their eyes while that others abyde in blyndnes who doth brydle their affections while that others do follow the same to perdition yf they say nature their own conscience shall conuict them for nature hath made vs all equall by nature are we the childreÌ„ of wrathe as wel as other Ephes. 2. If they say education reason or their own studie common experience shall diclare their vanitie For how many haue bene no rished in vertue and yet become moste filthie in life And by the coÌ„trarie how many haue loÌ„g remained without all vertuous education and yet in the end haue atteined to gods fauor And therfore we say that such as attribute any thing to them selues in the grace of their election haue not learned to giue to God the honor which to him apperteineth because they do not frely coÌ„fesse what maketh theÌ„ to differre froÌ„ others It is vniuersally receaued for a senteÌ„ce moste true that as humilitie is the mother of all vertue so it is also the roote of all godlynes But how is it possible that that man shal be humbled that can not abyde to heare the former miserie in the which he was borne neither yet the means by the which frome the same he was delyuered If a begger being promoted to greate honours by the liberalitie of a king should be remeÌ„bred of his former condition and for declaration of his gratitude he should be commanded to reuereÌ„ce the embassador or herauld that thus should say vnto him RemeÌ„ber and call to mynde how wretched poore aÌ„d miserable somtymes thow wast and praise the goodnes of the king by whose mercie and gentlenes thow liuest now in this honorable estate If this begger I say should stomake that his pouertie should be so often obiected vnto him who wold saye that either he were humble either yet thankfull to the king No more can it be said that such as can not abyde the meÌ„tion of gods eternall electioÌ„ by the which onely the elect be extolled to dignitie in Christe Iesus be either humble in gods preseÌ„ce either yet thankfull for that infinite benefite which excedeth all measure To wit that we be elected in Christe Iesus to life euerlasting and that God according to the good pleasure of his eternall counsel hath made separation betwext those who did fall into equall perdition as touching the offence and sinne committed Such as desire this article to be buried in silence and wold that men should teach and beleue that the grace of gods election is common vnto all but that one receaueth it and an other receaueth it not procedeth either from the obedience or disobedience of man such disceaue them selues and are vnthaÌ„kfull and iniurious vnto God For so long as they se not that true faith and saluatioÌ„ as in the discourse shal be more plainely declared springe from election and are the gifte of God and come not of our selues so long are they disceaued and remayn in error And what can be more iniurious vnto gods free grace then to affirme that he giueth no more to one theÌ„ to an other seing that the hole scriptures do playnely teach that we haue nothing which we haue not receaued of fre grace mere mercie aÌ„d not of our workes nor of anythiÌ„g in vs lest any maÌ„ shoulde boast himself Ephes. 2 28. And therefore let wicked men rage as they list we will not be ashamed to confesse always that onelie grace maketh difference betwext vs and the rest of the world And further we feare not to affirm that suche as fele not that coÌ„fort inwardly in their coÌ„science can neuer be thaÌ„kfull to God neither yet willing to be subiect to his eternall counsel Which is the onelie cause that these wicked men moste vnreuerently do storme rage against that doctrine which
whether ye will be worde or writiÌ„g y â— I haue hieghly offended in calliÌ„g you detestable liers But if ye be neuer able to shew any such wordes vsed by vs as plane it is ye be not theÌ„ yo r master Castalio aÌ„d you bothe are far from y t perfectioÌ„ to speake no more bitterly w t ye preteÌ„d For ye are manifest liers aÌ„d whose soÌ„nes they are called you can not be ignoraÌ„t accusing meÌ„ of that they neuer meÌ„t For thus formeth Castalio his first fals accusacion against Master Caluin God hath created to perdition the most part of the world by the naked bare and pure pleasure of his own wil. And this same ye affirme in mo wordes more impudently patched â–ª so bothe you and he do adde to our wordes of your own malicious mynd These sentences God hath created the most parte of the world which is an innumerable multitude to perdicion onely becaus it so pleased him you steall from our wordes and suppresse that which euer we ioyne wheÌ„ we make mention of gods predestination to witt that he hath created all thiÌ„ges for his own glorie That albeit the cause of gods will be incoÌ„prehensible secret and hid froÌ„ vs wheÌ„ of y â— same masse he ordeyned som vesselles to honor aÌ„d soÌ„ to destructioÌ„ yet it is moste iust most holie aÌ„d most to be reuerenced Now to y â— further declaratioÌ„ aswel of o r mynd as of your shameles malice I shall recite som sÌ„eteÌ„ces of master CaluiÌ„ as doth that godlie and learned maÌ„ Theodorus Beze against the craftie surmyse of your master Castalio I say faieth Iohn Caluin with Augustin that of God they were created whom without doute he fore knew to go to perdition and that was so done becaus so he wold Why he wold it apperteineth not to vs to inquire who caÌ„ not comprehend it neither yet is it conuenient that the will of God shall discend and come downe to be decided by vs. Of the which so oft as mention is made vnder the name of it is the supreme and most hie rule of iustice nominated And further we affirme that which the scripture clearly sheweth to wit that God did once by his eternall and immutable counsel appoint whom somty me he should take to saluation and also whom he should condemne to destruction We affirm those whom he iudgeth worthie of participation of saluation to be adoptate and chosen of his free mercie for no respect of their own dignitie but whom he giueth to condemnation to the same he shuteth vp the entres to life by his incomprehensible iudgement But yet by that iudgemeÌ„t that neither can not may be reproued And in another worke If we be not ashamed saieth he of the Gospell it behoueth vs to confes that which therin is manifestly taught that is that God of his aeternall good pleasure whose cause dependeth vpon none other hath destinate to saluation whom it pleased him the rest being reiected And whom he hath honored with his free adoption those he illuminateth by his Spirit that they may receaue the life offered in Christ Others by their own will so remaning vnfaithfull that being destitute of the light of faith they continue in darknes Also that which sainct Augustine writeth So is the will of God the hieghest rule of iustice that what so euer he will in so far as he willeth it it is to be holden iust Therefor when the questioÌ„ is why did God so It is to be answered Because so he wold But if thow procede asking why he wold thow sekest a thiÌ„g greater and more hie then Gods wil which can not be founde And after saieth he We must euer returne to the pleasure of his will the cause whereof is hidde within him self But to make this mater more euident I will adduce one or two places mo and so put end to this your forged accusacion for this tyme. In his book which he wriâ—â—th of the eternal predestination of God thus he saieth Albeit that God before the derection of Adam had determined for causes hid to vs what he was to do yet in scriptures we read nothing to be condemned or him except sinne And so it resteth that he had iust causes but hid from vs in reiecting a part of men for he hateth nor damneth nothing in man but that which is contrarie to his iustice Also writing vpon Isaie the 23. chap. vpon these wordes The Lord of hoostes hath decreed to prophane the pryde of all the noble ones c â–ª he saieth let vs learn of this place that the prouidence of God is to be considered of vs that to him we may giue the glorie and praise of his omnipotecie for the wisdom and the iustice of God are to be ioyned with his power Therefore as the scriptures teach vs that God by his wisdom doth this or that so do they teach vs a certen end why he doth this or that for the imagination of the absolute power of God which the scholemen haue inuented is an execrable blasphemie for it is as much as they should say that God were a tyrant that appointed things to be done not according to equitie but according to his inordinat appetite With such blasphemies be the scholes replenished neither yet differ they from the Ethnicks who did affirme that God iested or did sporte in the maters of men But we are taught in the schole of Christe that the iustice of God shyneth in his workes what so euer they be y t the mouthes of all men may be stopped and glorie may be geuen to him alone And therefor the Prophet rehearseth iust causes of this destruction meaning of the destruction of Tyrus that we shall not thinke that God doth any thing without reason Those of Tyre were ambitious proude auaricious lecherous dissolute What is he so simple which may not now consider and vnderstand what was your malice and deuiâ—ish intenion â–ª in patching vp this your first accusation not the zeale of gods glorie as you falsly pretend but the hatred which ye haue conceaued against them who haue soght your saluation For if ye had ment any thing simply ye should not haue added that which ye be neuer able to shew in our writinges neither yet can ye laufully proue that we haue spoken the same in reasoning with any of you We so taught by the scriptures with reuereÌ„ce do affirme that God for iust causes albeit vnknoweÌ„ aÌ„d hid to vs hath reiected a parte of men But you making no mention of any cause affirme that we holde that he hath created the most part of the world which is innumerable to no other end but to perdiction in which shameles lie your malice paâ—â—eth measure For neither do we rashly define the nomber of the one nor of the other howbeit the scripture in dyuers places affirmeth Christes â—â—ocke to be the little flocke the nomber to be few that findeth the way that leadeth to life
and an other I will pray to God to open his Eies that he if gods good pleasure be may se the light that so brightly shyneth Other places for this present I omitte For of these precedents I suppose it be euident that in the eternall counsel of God there was a difference of mankynd euen before the creation which by his own voice is most plainely declared to vs in tyme. Now to that obiection which Pighius that pestilent and peruers Papist and you all after him doth make To witt that God did predestinate according to the workes and faith which he foresawe to be in man I might obiecte to the contrary that if Predestination procedeth from gods purpose and will as the Apoâ—â—le affirmeth it doth that theÌ„ the purpose and will of God being eternall can not be moued by our workes or faith which be temporall And that if the purpose of God be stable and sure that then can not our workes being vnsure be the cause thereof But to auoid prolixitie and tediousnes I will by plaine scriptures proue that of fre grace did God electe that of mere mercie doeth he call and of his onelie goodnes without all respect had to our dignitie as to be any cause first mouing him doeth he perfourme the worke of our saluatioÌ„ And for the proofe of the same let vs take Abraham and his posteritie for example Plaine it is that he and his sede were preferred to all the nations of the earth the benediction was established to spring frome them the promes of the land of Canaan was made vnto them and so were they extolled to the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods peculiar people But let vs consider what either faith or obedience God found in them which might haue moued him thus to preferre them to other naâ—ions Let vs heare Moises The Lord they God saieth he hath chosen the that thow shoul dest be a peculiare people to him aboue all the peoples which are vpon the face of the earth God hath not so vehemently loued you and chosen you because you are mo in nombre then other nations seing ye are fewar then all other people but because he hath loued you and wold kepe the othe which he made to your fathers And after it foloweth Say not in thy heart my power my streÌ„gth aÌ„d my hand haue prepared this aboundance to me and think not in thy heart it is for my iustice that the Lord hath broght me into this land Of these places it is plaine that Moises leaueth no cause neither of gods election neither yet of perfourmance of his promes in maÌ„ but establisheth it altogether vpon gods fre loue and good pleasure The same did Iosua in that his last and most vehement exhortation to his people a litle before his death in which plainely he affirmeth that Abraham and his father were idolaters before they were called by God w c place Ezechiel the Prophete most euidently declareth rebuking the vnthaÌ„kfull defection of the Iewes from God who of mercy had giueÌ„ theÌ„ life honour and dignitie they of all others being the most vnworthy For the saieth Thus saieth the Lord God to IerusaleÌ„ Thy habitatioÌ„ aÌ„d they kiÌ„red is of CanaaÌ„ thy father was an amorrhean and thy mother an Hittite and in thy natiuitie wheÌ„ thow wast born thy nauill was not cutt thow was noâ— washed wiâ—h water to soften the thow was not salted with salt neither yet was thow swadled in clowtes By the which the Prophete signifieth that all was imperfect all was filthie all was corrupt and stinking as touching their nature he procedeth none â—ie pitied the to do any of these vnto the for to haue compassioÌ„ vpon the but thou wast cast oute in the open field to the contempt of thy person in the day that thow wast borne And when I passed by the I saw the polluted in thine own blood aÌ„d I said vnto y e wheÌ„ thou wast in thy blood y t is in thy filthie sinnes y u shalt liue And this he repeteth to the eÌ„d y t he may beat it more deply in their myndes I saieth the Lord said vnto the beiÌ„g in thy bloode thou shalt liue and so he procedeth declaring how that God did multiply them did giue vnto them beautie streÌ„gth honour and dignitie These thre places do plainely witnes what perfection God did find in this people whom thus he did preferre to all others And what obedience did they render vnto him after the vocation of Abraham the hole Histories do witnes for perfection and obedience was not found in Abraham him self yea neither in Moises nor in Aaron but contrarie wise the inobedience of all we find noted to the same end y t Moises hath before spokeÌ„ to witt that none shall boast that either iustice proceding or folowing was the cause why God did choose and elect that people For how shall God choose for that which the holie Gost plainely denieth to be in any man discending of the corrupt sede of Adam For Isaiah plainely doeth affirme that all our iustice is as a clothe most polluted and spotted If our iustice be polluted as the Prophete affirmeth it to be and God did predestinate vs for our iustice what foloweth but that God did predestinate vs for that which was filthy and imperfecte But God forbid y t such cogitations shoulde take place in our heartes God did choose vs in his eternall purpose for his owne glorie to be manifested in vs aÌ„d that he did in Christ Iesus in whoÌ„ onely is oure full perfection as before we haue said But let vs yet heare som testimonies of the new testament sainct Paul to his disciple Timothie saieth Be not ashamed of the testimonie of our Lord neither be thow ashamed of me who am his prisoner but be thow partaker of the afflictions of the EuaÌ„gile according to the power of God who hath made vs safe and hath called vs with an holie vocation not according to our workes but according to his purpose and fre grace which was giuen to vs by Christe Iesus before all tymes but now is made patent by the appering of our Sauiour Iesus Christe Here plaine it is that neither are we called neither yet saued by workes much les can we be predestinate for them or in respect of them Trew it is that God hath prepared good workes thaâ— we should walk in them but like trew it is that first must the tree be good before it bring furth good fruite and good can neuer the tree be except that the hand of the gardiner haue planted it To vse herein the plaine wordes of saint Paule he witnesseth that we are elected in Christ to the end that we should be holie aÌ„d without blemishe Now seing that good workes spring furth of election how can any man be so foolish as to affirme that they are the cause of the same Can the streame of water flowing from the fountaine be the cause of the
burdē God with iniustice in defending his own innocētie At which reasons Elihu offended after that the other three were put to silēce takīg vpō him to reproue Iob affirmeth that the wisdom the power the iustice and the iudgementes of God were incomprehensible that God could do nothing vniustly how that euer it appered to mannes iudgement and amongest other thinges he saieth wilt thou say vnto a king thou art wicked or vnto princes ye are vngodlie How muche les to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes and regardeth not the riche more then the poore For they be all the worke of his handes They shall dye sodenly and the people shal be trobled at midnight and they shall passe furth and take away the mightie withoute hand for his eies are vpon the wayes of man and he seeth al his goings Thus haue I noted partly y t none shall think that these wordes may seme to fauor your error and partly that your vntruethe in wrasting such places may more manifestly appere Ignorance of the tongues may be some caus in you but in some of you I can manifestly proue that malice blindeth knowledge and compelleth you to speake and write against your vnderstanding God touche your heartes with true repentance and giue you his holie spirit with greater reuerence to intreat his scriptures But now to the scriptures that ye alledge God say you hath no respect of persōs Ergo wil ye cōclude he hath no election Your conclusion is fals and my reason is becaus that gods fre election depēdeth not vpon the persones of men but vpon his own promes and good will ▪ But to make this mater more sensible I wil make an argumēt directly against yours God respecteth not the persons of men But yet amongest men is found great diuersitie bothe in vertue ād in vice Therefor there must be som cause from whence this diuersitie procedeth Of the first part I know ye doute not and the secōd parte is confirmed by common experience and by euidēt scriptures for how diuerse be the inclinatiōs of mē none cā be ignorāt except such as do not obserue the same Such as attribute the caus of such diuersitie to the sterres and to the influence of the Planetes are more then vaine education and vp bringing doeth somwhat bow nature in that case but neither of bothe is the cause of such diuersitie for how many haue bene norished in vertue togither and yet haue after fallen to moste horrible vices and in the same perished And contrarie wies how many haue bene wickedly broght vp and yet by grace atteined to an holie conuersation If the cause of this diuersitie I say shal be inquired and soght it shall not be found in nature for thereby were and are we all borne the sonnes of wraith if in education and vp bringing we se how oftē that faileth The cause thereof thē must be of necessitie without man To make the mater yet more plaine by an exēple Paule preached Christ Iesus to be the onely Sauior of the world both amongest the Iewes and gentiles to som his preaching was the sauour of lief and to others it was the sauour of death from whence commeth this diuersitie from the obedience will and faith of the one say you and frome the stubborne inobedience and infidelitie of the other you say somewhat but not all for true it is that faith and an obedient will is that which we call Causam propinquam that is the next cause to our apprehension but what is the cause that the will of one is obedient and the will of the other stubborne that the one doeth beleue and the other doeth blaspheme How so euerye do shift the holie Gost in many places plainely affirmeth the cause not to be in nature nor yet to procede of man nor of his fre will but to be the fre grace of the caller as Christ Iesus doeth witnes None can com vnto me excepte my Father draw him No mā can se the kingdom of God except he be borne againe and that neither of blood neither of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God who toucheth and openeth the heartes of so many as he hath ordeined to lief to aduerte and beleue the thinges that be truely preached As those that be the shepe of Christe Iesus who heare his voice and know the same These and many places mo do most plainely declare what is the cause that some beleue and others beleue not to witt that som are born of God and som are left in nature som are shepe som are goates the heartes of som are touched and opened by the finger and Spirit of God as it was said to Peter flesh and bloode hath not reueled this vnto the but my Father which is in the heauen and the heartes of others left in their own blindnes and hardnes If ye demand how is it then that God respecteth not the person of man I answer if ye did vnderstād a right what is mēt by acceptation of persons or what it is to respect persons ye should not doute in this behalf Acceptatiō of persons is when an vnworthie person is preferred to a worthie either by corrupt affection of those that do preferre him either yet for some qualitie or externall beautie that appereth in man As if to the office of a king or of a bushope should one be elected that neither hath godlynes knowledge wisdom nor yet the spirit of gouernement because he is riche noble of bloode fare and lustie and the persons hauing giftes much more excellent should be contemned this is called acceptation of persons As Samuel seing Eliab and considering his beautie and stature doeth boldly pronounce in his own heart assuredly before the Lord this is his anoīted Such acceptation of persons is not with God for neither looketh he to blood riches nobilitie vertue strength nor beautie temporall in his eternall election but onely to his own good will and eternall purpose by the which he hath elected vs in Christe Iesus If ye shall consider the same place depely ye shall find that none within the hole scriptures of God more confuteth your error then it doeth For as God respecteth not the person of mā so respecteth he nothing that is or can be within man as the chief cause of his election For what can God forese consider or know to be in man that good is which floweth not from his fre mercie and goodnes as it is written we are not sufficient of our selues to think any thing that good is but all our sufficiencie is of God who worketh in vs bothe to will and performe Then if all vertue what so euer be in vs be the work of God can the work folowing be the cause of gods eternall purpose If the cause and the effectes proceding of the same be things diuerse then are our vertues and fruites not
referred to the subsequentes your malicious myndes compell me often to repete one thing Your reasoning of the preterit and future tence is so foolishe that it nedeth no confutation For we confesse that God spake not those wordes to Rebecca but that the Prophete as is declared spake them after by the which he sendeth them to the ancient loue of God which begaÌ„ before that euer their father could know or serue God In which is to be noted that he maketh neither meÌ„tioÌ„ of Aâ—raham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob in his mothers wombe to pull doune this pryde which ye with the Pelagians and Papistes haue conceaued of your workes going before and foresene by God to folow in you But the Prophete of God did so dauÌ„ton the stowt heartes of that his people were they in other thinges neuer so wicked that they did not alledge that any cause was either in their father or in them why that they or he should be preferred to other nations and specially to the Edomites who discended from Esau in all thinges like to Iacob gods onely grace excepted I praise God that so far ye will confes of gods eternall trueth that it was not for their righteousnes that Israel receaued the inheritance but onely becaus God frely loued their fathers But why so sodanly ye slyde frome the principall purpose leauing Esau and his posteritie aâ—d do enter to speak why y e Cananites were cast furth â— se no iust cause for neither doeth Moses in the first oracle of God neither the Prophete Malachie in explaning the same neither yet our Apostle in applying boeth those places to the spirituall benediction lay the sede of Iacob against the Cananires but Iacob is set against Esau and the people discending frome the one against the people that discended from the other The question there might iustly haue bene demanded what prerogatiue hath Iacob aboue Esau Moises the Prophete and the Apostle do answer assuredly none except onely grace which made difrence betwext them whom nature in all thinges had made equall for bothe were come of Abraham bothe of one father both of one mother both conceaued at once both fostered vnder one climate region influence of sterres and yet it was said The elder shall serue the yonger We know that the Cananites came of a cursed father whom if Paule should haue compared with the Israelites they should haue complained of iniurie done vnto themâ— And his reasons had bene easely dissolued for if he had said y e electioÌ„ of God is fre aÌ„d hath respect to no workes and had broght in the sede of Abraham elected and the sede of Cham reiected and accursed for probation of the same they sodanly should and iustly might haue replied C ham mocked his father and therefor was he and his posteritie accursed and so had God respect to workes But the Apostle loketh more circumspectly to so graue a mater and therefor did choose such an example as wherin the witt nor reason of man can find no cause of inequalitie Of this I thoght good to put you and the readers in mind lest perchance ye should imagin that as greate cause of reprobation was found in Esau before he was born as Moses laieth to the charge of the Cananites And so I perceaue in a part ye do for in the end and after ye haue affirmed that the cananites were cast owt of the land by reason of their wickednes ye return to Esau repenting your selues I trust that so imprudentlie ye had slipped froÌ„ one linage to an other And these wordes ye affirme That Esau is hated it commeth of his own euill deseruing conforme to the saying of the Lord Thy destruction â— Israell is of thy self and thy health cometh of me In which affirmation and pretensed probation of the same I fynd no les negligence in you then before I haue sheweÌ„ aÌ„d proueÌ„ for as most impudeÌ„tly before ye coÌ„founded y e sede of Abraham who by gods own mowth was blessed with the sede of Cham who in expressed wordes was accursed so here ye confound Israel elected of God to be his people in Iacob with Edom reiected from that honor in their father Esau before that either the one did good or the other did euill The wordes of the Prophete which ye bring to proue that Esau was hated for his euill deseruing were neither spoken to him nor to his posteritie but they were spoken to that people whom God had preferred to all nations of the earthe to whom he had shewen his manifold graces and to whom he had bene saluation and help euen in their most desperate calamitie But then fore their defection from him and for their Idolatrie committed were become most afflicted and miserable dailie teÌ„ding to further destructioÌ„ To these I say aÌ„d not to Esau nor yet to his posteritie did God say ô Israell thow hast destroied thy self or ô Israell it hath destroyed the for so is the hebrew text for in me is thy health In w c wordes he repressed the grudgeing aÌ„d y e murmuriÌ„g of the people who in their miserie did rather accuse God of crueltie theÌ„ repeÌ„t or acknowledge their sinnes and Idolatrie to be the cause of their ruyne as in Ezechiel well may be sene to such God saieth Israel thow art in moste extreme miserie thy honor is decayed and the glorie of thy former aige is now turned to ignominie and shame What is the cause it lieth not in me for as I am eternall and immutable so is not my hand shortned this day neither yet my power diminished more then when I did deliuer the frome the bondage of Egipt In me is thy health now as it was then yf that thy sinnes did not make seperation betwext the and me Plaine it is first that here no mention is made of Esau nor Edom but of Israel onely and secondarely that God speaketh nothiâ—g in this place why he did first elect Iacob and reiect Esau but why it was that Israel which some tymes was honorable aÌ„d feared of all nations was then becom most miserable and afflicted on all sides Except that you be able to proue that Esau committed as manifest Idolatrie before he was borne and before that Iacob was preferred vnto him as Israel did before they came to destruction yâ— haue proued nothiÌ„g of your affirmation further I say that if Esau was hated for his euill deseruing then must it nedes follow that Iacob was loued for his well deseruing by the argument folowing of the nature of the contraries But that directly repugneth to the wordes of Moises to the interpretation of all the Prophetes and to the mind and strong reasons of the Apostle who plainely denie workes by past or to cum to be any cause of gods fre election Trew it is we be elected in Christ Iesus to be holie and to walk in good workes which God hath prepared But euerie reasonable man knoweth
then were his workes full of crueltie miserie damnation and destruction Now as touching this saying who is able to resist his will we must learne what is gods will If you ask the Lord he will answer you it is not my will that any man sinne neither is it my will that the sinner die but rather that he amend and liue but if he will not amend but continew in sinne him wil I punishe and him may I also punishe hauing power aboue all men as the potter ouer the clay Wherefor when any man suffereth iustly for his trespasse he oght not to accuse God and say who can resist his will â–ª as God wold absolutely the destruction of his creatures as ye teach God will all men to repent and amend and also that theâ— who will not repent and amend be punished this his will is iust and full of mercie against which will is no man able to resist for either must they repent and amend orels they must suffer As the potter wold gladly make of his clay a good vessell but if it will not frame he breaketh it and casteth it away and as the king wold all his subiects to be obedient vnto his lawes yet the vnworthiest slaue in his dominion hath power to break the kinges lawes Notwithstanding wheÌ„ he suffereth for his offence the kinges will is fulfilled eueÌ„ so thogh God both wille hand coÌ„man deth vs to obserue his law yet haue we power to offend against the former parte of his will otherwies we should all obserue â—he will of God and be saued and so should there be no reprobate But when for our disobedience we be punished the will of God is fulfilled which will is both good and iust and therefor oght no man to accuse it aÌ„d say who is able to resist his wil. No more theÌ„ clay when it framed not to be a good vessell doeth accuse the potter of breaking it ANSWER Ye be not able to proue that in any vehemencie we alledge those wordes of the Apostle in other sentence theÌ„ he wrote theÌ„ for all praise aÌ„d glorie be vnto God the mercifull giuer we haue not so litle profited in the schoole of Christ Iesus that we wold wrest the wordes of the holie Gost to a coÌ„trarie sense We are not ignorant that the Apostle pronouÌ„ceth these wordes in the person of carnall meÌ„ who hearing that God hath mercie vpon those that he wil and that also he maketh hard hearted such as he will do storm and furiously crye wherefor theÌ„ doeth he coÌ„plein who is able to resist his wil. These wordes I say do we not vrge to proue our doctrine for where we affirme that the onely will of God is the perfect reule of all thiÌ„ges which be done aÌ„d are to be done in heaueÌ„ and in earth we build our doctrine vpon euideÌ„t testimonies of the scriptures aÌ„d vpon the cheif principalles of our religioÌ„ and faith Dauid and Isaiah do both aggre that our God who dwelleth in heauen doeth what so euer he will in heaueÌ„ and in earthe that he formeth light and doeth creat darknes that is giueth aswel prosperitie as aduersitie Daniel affirmeth that the supreme God distributeth kingdomes as best semeth to his wisdom and Salomon doeth witnes that against the Lord there is no counsell can preuale The necessarie principalles of o r faith do teach vs that as in God there falleth no ignorance so in him there is no impotencie He doeth not as it were in suspeÌ„se aÌ„d doubt behold the eueÌ„t aÌ„d chaÌ„ce of thiÌ„ges ronning after to seke remedie but that in wisdom hath he disposed all thiÌ„ges willing nothing which he may not and doeth not bring to passe in time according to his eternall purpose and working nothing which is not most iust howbeit the causes thereof be hidde frome vs. Of these and many mo scriptures and necessarie principalles of our faith do we grounde our doctrine and not vpon that one place spoken in the rebuke of the stubborn and rebellious disputers with God ye burden vs that we accuse and make God to be the author of euill aÌ„d the cause of damnation That we cause many brest owt and say since his will and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self aÌ„d not to vs if any sinne be committed And last ye affirme that if our sainges be true that then are gods works full of crueltie miserie damnatioÌ„ and destructioÌ„ and so of two thinges ye accuse vs and the thirde ye affirme ineuitably to folow of our doctrine if it be true Here after I will not greatlie labour to confute thy argumeÌ„tes which is a thing most easie euen to any godlie man how beit he had neuer sene arte nor studied the same But seing that thow and thy most pestileÌ„t sect be not content maliciously to sclander those that in such a case be most innoceÌ„t but that also with most impudent mowthes ye vomite furth your horrible blasphemies against gods maiestie I will most earnestlie and most vnfeanedlie require of all reulers Princes Magistrates and gouernors who in the fear of God do ruele aboue their subiects that as they will answer in the presence of the Lord Iesus for the administration of iustice committed to their charge that indifferently they iudge betwext you and vs. To witt that if we can euidently be coÌ„uicted of those crymes which ye most maliciously and most vniustly lay to our charge that then iudgement without mercie be executed against vs. But and if ye fail in your probation and also if ye can not proue crueltie to be in gods workes supposing that our doctrin remaine as that it is trew aÌ„d stable that then such order may be takeÌ„ for repressing of your vennemous tongues that neither ye be permitted thus openly to blaspheme gods Maiestie neither thus maliciously to sclander innocentes and to offend y e eares of all godlie hearers And to the end that meÌ„ shall not think that being at this time accused we beginne to deuise new defenses or excuses of our selues I will faithfully and simply bring furth of the workes as som what I haue done before of that singulare instrument of Christ Iesus in the glone of his Gospell Iohn Caluin such sentences as shall make plaine to all men what our opinion is of God of the fall of man of the woÌ„derous work of our redemption and of the most iust reiection and damnation of the reprobat Thus saieth he dependeth the perdition of the reprobate vpoÌ„ the predestination of God that the cause and the mater is altogither found in them the first man fell because the eternall iudged it expedient why he iudged it we know not yet certeÌ„ it is that he so iudged it not but that he saw the glory of his name thereby to be illustrate when that thow doest heare the mention of gods glorie there also remembre thow iustice to be for of necessitie it is that iust must y t
be which deserueth praise MaÌ„ therefor falleth gods prouidence so ordeining but yet he falleth by his own fault for God of short time before had pronouÌ„ced that all which he had made were verey good frome wheÌ„ce theÌ„ came such wickednes to maÌ„ y t he so traterously declyned froÌ„ his God Lest that it might haue bene through that that it proceded frome the creation God approued by his own commendation whaâ— so euer he had made Therefor did man corrupt by his own malice that pure and clean nature which from God he had receaued aÌ„d by his fall he drew his hole posteritie to perditioÌ„ Therefor let vs rather behold the euident cause of damnatioÌ„ in the corrupt nature of mankind then that we shall pretend to searche it being his and vtterly incompreheÌ„sible in the predestination of God neither yet let vs be ashamed so far to subiect the capacitie of our vnderstanding to the incomprehensible wisdom of God that in manie of his mysteries we acknowledge and confesse our selues to be ignorant for learned and blessed is the ignorante of those thinges which to vnderstaÌ„d and know is neither lawfull neither yet possible in this life The apperance of knowledge in such thiÌ„ges is a kynd of madnes These be the wordes of this most godlie writer frome whose iudgement none of vs doeth dissent in this mater For froÌ„ him we must confesse except that we wold in concealing the trueth declare our selues to be vnthankfull that we all haue receaued comfort light and erudition as from gods good instrument who yet thus further procedeth There be thre thinges saeth he in this mater to be considered first that the eternall predestination of God by the which he had decreed what should becom of all maÌ„kynd yea and of euerie man euen befor that Adam fell was sure and appointed Secondly that Adame for his defection was iustly adiudged to death and last that in the personne of him that then was lost was damned his hole posteritie aÌ„d yet neuertheles God did frely choose of the same such as vpon whom it pleased him to bestow the â—onor of adoption and yet after in the same place he saieth when we speak of predestination I haue constantly taught and this day do teach that frome thence we oght to begin that iustly are all reprobat left in death who were dead and damned in Adame that iustly they perishe who by nature are the sonnes of wrath And therefor that none hath cause to complein of gods rigorous seueritie seing that all do bear the cause of damnation within them selues for if we shall com to the first man we shall find that willingly he fell and so by his one faule he broght perdition to all his posteritie And albeit that Adam fell not but that God both knew and ordeined thesame yet serueth that nothing nether to extenuat and excuse his crime nether yet to wrap God in societie of the same for alwaes must we looke to this that he spoiled him self of the righteousnes which he receaued from God that willingly he made him selfe seruant to sinne and to sathan that without compulsion he cast him self headlong in to destruction and death yet resteth one excuse to witt that he could not auoid nor flie that which was decreed by God but his voluntarie transgression is sufficient to his condemnation nether yet is the secrete counselle of God the proper and naturall cause of sinne but the fre and plaine will of man And there for seing that man findeth in him self the cause of his miserie what shall it profitt him to seke it in the heauen And after albeit that men by long compassing about purpose to delude them selues yet can they neuer make them selues so brutishe and dull but they shall fele the sense of sinne grauen in their heartes Therefor in vaine is it that vngodlines goeth about to absolue man whom his own conscience damneth In so far as God willing and knowing permitted man to fall the â–ª cause may be secrete and hid but vniust it can not be And yet he further writeth this saieth he is to be holden without all controuersie that sinne was euer hatefull to God for most rightely doth this commendation wherewith of Dauid he is commended aggre to him that he is a God that wold not iniquitie but rather in ordeining the fall of maÌ„ his eÌ„d and purpose was good and most right frome the which the name of sinne abhorreth howbeit I say that so he hath ordeined the fall of man that I vtterly denie him to be the author of sinne Let the indifferent reader iudge with equitie if iustly we be accused of that blasphemie which so openlie we abhorre but yet in the same book he bringeh furth a testimonie of Augustine who thus writeth These be the great workes of God saieth Augustine broght to passe in all his willes and so wisely broght to passe that whill the nature of Angell and man had sinned that is had done not that which he that is God wold but that which the self meaning the creature wold yet not the les by the same will of the creature by the which that was done which the creator wold not did he fulfill that which he wold he being infinitely good vsing well those thiÌ„ges that were euil to the damnation of them whom he iustly had appointed to paine and to the saluation of those whom mercifully he had predestinate to grace In so far as to them perteined they did the thing which God woâ—d not but as apperteining to gods omnipotencie they might by no meanes haue done that for euen in that that they did against the will of God the will of God was done in them and therefor great are the workes of the Lord broght to passe in all his willes that by a woÌ„derous and vnspeakable maner that thing should not be done without his will that yet is don agaiÌ„st his will foâ— it should not be done if he did not suffer it And of a trueth he suffered it not vnwilingly but willingly And a litil before saint Augustin saieth it is not to be doubted but that God doeth well permitting those thinges to be done which are euil for he suffered not this but in his iust iudgement Albeit therefor that these thinges which be euill in so far as they ar euill are not good yet neuertheles it is good that not onely good thinges but also that euill thinges be for if that this were not good that euil thinges should be by no meanes should they be permited to be by the omnipoteÌ„t good to whom no doubt it is a like easie not to suffer the thing which he will not to be as to do that thing which he will except we beleue this the beginning of our faith is indangered by the which we professe our selues to beleue in God the father almightiâ— c. And in the end to answer to these calumnies which ye haue taken furth of Pighius that papist
blynd libertines attribute vnto him And assuredly the God of these men is an Idole which oght to be more execrable then all the idoles of the Gentiles And so furth to the end of that chapter he proueth that God committeth no sinne in none of the wicked of the earthe c. Thus far haue I recited the mynd and most part of the wordes of that godlie writer written by him now twelue yeres ago agaiÌ„st the libertines By the which the indifferent reader may iudge whether that iustly you accuse him and vs that we make God author of sinne In the name of God and of his deare Son Christ Iesus whose glorie ye studie vtterly to suppresse I require as before of all those that be placed in auctoritie by his worde whose handes he hath armed with the sword of iustice that earnestly as they will answer before his fearefull throne of iudgement they take triall in this mater that if we be found either in life either yet in doctrine as we be accused that God may be glorified in our iust punishments but if we can not be coÌ„uicted as we fear neither triall nor iudgement that then our accusers may acknowledge their offence The second thing which is laid to our charge is that we cause many other to brest owt and say Sithe his wil and pleasure no man is able to resist let him lay it on him self aÌ„d not vpon vs if any sinne be committed If the blasphemies of the vngodlie should be laid to our charge becaus that we teach a doctrin most true and most comfortable to the childreÌ„ of God then can not the Apostle saint Paul be excused for the same blasphemies were vomited first against him aÌ„d the doctrine which he taught Som crying let vs do euill that good may com of it others let vs abyde in sinne that grace may abound soÌ„ furiously roring as ye do did dispitefully cry wherefor doeth he coÌ„plean who caÌ„ resist his will But was the doctrine therefor damnable or was the Apostle criminal for teaching the same I suppose ye will be more fauorable in this cause then so rashly to condemne him whom God hath absolued If then our doctrine can not be impugned by the plaine scriptures of God why should we sustein the blame of other mennes blasphemies Howbeit in verie dede the blasphemies of none come so plainely to our eares as yours do â–ª for the verey Papistes and the insolent of the world are yet ashamed so impudentlie to lie vpoÌ„ vs. Who althogh they will not folow the puretie of the doctrine taught by vs yet either are they put to silence by the power of â—he holie Spirit orels they inâ—ent som coulorable lies and do abstein from such open blasphemies as you cast owt against God and vs. We lay to your charge say you none other thing then ye your selues do confâ—sse for ye affirme that God worketh all things according to his will and pleasure We answer that maliciously and deuilishly ye wrest our wordes contrarie to our mynd for alwayes we make a most plaine difference betwext the will of God and the will of the wicked and betwext the purpose counsell and end of God and betwext the purpose and end of man as in all this hole processe before intreated the indifferent reader may well consider If ye continue in your blyndnes and furiously cry But ye afâ—irme that without his will and against it nothing is done therefor that men think that euen when they sinne they obey gods will I answer by the wordes of the same writer whoÌ„ before I haue alledged Touching the workes which we committ the will of God is to be considered as he him self hath declared it for in vaine hath he not giuen his law by the which he hath discerned good from euill As for exemple when he commandeth no man to be hurt no man to be iniuried but that equitie and iustice be indifferently kept to all that no man steal defraude his brother that none committ adulterie fornicatioÌ„ or filthynes but that euerie man kepe his own vessell in sanctification and honor Here is the will of God euident and plaine What further pleaseth him in these cases oght no maÌ„ to inquire for we know that if we do these and other thinges that be coÌ„manded and do abstein from all things that be forbidden that then we obey the will of God And if we do not that we can not be acceptable to him If that any man shall steall or committ adulterie and shall say that he hath done nothing against the will of God he lieth most impudeÌ„tly for in so far as he hath transgressed the commandement of God by the which he was taught what was gods will he hath done against his will Let all men now iudge if that we giue occasion to man to flatter him self in sinne and to think that when they committe iniquitie against the expresse commandement of God that then they obey his holie will If any demand whether that any thing can be done against gods will that is if God may not if he wold stay and impede the sinne of man before I haue answered by the mowth of Augustine and now again by Iohn Caluine that nothing is nor can be done which he may not impede if so it please his wisdom yea vtterlye we must eschew that we inquire not of his prouidence which is hid frome vs when that the question is of our duetie His word declareth vnto vs what he approueth and what he condemneth with that we oght to stand content and by the same oght we to reule our liues leauing the secretes to God as by Moises we are taught To make the mater more plaine the case supposed that I be tempted with concupiscence and lust a nother mans wife in the which I long striue and in the end â–ª fathan obiecteth to me this cogitation follow thy purpose for by that meanes thow maest perchance be further humbled aÌ„d after thow maest taste more aboundantly the mercie and the grace of God Should I therefor louse the bridle to my wicked affections should I declyn from the plain precept and enter into the secrete prouidence of God God forbid for that besides the violating or breaking of his commandement were horrible temptation of his godlie maiestie and so in one fact were coÌ„mitted dooble impietie The sinnes I know of gods derest children are greuous â–ª and many and wonderous is the prouideÌ„ce of God working in his saintes but neuer or seldom it is that such perilouse cogitations preuale against them for the spirit of God so rewleth in them thaâ— commonly this sentence of SalomoÌ„ is before their eies such as vnreuerently search out gods Maiestie shaâ—be oppressed by the glorie of the same And so must it nedes com to passe as Iohn Caluin affirmeth that the pryde of such must be punisâ—ed and that with an horrible punishement the pryde of
iudgementes against the inobedient and do consider how prone and redie they them selues be of nature to rebellioÌ„ against God except they were coÌ„ducted by his spirit they com to a more liuelie feling of gods fre mercie grace by the which onely they are exempte frome the rank and societie of the reprobate Albeit that these endes causes of gods long suffering of the vesselles of wrath do not satisfie you yet I doubt not but gods afflicted childreÌ„ wil and do take comfort of the same you thus procede in your sophisticall Sorites If he be sorie say you then hath he no pleasure in their destruction And that where in he hath no pleasure he willeth it not and that which he willeth not he doth not ordein it wherefor seing God suffereth them to fall with greate pacience he hath not ordeined them to fall Your foundation being fals your hole building falleth by y e own weight Before ye procede any further ye must proue y t God did suffer in the vesselles of wrath that which he nether could nor might remedie and therefor that he fell in greif and sorow that his power was no greater and his wisdom no perfiter Wo be to your blasphemies for they coÌ„pell me to write that which I gladly wold not I haue before said that God nether hath pleasure in destructioÌ„ nether yet that he will the death of the sinner absolutely y t is hauing none other respect but to their torment and pain onely But albeit pryde and malice will not suffer you to grante that God hath created all thinges for his own glorie yet will not he be suppliante vnto you that ye shall suffer him to vse his creatures at his own good pleasure Where vpon these wordes of the Apostle doest thow dispyse the riches of gods goodnes not knowing that the kyndnes of God leadeth the to repentance ye inferre that the cause why God suffereth with long pacience is that we should repent and amend If you vnderstand that God suffered his elect euen in the tyme of their blyndnes yea and after their horrible falles and offenses with great lenitie and gentlenes to the end that afterward they may repent I do aggre with you for so he did with Dauid Manasses Paule and many others who after their conuersion did not dispyse gods lenitie but did magnifie and praise the same as in all their confessions may be red But if you vnderstand Paules wordes so that God hath none other end in that his long suffering but that the reprobate shal repent and amend their wickednes because the holie Gost assigneth other causes as before we haue declared I must preferre his iudgement and sentence to yours To your vnreuerent bolde and furious question in which ye aâ—k to what purpose did God suffer them with loÌ„g pacience whom before he knew shoulde neuer repent nor amend I can answer none other wies then I haue done before except that this I adde that if ye be not conteÌ„t that gods iust wrath and greate power shall aswell be manifested both in this world and in the life to com vpon the vesselles of wrath as that his mercie the riches of his glorie shall be praised and extolled in the vesselles of mercie that experience which the common prouerbe calleth maistres to fooles shall teach you that it nothing profited the Gyantes of whom the poetes do speak to heap vp mountane vpon mouÌ„tane of purpose to besiege Iupiter in the heauens To vse the wordes of scripture if be tymes ye cease not so vnreuerently to questioÌ„ with God you shall fele for euer what torment is prepared for such as with humilitie can not be subiect to his iudgementes incoÌ„preheÌ„sible for if ye shall constrein his Maiestie to giue you a reason which ye may vnderstand and apprehend what do you elles theÌ„ go aboute to spoile him of his Godhead We stick none other wies to the literall sense of these former wordes of the Apostle then the rest of scriptures permitt and do teach vs. But how proper be your phrase and common maner of speaking by the which ye labor to obscure the plaine wordes of y e Apostle we briefly shall examin Ordeined to damnation say you after the common maner of speach doth signifie no more but whose end is damnation To grant you som what I wold know of you who hath ordeined damnation to be the eÌ„d of the reprobat I perceaue by your exemple that ye dare not say God for thus ye say we vse to say of a man that is cast to be hanged this maÌ„ was born to be hanged notwithstanding that was not his mothers mynd to bear him to be hanged Besides the foolishe rudenes of this exemple I wonder at your madnes that you can neuer make difference betwext God and earthly creatures Dare you say that God hath no greater power nor foreknowledge in directing and appointing his creatures to their endes then the mother hath to direct forse and appoint the end of her child after that she hath born him she knoweth not what shal be his naturall inclination althogh she instruct and correct him yet can she not bow aÌ„d expell his crooked nature when he is absent from her presence she seeth not his conuersation If he be deprehended in theft or murther and so cast to be hanged she can not althogh she wold delyuer him from the handes of the iudge But is there any of these imperfections in God Consider yet and let reason at length put silence vnto your foolishenes Where of the wordes of Moises of Hoseas Ieremie and Paul aÌ„d of the fact of Ieroboam ye go about to proue that phrase in that sense w c ye adduce to be common in scriptures I am in dowt whether that first I shall lameÌ„t yo r blynd ignoraÌ„ce or abhorre detest yo t abhominable lies horrible prophanatioÌ„ of gods most holie worde It is impossible â— t ignoraÌ„ce hath so blynded you all y t none of you caÌ„ se y e diuersitie betwext tho semaner of speaches God hath suffered y e vesselles of wrath ordeined to destruction these Pharao shall not heare you y t many woÌ„ders may be wroght c. Giue not of thy sede to be offered to Moloch c. I will set my face agaiÌ„st such aÌ„ maÌ„ I will rout him out from the midest of his people because that he hath giuen of his sede to Moloch that he might defyle my Sanctuarie prophain my holie Name And so furth of all the rest for onelie the place of the Apostle after the english phrase and speach may be rightly translated to condemnation I appeall to thy conscience thow manifest corruptor of gods scriptures if in all the places by the alledged there be not this particle Vt which is a causal and not the preposition In which is in the wordes of S. Paul And hath malice so bereft the of knowledge that thow canst make
serue the Lord what profit haue we for keping his commandements â–ª Therefore may weâ— say that the proude are happie aâ—d that they which deale with vngodlines are set vp Such a spâ—rit haue ye carâ—les libertins as your doctrine wel declareth did not God threaten Adam that in what daye so euer he shoulde eat of the frute he shoulde dye the death not onely corporall but also eternall They which forsake the commandements of God forsake God him self as the Prophetes saye th they are not the Lords for they haue vnfaithfully forsaken him Wherefore Adam when he forsoke God was not the Lords but the seruant of death and sinne to whom soeuer ye commit your selues as seruants to obeye saieth Paul his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnes And againe if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and nâ—ther AdaÌ„ nor Dauid were led by the spirit of Christ when they sinned for the spirit of Christ dwelleth not insuch as forsake him obey the deuil except Christ saith the Apostel dwel in you ye are cast away then AdaÌ„ Dauid were cast à waies that is reprobates wheÌ„ they sinned for nether were they in Christ nor Christ in theÌ„ in whoÌ„ the electioÌ„ of God was is but to what purpose shoulde I thus conteÌ„d with you that AdaÌ„ did fâ—lle out of the electioÌ„ seing in this ye agre not your selues for your coÌ„gregatioÌ„ which is aâ— Genâ—ua in the confession of their faith say that of the lost sonnes of AdaÌ„ God elected som to life and the rest he refused Eâ—her improue their beâ—efe or els confâ—sse with them that all the children of Adam were lost by traÌ„sgression If they were lost â–ª then were they out of the eleâ—tion with their father â–ª Adam from thâ— transgression vnto the promâ—s was made Therefore saieth Paul damnatioâ— came of one sinne vnto condemnatioÌ„ in an other place like as by Adam all dye euen so by Christ â–ª shal all be made aliue Here doeth the Apostles witnes plaâ—nely â–ª that we all by Adam do dye S. Iohn saieth hâ— that beleueth not is alredie condemnedand the wrath of God abideth on him Then were Adam and Dauid and all such workers of iâ—â—quitie for that tym that they siâ—â—ed alredie condemned being void of faith And coulde they be in the â—â—ate of condâ—mnation election both together â–ª Harken what followeth and â–ª the wrath of God abideth on 〈◊〉 as Adam from the traâ—sgression vâ—to thâ— promes felt the force of the wrath of God Thus we 〈◊〉 thaâ— Adam and Dauid and all other 〈◊〉 they sinned â—hey be out of the louâ— and fauâ—r and election of God vnto they repenâ— and be bâ—rnâ— a nâ—w for otherwisâ— can they neuer enter intâ— the kingdome of heauen Again S Iohn saith ye knowe that no manslâ—yâ— are hath etâ—rnâ—l lieâ— abiding in him Dauid was a man killâ—r wherefore he had not eterâ—al lief abiding in him Buâ— during the timâ— of his wickedâ—es he was the childe of death as the Prophet Nathan shewâ—d him Dauid gâ—uing iudgement against him self â–ª without faith it can not bâ— that any man shouldâ— please God Adam and Dauid when they sinned they were without faith then pleasâ—d they not God If they pleased him not they displeased him so that they were fallen from the loue and fâ—uor of God ANSWER Albeit that I perceaue y t ether ignoraÌ„ce doeth so impede you orels that malice doeth so blynd you y t nether ye wil nor can vnderstand y t which in y e self is most sensible plaine I wil neuer theles yet once againe repete that w c before I haue said to the eÌ„d that we may giue testimonie aswâ—ll to those y t now liue as vnto y e posteritie to com what doctrine it is w c ye so furiously impugne If ignorance be the cause why thus ye rage against vs ye may be taught if ye list to bestowe your eares to heare your eyes to read heartes to vnderstand for o â— doctrine is not as som of you do complein darke nor obscure except y t it be to those to whom y e Apostle affirmed y t his EuaÌ„gill was hid But if that malice w c ye haue coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st the eternal trueth of God doth so blynd you that ye wil not se y e bright son in y e midday there resteth no more to vs but to desire of God ether to remoue this your deuelish malice I write as knoweth God euen froÌ„ y e grief of heart orels so to stay brydle it y â— it trooble not his afflicted Church Ye accuse vs as y t we made no differeÌ„ce betwext vice vertue sinne and iustice nether yet betwext AdaÌ„ and Dauid as they were elected in Christ Iesus before y e fouÌ„dacions of the worlde were laid and betwext Adam transgressing and Dauid committing adulterie and murtheâ— Ye further seme to charge vs as we should affirme that God hated not sinne nether yet that he respected vice If our short plaine and vnfeined coÌ„fessioÌ„ be able to satisfie you in these thre dowtes I haue good hope y t after this ye shall haue no occasion to suspect vs in such causes first before God before his holie Angelles in heaueÌ„ before his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in earthe we protest acknowledge y t sinne vice and all kind of iniquitiâ— is and euer hath bene so odious in y e presence of God y t he neuer suffered y e same vnpunished in any of his elect childreÌ„ That for y e same not onelie death but also coÌ„moÌ„ calamities hath appreheÌ„ded all man kynd eueÌ„ sitheÌ„ce the first trasgression That vertue iustice and ciuil honestie besydes the iustice of the regenerat children hath so pleased God â–ª that for loue of the same he hath mainteined and to this day doth maintein coÌ„mon welthes albeit that many grieuous crymes be commited in the same As God we say and affirme loueth equitie iustice chastitie trueth mercie and teÌ„peraÌ„ce so doth he in som sort hieghly reward the same and hateth vnrighteousnes filthie life deceat excesse crueltie and riaâ—ous liuing which often he punisheth euen in manneâ— eyes And this difference we say God maketh euen amongest those that be not regenerate nether were euer called to y e true knowledge of saluation And this much briefly for the first secoÌ„d and 3. This difference we make betwext Adam and Dauid elected in Christ Iesus and Adam and Dauid transgressing gods holie commaÌ„demeÌ„t and wil reueled â–ª Adam and Dauâ—d elected in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the worlde were laid were so loued in the same Lord Iesus their head that when they had most horribly fallen and offended yet did God seke Adam call vpon him gently reason with him and at length conuicting his conscience of his offence did make vnto him that most ioyfull promes of recoÌ„ciliation of the same loue we say
former election when Israel was yong I loued him and called my sonne owt of the land of Egypt forasmuch as Israel was the sonne of God and that also beloued insomuch that the lordled them with cordes of friendship and bondes of loue they must nedes be â—he elect of God yea because they prouoked the lord through their abominations they are cast away â–ª and the lord rewardeâ—h them according to their desertes ANSWER If I should labor to the end of this your most confused worke to reduce euerie scripture by you wrested and abused to the true meaning and vnderstanding of the holie Gost as hitherto I haue done in the most parte of them which ye haue alledged my trauale should be great aÌ„d the work should excede a iust measure Therefor seing that sufficiently by the plaine scriptures of God I haue confirmed the doctrin which we teach beleue and maintein aÌ„d by the same trueth of gods worde I haue confuted your error from hencefurth I inteÌ„d onely to toâ—che the proposition which ye maintein and by confuting the same briefly ether by scripture orels by exemple to shew in what sorte ye wrongfully apply the scâ—iptures to maintein your error offring yet to satisfie to my power such as charitably shall ask of me by word or writing further explanation of any scripture by you alledged by me at this tyme not fully resolued The chief propositioÌ„ which ye maiÌ„tein to y e end of this your book is that the elect may fall froÌ„ their election To the which I answer that if ye vnderstand that those whom God the father hath elected in his eternall counsel to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus may so fall from their election that finally they perish if this I say be your vnderstanding then I feare not to affirme that proposition to be vtterlie fals erroneous and daÌ„nable as it that doeth expressedly repugne to gods plaine scriptures for Christ Iesus doeth affirme that so many as his father hath giuen to him shal come vnto him And to such as do come he promiseth life euerlasting which he hath in him self for the saluatioÌ„ of his flock whereof none shal perish for furth of his hands can none be pulled away But because this before is largely intreated I come shortly to the scriptures which ye abuse First ye proue that those which be elected be sanctified by the spirit and through beleuing of the trueth which we confesse to be most true Thereafter ye alledge that such as be sanctified may after dishonor the spirit of grace tredde doune the blood of the testament so drawe to damnation I answer the cause of your error is that ye make no difference betwext the sanctification and liuely faith which is proper onelie to the sonnes of God which once begonne is perpetuall and that sanctification and faith which is common to the reprobate and therefore it is but temporall If this distinctioÌ„ displeaseth you quarel with y e holie Gost and not with vs for of his plaine workes wordes euideÌ„t haue we receaued it for all Israel were sanctified to be y e kinglie priesthode all were circuÌ„cised yea did drink of y t spirituall drink and yet were they not all inwardly saÌ„ctified vnto saluatioÌ„ life euerlasting The hole tribe of Leuie were saÌ„ctified to y â— seruice of y e Lord in his tabernacle but how many of theÌ„ did stil remaine prophane persoÌ„s y â— scripture coÌ„cealeth not EueÌ„ so all y t great multitude whoÌ„ Christ fed in y e wildernes yea all those y t adhered for a time to his doctrine were after som maner sanctified that is seperated deuided froÌ„ y e rest of y e world But that sanctification was but temporall like as also was their faith we do not denie but that the reprobate haue som maner of faith aÌ„d som sort of sanctification for a time that is that they are compelled eueÌ„ by the impire of the Spirit of God to confesse and acknowledge that all thinges spokeÌ„ in gods sciptures are true And y t therefor their conscience in afeare and terror do seke som meanes to please God for the auoiding of his veÌ„geaÌ„ce For as this is nother the true faith iustifying neither yet the perfect sanctification of the Spirit of God which reneweth y e elect in the inwarde man so doth nether of both long coÌ„â—inue for they returning to their natural prophanation and darknes do leaue the waye of light and life and drawe them selues to death and damnation But hereof without the contumelie of the SoÌ„ne of God and without abnegation of his plaine veritie ye can not conclude that the elect membres of his bodie can be rest out of his hands that those for whom soleÌ„nely he hath prayed that they shoulde be sanctified in the veritie and that they should be one with him as he is one with his father may come to finall prophanation and so to perditioÌ„ we feare not to affirm that to be a thing no les impossible then that it is that Christ Iesus shall cease to be head of his Churche and the sauiour of his bodie In the wordes of the Apostle writeÌ„ in the second chapter to the Ephesians ye seme not to vnderstand his meaning where he saieth ye were soÌ„times without Christ â—for saye you we are sure that without Christ there is no election In which wordes thow that writest plaiest with the simple ignorant reader the vile sophister confounding by the inglishe word without that whiche in latine is moste euidently distincted Doth Paule say Eratis aliquando extra ChristuÌ„ or saieth he not Eratis sine Christo To make the mater sensible to you my deare brethren be you neuer so simple where he saieth without Christ there is no election that proposition is â—rue if it be vnderstand that man was neuer elected to lief euerlasting but in Christ Iesus onlie But if he will affirme that none are elected in Christ Iesus without Christ that is to say before that they come to the true and perfect knowledge of gods mercies in Christ that proposition is most fals and doth repugne as plainely ye may se to the mynde and wordes of the Apostle for he affirmeth that we were elected in Christ Iesus before the fundation of y e world was laid yea wheÌ„ we were dead by sinne ignorant of him strangers from the testament of his promes which S. Paule calleth to be without Christ without God in this world without the league of the testament And by these wordes doth the Apostle magnifie the superaboundaÌ„t mercies of God shewed to the world in Christ Iesus By the which he receaued not onely the Iewes who long had continued in league with God but also the Gentiles to the participation of his glorie albeit that from the daies of AbrahaÌ„ they had liued as dispised reiected of God Let the reader now iudge how strongly ye conclude To the place of the Aâ—postle touching the
to bring better testimonie for my affirmations then ye haue broght against vs. But that I omit to better opportunitie willing you in the mean ceason to remeÌ„bre that he which speaketh alwaie what he listeth is compelled some tymes to heare that which he wolde not At one worde to answer to your sclanderours and malicious accusations we appele from your sentence vnto him whose trueth we maintein not that we feare but that with your confusion we coulde reiect your vennom in your own stomockes againe but that we are determined not to coÌ„teÌ„d with you in dispitesull railing and vniust accusations which is your purpose in this hole book in w c ye thus procede THE ADVERSARIE Often times ye vse this saying Gods election was afore the fundaÌ„cion of the worlde without any condicion wherefore they which are elect they be elect without any condicion by the immutable decree of Gods goodnes so that they can neuer fall out of the said election other wise gods election were not certeyne to the which I answer that Gods hâ—lie election is without any condicion sure and certeâ—ne in Christ Iesu without whome there is neâ—her election nor saluacion further man is made sure in the election by the promes of God in Christ Iesu of which promes when he is made partakâ—r he entereth in couenant with God but when he breaketh the couenant he for sakeâ—h â—he promes when he â—orsaketh the promes he refuseth Christ in refusing Christ he falleâ—h out of the â—lection not withstanding the election abideth sure in Christ election haâ—h no promes without faith true faith is gods worke by his grace and is also partly mans work by consenting thereto wherfor Paul calleth the righteous ioint workers with God because they worke together with him now if man for his parte according to his nature be inconstant in his saith then is he out of promes wherby he was made sure of his election yet gods election remaineth sure and stable in Christ Iesu Adam and all men in him before the transgression might fall from God by sinne not withstanding the election why may not theÌ„ the most righteouse of vs all fall now by sinne from the election is our election surer now after transgression then it was afore transgression The holy Gost saieth yet Cain went away in his wrath from wisdom but a man can not go awaye from that which he nether hathe nore can haue further God gaue him warning afore whiche was sufficieÌ„t to withdrawe him froÌ„ his euill inteÌ„tion To Cain said the Lord. why art thow wrothe â–ª why is thy countenaÌ„ce abated If thow do well shall there not be a promotion And if thou doest not well lyeth not thy sinne in the dores vnto thee also perteineth the lust thereof and thow shalt haue dominion ouer it If Cain was a reprobate afore the fundacion of the world then had he no dominion ouer his lustes to choose the good leaue the bad for then might he haâ—e liued yet God saieth Thow shalt haue dominion ouer it wherfore it is plaine that Cain was no reprobate when the lord spake these wordes to him further if god gaue not Cain dominioÌ„ and power to subdue his lust who was then the author of his sinne â–ª whether is the sworde whiche killethe hauing no power ouer it self more to be blamed or he whiche hath it in his hand if God gaue not Cain power to ouercome his lust and grace wherby he might be saued who is the cause of his damnation God is faithful saieth Paul which shall not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but shall in the middest of temptation make away that ye may be able to beare likwiese did God with Cain in his temptatioÌ„ warning that if he did well he shoulde be rewarded if he did euill he should be punished for there â—ncoraging to do well and that he should not saint God shewed him how he should haue dominion ouer his lust to rule it This notwithstanding he went away in wrathe from wisdom and forseke the counsell of God whiche mercifully called him to liâ—f After the stoode Ham was blessed of God as his father Noah and his brethren Sem and Iaphet and with the same blessing where with they were blessed yet fell he from righteousnes reioysing in euill And then â—o became he accursed and not afore but all reprobates be vnder the wraâ—h and curse of God So Ham when he was blessed of God he was not reprobate for then should he haue bene both blessed and cursed â–ª loued and hated all at once The Israelites which were deliuered from the oppression of the Egyptians were chosen and called of God to go and possessâ— the land of Canaan Vnder the conduct of Moâ—ses yet nether Moses for his offence nether any of them because of their inobedience obtâ—ined that whereunto they were ordeined and chosen of God exâ—ept two persons Iosua and Caleb Morouer the same Israelites were in gods holie election and called of God from their sinnes and chosen in Christ to lief and health as Paule witnesseth saing oure fathers were all vnder the cloode and all passed throughe the sea and were all baptised vnder Moises in the cloode and in the sea and did all eat of one spirituall meat and did all drink of one maner of spirituall drink and they drank of that spirituall Rocke that follwed them which Rock was Christ behold how Paule so often rehearsed this word all to declare their choosing and calling to be generall yet there after saieth he in many of them had God no delite for by sinne they fell from Christe and out of their election and so perished And there doth also Paule teach vs how those thinges chanced them for examples to put vs in remembrance that we do not likwise by sinne fall from that wherunto we are chosen and called of God Let him therefor which thinketh he standeth take head lest he fall But you say that he which standeth may well stomble but he can not fall wherfor your doctryne being contrarie to the sayng of the holie Gost must be fals as for them which ye say were reprobates before the world in Vaine should they take hede of any fall seing afore they were they had so sore a falle that they could neuer ryse againe and so depe a fall euen to damnation that they can fall no further Balaam was filled with the spirit of God the spirit of trâ—uth the spirit of power and the sprit of grace so largely that whom so euer he blessed he was blessed and whom so euer he curssed he was cursed but the blessing of the vngodly reprobate is verie cursing so that whom so euer they curse God blesseth and who so euer they blesse God curseth wherfor Balaam during the tyme that he him self was so blessed of God he was no reprobate but the chosen of God and might haue continued in the grace and fauor of God And thereto was
the expressed image of his substance is greater then euer was Adam so is his power of greater vertue to saue the elect then Adams impotencie was to bring damnation vpon all Where ye ask if our election be surer now after the transgression then afore the transgression I answere the assurance and firmitie of our election was alwaies and at all times one For when we stode in Adam as ye alledge yet were we elected in Christ ▪ and when we fel in Adam then did our election burst for the and appere Ye be neuer able to proue that Cain was elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus for God loked not to Cain nor yet to his sacrifice as that he did to Abel And why because as the Apostle affirmeth the one offered in faith and the other without faith Remembre I pray you your former reason there is none say you elected without faith but Cain was without faith euen before he did kil or hate his brother therefor by your owne reason he was not in y e election no not euen before he hated I do not approue this argument but yet your former reason standing true it is inuincible Moises saieth not that God promised dominion to Cain ouer his lustes but saieth vnto thee shal his appetites or lustes be thow shall beare dominion ouer him which is not spoken of sinne but of Abel who as he was the yōger so was he appoīted to be subiect to Cain and to serue him and therefor most vniustly did he hate him It is the same phrase that before was spoken of the woman concerning her subiection to man Such as haue but mean knowledge in the hebrew text know well that bothe these articles be of the masculin gendre the substātiue which signifieth sinne in that place is of y e feminin gēdre therefor wil not y t proprietie of the tongue suffer y t dominion promised be referred to sinne where blasphemously ye aske if god gaue Cain no power to subdue his lust who was thē y e author of his sinne I answer Cain him self for he was not lyke to a dead and vnsensible sworde as ye adduce the similitude but he was a reasonable instrumēt infected by the venom of Satā from the whiche he not being purged could do nothing but serue the deuil and his owne lustes against gods expressed will and commandement I haue before proued taht God is the cause of no mās damnation but sinne in which they are fallen is the very cause which all reprobates do find in them selues Touching the fidelitie of God who suffereth none of his to be tempted aboue their strength it is onely true of Gods elect to whom it is plaine that Paul there speaketh for albeit that amonges the Corinthians there were many reprobates yet doth Paul addresse his style as it were to the elect Church of God calling them his beloued willing them to flie from idolatrie and speaking to them as vnto men indued with wisdome c. And therefore must ye first proue that Cain had as great testimonie of God that he was his elect as the Corinthians had of Paule y t they were beloued and elected in Christ before that ye can make this place to serue for him for albeit he did aduertise him what was his duetie to do yet doth it not thereof follow that he gaue him power to obey his will reueled nether yet power to resist all tentation To Pharao he did no les make manifest his will then that he did to Cain and yet of him he did before pronounce that he should not heare nor obey the voice of Moises I do not denie but that he stubbornly foresooke the counsell of God whiche mercifully called him But why did he and do all reprobate forsaik it we haue oft before declared to witt because the sede of God abideth not in them What was the benediction giuen after the floode vnto Noah and to his sonnes the holie Gost doth not conceale to witt multiplication preseruation and the restitutiō of all thinges as touching the order of nature like as they were before that vastation by reason of the waters which had so long continued In that place is no mention made of election to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus and therefor your connexion that Ham was not reprobat when he was blessed of God is foolishe for albeit that none can be both blessed and cursed loued and hated all at once in that degre of loue or of hatered w c God frely beareth in Christ to his elect and most iustlie hateth the reprobate for the causes knowen to his visdom yet in an other sort it is no repugnancie to say that God both blesseth and loueth in bestowing tempoall benedictions vpon such as in his eternall counsell he hath reiected and therefor hateth As it is no repugnancie to say that God bothe blesseth and loueth his elect children euen when most seruerely he doth chasten and punishe them To all y t which ye adduce of the Israelites my former answers may suffice for you be neuer able to proue that any of thē which was chosen to lief euerlasting did fall into death eternall It nothing hurt y ◠saluation of Moises albeit his bodie fell in the wildernes That place of Paule proueth not that all the Israelites which was called from Egypt were within gods holie election to lief euerlasting in Christ Iesus but doth proue y t they were all externally called and y t they did all cōmunicat with those externall signes and sacremēts w c did signifie represent spirituall thinges but he doth not affirm y t all did receaue y e spiritual and inward graces of the holie Gost. The mynd of the Apostle is plaine ynough in y t place to such as willingly list not blynd them selues For he exhorteth the Corinthians not to think it sufficient that they did commuicat with the sacramentes of Christ Iesus except that a godlie lief vnfeined obediēce to gods will reueled should be ioyned with the same for otherwise the same should happen vnto them that happened to the Israelites And therefor he saieth let him that standeth take hede lest he fall which is nothīg contrarie to our doctryne nether yet is our doctrine in any iote repugnant to y e holie Gost. for we did neuer denie but y t many who before mē had a faire glister of holynes yea which thoght thē selues sure in their own fantasie hath taken horrible falles bothe of one sort of y e other And vnto all mē we cry no les then you do that they tēpt them selues y t they take hede lest by slothfulnes they fall but y t any y t standeth in Christ Iesus and in the eternall counsale of God can so fall that finally he perishe that we cōstantly denie Behold how smothly God conducteth our tossed bote through the raiging waues of your furious argumentes The fall of the
wil coÌ„uicte you of a lie for he affirmeth the same to the scribes pharisies to whome principally he spake in that place that they were not of his shepe that therfor they could not be gathered to his folde that they were not of God therfor that they could not heare his voice y t he did not pray for y â— world and therefor they could neuer be vnited to God You must declare howe y t God wold y t those Israelites whose carcases fell in y e wildernes should entre into y e land promised If you say by any other will theÌ„ by his generall precepte giueÌ„ y t they should go possesse it â—e shall lack the testimony of the holie Gost. I haue declâ—red causes most iust and most sufficient why God shall command that which is iust right laudable albeit that man neither can perfourme his commandementes neither yet that it was gods eternall will counsell that all men should so do And forther I haue declared iust causes why God doth call many to repentance and felicitie and yet that he choseth a certeÌ„ to attein therto entre the same And so I say ye must proue y t God did other wayes will them to entre into the laÌ„d theÌ„ by his general commaÌ„dement before you be able to proue that any thing is done against the eternal and immutable will of God I can proue that gods will was so plaine reueled that none of them should entre into the laÌ„d promised y t it behoued y e hole armye to be receaued frome place to place til they were al coÌ„sumed Yea further I caÌ„ proue y t Moises him self could not obteine y t priuiledge to entre in nor the people albeit that in prayer moste earnestly he required the same â–ª proue if you can that euer God reueled his will to any particulare persons Iosua Caleb onely excepted y t they should entre in it And theÌ„ may you say that either God did chaÌ„ge his wil purpose orels that some thing was doÌ„ne against his will which he did permitte but not will I will answer there is no better argument to proue that God hardened the heart of Pharao then that same w c you adduce to proue that Pharao did harden his owne heart and y t God doeth suffer it to be hardened but doeth not will it This ye write All the children of Adam haue a hard and wicked hearâ—â— vntill they be mollified by the grace of God as leremis witnesseth saying AmoÌ„gest all things liuing man hath the most deceatfull stubbâ—rne heartâ— â–ª your libertie or ignorance in citing the Prophetes wordes passe measure And the Lord saieth that he will take away the stony hearte from them and giue them a hearte of flâ—sh no stronger argument nor reason I require to confute your error then the same which you alledge for the establishment thereof for if by nature all be equall and that onely grace maketh the difference then we demaÌ„d ask whether that grace be giuen to some and denied to others y t by permission sufferance as you speak or if it be the determined will of God that his grace aÌ„d mercie by Christ Iesus shal be frelie coÌ„municated with some and that the same shall most iustlie be denied to others albeit the causes to vs do not appere during the time of this our martalitie If you dare say that gods will in taking away the stonie hearte and in giuing the fleshie hearte be nothing elles but onely a permission sufferance without the operation and will of his Spirit then may you reason that in the hardening of Pharao and of the rest of the reprobat there is nothing elles but a bare permission without any efficacie of gods spirit But if it be God that worketh in vs the good will and perfourmance of the same and that he hath mercie vpon whome he listeth theÌ„ is it likwies that God hardeneth whome he will Mark note y â— wordes of the Apostle He saieth not he hardeneth whome he permitteth and doth suffer to be hardened but palinely he saieth y t he hardeneth whome he will The Apostle sawe none other cause why mercie was shewed to some and others were left in induratioÌ„s but gods will Trew it is y t the reprobat of nature haue and froÌ„ their mothers woÌ„be doth tary with them the mater of their induration But the question is What is the cause that y t pestileÌ„t mater is remoued from some and why dothe it remaine with others If you answere because som receaue grace offered and som refuse it Ye haue said nothing as more plainely I haue before declared â–ª for alwayes we ask the cause why is the will of the one obedient to God and why is the will of the other rebellious considering that all by nature are equall Althogh that you trauell to confounde the heauen and the earth yet shall ye be broght to this principall that God hath mercie vpon whome he will and whome he will he maketh hard hearted And therefor as of his mercie and free grace God worketh willingly in the one with his Spirit softnes y â— feling of mercy so doth his iust iudgementes iust wrath against sinne couceaued by the spirit of sathan work in the others hardnes obstinacie y e sense of his wrath You reason affirming that Pharao had a stonie heart before that Moises spake vnto him theÌ„ could not it be heardened more theÌ„ a stone a fore y t it was mollified â–ª this yo r reason I say is more then foolish â–ª for I suppose y t you be not so brutishe y t you wil affirme y t the heart of any tyraÌ„ne at any tyme in naturall hardnes I meane to grope fele is coÌ„perable to y e hardnes of a stone but y t is a figuratiue speach by y e w t is declared y e vnchangeable hardnes of mans heart as touching y e naturall power of the same foras the stone by it self can neuer com to any softnes of fleshe so can neuer maÌ„ by any gift which nature hath of it self come to that humilitie and obedience w c is acceptable before God But doth it therof insue that one man is not nor can not be more cruell then an other yea that one and the same may not procede frome euil to wors and by contempt of grace make him self more hard and more hard althogh his heart was neuer fully mollified I think you will not affirme the contrarie for the holie Gost giuing this exhortatioÌ„ This daye if you heare his voice harden not your heartes doth confirme my affirmacion which is that men procede from hardnes to hardnes yea from one sinne to an other till their sinnes be becomme inexcusable and so finally irremissible because that obstinately they refuse grace offerâ—d as Christ doth wittnes in these wordes if I had not com and spoken vnto them they should
not haue sinne but now haue they nothing to cloke their sinne for they haue sene and hated not onelie me but also my father No man wil be so fond as to affirme that the Iewes before Christs preaching and miracles were cleane without sinne but the coÌ„tempt of grace did so augment and increase their sinne that it became inexcusable euen so say I that Pharao did harden his owne heart frome time to time becomming more vnthankfull vnto God and more cruell to his people And y e fouÌ„teine of this induration and hardnes I confesse to haue bene borne with him and that to raige against gods people he neded no impulsion of gods parte but rather a brydle to impede his fury But yet the question is not resolued as before I haue noted for still we ask why was not that fountein shutte vp why was not the naturall venim purged and his heart mollified searche where you list ye shall fynd none other reason nor cause for the which the subsequent induration of Pharao did principallie procede but y t God in his eternall counsell for causes knowen to his wisedom alone had most iustly denyed to communicate his graces effectually with him but had raysed him vp to haue his power shewed forth in him And so God did hardeÌ„ Pharaos hearte not by permission onely but willingly withdrew his Spirit froÌ„ him as before is said Wonder it is that amongest the ancient doctors ye will seke patrocinie or defense in this mater seing it is a statute amoÌ„gest you that ye will beleue nor admit the wordes nor authoritie of no writer in any mater of con trouersie but all things you will haue decided by the plaine scripture And truly I am not contrary to your mynd in that case so that you vnderstand that ye will not admitt the authoritie of man against gods plaine trueth nether yet that you will beleue maÌ„ any furtherthen that he prouethe his sentence by gods euideÌ„t scriptures If you had produced any doctor who had confirmed his interpretation by the plaine worde of God of reason I oght to haue answered ether by the same or by some other doctor of equall authoritie orels to haue improued his interpretatioÌ„ by the plaine scriptures but seing that ye produce none ye leaue me at greater libertie and yet I will shewe you the mynd of one doctor coÌ„parable to any that euer wrote before him ether in the latin or in the greke Churche I meane of Augustine who writing against Iulian the appostate and against Manacheus who did affirme the self same thing that you do to witte that God was a passiue God that is he did suffer all euill and that against his will but he did work none Against him I say he thus writeth wilt thou say saieth Augustine to Iulian that the wicked that be giuen ouer to their owne desires are to be vnderstand onely left by gods suffering but not compelled to sinnes by power as thogh that the Apostle had not ioyned the suffering and power of God to gether where that he saieth if God willing to shewe wrath and to declare his power fuffered in great patience the vesselles of wrath prepared to destruction w t of these two saiest thou is written And also if the prophet do erre and shall speak I the lord haue deceaued him is this suffering or is it power And after adducing the same w c we before haue alledged of Achas he addeth did God these things ignorantly or doth he any thing iudgeing or doing rashly or vniustly God forbid it is not without cause that it is said Thy iudgemeÌ„tes are a great deapth it is not vaine that the Apostle crieth out Oh the hieght aâ—d depenes of gods iudgementes And after in the same place expounding these wordes lead vs not into temptation after that he hath affirmed that God giueth ouer some for iust causes to their owne lustes and blyndnes as he gaue ouer Roboam to beleue the fals and foolishe counsell of the young men he saith all these things doth God worke by wonderous and vnspeakable meanes who knoweth howe to worke his iust iudgementes not onelie in the bodies but also in the heartes of men he who maketh not the willes euill but yet he vseth them as he will seing that he can will nothing vniustly Thus far haue I alleged vnto you the mâ—nd of one doctor in this our controuersie â–ª when â—e shall bring forth the mynd of any so well grounded vpon scriptures as he dothe this his sentence â–ª I promyse to answer if I can I am not ignorant that diuers of the doctors yea and Augustine him self in some places may seme to fauor your opinion at the first sight But if their wordes in one place be compared with their plaine mynd and with the scope of their disputation in other places it shall plainely appere that none that liue this day do more plainely speak against your error then some of them haue written The places of Iob manifestly and in plaine wordes fight against you for it is said in the one place thou hast excluded their heart from wisedome and therfore this mater shall not be to their praise and in the other God hath taken wisdom from the Estrich and hath not giuen vnderstanding vnto her dare you affirme that in these wordes there is nothing but a bare permission of gods parte is there no difference betwext away taking and suffering to be taken away if any difference be betwext these two maner of speakings God giueth wisdome and God taketh away wisdome then is your interpretation foolishe and absurd nether yet is there any phrase of scripture vnderstand it as you please that can make God to call back that sentence which he hath pronounced to witt that he hath raysed vp Pharao to be an example to all generations folowing what shall be the ende of those that obstinatly resist God Who albeit he tempt no man to sinne by the power of his spirit yet as before I haue proued he iustly giueth them ouer to the inordinat lustes of their own corruption yea he giueth them ouer into the hands power of sathan to be pricked and stirred forward to all iniquitie that their damnation may be iust and also that his vengeaÌ„ce iustly deserued may the more sodenly falle vpon them The mynd of saint Iames is onely to bring men to the right examination and triall of them selues lest that by flattery they beginne to seke y e originall cause of their sinne in an other then in them selues And yet doth that nothing impede but that God in his maner which alwayes is iust doth hardeÌ„ the heartes of those whome before he had reprobated We confesse that no greater plague can chance vnto man â–ª then that he be left to his own lewde mynd â–ª for theÌ„ of him can procede no good nor permanent frute But as the earth lacking rayne dewe and moisture must nedes be barren and so
stabilitie of faith Rom. 5. 1. Iohn 14. 6 1. Cor. 1. 30 Ro 1. 26 The vnmouable ground of faith Rom. 8. 29 Ephes. 1. 14 2. Thes. 2. 13 2. Pet. 1. 2. 20 Rom. 11. 29 Rome 8 Ham. Ishmael Esau Abshalom Achitophel Iudas The Niniuites Manasses Paul Magdelene The thiefe What humilitie is Ephes. 2. 8 1. Cor. 1. 30 1. Iohn 4. 10 Ephes. 1. 22 The first section Cap. 14. SectioÌ„ 40 Libr. ad bonifa 2. Cap. 6. 40. Retract lib. 1. cap. 2. Stoiâ—â—â— necessitie Cap. 1. 2 â–ª 3. 4. 5. 〈…〉 Why the Anabap. mystlyketh the doctryn of predestination PrescieÌ„ce Prouidence Ioan. 10. Prouerb 20. Prouâ—r 16. Matth. 10 â–ª 29. PredestinatioÌ„ The second sectioÌ„ Liers are the deuilles sonnes Institut Cap. 14. Sect. 5. De aeterna Dei praedestinatioÌ„ Inâ—titu Cap. 14. Sect. 14. Caluin vpon Isaiah The schoeles of Papistes full of blasphemies Inst. cap. 14. sect 17. The third section Two chiefe propositioÌ„s Ephes. 1. Isâ—i 44. Isaiah 55. Isaiah 54 The constancie of Gods promâ—s Isaia 46. Psal. 2â— Isal. 138. Iob. 10. Isaia 46. Iohn 6. Ioan. 17. Rom. 6. 1. Ioan. 4. The fourth section Zach. 3. Act. 17. Isaiah 45 The sayeng of a blaspphemous mouthe Iob. 39. What the aduersary will saye Isaia 66. The workes of God can not be subiect to our reason The reasoÌ„ of Anabaptistes Answer The aduersarie falsly and vnreuereÌ„tly alledgeth this word birth Answer Malac. 2. What we haue in Adam Error of Anabaptistes The affirmations of the trew ChristiaÌ„s Gen. 3. Question Answer The churche of Christe and the serpenteâ—i sede De bono perseueraÌ„t Reply of the aduersary Question Gods purpose was from the beginning to make a difference in mankinde The seâ—â—â—â—de diffâ—â—eÌ„ce This is the cause why all the prophetes almost do de clare gods wrath against Esan and Edome Psea 137 Esaie 34. Ier. 49. Obad. 1. Rom. 9. How S. Paul applieth the wordes of Moises Gene. 25. Promes inade to Isaak Vessels of mercie prepared vnto glorie Gods election dependeth not vpon man Iohn 8. Why the Iewes beleued not in Christe Christe maketh a diffâ—reÌ„rence of one sort from an other Iohn 17. What Christ did for his Christe praied not for the world An answere to the papistical and pestilent obiection of Pighius aÌ„d others his like Deut. 7. Deut. 9. Iosue 24. Ezec. 16 God did not for our workes predestinate vs. 2. Ti. 1. Question 1. Cor. 4. Apoca. 4. 5. A brief rehearsal what is before sufficiently proued The fyft section Isaia 45. Isaia 30. Matt. 7. Psal. 144 Esaia 54 Psal. 29. Isaiah 49 Isaiah 30 Isâ—ia 49 Matt. 7. Luc. 11. The blasphemy of Anabaptistes 〈◊〉 3. Psal. 145 Note the plain difference Exod. 20. Howgods mercy is greater then his wrath The six te sectioÌ„ To the 1. To the 2. 3. 4. 5. Deut. 19. To the 6. The seuenth section To the 1. â— 3. Blindnes and hardnes of hart are effectes reprobation Why God treated maÌ„ good whoÌ„ he ordeyned neuertheles to fall The eight section Ephes. 1. Psal. 49. Iob. 34. 4. Esdr. 8 Sapient 2 Sapien. 9 Matth. 12 The ground of the Anabaptistes error An argument 〈◊〉 prouâ—th that in Adam we could not stand Answer to the scriptures shamefully abused by the aduersaries Matt. 11. The aduersarie wrasteth the scripture in Iob. Iob. 34. Act. 10. An argument directly against the aduersaries argument Influence of the sterres EducatioÌ„ The cause is not in nature of our faethfull obedieÌ„ce What is the cause that some beleue and some remayn vnfaithfull How God respecteth not persoÌ„s 1. Sa. 16. That God hath not respect of persons most euidently coÌ„futeth the error of the aduersaries of gods predestination The cause and effect are diuerse Dâ—ut 7. Rm. 9. Neither was nor is in vs any thing whereby we should deserue to be elected The bookes called Apocryphes Reuâ—reÌ„ce vnto gods holie worde Reade the prologue of Ecclesiasticus and the end of the last chap. of the second booke of Machab. Sap. 2. Deut. 2. Lyke as there be degrees betwext election and glorification euen so there be degrees betwext reprobatioÌ„ and coÌ„demnation The nynte section Galat. 2. Ephes. 1. Ephes. 1. To the. 2. All be not Saintes nor blessed with spiritual benediction Oure regeneration to good workes is by the grace of God The teÌ„th section To 〈…〉 Iob. 36. Castalio is translation The eleueÌ„th section To the 1. To the 2. The iust causes of reprobatioÌ„ are hid in gods eternall counsel but the causes of death and damnatioÌ„ are euideÌ„t in the scriptures The iudgementes of God are a deuoring depth The twelth section The thirteÌ„th section Esaia 50 Esaia 48 To the 1. Ephe. 1. To the 2. Iohn 1. To the 3. Rom. 1. To the 4. Isaiah 55. Iohn 6. To the 5. An argument against the aduersaries forged diuision of gods election To the 6. Matth. 16 Rom. 8. To the 7. Iohn 6. The fre wil meÌ„ iudge rashly To the 8. The perfecdtioÌ„ that the aduersaries pretend in this lyfe Philip. 3. How stroÌ„g the aduersaries wolde seme to be To the 9. The fourteÌ„th section Isaia 48 Esdr. 9. Iâ—rem 2. Esaia 42. 43. The scriptures affirme that there be many fals Christes fals Prophetes But Iesus Christe is our onely Sauior without whome there is no saluation To the 1. Institu 2. Cap. â—ec 78. De eterna Dei proedestinatione To the. 2. Rom. 〈◊〉 To the 3. To the 4. Luk. 16 To the 5. The fiftenth section The 2. argument Rom. 8. Reade the scriptures better be ashamed of your argument Rom. 9. The difference of gode fore knowledge Matth. 7. The six tenthe section Ezech. 18 Reade the first sectioÌ„ The 17. Section O prowde lucifer that darest compare thy knowledledge to the prescieÌ„ce of God To the 1. Galat. 1. 1 Tim. 1 God worketh both in his elect and in the reprobate but in diuâ—rse maner To the â— Read the praier of the Apostles Act. 4. What power Ananias had of his land Act. 5. The eightene section 1. Re. 23. Whence haue ye your assurance To the 1. 2. 3. Matt. 26. Iohn 13. The nynteÌ„th section To the 1. Difference betwext the libertie of Chriâ—tes will and the fredoÌ„ of Adams will Gods prescience is not to be seperated from his will Rom. 9. Prouer. 16. When violence is doÌ„ to the will of a creature The grud geing of the reprobat Rom. 9. Why creatures offeÌ„d wheâ— they most serue gods couÌ„sâ—l Luk. 22. Gods will is fre althogh it chaÌ„ge not as occasion is offered by mens doings The 20 Section Rom. 9. Malach. â— To the 1. Themynd of the Apostle in the 9. câ—apit to the Romains concerning Iacob and Esaw To the â— Esaw som maner of way serued Iacob in the fleshe Gen. 27. 2. Reg. 8. Gen. 28. The place of the Prophete Malachie Why the Apostle maketh neither meâ—tion of Abraham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob being in his mothers wombe The grace of
it proceded that God did send the Prophete NathaÌ„ to Dauid the offender that by the fiction of an other person he letteth him se the horror of his sinne that he did first terrifie and beate downe his conscience and after most tenderly did erect and lift it vp from the pitt of desperation All these graces say we proceded frome gods immutable loue which did remaine coÌ„stant both towardes the one and towardes the other euen in the tyme of their greatest vnthank fulnes And that because they nether were beloued nor elected in them selues but in Christ Iesus their head who nether did transgresse nor offend in any iote against the wil of his heauenlie father But Adam and Dauid transgressing and horribly falling from God were so hated in them selues and for their sinnes that first behoued the innocent Sonne of God by his death to make a satisfaction â–ª for their sinnes â–ª as also for the sinnes of all gods children And secondarely we say preache write and maintein that the sinne was so odious before God that his iustice could do none other but inflict vpon Adam and his posteritieâ— The penaltie of death corporall the punishemeÌ„tes and plagues which daily we do se apprehend gods children that vpon Dauid he did execute his iust iudgement which in these wordes he pronounced Now therefor y e sworde shall neuer departe from thyne house because thow hast despysed me and taken the wife of vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Thus saieth the lord behold I wil raise vp euill against the oute of thyne own house and I shall take thy wiues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of sunne for y u didest it secretely but I shall do this thing before all Israel and before y â— sunne This sentence I say most iustly pronounced was after most sharply and yet most iustly for sinne commited put in â–ª execution And so do we affirm that none of gods children be they neuer so deare shall escaip punishement if contempteously they transgresse I suppose y t this our confession nothing doth offend you except in this one thing y t we affirme that God still loued AdaÌ„ and Dauid after their sinne before y t his holie Sprit wroght in their heartes any true repentance And yet I wonder why this should offend you seing y t we assigne the cause not to be them selues nether any vertue with in them selues but Christ Iesus in whom they were elected and chosen The signes of gods loue we haue euideÌ„tly proued and y â— end and issue did witnes y t gods loue was not mutable If you require scriptures for the probatioÌ„ of y e same Behold they are redie if wheÌ„ we were enemies we were recoÌ„ciled vnto God by the death of his sone much more we being recoÌ„ciled shal be saued by his life And a little before in the same chapter WheÌ„ we were sinners Christ died for vs c. And y e Apostle Iohn herein appereth the loue of God towardes vs y â— his onelie begotten sonne hath he sent in to the world that we may liue by hym herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. And hath sent his Sonne in the mercieseat â–ª for our sinnes These are verey plaine and we think that no reasonable man wil denie to Adam and to Dauid that which the holie Gost maketh common to all gods elect children to witt to be beloued of God â–ª euen when they were ennemies dead in sinne drowned in idolatrie and polluted with all filthines as witnesseth the Apostle in these wordes And you when ye were dead by sinne in the which ye somtymes walked according to this worlde accordiÌ„g to y â— prince to whom power is the ayre which is the spirit now working in the rebellious children amongest whom we all had somtymes conuersation in the lustâ—s of our flesh doing those thinges which pleased the fleshe and the mynd and were of nature the sonnes of wrathe like as others But God who is riche in mercie for his own great loue by the which he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes marke and if ye be offended complein vpon the holie Gost hath qwickened vs togither with Christ by grace ye are saued and hath raised vs vp togither with him and to gither with him hath caused vs to sit amongest y â— heauenlie by Christ Iesus to shew in y e ages to com his most rich grace in his liberalitie by Christ Iesus God open your eyes that you may se the light and mollifie your heartes that ye may magnifie with gods children his superaboundant loue and mercie bestowed euen vpon the most vnworthie If ye think y t this loue hath onelie place before that man offend you se the holie Gost plainely repugneth to your senteÌ„ce for he speaketh to them that had bene polluted defiled with all sinnes If yet ye replie but that was during the tyme of their ignoraÌ„ce and not after they were illuminated by grace ye haue said nothiÌ„g against our confession for we affirme that God loueth sinners being wrapped in death and damnatioÌ„ by sinne and y t we haue plainely proued But yet for your satisfactioÌ„ and instructioÌ„ for I take to record the Lord Iesus y â— I wold bestow my own life to ioyne you fully to Christ Iesue I will procede a litle further with you â–ª Do ye think that the sinne of Dauid touching the nature and qualitie of y e sinne it self was more horrible and odious be fore God then were all the sinnes committed in Ephesus by those to whom the Apostle writeth yea then the â—innes which were done amongest y e hole GeÌ„tiles I trust ye will not think it and we clerely see that God loued y â— elect in Ephesus and amongest the Gentiles when they were drouned in all kynd of iniquitie If still ye replie Dauid was vnthankfull who after so many benefites receaued so traterously declined frome God followiÌ„g his own appetites and of purposed couÌ„sell murthering his innocent seruant and y â— with great ignominie of God This nether do nether yet euer did we denie but yet as y â— question is other so is not our coÌ„feâ—â—ion proued fals Albeit Dauid was vnthankfull yea and after AdaÌ„ most vnthankfull of any of gods children to his daies for herein standeth the doubt whether y â— the vnthankfulnes of gods childreÌ„ after they haue once receaued mercie grace and large benefites from gods hands doth so alienat the mynd of God from them that he beareth to them no maner of loue till they turn to him by repentance The contrarie hereof we hold and affirme not fearing to auowe that repentance as it is ioyned with faith which is the fre gift of God so is it the effect of gods coÌ„stant loue toward them and no cause of the same And for the more ample declaration
hereof let vs compare the deniall of Peter and y e defection of all the Apostles with the sinne of Dauid Albeit Peter was not called to be a wordlie priÌ„ce as Dauid was yet I thiÌ„k ye wil not denie but to be called to the office of an Apostle to be Christes scoller the space of thre yeres to be so familiare with Christ y t he alone with other two did se Christ their master traÌ„sfigured did heare y â— ioyfull voice frome heauen â–ª did se Moises and Helias speak with him my trust is I say y t ye will not denie but that those were graces no thing inferior to Dauids kingdom temporall and yet how horribly y t Petet did denie Christ Iesus ye are not ignorante Yea but say ye Peter wept and soght grace with repeÌ„tance But I ask when the holie Gost doth answere y â— it was after the cocke had crowen and that Christ Iesus had looked vnto him Proceded y t looke I besech you from loue or hatered It should seme in dede by the effect that it came from loue for then it is said that Peter remembered the wordes of his master and so weÌ„t furth and wept bitterly By all liklihode then were his masters vordes before qwyte blotted oute of his memorie But God be praised we nede not to depend vpon vncerten coniectures The fall and deniall of Peter as in an other place we haue declared came not by chance as a thiÌ„g whereof Christ Iesus was ignoraÌ„t He did forese it and before speaketh it And what coÌ„fort gaue Christ Iesus vnto him â–ª before he pronounced that sharp sentence before y e cock crowe thow shalt denie me thries This comfort I say which oght of all faithfull most to be exâ—olled Simon SimoÌ„ beholde SataÌ„ hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat but I haue prayed for the that thy faith faile not and thow being conuerted confirme thy bretheren Did Christ pray for Peter knowing that he should denie him so he affirmeth Doth the praier of Christ Iesus and the effect thereof vanish in a moment God for bid that such impietie take place iÌ„n our heartes The Apostle doth witnes that as his sacrifice is euer recent before God so is his praier effectuall euer for his elect Doth God vtterly hate detest and abhorre such as for whom Christ Iesus praieth yea commendeth to his mercie before they fall iâ—n to danger my hope is that the godlie will not so iudge The same I might proue by the stowte denial of Thomas besides the defection of all the rest who after that the glad tydings of Christes resurrection was confirmed by the testimonie of many did obstinatly say except that I put my fingers in the holes c. I wil not beleue Here ye se was no repentance of his former infidelitie but rather an augmentation and increase of the same And did it procede frome loue or from hatered that Christ cometh vnto him and doth offer to satisfie his curiositie in all thinges willing him to be faithfull and not to remaine an infidele Consider now how simply and plainely we haue opened our myndes vnto you God graÌ„t you his holie Spirit rightly to vnderstand and charitably to interprete the thinges that be spoken c. Now will I briefly go throughe these scriptures which ye abuse and violently wrest against vs not making so long discourse to amend your iudgemeÌ„t as I haue done to fore For if things alredie spoken shall not profit I must confesse my self destitute of counsell for this tyme. The wordes of the prophete where necgligently ye name Zacharie for Malachie nether serue your purpose nether yet are verefied in vs. for we be not as the priestes who in those daies permitted plaine iniquitie and contempt of God and of his statutes vniuersaly to be done by the people and yet they did not oppone them selues to the same Read the Prophete and conâ—ict vs of those thinges if ye can We are sorie that ye haue no better opinion of vs then that our hole studie should be to entyse the people to sinne Not that we do muche feare that by your wordes ye can persuade any except your own faction â–ª and hardly those to credit you in that behalf for all praise be to God our liues doctryn and correctioÌ„ of vice do witnesse the contrarie but our greatest sorow is for your condemnation which doubtles must ensue suche wicked iudgement if hastely ye repent not As the Sunne is not to be blamed albeit the carion by the heate thereof be more and more corrupted so is not our doctrine althogh that carnall men thereof take carnal libertie for that ye knowe did ensue the doctrine of S. Paule We do no les affirme both in worde and writing theÌ„ here you do affirme to wit That he who committeh sinne is of the deuil but herein I suppose standeth the difference that you and we vnderstand not that phrase alike we vnderstand that the man coÌ„mitteh sinne whose hole studie mynd and purpose frome tyme to tyme is bent vpon iniquitie and suche do we affirme to be of the deuil who sinneth from the beginning If you vnderstand that euerie action committed against the law of God maketh a man the sonne of the deuil we must liberally speak that so we do not vnderstand the mynd of the Apostle for plaine it is that he meaneth not of actioÌ„s particulare be they neuer so grieuous whereof a man after repenteth aÌ„d from the same desisteth but of a continual exercise delite and studie whiche man hath in sinne And this is plaine I say by the wordes which immediatly procede and go before he that exerciseth iustice saieth he is iust eueÌ„ as he is iust he y t coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuil for frome the beginning the deuil sinneth Here is the exercise of iustice put in contrarietie to the committing of sinne An exercise we know requireh a continual studie and practyse I think ye will not say that one iust worke maketh a man iust and so consequently the son of God except he procede frome iustice to iustice The same say we must be vnderstand of the committing of sinne for nether Adame nor Dauid did any longer committ their former sinnes then by grace they began to repent And so did they not remaine vnclean persons nor in bondage of the deuil Neither yet can it be proued that euer they were membres of the deuil nor of his kingdom albeit willingly they made them selues slaues to him whom Christ Iesus notwithstanding did vendicate to him self and delyuer from that thraldome Because of the fre gift of God his father they did appertein to his kingdome nether euer be you able to proue by any of these sentences that euer they were out of the election as before is declared The place of the prophete Oseas is of you euill vnderstaÌ„d â–ª the lacke of the hebrew tongue may be the cause of your