that all things come to passe by the disposition of God and that nothing happeneth by chaunce Therefore let vs alwayes haue an eye to him as to the principall cause of all things let vs also behold the inferiour causes in their places All thinges fall out for the best to the faithfull Psal 55.23 Zach. 2.8 Psal 91.1 c. Secōdly let vs not doubt that the singuler prouidence of God doth watch for our preseruation which will suffer nothing to come to passe but that which may turn to our good safty* 7 Furthermore all men are vnder his power whether their minds must be wonne to good will as of the Aegyptians * Exod. 3.21 or their wickednes must be restrained as of Achab * 1. King 22.22 Achitophell * 2. Sam. 17 6 c. After this knowledge ensueth thankfulnes of mind in the prosperous successe of things in aduersitie patience incredible securitie against the time to come Ioseph Iob. Gen. 45.8 50 20. 8 So Ioseph turned backe his mind vnto God the cause of all things hauing forgotten the iniurie of his brethren* So Iob doth not turne him self vnto the Chaldeans but doth comfort him self on this wise * Iob. 1.21 The Lord gaue the Lord hath takē away* 9 And yet we must not winke at the inferior causes So a godly man will reuerence God in benefits receaued Inferiour causes ought not to be contemned as the principall authour will honour men as his ministers If he suffer anie losse either through negligence or want of skill he will thinke with him selfe that that was done by the will of God but he will also impute it to him selfe In thinges to come he will recken it as a benefit of God if he be not depriued of the help of mē which he may vse to his safty Therfore he will neither play the sluggard in taking counsell neither wil he be slack in crauing their aide Ioab but yet he will principallie commend and commit himselfe to the wisedome of God as did Ioab * 2. Sam. 10.12 that by the gouernance therof he may be directed vnto the right marke 10 Thence commeth the inestimable felicitie of a godlie minde There be innumerable euils We are beset on euerie side with daungers which beset mans life which threaten as many deathes amidst so many straites man shall be the most miserable of all who being halfe dead in life doth drawe forth a carefull languishing breath A similitude euen as if hee had a sword continuallie hanging ouer his necke 11 But when that light of Gods prouidence doth once appear to a man that is godlie he is now not onlie acquitted of and deliuered from that extreame carefulnes and feare wherewith he was oppressed before but he is also eased of all care For he vnderstandeth that the father of heauen doeth so containe all things in his power doth so gouern thē by his onlie beck doth so order thē by his wisdome that nothing doth come to passe but by his disposition 12 Obiect But the counsell purpose of God is not firme stable but it changeth according to the condition of inferiour things Gen. 6.6 For it repented him that he had made man * 1. Sam. 15.11 and that he had aduanced Saul vnto the kingdome c. * An. Repentaunce is no more in God then ignorance or error or weaknes Repentance can not be in God 1. Sam. 15.29 He is not man that hee can repent * Que. What is meant thē by the word repētance 13 An. Euen the same which is ment by all other formes of speaking which describe God to vs after the manner of men that they may submit and applie them selues to our capacitie For they doe paint out GOD to vs not suche a one as hee is in himselfe but such a one as hee is perceaued of vs. Therefore he prosecuteth with one continuall course that which he had foreseene Note No variablenes in God allowed decreed from eternitie howsoeuer there appeare in the sight of men a sodaine change 14 Neither doth the holy historie when it reporteth that that destruction which was alreadie denounced was remitted to the men of Niniuie * and that the life of Ezechias was prolonged after that it was told him he shoulde die * Isa 38.5 shew that the decrees of God were abrogated Ioh. 3.10 For God woulde not their destruction but their amendement that they might not be destroyed Therfore though the denunciations doe simply affirme Threatninges are conditionall yet neuerthelesse it appeareth by the end it selfe that they might containe in themselues notwithstanding a secrete condition Let vs conclude with Iesaias The Lorde of hostes hath determined and who shal be able to vndoe it Isa 14.26 His hande is stretched out and who shall turne it away CHAP. XVIII That God doth so vse the seruice of wicked men and doth so turne their mindes to execute his iudgements that he himselfe remaineth pure from all spot Whether sufferance be without the will of God Iob. 1.22 1 Ob. GOD will not euill but doth only suffer the same to be done An. Yea Iob saith * 2. Kin. 22.10 The Lorde gaue the Lorde hath taken away as it pleased God so is it come to passe God sent a liyng spirite to deceaue Achab. * Ier. 50.25 Nabuchadnezer is called the seruant of God c. Therefore whatsoeuer is done it commeth from God 2 Furthermore the secrete motions of the mind are turned to and fro as it pleaseth God The motions of the minde are ruled by God Pro. 21.2 * Ezech. 7.26 Therefore is it trulie said that God taketh the lippe from the true speakers and wisedome from the aged * Ex. 8.15 He hardened the heart of Pharao Obiect God suffereth the reprobate to be blinded by Satan not that he willeth or commaundeth it The cause of hardening is both of God also of man An. The will of God is set downe to be the cause of hardening the heart which doth iustly strike men with blindnesse and madnesse Obiect It is saide in another place that Pharao himselfe did harden his owne heart An. These two agree verie well together Note but in diuers respects God would haue the heart of Pharao to be hardened that his people might be deliuered with greater glorie The will of Pharao came betweene so that he is without excuse neither can he seeke for the cause of this euill any where els but in himselfe 3 Obiect If nothing come to passe vnlesse God be willing there shal be two contrarie willes in him There be not two contrarie willes in God Note bicause he decreeth those things in his secret counsell which he hath openlie forbidden in his lawe An. Neither is God contrarie to himself ne yet is his will changed neither doth he faine that he wil not that which hee
of their owne accord do bring it vpon them selues * Rom. 9.21 An. God hardeneth whom he will Whereupon it followeth that the hidden counsell of God is the cause of hardening The cause of hardning 2 Quest By what right is God angrie with his creatures which haue not offended him before in anie thing For to adiudge to destruction whom he will is more agreable to the lust of a tyrant then to the lawfull sentence of a iudge The will of God is the rule of iustice An. It is a point of bold wickednes euen so much as to enquire the causes of Gods will seing it is the cause of all things which are and ought worthely to be Yea it is the only and sole rule of iustice 3 Quest Why hath God from the beginning predestinate some vnto death who seing they were not as yet could not deserue as yet the iudgement of death Men are naturallie subiect to death An. If all those be subiect to the iudgement of death by naturall condition whom the Lord doeth predestinate vnto death of what iniquitie of his toward them shall they complaine seing man is the cause of his owne damnation 4 Quest Were they not predestinate before by the ordinance of God vnto that corruption which is now pretended for the cause of damnation An. I confesse indeed that all the children of Adam are fallen into this miserie of condition A similitude by the will of God But O man who art thou that disputest with God Hath not the potter power to make of the same lump one vessell to honor and an other to dishonor Rom. 9 20 Obiect The iustice of God is not so defended For it seemeth that there is nothing else sayde in this place but that God hath such power as can not be hindered but that he may do whatsoeuer he will An. God is righteous and hateth iniquitie But and if we cannot comprehend his iudgements Epist 106. will we therefore be so bold as to disalow them 5 I say with Augustine that they are created of God who without doubt he knewe before should go into destructiō Faithfull ignorance is better then rash knowledge Aug. de verit Apost Ser. 20 that was so done because he wold haue it so But why he wold it is not for vs to require Because faithful ignorāce is better then rash knowledge* Paule rested because he found wondering* We learne to speake wel whē we speake with God * Rom. 11.32 6 Quest Why should God impute those things for sinne vnto men the necessitie whereof he hath layd vpon them by his predestination An. God saith Salomon* Pro. 16.4 hath made all thinges for him selfe euen the wicked man for the euill day Therfore euen from their mothers wombe they are borne the children of death who by their destruction glorifie his name Obiect There is no necessitie layd vpon them by the prouidence of God but they are rather created of God in that estate because he foresawe their wickednesse which was to come An. Life death are rather actions of Gods wil then of his foreknowledge therefore it is in vaine to moue anie question about his foreknowledge All thinges come to passe by ordinance where it is certaine that all things come to passe rather by ordinance and commandement 7 Obiect This is not extant in plaine wordes that it was decreed by God that Adam shold perish by his fall An. As if the selfe same God who as the Scripture doth declare doth whatsoeuer he will An absurditie created the noblest of all his creatures to an vncertaine ende The free will of Adam Obiect He had free will to shape his owne fortune and God appointed nothing but to handle him as he deserued An. Where shall that omnipotencie of God be then whereby he gouerneth all things according to his secret counsell which doth not depend vpon anie other The distinction of sufferance will 8 Obiect The wicked perish God suffering not willing their destruction An But why should he suffer it saue only because he will haue it so I say with Augustine* that the wil of God is the necessitie of things that that must needs come to passe which he shall will like as those things shall truly come to passe which he hath foreseene The cause of euill is in man because those things which God made were verie good * Lib. 6. de gen ad litteram cap 15. 9 For though man was created by the eternall prouidence of God to that calamitie whereto he is subiect Gen. 1 31. The matter of euill is of man yet he tooke the matter thereof of himselfe and not of God because he is so lost by none other meanes saue onely because he is degenerate from the pure creation of God vnto corrupt wickednes Acceptinge of persons 10 Obiect There should be then accepting of persons with God which the Scripture doth euery where denie therefore either the Scripture is contrarie to it selfe or else there is respect of merites in the election of God An. In that God chuseth one man refuseth an other that doth not come frō the respect of mā but frō his mercy alone for which it ought to be free to vtter shew it selfe when and so often as he will 11 Obiect If God find all men guiltie let him punish all alike if guiltlesse let him withold the rigor of his iudgement from all An. All are guiltie but the mercie of God releeueth and succoureth certaine Obiect Let it succour all An. It is meet that by punishing he likewise shew him selfe to be a iust iudge Note Grace geueth without merit In giuing to some that which they do not deserue he declareth his free grace in not giuing it to all he declareth what all deserue 12 Obiect By this meanes all desire of well doing falleth flat to the ground Predestination doth not take away the desire of well doinge For if God haue decreed saluation he will bring vs vnto it in his time if he haue appointed death we shold in vaine striue against it An. But Paule saith that we are chosen to this end that we may leade an holy vnblameable life* Eph. 1.4 If holinesse of life be the end of election it ought rather to awake vs to thinke thereupon ioyfully then to serue to be a cloake for sluggishnesse 13 Obiect Such doctrine ouerthroweth all exhortations to liue godlily An. Paule was an open and loude proclaimer of election* 1 Th. 4.7 Eph. 2.10 was be therefore cold in admonishing exhorting Christ commandeth to beleeue in him and yet he saith No man can come vnto me but he to whom it shall be geuen of my Father* Ioh. 6.61 Therfore we must preach godlinesse that God may be wor-aright aright and likewise predestination that he which hath eares to heare of the grace of God may glorie in God and not
was neuer a whit more worthy Mal. 4.1 which thing besides experiēce the prophet doth plentifullie witnesse* who reprouing incredulitie mixed with grosse blasphemies doeth notwithstanding auouche that there shoulde a Redeemer come Quest Why is it rather giuen to the posteritie then to their fathers An. He may torment himselfe in vaine who seeketh a cause heere higher then the vnsearchable counsell of God Examples of blindnes Of the other member wee haue examples daily also there be manie extant in scripture There is a sermon made before an hundred twentie embrace it the rest make small account of it or els laugh at it or loath it Ob. Such diuersitie proceedeth frō their malice An. The nature of the other should be possessed with like malice Cor. 4.7 vnlesse God did refourme it by his goodnesse 13 Quest Why doth he giue grace to the one and omit the other Act. 33.48 An. Luke sheweth a cause of those which imbrace the worde because they are ordeined to life* wee haue an example in Lidia the purple seller* What shall we then think of the other saue only that they are vesselles of wrath vnto dishonour Act. 16.14 Such was Pharao * Exod. 4.21 suche were the Iewes in Christe his time * Ioh. 12.39 14 Quest But why doe these continue obstinate when the other are framed to obedience An. Because as Paul answereth the Lord raised them vp from the beginning Rom 9.7 that he might shew his name in all the earth* 15 Obiect God will not the death of a sinner but that he may be conuerted and liue* Ezech. 34.12 An. If he will who shall let him but hee will put the penitent in hope of pardon because he is readie to pardon so soone as a sinner shall bee conuerted Therefore he will not his death because he willeth repentance Obiect God will haue all to be saued 1 Tim. 2.4 An. That is he hath shut the way to saluation against none order of men Obiect God will haue mercy vpon all An. I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie and I will shewe mercie to whom I will shewe mercie* Exod. 33.19 Obiect God receiueth all to repentance neither will he haue anie to perish 2 Pet. 3.9 An. But conuersion is in the hand of God He giueth a fleshie heart but to a few* Ezech. 36.26 Obiect Turne you vnto me and I will be turned vnto you* Zach. 1.3 An. No man commeth vnto God vnlesse he be preuented of him Wherupon Ieremie saith* Ier. 31.18 Turn mee O Lorde and I shall be turned for so soone as thou turnedst me I repented 16 Obiect If the case so stande the promises of the Gospel shall carrie but small credite which auouch that God willeth that which is contrarie to his decree which cannot be broken An. The generall promises of saluation The vniuersal promise of saluation doe nothing disagree with the predestination of the reprobate And they are made effectuall to vs when wee receiue them by faith on the other side when faith is made void the promise is therewithall abolished Quest But why doth he name all An. That the consciences of the godlie may the more safelie rest when they vnderstande that there is no difference of sinnes so faith bee present and that the wicked may not obiect that they want a fortresse whither they may repaire from the slauerie of sinne when as through their vnthankfulnes they refuse it when it is offered Obiect There is nothing more disagreeing with the nature of God The double will of god then that there should be in him a double will An. Though the will of God bee manifolde as concerning our sense vnderstanding yet hee willeth not sometimes this sometimes that in himself but according to his wisedome which is diuerslie manifold Eph. 3.10 as Paul calleth it* doth make our senses amazed vntil it shal be graunted vs to know that he will that wonderfullie which now seemeth contrarie to his will Obiect Seeing God is a father it is an vniust thing that hee shoulde cast off anie saue him who through his owne fault hath deserued this before An. As if Gods liberalitie did not reache euen vnto swine and dogs who bringeth foorth the sunne vpon the good and the euill Mat. 3.45 Mat. 25.34 yet the inheritaunce is laid vp but for a few to whom it shall be said Come yee hlessed c. Obiect God hateth nothing of that which hee hath made An. God hateth the reprobate because being destitute of his spirite they can bring foorth nothing but cause of curse Why the reprobate are hated Obiect There is no difference between the Iew and the Gentile* therefore the grace of God is set before all indifferently An. God calleth aswell of the Iewes as of the Gentiles according to his good pleasure so that he is bound to none Obiect God hath shut vp all thinges vnder sinne Rom. 11.22 that he may haue mercie vpon all* An. Namelie because he will haue the saluation of all those which are saued to be ascribed vnto his mercie although this benefite be not common to all Let vs crie out at such depth O man who art thou that disputest with God* For Augustine doth trulie affirme that they deal peruerslie Rom. 9.20 which measure Gods righteousnesse by the measure of mans righteousnesse CHAP. XXV Of the resurrection 1 ALTHOVGH Christ hauing ouercome death hath giuen vnto vs the light of life beeing now not strangers but of the houshold of God 2 Tim. 1.10 that we may want nothing vnto perfect felicitie yet let it not be as yet troublesome to vs to be exercised in an harde warfare because wee hope for those thinges which do not appeare* Rom. 8 18 Hence we haue need of patience least being wearie we either turne our backs or forsake our standing Wherefore he hath soundlie profited in the Gospell The patience of the faithfull Meditation of the resurrection Cristian felicitie Phil. 3.20 who is acquainted with a continuall meditation of the blessed resurrection 2 For seeing that it is our onlie perfect felicitie to be ioined with our God we must lift vp our minds vnto the resurrection* For our conuersation is in heauen from whence we also looke for a Sauiour * Heb. 10.12 to our redemption* 3 The verie weight of the thing it selfe will sharpen our desire Neither doth Paul without cause affirme Cor. 15.14 that vnlesse the dead rise againe all the whole Gospell is vaine and deceitfull* because our estate shoulde be more miserable then the estate of other liuing creatures Rom. 8 39. seeing we are euery houre as sheep appointed to bee slaine* And therefore all the authoritie of the Gospell shoulde fall to grounde which both our adoption and the effect of our saluatiō doth cōprehend Helpes Furthermore that our faith may ouercome all lets the scripture