I answere The answer twofold They do not plainly proue by this testimonie the thing that they would though this were granted as we with Augustine doe willingly graunt it that those many ought to be taken for all For the answere is twofold First Augustine very often entreating of these words constantly expoundeth that all are iustified in Christ not that all are meant to bee iustified by Christ who are borne sinners of Adam but because all who are iustified cannot otherwise bee iustified than by him euen as all who die doe die in Adam August de nat grat cap. 40. Augustine contra Iulianum lib. 6. cap. 12. De peccatorum meritis lib. 1. cap. 28. Epist 57. In Enchir. cap. 51. Further in that hee saith all and all it appertaineth vnto the multitude of both parts and so there is a iustification of all through Christ to wit of all those who belong vnto Christs posteritie by spirituall regeneration This exposition Hierome approueth in Comment and among the Schoolemen Thomas Aquinas Exposit ad Romanos Hierome Thomas Aq. Whom if the disputers at Tubinge little regard let them beware least they reproue their friend and Colledge Heerbrand of a false exposition For so he Disput de iustific thes 148. expounding the antithesis of the first and second Adam saith Both haue merited something for their owne All taken not generally but for the multitude of both sides that is of Adam and Christ Adam sinne and death for such as are borne of him Christ righteousnes and life for those that beleeue in him And the grace of Christ hath abounded aboue sinne because Christ hath obtained for vs the forgiuenes not of one sin onely but of all together as the words of the Apostle testifie These things he godly and soundly But it is most false and farre from the minde of Paul that to whomsoeuer sinne is ascribed to them also righteousnesse should be imputed by the Apostle For the Apostle speaketh expressely not of any righteousnesse which afterward againe may be made ineffectuall and that such as haue obtained it may neuerthelesse after bee damned foreuer but he entreateth of that righteousnes which whosoeuer haue shal raigne for euer For he saith If by one offence death raigned through one much more they that receiue that exceeding grace and gift of righteousnes shall raigne in life through one Wherevpon also he calleth it the iustification of life But not all as many as died in Adam shall raigne in an heauenly life Ergo neither all simply do receiue the gift of righteousnes through Christ This Hierome weighed saying When he saith all are iustified he speaketh not generally but meaneth the multitude of each side Otherwise if all men be found iustified in Christ as in Adam they are condemned there shall be none beside to be punished Obiection But thou wilt say if more perished in Adam than are saued in Christ his grace shall be weaker than Adams sinne which is against the Apostle in that comparison Answere I denie the consequence because the greatnes and the power of grace aboue sinne ought not to bee esteemed according to the multitude of those that are cōdemned in Adam and of those that are iustified and glorified in Christ for so grace should be equall onely and nothing at all stronger then sinne yea euen if they should be made righteous in Christ as many as are borne sinners in Adam But now the grace of the Sauiour is infinitly mightier then the sin of the first man and can doe so much more as God can doe more then man But in these things consisteth that largenes of grace aboue sinne Sinne brought forth death Grace righteousnes and life for it is easier to destroy and condemne innumerable How grace aboundeth aboue sinne then to quicken and saue one seeing no not all men gathered in one could effect this but the other the offence of Adam onely could bring to passe In Adam all of vs are wrapped vnto condemnation by one only offence but Christ doth deliuer his not only from that one originall sinne but also from all actuall sinnes Neither is there any righteousnes beside Christ as there bee some sinnes beside the sinne of Adam Augustine saith August de peccat merit lib. 1. cap. 15. And how mightie is this gift which innumerable sinnes cannot withstand And this the Apostle specially respecteth commending the abundance of grace aboue sinne For he saith Not as the offence so is also the free gift of God for guiltines entered in vpon one offence vnto condemnation but the gift that God bestoweth is giuen vpon many offences to iustification And after another maner declaring the abundance of grace he straightway addeth For if by one offence death raigned through one much more they who receiue that exceeding grace gift of righteousnes shal raigne in life by one Iesus Christ As if he should say if sinne be so effectuall to death how much more grace to life nay to a kingdome in an heauenly life Which comparison truly is weakned and grace is now ouercome of sinne if it bee a certaine thing that they also haue receiued that exceeding grace and gift of righteousnes who shall be with the deuils for euer tormented In these things therefore the largenes of the grace of Christ and his dominion is properly seene and not in the comparison according to number of those who perish and who are saued To these it may bee added that it falleth out not through the penurie of redemption or some insufficiencie of grace and obediēce of Christ that many are not saued but through their owne vnbeleefe For the effusion of that righteous blood as before we related out of Leo is so rich in price that if the whole number of captiues would beleeue in Christ no chaines of Sathan could hold them The 2. place of the aduersarie out of 1. Cor. 15 21 22. A like place is brought out of 1. Corin. 15.21.22 By man came death and by man came the resurrection of the dead because as in Adam all die so in Christ all shall bee made aliue Therefore all none excepted are redeemed and once saued by the death of Christ I answere that this argument is easily dissolued and hath not so much as a shew of truth because Paul doth not speak of that quickening which is alreadie made in the crosse of Christ but of that which shall be at the last day And that quickening is meant according to sound interpreters either of the common resurrection of some to life and of others to condemnation or els which is better liked of of the blessednes and glorie of the godly If the first sense be allowed no argument can thence bee drawne for the vniuersall redemption and saluation of all men If the later it is certaine that that quickening shall not bee of all men simply but of all the elect onely August ep 28. Augustine vnderstandeth quickening in that
spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Therefore he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were vnder the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Where by the way is to be considered that by sins past in the saying of the Apostle to the Romanes are properly vnderstood the sinnes committed vnder the old Testament which could not be purged with the blood of goates and calues but the righteous did expect a better oblation Heb. 10.14 which should consecrate for euer those that are sanctified Acts 15.11 Whereupon Peter also said By the grace of our Lord Iesu Christ wee beleeue to be saued as well as our fathers But this whole place of redemption is large and worthie of great cōsideration to wit 1. Whence 2. By whom 3. How 4. When 5. For what cause 6. Whereto and 7. Who are redeemed All these truly haue a profitable and necessarie consideration and bee euery where taught in the Scriptures Of these propounded questions the sixe former wee will brieflie touch but the seuenth and last for which cause chieflie wee vndertake this labour wee will more fully and largely expound as the Lord shall permit CHAP. II. Whence we are redeemed THerefore as touching this question Whence we are redeemed the holy Scriptures sufficiently teach vs Our redemptiō is not corporal but spirituall and eternall from Satan sin and death that the redemption whereof we speake is not temporall from some corporall bondage or tyrannie such as the redemption was of Israel from Egypt from the house of bondage and the hand of Pharao by Moses and after from the hand of the Canaanits and Midianits and other their enemies by Gedeon and other Iudges and specially from the most grieuous 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon by Cyrus the king and Monarch of Persia but this redemption is spirituall and eternal shadowed of old by those corporall deliuerances to wit from the power of darknes and the slauerie of sinne death Coloss 1.13 Heb. 2.14 and of him who had the power of death that is the deuill And these be the enemies and haters whereof Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist maketh mention in his song greatly extolling this redemption Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Luk. 1.68 to 76. for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp a horne of saluation for vs in the house of Dauid his seruant as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that hee would saue vs from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate vs that being deliuered from the hand of our enemies wee might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And albeit this benefit of spirituall and eternall redemption is vsually contemned of carnall men who sauour nothing but the things of the flesh and to whom the slauerie of sinne and the world is so sweet as Satan the God of this world hath blinded their minds yet such is the greatnes and so inestimable is the dignitie thereof that they who haue rightly tasted the redemptiō of Christ whereby libertie to captiues saluation to them that perished and life to the dead is repaired do easily vnderstand that euen the riches kingdomes and pleasures of the whole world are to bee esteemed as nothing in comparison of it For what doth it profit a man Matth. 16. if he gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule or what recompence shall a man giue for his soule CHAP. III. By whom this redemption came Our redeemer is Christ true God and man holy and righteous 1. Tim. 2.5.6 BVt now the Redeemer who hath deliuered vs from the slauerie of sinne death and the power of Satan is none other then the Mediatour of God and men our Lord Iesus Christ true God and true man like vnto vs in all things except sinne For there is one God and one Mediatour also of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a price of redemption for all as the Apostle saith And to the Romanes chap. 3. Rom. 3.24 he teacheth that wee are iustified through the redemption wrought in Christ Iesu And elsewhere the same Apostle affirmeth 1. Cor. 1.30 that Christ is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption that as it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Iohn who from the breast of the Lord had receiued hidden mysteries 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 likewise testifieth If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But euery where such testimonies meete vs in the diuine Scriptures Eph. 2.20 1. Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.12 For Iesus Christ is the foundation of the Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles neither is there saluation in any other nor any other name giuen vnder heauen among men whereby wee must be saued Whereupon their error is worthily to bee detested who not contented with the onely and perfect redeemer Christ seek part of their redemption and saluation elsewhere in themselues or in the Saints where as yet the holiest men vnlesse the grace of Christ had saued and redeemed them could neuer haue been able to satisfie no not for themselues Therfore also Iohn as Augustine well considered said not Augustine If any sinne ye haue an aduocate nor said ye haue me ye haue not Christ but both named Christ and not himselfe and also said we haue and not ye haue He would rather put himselfe in the number of sinners that he might haue Christ his aduocate then put himselfe aduocate in Christs stead and be found among the proud that be condemned Brethren saith he we haue Iesus Christ the righteous an aduocate with the father and he is the attonement of our sinnes Hitherto Augustine tractatu primo in 1. Epist Ioh. CHAP. IIII. Of the maner of the redemption finished NOw the maner of our redemption by Christ The maner is his abasing of himselfe to the death of the crosse and to the shedding of his blood Phil. 2.7 being a mysterie altogether and wonderfull but wholly agreeing to the iustice and trueth of God the Scripture setteth downe on this wise to wit that the eternall Sonne of God for vs and our saluation a based himselfe taking the forme of a seruant being made like vnto men and found in shape as a man and submitting himselfe became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse that by his passion and death and shedding of his most sacred blood as by the onely propitiatorie sacrifice he might redeeme our body and soule from eternall damnation and purchase for vs the grace of God righteousnes and eternall life For this cause
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life And a little after Neither that alone but also wee reioyce in God through our Lord Iesu Christ by whom wee haue now obtained reconciliation Againe If death raigned by one offence much more those who doe receiue that abundant grace gift of righteousnes shall raigne in life To Titus chap. 2. He gaue himselfe for vs to redeeme vs from all sinne and to purge vs a peculiar people for himselfe zealous of good workes Peter also ioyneth these things together 1. Epist chap. 2. when he saith that our Lord bore our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree that we being dead to sinnes might liue to righteousnes Of these things there ought to bee a daily consideration The true vse of the former ends if they be well weighed Ephes 1. that we may vnderstand the greatnes of the gift of Christ and giue him thanks without ceasing weighing with ourselues what is the breadth and length and depth as Paul speaketh of the grace of God and what is the hope of his calling and the riches of his glorie in his Saints Further the daily meditation hereof is profitable and necessarie partly to nourish in vs faith and hope and partly to stirre vp and strengthen in vs more and more newnes of life Hauing saith the Apostle Heb. 10. libertie to enter into the holie place by the blood of Iesu and hauing an high priest who is ruler ouer the house of God let vs come with a true heart and a sure perswasion of faith and let vs hold the confession of hope without wauering And as touching the framing of our life we are commanded to walke worthie of the Lord Colos 1. who when wee were the seruants of sinne to death hath deliuered vs from sinne and made vs seruants of righteousnesse Hereupon are those exhortations of Paul Rom. 6. Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body and giue not your members weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God as such as are aliue from the dead and your members weapōs of righteousnes vnto God Againe As you haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie for iniquitie so now giue your members seruants of righteousnesse vnto holinesse Certainly seeing we are the freemen of Christ we ought to liue vnto him who hath redeemed vs Tit. 2. and would haue vs his peculiar people and followers of good workes neither ought we as forgetfull of our Redeemer retyre vnto the campes of Satan and the world our enemies and submit againe our bodies and soules vnto the yoke of our old bōdage frō whence we were redeemed with the blood of the Sonne of God O mad men O vile traytors and the wickeddest of all mortall men who so greatly reproch a Christian name nay Christ the Redeemer and doe little lesse then tread the blood of the couenant vnder their feete CHAP. XI WHO BE REDEEMED BY CHRIST The controuersie of the question propounded is rehearsed and briefly expounded For whom Christ died THese things being declared let vs come to the question reserued to the last place Who they be whom Christ the Mediatour of God and men redeemed by his death or for whom he died And this matter shall be more largely handled then the former questions as farre as the Lord shall assist vs for their sakes that are desirous to learne and for the defence of the truth of the Gospell seeing not long agoe by occasion of the Conference at Mompelgart the matter hath growne into a grieuous contention Huberus and a certaine man inflamed with anger and seeming to be mad hath too too bitterly and reprochfully in his writings which he hath spersed abroad both in Latine and Dutch blowne the same with the fanne of contention as though there had not been before discords and strifes more then enough in this our corrupt age in the Church of Christ with often and most grieuous offences of the weake He ouerwhelmeth such as dissent from him with all kinde of reproches and railing words as come into his mouth The shamefull reproches and slanders of Huber against vs the truth That they come neere to Mahometisme and Paganisme That they maintaine Satanicall blasphemie are franticke desire to extinguish the name of Christ and that they are hereunto inclined to driue away Christ first out of the hearts then out of the Scripture and lastly out of the Church it selfe And hee termeth them seducers Pharisees Scribes a subtill poysoned and false sort of men and grieuously abuseth innocent persons with other hard words as often as pleaseth him according to that his passing christian zeale towards the Church of God supposing by his brasen forehead as I thinke to get himselfe credit with the reader to thinke it written truly what he should write impudently forgetting altogether the admonition of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2.24 The dutie of a Diuine That the seruant of the Lord must not be contentious but gentle towards all apt to teach forbearing euill men with meekenes instructing those that are contrary minded This is the dutie of a Diuine As for reproches railing speeches mockes biting taunts ill reports back-biting and all other doggish eloquence let scoffers and iesters take them to themselues In 2. cap. 2. ep ad Timot. A notable speech of Ambrose against contention Conference saith Ambrose and not contention ought to be among the seruants of God For strife must needes wring out something nay many things which are spoken against conscience so so that inwardly he looseth in his minde when outwardly he goeth away with the victorie For no man suffereth himselfe to be ouercome although hee know the things to be true which hee heareth Therefore let vs speake of the thing itselfe For to railing words and reproches he will answere who hath said Vengeance is mine Deut. 32. Rom. 12. I will repay vnto whom for Christs sake who hath pardoned vs our sinnes wee heartily pray that hee would forgiue our aduersaries those grieuous wrongs they doe vnto vs that he would take away discord and plant loue and peace in the truth among the Churches that with one mouth wee may glorifie God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and receiue one another as Christ hath receiued vs to the glorie of God Rom. 15. Therefore comparing matter with matter and cause with cause The state of the controuersie Huberus Thes 1. let vs begin at the state of the controuersie The question is Whether Christ suffered for the redemption of all or not Here straightway those men crie out that the Caluinists so they call vs for the hatred of the truth raging against the passion of the Lord Iesus Christ doe openly denie that hee died for the sins of the whole world Compend Thes 1. and his Dutch booke in the preface Againe
Champion of this conflict trusting to this triple ranke dealeth no more modestlie nor lesse boasteth himselfe and singeth the triumph before the victorie then euen that fierce Goliath 1. Sam 17. 2. Paral. â—2 1. â—eg 20. arrogant and stout by reason of his sworde speare and shield or that proud Sanherib or glorious Benhadad trusting in their horses and chariots to the reproach of Israel For he boasteth boldly that all attempt is in vaine of ouerthrowing those rankes Comp. thes 14. vnles first they that assaie it doe accuse and conuince the scripture of falsehoode But oh sirtha of good fellowship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sing not your triumph before the victorie and as it is set downe in the sacred Scriptures Let not him that putteth on his armor boast as he that putteth it off as we learne that Ahab long agoe wisely answered Benhadad 1. Reg. 20.21 The Scripture with vs is of vndoubted credit and constant authoritie But the question is not of the trueth of the Scriptures which who so beleeueth not is a Pagan and no Christian but of the trueth of mans opinion which too boldly truely thou doest defend vnder pretence of Gods word as we shall see Wherefore we nothing regarde as well thine armies as thy triumphs CHAP. II. VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE FIRST ORDER A generall answer to testimonies of the death of Christ for all THe first order or ranke as farre as I obserue consisteth in a fourefold kinde of testimonies as a foureparted rescuing armie of souldiers for the places of Scripture of the olde and new Testament are brought wherein either Christ is said to die for all or the fruite of his death seemeth to be extended to all without exception or mention of the world is made in the matter of saluation or lastlie the gospell is said to appertaine vnto all Of all these we will speake in order First of all as touching the testimonies of the death of Christ for all we graunt also after a sort that Christ suffered and died for all men as many as haue been are and shall be What then Shall it thereof follow that all and euery one whether they beleeue or not beleeue are in very deede reconciled iustified quickened renewed saued and that all iudgement and wrath of God is truely and properlie taken away in all men and that all together are set free from all sinne and condemnation vndoubtedly and receiued as sonnes into the fauour and bosome of God This thing this stout defender maintaineth in these very words in his Theses but we denie and vtterly denie these consequences For that they may be admitted this of necessitie must be the Maior of the Syllogisme For whomsoeuer Christ suffered and dyed The opinion of the aduersarie drawne into a syllogisme they vndoubtedly are freed from all sinne and condemnation and are in deede made partakers of saluation reconciliation iustification regeneration and other benefits purchased by Christs death without any respect of faith and vnbeliefe The assumption followeth Christ is dead for all Therefore c. Answere But the Maior taken so absolutely is most false and full of reproach euery way against all the trueth of Christian religion and the very passion and death of the sonne of God But it is true conditionally that they for whom he died be partakers of the rehearsed benefits if they beleeue in Christ and obey him For it is impossible that a man should please God Heb. 11. who is without faith And Christ plainely maketh such a difference As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes Ioh. 3. so must the sonne of man be lift vp that euery one that beleeueth should haue euerlasting life And straight waies So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternal life Againe in the same place For God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saued He that beleeueth is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie And about the end of the chapter Iohn Baptist saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath life but he that beleeueth not in the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Neither doth Paul acknowledge any to be iustified by the redemption of Christ Rom. 3. but such as beleeue All saith he haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whoÌ„ God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This answere vseth Theophilact vpon Heb. 2. Theoph. whom Anselmus there seemeth to follow His words are these He tasted death not for the faithfull only but for the whole world For albeit all are not saued in very deed yet he a Peregit quod suâ intererat wrought that which was his part to do See how it doth not follow that if Christ died for all all are straightway saued which is the diuinitie of Huberus thes 270. Vpon the 9. chapter to the Hebr. the same interpreter hath left it thus written He hath taken away the sinnes of many Why said he of many and not of all Because all mortall men haue not beleeued The death of Christ surely was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of value sufficient that all should not perish and it was paied for the saluation of all and * Quantum in eo fuit as much as lay in him he died for all yet he tooke not away the sinnes of all because they that resist him make the death of Christ altogether vnprofitable vnto themselues These things he Stapulensis The foresaid answere Stapulensis an interpreter among the late writers not to bee despised confirmeth vpon the 2. chapter to the Hebr. in these words Christ truly suffered for all men and his death is of value for the redemption of all but then his death hath freed vs from the feare of death and from the feare of bondage hath restored vs into the libertie of life when wee follow him willingly And vpon the 10. chapter he writeth that by the oblation of Christ there is a most full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world which haue been are and shall be but their sins are remitted who comming vnto Christ doe aske grace which he vouchsafed to obtaine of the father for them but their sins are not pardoned who refuse his grace and contemne the vniuersal fountaine of the washing away of sinnes not knowing or being vnwilling to purge themselues in him And Brentius doth so declare it Brentius Catechis artic de remiss peccat We are iustified saith he by the meere mercie of God only for the redemption wherwith Christ hath redeemed mankind from sinnes and for that reconciliation which he hath obtained and not for any merit of man But
sense and so Augustine Euchir ad Laur. cap. 103. expoundeth He will that all men be saued that is all kinde of men seuered by what differences soeuer kings priuate men noble high and low learned vnlearned wise foolish rich poore males females children and infants in all ages in all professions and if there bee any other differences among men And this exposition agreeth throughly with the purpose of Paul For thus he reasoneth Whom God would haue to bee saued for their saluation the Church ought to pray But God would haue all that is whomsoeuer to bee saued without difference of nation sexe age order and dignitie Therefore for all that is whomsoeuer euen for kings and other kinds of men faithfull and vnfaithfull the Church ought to pray Thus rightly is that expounded which he saith that we must pray for all men For if wee should pray for all simply and without exception of any one in vaine had Iohn said There is a sinne to death I say not for that that thou shouldest pray 1. Ioh. 5. Augustine Elsewhere Augustine expoundeth these words he will that all be saued saying that all the predestinate may bee vnderstood by them because all sorts of men bee in them saith he de correp grat cap. 14. But of those words enough which if the aduersaries continue to abuse let them also call to minde the exposition of Heerbrandus Heerbrand Bidenbac Osiander Disput de praedest th 93. and of Bidenbacchius and Osiander Respons ad assertiones Iesuitarum Dilingensium where they also allow the receiued distinction of the Schoolemen of the double will of God which their Schmidlinus afterward endeuoured to confute and they interprete the words of Paul with Augustine to wit that he speaketh not of euery person of men but of all the orders of men or not of euery singular one of all sorts but of the sorts of euery one Further that which is an other reason of the aduersaries out of that place of the Apostle they captiously catch at in that he saith one Mediatour of God and men that is all men whomsoeuer that come from Adam say they because also by the name of God is vnderstood whatsoeuer is in God But this is a meere shift Paul speaketh indefinitly that Christ is the Mediatour of God and men he addeth not all and if he had added it the same restraint should take place wherof was spoken before For it is the part of a Mediatour Ambrose as Ambrose obserueth in his exposition vpon the 1. of Timothie to bee an vmpire betweene him who hath sinned and him against whom the sin is committed that this party may pardon and that man may hereafter abide in the faith of God which thing certainly Christ did not take vpon him for the reprobate world for whom he vouchsafed no not so much as to pray vnto the father Ioh. 17. Of which place also Cyrill discoursing Cyril in Ioh. lib. 11. cap. 19. plainly testifieth that Christ is the Mediatour and high Priest not of the world but of his owne and that vnto them alone is attributed rightly the benefit of the Mediatour But see the mans wit Huber thes â—3 By the word God is vnderstoode doubtles whatsoeuer is in God therefore also by men ought to be meant whatsoeuer is borne of Adam I denie the consequence they bee onely loose broomes and cords made of sand hanging no more together then if I should say God hath made a couenant with man of grace and eternall life therfore as by the word God is meant whatsoeuer belongeth to God therfore by men also ought to be meant all men that be or shall be euery where so al shall be eternally saued By this kinde of reasoning or rather trifling many things most absurd may be gathered Betweene God and the seede of Abraham there was a couenant of Circumcision Now if a man vnderstood it of whatsoeuer seede Abraham should haue because by the word God may bee meant whatsoeuer belongeth to God as well women as men should haue been circumcised in Israel What is more foolish But what shall we say to that which followeth 1. Tim. 2. Who gaue himselfe a raunsome for all The answere is plaine by the things that haue been spoken before For he truly gaue himselfe a price of redemption sufficient for all none excepted at all of the whole vniuersalitie of men but because the vnbeleeuers do not applie redemption to themselues the wrath of God abideth on them Note how Christ may be said to giue himselfe a price for all Also he gaue himself the price of reconciliation for all that belong to the vniuersalitie of the elect and to his owne bodie Again for al indefinitly that is for whomsoeuer Iewes and Gentiles high and low masters and seruants as it hath been often already said Vnto which opinion also Theophilact inclineth The â— place of the aduersarie examined out of 2. Cor. 5.15 16 17. Another place is 2. Cor. 5.15 If one died for all surely all are dead and he died for all that they which liue should hereafter not liue to themselues but to him who died for them and rose againe Therefore wee hereafter know no man after the flesh If wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh yet now know we him so no more Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new creature Old things are passed behold all things are become new Here it is twise said that Christ died for all Well who denieth it we say so too but the doubt is of the sense Our aduersarie saith that Christ effectually died for all so that the heauenly father in very deede hath receiued into grace all mankinde and euery one is passed from death to life from sinne to righteousnes from oldnes to newnes but Paul saith not so nay he manifestly impugneth the words of Paul For in the words following he defineth reconciliation by this that God doth not impute sinnes and that wee be made the righteousnes of God in Christ And this is done by faith For that sinnes bee not imputed Rom. 4.5 c. and that faith is imputed for righteousnes Paul vseth for one and the same thing neither will he haue any other righteousnes of God to be meant but that which is by the faith of Iesu Christ in all Rom. 3 2â— and vpon all that beleeue and not vpon all simplie whether they beleeue or not What meaneth that saying of the ministers of reconciliation in this very chapter doth it not euince the same thing We being embassadors in the name of Christ Acts 3.29 doe pray you in his steede that ye would be reconciled to God Which what other thing is it then repent and turne ye that your sinnes may be done away and so ye shall in deede be partakers of the purchased reconciliation Further it is new and vnheard of Huber thes 90. that euery man is made a new
creature through Christ seeing the Apostle writeth so expresselie If any man be in Christ that is hath admitted the faith of Christ and beleeueth in him as Hierome Theophylacte and other ancient writers obserue he is a new creature And Augustine saith Contr. faust lib. 11. cap. 8. Therefore euery new creature that is the renewed people by faith in Christ hath now cause to hope in him Therefore such as are and remaine without Christ neither are nor euer were new creatures and whereas Paul saith We know no man hence forth after the flesh the meaning is not that euery one is renewed by the benefit of Christ as the aduersarie wresteth the saying but this he meaneth that all not regenerate be to him as though they were not yet borne that he respecteth or praiseth no carnall thing in any man but approueth him who is made a new creature by the faith of Christ that he may liue henceforth to him and not to the world Augustine and Theophylacte restraine that word no man to the beleeuers in sense somewhat diuerse from that we now spake of Hereof it is manifest that the opinion of the vniuersall redemption and renewing of all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers is cleane contrary to the words of the Apostle Goe to then thou wilt say How saith hee that Christ died for all I answer because the benefit of Christ is sufficient of it selfe to saue all although it haue effect in those onely who cleaue vnto Christ as members vnto the head by the holy Ghost August Theophylact. Augustine in the place before cited and Theophylact in his comment respecting efficiencie restraine the generall terme according to the custome of the scripture vnto the faithfull for euen they alone are dead to sinne and liue to Christ who died and rose for them And Augustine bringeth the place Ephes 2. Confirming this opinion where the Apostle saith When we were dead because of sinnes he hath quickened vs together with Christ by whose grace ye are saued and hath raised vs and placed vs together in heauen that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace towards vs for ye are saued by grace thorow faith and ye are the worke of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes The 3. place Rom. 8.31 32. Thirdly the place Rom. 8. is obiected If God be for vs who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all c. But here nothing is proued concerning the generalitie of men simplie but of the vniuersality of the faithfull and elect seeing the generall terme All is restrained vnto such as when the same Apostle writeth of Abraham that he is the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and of that high Ierusalem that it is the mother of vs all verilie he would not haue it vnderstoode of all men but of all the faithfull The same restraint is here for vs all and many things concurre if we consider what goeth before and what followeth which most plainely confirme this opinion Certainely these are the words of beleeuers and such as insult ouer the world which they ouercome by faith If God be for vs who can be against vs How shall hee not bestow vpon vs all things who hath not spared his owne sonne for vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ In all things we are more then conquerors thorow him that loued vs. Againe Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect August It is God who iustifieth Hereupon Augustine de correp grat cap. 7. writeth that this is a saying concerning the kingdome of the elect If God be with vs who can be against vs and the rest that follow But it is obiected that Paul speaketh to all to whom he wrote his epistle among whom there were some not elected but to be cut off with the vnbeleeuers That is likely to be true but it is meete and right according to the nature of charitie that Paul should iudge of all the sonnes of the Church at Rome and elsewhere so long as the contrarie did not appeare as of the beloued and elect of God as he witnesseth of himselfe Phil. 1.7 and 1. Thess 1.4 The sayings euen now cited are examples thereof Gal. 4.26 Rom. 4.16 and 8.18 Fourthly it is said Hebr. 2.8 The 4. place of aduersary Hebr. 2.8 to 17. 9 c. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he put all things vnder him he omitted nothing that is not subiect vnto him But now as yet we see not all things subiect vnto him but we see Iesus crowned with glorie and honour who was made for a little while inferior to the Angels for the suffering of death that by the benefit of God he might taste of death for all For it was meete that he for whom are all these things and by whom are all things should by bringing many sonnes vnto glorie consecrate the prince of their saluation thorough afflictions For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one For which cause he was not ashamed to call them bretheren saying I will declare thy name vnto my bretheren in the middest of the Church will I sing praise vnto thee And againe I will trust in him And againe Beholde I and the children whom God hath giuen me Because therefore the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also was made partaker of the same that by death he might abolish him who had the power of death that is the deuill and might deliuer as many as thorough feare of death were all their life subiect vnto bondage For verely he tooke not vpon him the Angels but the seede of Abraham Thes 168. Out of these words Huberus frameth certaine arguments which let the reader iudge and weigh with me First thus he inferreth All things are subiect vnto Christ without exception therefore also the reprobates and by consequence they ought also to belong to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace I answer that all things are subiect vnto Christ 1. Cor. 15. â— 26. 55. but not vnto the communion of Saluation otherwise the diuell also with his Angels sinne death and hell it selfe should be receiued vnto the fellowship of saluation and grace according to the minde of this disputer But all things are subiect vnto him because he hath rule ouer all is Lord of all whether they be beleeuers or vnbeleeuers of these to death of the other to life as Faber Stapulensis hath well written vpon this place To that that he writeth that the reprobates are subiect vnto Christ as their Sauiour that is that they might bee saued wee will then consent when he hath taught that al things are subiect vnto Christ for saluation euen sheepe and oxen and the very deuils Truly all things are subiect vnto Christ the Sauiour Matth. 28. but not as to
a Sauiour to saue them but as to him who hath receiued all power in heauen and earth Secondly he vrgeth the words that he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are said to be all of one that is partakers of one and the same nature whereof he inferreth that Christ suffered vnderstand alwaies effectually for the whole nature of mankinde and as many as are partakers of the same But here there is no consequence at all And he boldly writeth that this is so cleere as nothing can bee more cleere Trifles For the Apostle saith not that Christ sanctifieth all who are partakers with him of the same humane nature neither can this bee gathered of his words vnles a man altogether vnskilfull of Logicke should think that that affirmatiue he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one may simply bee conuerted More rightly the writer of the calling of the Gentiles in the last booke first chapter saith Nature being euill and miserable in all men before reconciliation is not made righteous in all and among such as should perish there is a difference made in some part thereof by him who came to seeke and saue that which was lost Thirdly he thus reasoneth Christ hath abolished him who had the power of death the deuill Ergo by dying he hath pulled all and euery one out of his power I answere that the deuill is destroyed by the death of Christ vnto the faithfull Coloss 1.13 vnto whom all the assault of Satan is in vaine and of none effect vntill the God of peace doe at length vtterly tread him vnder their feete Rom. 16. Ioh. 3. But the wrath of God abideth vpon the vnbeleeuers and consequently the power of Satan who is as a certaine executioner of Gods wrath to punish In the meane while we confesse with Leo that the death of Christ is so rich in value that if the vniuersalitie of captiues should beleeue in Christ no bands of Satan could hold them Obiection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thus the deuill shall not bee abolished while his power remaineth ouer very many I answer that it is a fallacie à dicto secundū quid that is from a saying spoken in part For as we rightly say that Christ doth abolish and take away sinnes that is the workes of the deuill by iustifying and gouerning his owne albeit in the meane while sinne ceaseth not to raigne in very many so the deuill is worthily said to bee abolished by the death of Christ Ephes 2.2 2. Tim. 2.26 although his power continueth towards the children of disobedience Let other places be compared wherein the Greeke word is extant as 1. Corint 1.28 Romanes 6.6 and 2. Tim. 1.10 Fourthly they be the expresse words of the Apostle That Christ tasted death for all that he might set them at libertie as many as were all their life subiect vnto bondage To this we answere if this saying be meant of the efficacie of Christs death the vniuersall particle doth not comprehend all men and euery one but all who are sanctified as here and somewhat after the Apostle himselfe declareth For when he had made mention of death which he tasted for all straightwaies he annexeth a declaration of the sonnes of God as it were painting out a certaine companie or armie of them before whom being to be brought from the kingdome of that hellish Pharao into the true land of promise and the glorie of the heauenly kingdome goeth cheerfully that first begotten sonne of God the prince and author of their saluation who died for them all and rose againe and being crowned with glorie and honour carieth before them his crosse as it were for a standard and prepareth and fortifieth the way for thē And a little after They that are sanctified saith he and hee that sanctifieth are all of one Where by those that are sanctified he noteth such as are appointed to the saluation of their soules and must be brought vnto glory as he had said before In these surely the efficacie of Christs death is extant and not in those who are not sanctified as after also in the 10. chapter he saith that Christ by one offering hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified And these bee they of whom Christ himselfe speaketh Ioh. 17. Father I sanctifie that is offer my self for thē that they may be also sanctified through the truth to wit they who are giuen to the sonne by the father and are his people as the Apostle also saith vers 17. of this chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was in all things made like to his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in the things of GOD to satisfie for the sinnes of the people And as for that which is mentioned of deliuerance from bondage and the horror of death by the death of Christ wee may finde this effect also in the godly who being armed against corporall and spirituall death Ioh. 5.24 with the death of Christ as with a remedie against all euill haue passed from death to life And so Brentius himselfe in Expli Catech. expresseth this saying page 164. Christ saith he hath abolished death by his death not that we should not die bodily but that the bodily death should not bee the destruction of him who beleeueth in Christ for he is preserued in death to eternall life Albeit as touching this later member wee are to know that the text may be indefinitly read as the old translation hath it and after that Luther in the Dutch that he might deliuer them who through feare of death were all their life subiect to bondage For the Grecians as Stephanus in his Thesaurus warneth doe take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as many as for who And thus much of this kinde of testimonies which say that Christ our Lord died for all with the answers also added to the reasons gathered out of the circumstances of those testimonies Such places follow wherein the fruite of Christs death and passion seemeth to be extended to all without exception CHAP. IIII. HEre first the words of the Apostle are obiected comparing the fall of Adam and the redemption by Christ together Rom. 5.18 where among other things hee writeth Huber thes 48. The first place of the aduersarie out of Rom. 5.18 alleadged to proue that the fruite of Christs death belongs to all that as by one offence guiltines came vpon all men to condemnation so by one iustification the benefit of Christ redoundeth vnto all men to the iustification of life Both there is all men and here also all therefore as many as perished in Adam are iustified by Christ Neither is it any matter say they that it followeth straightway that many are made righteous by the obedience of one for by many is not vnderstood some onely but all because in like maner it is sayd that in Adam many are made sinners
place in the later sense and sheweth that therefore it is said both there all and here all because as all who die die not but in Adam so all who shall be quickened shall not be quickened but in Christ Ambrose Ambrose in Comment referreth that word all vnto the vniuersalitie of the elect As death saith he held all who came of Adam so also Christ purchased life for all who bee of his bodie To whom also Hierome subscribeth in the exposition of this place Yea this is apparantly the declaration of Paul himselfe who when hee had said that all shall be quickened in Christ immediatly added these words but euery one in his owne order the first fruits is Christ then such as are Christs at his comming Therefore he speaketh of the quickening of all those that belong to Christ The 3. place of the aduersarie Ephes 1.10 A third place is alleadged out of the first chapter to the Ephesians where it is read that it was the good purpose of the father to renew or to restore all things in Christ both which are in heauen and which are in earth Which very sentence Paul repeateth and more fully vrgeth to the Colos chap. 1.19.20 saying Colos 1.19 20. This was the good pleasure of the father that in Christ all fulnes should dwell and that he might reconcile to himselfe all things in heauen and earth making peace by that blood of his crosse And the Apostle applying that generall doctrine to the Colossians who had now admitted the faith of Christ he further saith Vers 21. to 25. Therefore you being in times past strangers and enemies hauing your mindes set on euill workes hath he now recōciled in that bodie of his flesh through death that he might present you holie and blameles and without fault before himselfe if ye continue grounded and rooted in faith and be not moued from the hope of the Gospell which ye haue heard which hath been preached vnto euery creature vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a minister reioycing now of those things which I suffer for you and fulfilling likewise the remnants of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the Church The aduersarie vrgeth the generall note all things because all things are reconciled and restored that there is nothing at all omitted among men which is not reconciled and restored by the death of Christ But he cutteth his throate with his owne sword For if wee must sticke to vniuersalitie without any restraint why doth he restraine the generall note to mankind alone and expoundeth all things that is all men Before those words of the reconciliation of all went that saying All things which are in heauen and earth were made by Christ and all things consist in him and that he was before all things and hath the rule ouer all things Why doth hee now goe from that vniuersalitie of all things repeated so often in so few words and expoundeth it of the humane nature alone that all things are said to be reconciled by Christ Doth he confesse at the length that the generall particle doth now and then require a limitation according to the circumstance of the place and matter whereof is entreated But as touching the sense of this place of the restoring and reconciliation of all things by Christ many men haue spoken diuers things of this matter yet none of the old interpreters that I know tooke the words of the Apostle in that sense wherein they are produced by the aduersarie But three expositions of any moment are brought foorth to omit other of lesse account The first is that the whole creature simplie needed the remedie of the death of Christ men truly that sinne and death being destroyed they might obtain through faith euerlasting saluation and Angels that by the repayring of men and the coniunction of earthly things with heauenly they may fully reioyce lastly the Elements and the visible creature for the deliuerie of it selfe from destruction and corruption Rom. 8. for the very creature it selfe also as Paul witnesseth shall be freed from the bondage of corruption into the libertie of the glorie of the sonnes of God This exposition is Theodorites in Comment ad Eph. 1. Col. 1. Heb. 2. Other expound it of Angels and men Hereupon August Ench ad Laur. c. 62. In Christ saith he the things in heauen are restored when the full of Angels is recompenced out of mē And the things in earth are repaired when men themselues who were predestinated vnto eternal life are renued from their old corruption And in the same place expounding the words to the Colos 1. How saith he are heauenly things pacified but in vs that is in agreeing with vs For earthly things were separated from heauenly for the contrarietie of life as Hierome hath noted vpon that place Thirdly by those things which are in heauen other vnderstand the soules of the Saints Heb. 12.23 which be now in the kingdome of heauen and by earthly things the elect who as yet are pilgrimes in the banishment of this present life as Anselme expoundeth in so many words Rightly truly For Paul saith not that peace was made betweene heauenlie and earthlie things betweene Angels and men but that God had reconciled to himselfe both the things which are in heauen and which are in earth And that so it ought to bee construed the Greeke text doth proue albeit others construe it with the verbe that is translated making peace Further the application which is added Therefore vs truly hath he now reconciled who were in times past strangers and enemies doth sufficiently declare that the proprietie of reconciliatiō belongeth to the faithfull and that the vnbeleeuers as long as they bee such are void of reconciliation and enemies of God But the aduersarie The 4 place Colos 1.23 that he may leaue no stone as they say vnmoued would faine establish his opinion of the vniuersalitie of reconciliation by this also Thes 101. that Paul exhorteth all the Colossians to continue stable in the hope of the Gospell and so signifieth that they also are reconciled who fall away or may fall away from hope and faith I answere seeing wee are to iudge charitably of others such are counted and reckoned for faithfull and elect and therefore reconciled and heires of righteousnesse and eternall life whosoeuer professe with vs the faith of Christ but then they be truly that which they are called if they continue in that for which they are so called But if they haue not perseuerance they are not truly so called as Augustine writeth de Correp grat cap. 9. But of this more at large afterward in the arguments of the second ranke or order The aduersarie also warneth vs to marke well in the words of the Apostle ad Col. 1. that he not onely said that the Gospell was preached to all the Colossians but the hope of the Gospel And yet it is in the
partakers of redemption by faith doe not erre that way finally But such as abide in that error of the righteousnes of workes whether they haue knowne at any time the trueth of the Gospell or no it cannot be proued that they were euer truly redeemed from the curse For this redemption belongeth to them onely who by true faith in Christ are the seede of Abraham and are heires according to the promise as is largely taught Gal. 3. The 9. place Gal. 5. As touching the place Gal. 5. Stand ye in the libertie wherwith Christ hath freed vs the aduersarie collecteth that men once deliuered by the blood and death of Christ may againe lose that libertie while they abide not in it but are intangled againe with the yoke of bondage and so make Christ vnprofitable vnto them and fall from grace I answer the text hath not stand ye in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you as Huber depraueth it but wherewith he hath freed vs. And the opposition of the sonnes of the bondwoman and of the free of the beleeuers and workers namely who standing to set vp their own righteousnes are not made partakers of the righteousnes of Christ doth manifestly shew that this deliuerance by Christ belongeth not to all without exception beleeuers and vnbeleeuers but he that beleeueth in Christ hath that libertie and doth not lose it finally because it is eternall For Christian libertie as Luther also vpon this place warneth is such a gift Luther of Christian libertie whereby in stead of sinne and death we haue righteousnes and eternall life and haue God for euer mercifull and fauourable through Christ Many fal from Christian libertie but diuersly We confesse neuertheles that many stand not in the libertie wherwith Christ hath freed vs. First because euen the elect and true beleeuers are often tempted and intangled in errors repugnant to the foundation but as it hath been often said not finally Secondly because many professing faith and Christian libertie and so farre forth hauing place for a while among Christs freemen are againe to the losse of their saluation intangled with the bondage of the Law and mans traditions yea of the world and the deuill And both of these make Christ of none effect vnto themselues and fall from grace and consolation these absolutely and perpetually the other so long onely as vntill they repent The same answere serueth to other two places namely concerning the Iewes being as certaine branches broken off from the Oliue tree The 10. and 11 places Rom. 11. Iohn 15. and concerning the Gentiles who should be cut off vnles they continue in the bountifulnes of God And my father taketh away euery branch that beareth not fruite in me and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruite Except a man shall abide in me he is cast forth and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire Iere. 11. Esay 25. Matth. 21. The simple meaning of these words is that not all who by outward vocation are among the people of God that greene and fat oliue tree and elect vine and so are accounted among the branches of Christ shall be saued many such haue been long ago cut off and shall be cut off hereafter for vnthankfulnes Hipocrites for a time flourish as greene branches but at length are cut off For there are many hypocrites partakers euen after a sort of grace albeit not vnto iustification who because in shew for a time they florish and are greene but in rendring fruite deceiue the hope of the husbandman and haue faith in their lips more then in heart at length are cast away But that it happeneth to some of the elect and truly godlie to bee so cut off The Elect are neuer cut off nor cast away proued by three reasons it is not onely not proued by these testimonies but also the contrarie is therein plainly set downe First who were the Iewes whom God reiected vnbeleeuers not obeying the Gospell being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse and to whom was giuen of God the spirit of slumber in his iust iudgement and eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Rom. 10. 11.8 as the Apostle describeth those reprobates But discerning the elect and godly from them he saith God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Againe Verse 2 7. Israel attained not that which he sought for but the elect haue attained it the rest haue been hardened But they were reiected for vnbeleefe who denieth it But by the iust iudgement of God they came not vnto faith because they were not of his elect For who will say euen the veriest foole of all saith Augustine that the malitious Iewes who haue perished in their hatred and who being of that nation enemies to Christ as yet doe perish that they are elect and beloued Secondly Paul doth not so much speake vnto euery one of the elect of the Gentiles as in common vnto the whole body of such as were coÌ„uerted among whom many were in name onely faithfull and members of Christ when he threatneth them with the example of the vnbeleeuing Iewes Albeit though it were graunted that the Apostle directeth his aduise to euery elect and faithfull one yet nothing is thereupon effected because he speaketh by supposition that they shall bee cut off â— Iohn 2. â—9 vnlesse they shall continue in the goodnes of God But the elect doe continue and that they may continue and may more and more answer vnto their calling and not receiue the grace of God in vaine to that very end serue those spurres of exhortations and threatnings profitable vnto them to put away the securitie of the flesh wherewith we daily wrestle Thirdly Christ Ioh. 15 plainly setteth down the difference of the two kinde of branches fruitfull and vnfruitfull of the truly godly and of hypocrites hauing a shew onely of godlines who neuertheles are for their externall profession iudged to be in the vine And of these the Lord saith that euery branch not bearing fruit in him shall be taken away and burned Who are those but such as haue faith without workes that is A Syllogisme a dead faith But of the branches that beare fruite hee saith that the father will purge euery branch that beareth fruite that it may bring more fruite Vnder this proposition now let vs set downe the assumption But all true beleeuers in whom faith is effectuall by loue and florisheth by purging the hearts and purifying the soules are fruitfull branches Ergo the father will daily more and more purge them so farre off is it that they shall be cut off The 12. place Matth 13. The parable of the debter expounded The parable also of the debter Matth. 18. seemeth to confirme that redemption that is remission of sinnes is made voide in some persons
beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are receiued into grace and made partakers of remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluation in Christ Of which thing that we may not doubt at al in the Miscellanies of D. Ierome Zanchie of godly memorie Zanchius there is the iudgement extant of the Church and schoole of Tigur touching certaine Theses of the said Zanchie which at that time were hatefully pursued of certaine that moued the same mischiefe that Huber doth The promises of the free mercie of God and of sure and eternall saluation saith Zanchie in his 13. proposition albeit they be propounded vniuersally to all and are so to be preached yet vnto the elect onely in very deede they doe belong And straight after in 14. proposition Wherefore when Paul saith God will haue all men to be saued if a man restraine that word all men to the elect in any order of men whatsoeuer they be also if a man interprete that saying 1. Ioh. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the whole world for the elect dispersed or to be dispersed hereafter through the whole world he doth not depraue the Scripture Of the vniuersalitie of the promise of grace What do those lights of the Heluetian Church Bullinger Gualther Wolfius Marty Simler Lauater and the rest say to these things They doe not onely assent that the promises touching the free mercie of God and sure and eternall saluation doe belong vnto the elect onely but also they confirme it with this reason That the promises are hidden things for faith and can no otherwise be perceiued then by faith therfore they belong onely vnto them who are adorned with faith by God Certainly say they the promises of this kinde are to be preached vnto all because the ministers of the word know not such as are elect according to purpose and they haue a flock consisting of reprobates and elect but they are made effectuall by the power of Gods spirit in them onely who are of the number of the elect Afterward touching the other proposition that is this whole controuersie they make a pure and cleere confession publishing it with a lowd voice in these words The vniuersalitie of the elect in the worde All men by the opinion of new writers We truly are of the same iudgement and cannot reiect with a good consciēce that exposition which also we acknowledge to be agreeable to the text and not once alleadged by Augustine a father most worthie praise of all for which interpretation he was neuer of any man condemned of heresie In the same place they subscribe also to Zanchies opinion that true faith is giuen once onely to the elect The elect perseuer in faith and that the elect once indued with true faith and ingrafted into Christ by the holy Ghost cannot altogether lose faith shake off the holy Ghost and wholly fall frō Christ and that because of the promise of God and the prayer of Christ Notwithstanding that true faith and the spirit is as it were a sleepe and languisheth in the Saints when they fall but is not altogether taken away otherwise the seede of God should not remaine in them as it is said 1. Ioh. 3. Behold Huber the sentence of so many worthie men whom thou hast gotten for thy defendors consenting against thee Therefore there is no cause that thou shouldest seeke after craftie wresting of words and make wiles to intrap men through some phrases of theirs whose iudgement is so plainly knowne Yet least thou shouldest chaunce to doubt of these things Zuinglius take but the aduise of Huldrich Zuinglius onely the ornament of thy Heluetia and the brightnes of all kinde of learning Annot. in Euang. epist Pauli per Leonem Iudae editis There be many such kinde of speaking vsed afterward in like maner of his successors Annot. ad Heb. In Ioh. 6. In Ioh. 12. That the son of God tooke flesh that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world that his flesh was giuen for the life and redemption of the whole world and that he died for all that he might quicken all by himselfe In Ioh. 17. and by his death giue life to the vniuersall world that Christ came to saue all and to giue eternall life to all c. That man surely vseth thus to speake but in a farre other sense than thou huntest for such kinde of speakings in his schollers and successors For expounding himselfe he expressely writeth In Matth. 15. Whereas Christs death is the remedie and plaister of our diseases and wounds yet that many feele not the efficacie thereof In Ioh. 3. namely such as doe not acknowledge their sinnes Also that he was sent to forgiue sinnes to all repentant sinners and to communicate eternall life that he is the life and saluation of the godly the life of beleeuers and such like In Ioh. 6. praefat in histo de pass In epist ad Rom. 3. In Ioh. 12. And yet he taketh away the sins of the whole world and giueth life to all both because no sinnes in the world are forgiuen but by and for the onely reconciler Christ Iesus and also because he is an vniuersall Sauiour to wit not onely of the Iewes but of the Gentiles also that they that haue the fruition of Christ his oblation may for euer goe to God through him and may haue by faith through Christ the blotting out of all their sinnes as more at large a man may see in the same writer tom 1. expostul ad Fridolium Attend and weigh O Huber and cease to abuse the testimonies of thine Heluetians The 8. testimonie Musculus The same thing I say of Musculus whose iudgement who so looketh into I know very well he will marueile at Hubers wit and at his desire and captious kinde of speaking to peruert all things De remiss pecc q. 2. Thes 586. These are his words That the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men This Huber catching at greedily setteth it in his booke in great letters but malitiously altogether pulled away from the words following wherein lieth the meaning of that saying to wit that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men as farre forth as the Gospel is to be preached to euery creature and the mercie of God to be set forth to all And so Musculus vnderstandeth the sayings Ioh. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. So God loued the world Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world not that remission of sinnes by the grace of God befalleth to all without difference of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers which is the opinion of the aduersarie and not of Musculus Nay thus he testifieth openly If we consider them who by the grace of God obtaine remission of their sinnes as of the elect so of these also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates whose sins he saith are
if the minister of the word inuite all men to faith exhort and stirre vp all to repentance But the promises of grace But the promises of grace belong to the beleeuers onely 2. Thess 3. Acts 13. wherein is offered mercie peace saluation honour glorie life and immortalitie these speaking of men growne are receiued no otherwise than by faith and faith all men haue not but whom God of his singular mercie vouchsafeth that diuine gift Further the aduersarie himselfe whether he will or not must confesse as before also we mentioned that saluation pertaineth vnto them Thes 534. who by faith abide in Christ Therefore it doth not belong to the vnbeleeuers and so to all no truly vnles a man would call againe the fable of Origene Origens fable that all men at length shall be saued Wherfore here the Antecedent is denied that the minister of the Gospell promiseth to all and preacheth the couenant of reconciliation to all as though all were comprehended alike in the couenant Zach 1.3 Ezech. 18.21 Esay 1.17 Acts 2.38 8.22 For to speake simply he promiseth to the beleeuers onely and to such as repent But to the vnbeleeuers and hypocrites he denounceth wrath because the wicked hath no peace saith the Lord neither is any thing promised vnto them but conditionally to wit if they turne and beleeue with all their heart The promise is made vnto the wicked conditionally And this condition God alone performeth in whom it pleaseth him seeing both faith and repentance bee his meere gift And in this sense it is rightly said that the promises ought to be preached and propounded vnto all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers as farre as the ministers office stretcheth that they should disperse the word of faith and saluation indifferently and publikely into the eares of all and setting forth the mercie of God in Christ who is the sacrifice for the sinnes of the world they should call whomsoeuer to imbrace the gift of grace and should inuite whomsoeuer they finde as it were to the mariage of the king Matth. 22. And it is an vngodly speech that all ought not to beleeue because the promise and saluation pertaineth not to all Nay because saluation is proper to the faithfull onely and death and condemnation to the vnfaithfull therefore ought all to repent and beleeue the Gospell that they perish not with the world but may haue eternall life Neither doth it any thing hinder this generall inuitation that it is certaine that many euer haue been and shall be contemners of grace offered seeing as the Apostle saith faith belongeth not to all 2. Thes 3. Matth. 22. Marke this and as Christ witnesseth many are called and few are chosen For the cōmandement of the king is enough and largely enough for the seruants that are the inuiters Go ye Luk. 14. Mark 16. and say ye to them that are bidden Come for all things are readie Call ye vnto the mariage whomsoeuer ye finde Againe Preach ye vnto euery creature Vnto this commandement must the faithfull preacher of righteousnes yeeld obedience whether he be receiued or reiected or els for the same endure any temporall aduersitie As also they who bee called must without delay obey their calling howsoeuer many obey not because they haue also a commandement greater then any shifting or refusall that they can make Come ye beleeue repent Psal 95. Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the desert Let Augustine be read touching this point against Cresconius Gram. lib. 1. cap. 5. 6. where by diuerse testimonies of Scripture he expressely sheweth The trueth must be preached to men though they will not heare it Matth. 10. that the trueth ought to be preached euen to them that will not heare The Lord saith in the Gospell When ye enter in say Peace be to this house if they bee worthie that bee therein your peace shall rest vpon them if not it shall returne to you againe Did he certifie them that they to whom they should preach that peace would receiue it Yet he gaue them to vnderstand that peace must be preached without delay euen to such as would not admit the same The Apostle also charged his Timothie 1. Tim. 4. that he should not bee slothfull in preaching for mens sakes to whom the preaching of the trueth is vnpleasant I charge thee before God and Christ Iesu Preach the word be instant in season and out of season rebuke exhort improue Therefore a faithfull workman will preach to such as are willing in season and to such as refuse out of season Christ also how many things spake he in the face of the Iewes Pharisees Saduces such as not onely would not beleeue but also greatly speake against him and persecute him And he knew surely saith Augustine because hee knew all things that these things would nothing profit them to their saluation but by his example peraduenture strengthened vs Eze. 2. 3. who cannot know before the future faith or vnfaithfulnes of men Beside we reade that the Prophets were sent to men so disobedient that God himselfe foretold the Prophets whom he sent that they to whom he sent them would not obey their words So Ezechiel was sent with the word of God to striue with the Iewes that would disobey dissent and speake against In lik maner Ieremy Iere. 1.19 7.27 to whom it was said Thou shalt speake all these words vnto them yet they will not heare thee and thou shalt call them but they will not answer thee Obiection If any man aske for what cause for what good with what fruite or effect are deafe men spoken vnto albeit the commandement of God bee sufficient against which it is a hainous offence to dispute yet other things also may be alleadged for an answer Answere Foure reasons why the word is preached to reprobates beside Gods cōmandement to doe it before set down 1. As long as men liue in this world reprobates and elect are ioyned together and cannot be discerned by the iudgement of man and therefore it is meete that the trueth bee preached indifferently to all least because of reprobates the elect be defrauded who will take profit by the preaching of the word Hereupon also Augustine de Correp grat 15. 16. Seeing wee know not who belongeth to the number of them that be predestinate and who belongeth not we ought to be so touched with the affection of charitie that we should be willing that all may be saued 2. By this meanes is cleerely shewed the miserable blindnes and great corruption of lost man and in very deede that appeareth true which Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. that the naturall man perceiueth not the things that be of the spirit of God that they be foolishnes vnto him and that he is not able truly to know them 3. The godly while they behold others left
any man of sound iudgement he malapertly saith Thes 489. that the Caluinian ministers are the hangmen of the reprobates who draw them vnto exquisite torments that were from euerlasting condemned and doe hew them in peeces if that bee true that they heare the word of God vnto condemnation What then In what reckoning will he haue the Prophet Esay to bee to whom it was said when he saw the glorie of God Esay 6. Goe make fat the heart of this people and shut their eies Which place surely of the Prophet is repeated not rashly in the New Testament sixe times of the blinding of the Iewes Shall we therefore with a Huberian scoffe call either the Prophet or Christ Iesus whose glorie then Esay saw hangmen Farre be this malapertnes from a Christian heart 2. Cor. 2. But rather by the witnes of the Apostle we are the sweet sauour of Christ to God both in them that perish and in those that are saued to the one the sauour of death to death but to the other the fauour of life to life yet alwaies to God the sweete sauour of Christ in both respects Lastly it must be noted that it maketh no matter here whether it so come to passe either by the foreappointment or by the foreknowledge onely of God that the preaching of the Gospell vnto the reprobates turneth vnto their iudgement For both the foreknowledge and also the foreappointment of God is vnfallible Wherefore seeing the aduersarie cannot denie at the least foreknowledge in God for their more grieuous condemnation who will not obey the word the cauils already alleadged must of necessitie fall vpon his owne head And of these enough CHAP. XV. To the sixt absurditie I Proceed to that which was obiected of the Sacraments to wit Thes 37. The 6. absurditie that Baptisme is taken away That the Sacraments are taken away vnlesse with hand and foote as they say we bee of Hubers opinion touching the vniuersalitie of redemption Of Baptisme he giueth this reason that no certaine grace and saluation is promised to the baptized His argument will be thus By whose opinion no certaine grace and saluation is set forth vnto such as are baptized by their opinion Baptisme is taken away But by their opinion who think that by the death of Christ all men are sufficiently but not effectually redeemed so as al and euery one haue remission of sinnes and are receiued into the grace of God iustified and saued whether they beleeue or not by the opinion of these I say no certaine grace and saluation is propounded to such as are baptized Ergo by their opinion Baptisme is taken away Vnles the argument bee thus framed I see not how any thing can bee concluded to the purpose But the minor is denied Huber surely thes 1019. sendeth vs vnto the things which hee hath from his 386. thes vnto the 431. but if those be looked into and examined it will appeare that nothing is there contained sauing an extrauagant and idle heape of certaine questions ilfauouredly tumbled together concerning Baptisme But without such long circumstances O Huber this thou shouldest proue that vpon the setting downe of the contradictorie of thine opinion of the generalitie of redemption there would follow the ouerthrow of Baptisme and that therefore because no certaine grace and saluation can then bee promised to them that bee baptized This this shew if thou canst omitting thy manifold digressions whereby thou vsest miserably to intangle thy reader and turne him away from the point Surely as for vs The principall vse of Baptisme wee haue learned out of the diuine Scriptures and do constantly teach that the vse of sacred Baptisme tendeth to this end and that principally that it may seale and confirme vnto vs the promise of grace and eternall life For take away the promise of grace from baptisme and thou shalt take away the nature of a Sacrament because according to the vsuall definition of Augustine Augustine dâ—fition of it A Sacrament is a visible forme of inuisible grace Hereupon are those promises He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued Mar. 16. And in the words of Peter Act. 2. Repent ye and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesu Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Also 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs. And Tit. 3. Of his mercie he saued vs through the lauer of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost and such like which are read in the Scriptures of the vertue of Baptisme Which things Basill in his exhortation to Baptisme wittily seemeth to comprehend Baptisme saith he is the releasing of captiues and debt the death of sinne the renuing of the mind the shining garment the way of heauen the getting of the kingdome of heauen and the grace of adoption For holy Baptisme is the seale of so many things to the faithfull Rom. 4. as the Apostle speaketh of Circumcision that it was giuen to Abraham for a seale of the righteousnes of faith teaching that Circumcision was not giuen for righteousnes but for a seale of righteousnes which is by faith And I say to the faithfull because neither the word nor Baptisme promiseth any thing to or profiteth the vngodly and vnbeleeuers For it is a word of promise He that beleeueth and is baptized Vnbeleeuers are not partakers of the grace of Baptisme although they be Baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned whether he be baptized or not And Ephes 5. wee reade that the Church is sanctified of Christ the bridegrome and washed in the fountaine of water in the word Why in the word Because euen in the water the word cleanseth and not the water it selfe as Augustine Tract 80. vpon Iohn expoundeth And the same man addeth Whence commeth so great force of water that it toucheth the bodie and washeth the heart but by the word which doth it and that not because it is spoken but because it is beleeued The same man vpon the 77. Psalme writeth thus of the Iewes Whereas the Sacraments were common to all grace was not common which is the vertue of the Sacraments So now also the lauer of regeneration is common to all that are baptized but grace it selfe whereby the members of Christ with their head are regenerated is not common to all Againe lib. 5. cont Donatist cap. 24. he saith that Baptisme may be without the spirit and that some of those that are baptized doe put on Christ while they are receiuing of the Sacrament others by continuing in holines of life That is common to good and euill and this is proper to the good and godly And truely it is in the schooles receiued and allowed Many testimonies prouing that Baptisme doth profit the beleeuer onely that such as come without faith and fainedly receiue the Sacrament and not the thing by the example of Simon Magus of whom Augustine
them and may be accounted iust before God and made the flesh and blood of Christ and adopted into the sonnes and heires of God and that these benefites appertaine to the vniuersall Church and not to strangers for the same contrariety of Luth. de capt Babyl His owne and Strangers is here of force which before was obserued out of Brentius Further Luther waighing this very place saith for you and for many said he that is who receiue and beleeue the promise of the testator for faith here maketh heires The 3. testimonie The third place is in Zacharias song Luke 1. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath lifted vp a horne of saluation in the house of Dauid his seruant as he spake by the mouth of the holy Prophets that we should be saued from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate vs that being delivered from them we should serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life First euen here we see the redemption of Christ peculiarly attributed to the people of God who be the faithfull people or the true Israelites out of euery people and nation as Theophylact witnesseth Secondly that he mentioneth the horne of saluation in the house of Dauid he respecteth the prophesie in the 132. Psalme for there the grace of Christ the king and conquerour is onely promised to the saints and poore in spirite but nothing but destruction and confusion is proclamed to his enemies as the blessed Virgin witnesseth in her song He hath put downe the mightie from their seate and hath exalted the humble he hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich hee hath sent emptie away Thirdly it is not onely the end but also a part of the redemption which Zacharie magnifieth to serue God in holinesse and true righteousnesse For hee saith that God by othe promised to Abraham that he would giue vnto vs that we should serue him without feare being deliuered from our enemies But it t is very plaine that very many serue not God but their belly and the world rather Therefore that spirituall redemption by Christ was not promised or wrought for all indifferently Fourthly he saith He that proceedeth from an high hath visited vs that he may appeare to thē that sit in darkenes in the shadow of death to direct our feet into the way of peace But not euery one euery where is conuerted from darkenes to light and their feete directed into the way of peace that is of righteousnesse The fourth place is Luke 2. The 4. testimonie Luke 2. Feare ye not saith the Angel to the sheepheards for behold I bring you tydings of great ioy that shal be to al people to wit that vnto you is borne this day a sauiour who is Christ the Lord. This was the first preaching of the Gospell touching the birth of the Sauiour of the world And the thing it selfe proclaimeth that the incarnation of the Lord neither was nor is ioyfull no not to all the Iewes much lesse to all other through the whole world As Matthew reporteth of Herode that he and all Ierusalem were troubled at the enquiry of the wise men concerning the king of the Iewes that was borne But this ioy and therefore the matter of it that is Christ with his whole humiliation and merite is theirs who properly be the people of God for all the Iewes are not the people of God much lesse all men but the faithful collected of all Iewes and Gentiles as Theophylact and Zachary Chrysopolit haue obserued in this place The 5. testimonie Let the fifth place be the prophesie of Simeon in the same chapter Mine eies haue seene the saluation which thou hast prepared in the eyes of all people A light for the reuelation of the Gentiles and for the glory of thy people Israel As Christ is an inlightner so also he is a Sauiour of all But it is false that all men without exception of any bee actually and in very deed inlightened by Christ Ioh. 11. hauing the eyes of their minde opened and receiuing the knowledge of the trueth Therefore in like maner it is false that all alike not one excepted be truely and in very deed saued by Christ But this is true that the witnesse of Iesu the onely Sauiour of all went out into all lands hath bin preached to all people vnto the ends of the world and as yet is preached for the gathering together and sauing of the dispersed sonnes of God To these things that also agreeth which further is spoken of that childe by Simeon Behold this child is set for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel Simeon had not spoken this if euery one should rise through his benefite from death to life from sinne to righteousnesse The 6. testimonie The sixte place is the terrible and plaine saying of Saint Iohn Baptist than whom there is none that is borne of a woman greater Ioh. 3. He that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternal life but he that beleeueth not in the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him There is an emphasis in the word abideth He saith not that all iudgement and wrath of God is in very deed taken away from all without exception beleeuers and vnbeleeuers and that the wrath of God returneth onely through vnbeliefe vpon them that beleeue not but the wrath of God abideth saith he vpon the vnbeleeuer Augustine vrgeth this emphasis tract 14. in Ioh. Hee saith not the wrath of God commeth vpon him but abideth vpon him And what is this wrath of God which all mortall men haue with them in their birth Ephes 2. which the first Adam had wherof the Apostle speaketh wee are all the sonnes of wrath by nature as well as other As the Authour also de vocat gentium lib. 1. ca. 5. alledgeth this saying whether he be Iewe saith he or Gentile before he be iustified by faith he is shut vp vnder sinne and if hee continue in vnbeliefe the wrath of God abideth on him euen that which was brought in by Adams sin whereof the Apostle speaketh wee were also the sonnes of wrath as well as other It is therefore false that the wrath of God is vniuersally taken away and that all whether they beleeue or not be receiued into the lap of grace but this grace is theirs who beleeue in Christ who hath brought the grace of God and taken away his wrath The seuenth place is the tenth of Iohn The 7. testimonie Ioh. 10. where that good shepheard saith I lay downe my life for my sheepe my sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer neither shall any man take them out of mine hand Here it appeareth that howsoeuer Christ after a sort dyed for
wit the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesu Christ in all and vpon all that beleeue For there is no difference For all haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes through the remission of sinnes The Apostles iudgement is that all mortall men simplie are vnder sinne and haue neede of the glorie of God but he ascribeth not righteousnes to euery one that sinneth as our aduersaries opinion is Hub. thes 45. For he expressely defineth the righteousnes of God to come through faith in Iesu Christ and more plainly addeth that wee are iustified freely by the redemption wrought by Christ and that he is set forth vnto vs of the father to be a propitiation but through faith Hereupon the author of the Commentarie in Hierome vpon this place saith Ierome Christ is in a readines set before the eyes of men to bee a propitiator that he that will bee redeemed may come Brentius Brentius also whom I cite very often because of the aduersaries weighing this place writeth very truly that it is manifest that Christ our redemption and propitiation is not receiued nor appropriated vnto vs but by faith And therefore that there is no other instrument beside faith to receiue the benefits of God and of his sonne which we must enioy And seeing Christ and his benefit are not receiued but by faith it remaineth that wee are not iustified but by faith that is made acceptable to God acquitted from sinnes and reputed iust before God These things he explicatione Catechis of iustification Therefore by what right or wrong is this propitiation extended to all and bee all said to be freed from all sinne and condemnation and in very deede receiued into the lap of grace that is iustified whether they beleeue or beleeue not This is not Gods righteousnes but fained by men of a reprobate minde to the reproach of the Gospell preached of the Apostles and confirmed by the witnes of the Law and the Prophets Righteousnes in all and vpon al that beleeue Moreouer reiecting that fained vniuersalitie the Apostle establisheth the true vniuersalitie of righteousnes and grace in all and vpon all that beleeue that is as Theophylact interpreteth such a righteousnes whereby God maketh vs righteous commeth vnto all men by faith and all Iewes as well as Gentiles bringing faith are made righteous For there is no difference neither is he the God of the Iewes onely but also of the Gentiles for it is one God that iustifieth circumcision of faith vncircumcision through faith For there is neither Iew nor Gentile Gal. 3. bond nor free male nor female but we are all one in Christ all the sonnes of God and heires according to promise through faith in Christ Iesus The 2. place Rom. 8. In the same Epistle to the Rom. there is another notable famous place chap. 8. What shall we say then If God be for vs who can be against vs who hath not spared his owne sonne but giuen him for vs all how shall he not also with him giue vs all things Vs all taken for the church proued by the Scripture and by Augustine He saith not barely for all but for vs all with limitation as that limitation also is elsewhere taken in the sacred Scripture Rom. 4. Abraham is the father of vs all So Ierusalem that is aboue is called the mother of vs all Gal. 4. 1. Cor. 12. the Apostle saith that by one spirit we all bee baptized into one bodie whether we bee Iewes or Gentiles bond or free and are all made to drinke into one spirit Also in the forecited place to the Galathians ye are all one in Christ Iesu Ad Laur. ca. 61. Doubtles this is the voyce of the Church If God be for vs who can be against vs This Augustine obserueth saying The Church that is among men which he speaketh to make a difference of the Church which is among the holy Angels and powers of God is redeemed from all sinne by the blood of the Mediatour who is without sinne and it is the voyce of the same If God be for vs who can be against vs The voice of the Church who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all This saying elsewhere he confirmeth two maner of waies from the text Tract 45. in Io. by the precedents and the consequents For there goeth before Whom he foreknew them he also predestinated whom he predestinated them he called c. Of whom also it followeth Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God who iustifieth c. What is then He gaue him for vs all To which vs To the foreknowne to the predestinate to the iustified and glorified The Lord knoweth who bee his they bee sheepe Sometime they know not themselues but the shepheard knoweth them saith Augustine in the place alleaged Besides that Christ for whom he died according to purpose and efficacie for them also he is an aduocate ceasing not to make intercession that the grace of the fathers reconciliation may more and more be bestowed vpon them and to vse the words of Ambrose he saueth them being the ware that his blood hath bought For how can he condemne him Ambr. lib. 1. â—â— Iac. cap. 6. whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he offered himself whose life he knoweth to be the reward of his death Marke this Shall he not say what profit is in my blood if I damne him whom I haue saued Wherefore the Apostle Rom. 8. Who is he that shall condemne It is Christ who is dead nay who is also raised againe who also is at the right hand of God who also prayeth for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall oppression shall anguish shall persecution shall famine or nakednes or danger or sword Nay in all these wee are more than conquerors De vocat gent. lib. 1. cap. vlt. through him who hath loued vs c. So the loue of Christ maketh them vnconquerable and vnseparable that is perseuerers vnto the very end for what is else to perseuere then not to be ouercome in tentation Wherefore they that perseuere vnto the end and bee saued be doubtles the beloued and redeemed of God The 3. place Ephes 5. Thirdly we reade to the Ephesians That Christ is the head of the Church and the sauiour of the body that he loued his Church and exposed himselfe for it to sanctifie it clensing it in the lauer of water by the word that he may make it for himselfe glorious that is not hauing wrinckle or spot or any such thing but that it may be holy and blameles Three proofes out of the Text for our opinion Ephes â— Many things
no succession But where faith is there is libertie adoption and inheritance The 7. reason The Maior The seuenth argument from another consequent that is from sanctification and conuersion Whosoeuer are redeemed are also sanctified conuerted and regenerated according to the promise A deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away iniquities from Iacob and this is my couenant with them Sanctification and conuersion necessarily follow redemption when I shall take away their sinnes saith the Lord. Which place out of the 59. of Isaie Paul Rom. 11. applieth to the conuersion of Israel and from thence sheweth that conuersion is ioyned with deliuerance or redemption Whereto also pertaineth the saying of Iohn 1. Epistle 3. Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuill but for this cause was the sonne of God reuealed that he might destroy the workes of the deuill Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not He speaketh of practising righteousnes as whereby the sonnes of God were discerned from the sons of the deuill such as sinne are of the deuill such as do righteousnesse are of God thorow Christ who destroyeh in vs the workes of the deuill not onely by forgiuing sinnes but also by renewing our corrupt nature to doe the workes of righteousnes The circumstance of the words and the scope do teach this exposition and Augustine confirmeth it in Hypognosticâ— lib. 3. where withal he alleageth that which is written Heb. 9. that the blood of Christ who by his eternall spirit offered himselfe to God doth purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God See also in Zacharies song Luk. 1. vers 74. Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31.74 Tit. 2. vers 14. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Eph. 5.26 Act. 5. ver 31. in Peters words and in his 1. Epistle 2. ver 24. but most plentifully of all Rom. 6. and 7. chapters All which places without gainsaying doe witnesse that the sanctification or renouation of a man to practise righteousnes and good workes are necessarily ioyned with the gift of redemption Here now let vs set downe the assumption The Minor which the holy Scripture and experience doe plainly and sufficiently conuince that not all men bee endued with the spirit of sanctification for their conuersion and renewing of their life It is proued Because this sanctification is not without the free giuing of the holy spirit but the world cannot receiue that spirit Ioh. 14. Further this gift consisteth herein 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 8. 7. Luk. 1. that being dead to sinnes wee should liue to righteousnesse and should serue God in his sight with holines and righteousnesse all the daies of our life And is this giuen to all men nay it properly belongeth to the sonnes of promise and of the new couenant as the Lord saith I will put my lawes in their minds and in their hearts will I write them and all shall know me Iere. 31. Heb. 8. and I will be mercifull to their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more Also I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit within you and I will take away your stonie heart Eze. 36. will giue you a fleshy heart and I will make you to walke in my precepts and to keepe my iudgements and ye shall bee my people and I will be your God Which things seeing they be thus we conclude also The conclusioÌ„ that redemption belongeth not to all men but to the children of the promise onely Now the aduersary two maner of waies runneth a ground about this argument Hub. thes 1089 first in that be laboureth to wrest sanctification indifferently vnto the whole progenie of men and yet alleageth no fit testimonie of Scripture to proue it which as we haue seene plainly declareth the contrarie Thes 1096. Secondly in that he either craftily depraueth the force of the argumeÌ„t or els doth not vnderstand it to wit as though froÌ„ the coherence of the double benefit of redeÌ„ption and sanctification we reasoned thus God requireth sanctification of his redeemed ones therefore the greatest part is not redeemed because it doth not practise godlines But our reasoning is not drawne from our dutie but from Gods benefit promising that he will giue to the redeemed a new heart and a new spirit and so will cause them to walke in his waies by putting and writing them in their mindes not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in stony tables but in the tables of the heart The 8. reason The 8. Argument neerely agreeth with the seuenth In the redeemed ones the will also is redeemed by Iesu Christ The will is redeemed and set free in all those that be redeemed otherwise the best thing in man was not redeemed Therefore by graunting the redemption of all faithfull and Infidels it should follow that the will also in all is redeemed and healed and so free will should bee established in all whomsoeuer whereas yet they that are ignorant of Christ and beleeue not in him doe serue sinne and are not able to will or goe about any thing that is good as Luther hath notably proued in his booke de seruo arbitrio The 9. reason The 9. Argument from another consequent which is blessednes and eternall life Eternall life Eâ—â—â—â—â—lessedâ—â—s to low â—â—ose that be redeemed effectually Whosoeuer are effectually redeemed shall not perish but shall haue eternall life But the vnbeleeuers doe perish for hee that beleeueth not shall be damned Therefore the vnbeleeuers are not effectually redeemed The Maior is fully proued by these sayings Being iustified by his blood we shall now much more bee saued from wrath by him For if when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more now shal we be saued by his life Rom. 5. And chap. 8. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth Againe If God be for vs who is against vs euen he that hath not spared his own sonne but giuen him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead yea rather who is also risen againe and maketh intercession for vs. Paul is manifestly of this iudgement that they shall neuer be damned for whom Christ dyed rose againe and maketh intercession Notably saith Ambrose Ambr. de Iacob vita beata lib. 1. cap 6. He that hath giuen vs the author of all excepteth nothing There is nothing then that we may feare can possibly be denied vs there is nothing wherein we ought to bee doubtfull of the continuance of Gods bountifulnes whose plentie hath been of so long continuance An excellent saying and of great comfort to a penitent heart if it be oft remembred and alwaies ready so that first he would predestinate then he would call and
whom he would call them he would iustifie glorifie Can he possibly forsake them whom he hath pursued with his so many and great benefits But there is feare least the Iudge be too seuere Consider what iudge thou hast to wit Christ Can he condemne thee whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he hath offered himselfe whose life he knoweth is the reward of his death Will he not say Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. cap. 16. What profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I my selfe haue saued See also if ye please Augustine confirming this very argument Hereupon it riseth that some vnder pretence of vniuersall redemption haue thought that all at length shall be saued Of which mad error Caluin vpon 1. Ioh 2. Bucer in the Acts of the Conference had at Argentine with Melchior Hofman A booke published in the dutch tongue at Argent 1553. doe make mention and also Wolfgange Musculus in the place concerning the redemption of mankinde warning vs to take heede least vnderstanding amisse the vniuersalitie of redemption we say with frantike men that no man is damned and perisheth for euer These our men with whom we deale deny that thing truly but what auaileth it to denie it seeing neuerthelesse they stifly maintaine that principle from whence that error springeth They except that the redeemed doe not perish vnles they cast away and tread vnder foote redemption once receiued But contrariwise the testimonies of Scripture euen now alleaged doe teach that such as are effectually redeemed and alreadie iustified by the gift of God shall certainly haue life and heauenly glorie and cannot possibly by any meanes be pluckt away from the loue of God towards them in Christ Iesu And as for some examples and places to the contrary they haue been sufficiently answered in the second booke before If all sinner be blotted out and satiâ—fied then vnbeâ—iefe is blotted and it shall not condemne vs. Furthermore how agree these things together that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied for and in very deede blotted out and yet that the greater part of men are damned for vnbeliefe For if all sinnes are forgiuen all men then vnbeliefe also is forgiuen How then shall it damne any man Thus it euer abideth vnmoueable that all at length shall be saued if all men together bee effectually made partakers of redemption The 10. reason The tenth argument is drawne from the causes of redemption two whereof are the principall efficient causes one farther off The causes of redemption to wit the grace of God giuing his sonne vnto vs the other most neere vs the sonne himselfe finishing the worke of redemption in the nature of man which hee tooke vpon him The materiall cause is the passion and death of the righteous for the vnrighteous The instrumentall efficient cause is likewise two-fold to wit 1. The word of grace that offereth Christ vnto vs with his benefits and serueth to stirre vp faith in vs for faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God 2. And faith it selfe wherewith as it were a hand wee receiue grace offered and are made partakers thereof Herevpon the Apostle Rom. 3. saith We haue all sinned but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption made in Iesu Christ whom God hath set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes Where we see among other causes of redemption faith required as the instrument wherewith wee may applie vnto vs redemption gotten for vs by his blood and may become partakers thereof to the blotting out of our sinnes Therefore the vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with redemption and propitiation And that the necessitie of faith may the more appeare in euery matter of saluation Faith how necessarie to saluation the Apostle Heb. 11. expressely testifieth that it is impossible without faith to please God producing for this point most notable examples of antiquitie who are shewed to please God through faith and to haue obtained righteousnes which is according to faith Notably saith Augustine in Euang. Ioh. serm 60. The medicine for all wounds The great necessitie and profit of faith and the onely attonement for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ Neither can any man at all bee clensed either from originall sinne or the sinnes which he hath done vnles by faith he be vnited and ioyned to his bodie For they that beleeue in him are the sonnes of God because they are borne of God by the grace of adoption which is in the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ for in beleeuing we are made the sons of God as it is written He hath giuen them prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God while they beleeue in him And serm 181. de temp Faith is the ground of all good things Aug. de temp ser 181. and the beginning of mans saluation without this none can bee of the number of Gods sonnes and without it in this world neither doth man attaine the grace of iustification nor hereafter shall possesse eternall life and whoso walketh not by faith shall not come to see God In these testimonies of the Scriptures and our Elders according to the Scriptures if wee meane to stand and wee ought to rest therein away with the deuise of the righteousnes of all men and the operation of saluation in all Hub. thes 49. 65. and the receiuing of all men into grace and their purging from sins whether they beleeue or not The aduersaries doe except that they thinke not that the merit of Christ is applied without faith or that any man without it can be made partaker of the fatherly will of God Thes 72. 1112 I answere therefore they bee manifestly contrary to themselues that say such things The aduersaries contrarie to themselues Thes 65.270.168 and yet stifly maintaine that all men none excepted faithfull and vnfaithfull before and after Christs birth are set free by the blood of Christ truly and vndoubtedly from all sinne and condemnation and are receiued into the grace and fauour of God that all alike are saued iustified and quickened that all pertaine to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace and such like For if no man can be partaker of the grace of God righteousnes life and saluation in Christ vnles he applie those good things to himselfe and the application cannot be but by faith how belong those things to all vnfaithfull as well as faithfull The 11. reason The Maior The 11. Argument from another consequent Redemption is such a benefit whereby of seruants of sinne wee are made the sonnes of God of children of wrath the children of grace of strangers and vnknowne we are made a royall and priestly stock as it is written Apoc. 1. and 5. He hath loued vs and redeemed vs to God by his blood and hath made vs to our God kings and priests and wee
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
Sauiour be rightly said to be crucified for the redemption of the whole worlde because he truely tooke mans nature vpon him Marke Augustine before meant this by the common cause and because of the common perdition in the first man yet he may be said to be crucified for them onely whom his death did profite for the Euangelist Iohn saith cap. 11. that Iesus should die for the nation and not onely that nation but also to gather in one the sonnes of God The same writer or whosoeuer hee was that wrote the Booke Of the Calling of the Gentiles denieth that the saying of the Apostle Ephe. 1. Lib. 1. cap. 3. Of the reconciliation of all in Christ is thus to be vnderstood as though none ought to be thought to bee not reconciled And a litle after he setteth downe a rule which like to the North starre in all their controuersie is to bee regarded to wit that in the elect and foreknowen A rule well to be marked and in those that be separated from the generality of all men there is to be considered a certaine speciall vniuersalitie and fulnesse of the people of God so that out of the whole world the whole world seemeth to be set free and out of all men all men may seeme to bee taken For most often in the Scriptures all the earth is named for a part of the earth the whole world for a part of the world Lib. 2. cap. â— and al men for a part of men Vnto which rule afterward he squareth the words of Iohn Hee is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde and he expoundeth them of the fulnesse of the faithful and not of the generalitie of al men as our aduersaries do Furthermore Primasius Comment ad Heb. 2. vpon the saying he tasted death for all compriseth the whole matter His words are whereas he saith that Christ tasted of death for all Primasius some Doctors take the sense thus absolutely that it said for al for whom he tasted that is for the elect predestinated to eternal life Behold a restraint vnto the vniuersalitie of the elect But he goeth on But some take it so generally that he is said to die for all albeit all are not saued For albeit not all beleeue yet he did that which was his part to doe And he alleageth Prospers similitude which Augustine also vseth before Prosper of the cup of immortalitie which finally hath in it selfe that it can profit all although it profiteth none in very deede but those that drinke thereof So also Christ saith he as much as was in him died for all although his passion profiteth none but those onely who beleeue in him Worthy also to be remembred here is that that is set down lib. 1. cap. vlt. de vocat gent. The same nature in all men being euill in all being miserable before reconciliation is not made righteous in all and it is discerned in some part thereof from them that perish by him that came to seeke and to saue that which was lost Pope Leo Serm. 7. mensis writeth Pope Lee. The shedding of the blood of the iust for the vniust was so mightie a priuiledge so rich a price that if the whole number of captiues should beleeue in the redeemer no tyrannous bands could detaine them Gregorie the great Hom. 2. in Ezechiel For the life of the elect Gregorie the Lord of life gaue himselfe euen to death Beda Beda vpon that in the Gospell The sonne of man came to giue his life a redemption for many He saith not for all but for many that is those that will beleeue So Origene and Hierome Com. in Matth. expound the same things Bernard Moreouer Bernard Serm. 10. of the 9. verse of the Psalme He that dwelleth c. Christ saith he according to the time surely died for the vngodly but according to predestination he died for his brethren and friends Of this number they that shall be damned are not to whom it shall be said I neuer knew you Rupert lib. 12. comment in Io. To these may be added those sayings which vnto the places of Apoc. 1. and 5. wee before haue produced out of Rupertus Tuitiensis who liued in Bernards time whose saying also this is Woe to the reioycing world when Christ the only begotten sonne of God prayeth for his that is dieth and offereth himselfe a sacrifice vpon the altar of the crosse because I pray for them whom thou gauest me and not for the world By the world are the louers of the world here meant so diuerse from them for whom Christ crucified prayeth as the Egyptians were before God from the children of Israel who marked their posts with the sacred blood of the Lamb. Woe therefore to such a world because what Christ the true Lambe of God prayeth for doth them no good at all they onely escaping by his crosse and blood whom the father gaue to the sonne These things he Of all which sayings now it is more cleere then the light that the opinion which wee maintaine is not new and vnheard of but receiued in all ages among the people of God and plentifully proued by the testimonies iudgements and expositions of the best writers Wherefore let the aduersaries learne to deale more modestly and not straightwaies condemne as vnheard of among the people of God and Saracenicall what they see disagree perchance from their opinion or els if they goe on as they haue begun all shall know with what vnderstanding and conscience these kind of disputers too too confident and censorious are occupied in reading of the fathers I am not ignorant that sometime it is read in the fathers that Christ came for the redemption of all that he descended for all to forgiue all their sinnes and to giue libertie to all and such like Such speeches as these they vnderstand Marke this well as we may see by their owne interpretations alreadie alleadged not as touching the effect of the Lords incarnation and passion in al men But first as touching the sufficiencie greatnes and dignitie of the price and merite of Christ Secondly as touching the common cause of mankinde Thirdly respecting also the efficacie of the merits of Christ they are wont to vse those kinde of speeches as the Scripture vseth to doe because of the vniuersalitie of the faithfull and the fulnes of Gods people as we more at large shewed in the second booke the 12. chapter Also because by all men they will haue to bee vsually meant all sorts of men Hereupon Ambrose Serm. 55. saith The Lord did hang vpon the crosse that he might deliuer all kinde of men from the shipwracke of the world And Serm. 53. When he had said that Christ by rising againe obtained resurrection for all by and by he expoundeth himselfe of all Christians and such as be the members of Christ So de fuga seculi cap. 3. Christ saith he doth infuse
discerneth from that hidden will whereat man must trembl whervpon alone he saith all things doe depend namely who shall receiue the word and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who shall be blinded who shall be damned and who shal be iustified Neither doeth Brentius teach otherwise of the vniuersality of Christian redemption Brentius exp Catech. Arâ—â— de rem pecc quaest quà m laté paceat namely that all sinnes are pardoned all men for Christes sake whosoeuer they be Iewes or Gentiles kings or priuate men free men or bond so that they come to the Church of Christ and beleeue in him For whosoeuer saith hee beleeueth in Christ and is baptized in his name receiueth remission of sinnes and the right into the heauenly inheritance And by name hee often saith that this benefite is not receiued but by faith c. Briefly by this mans iudgement forgiuenes of sinnes receiuing into fauour into the number of the saints adoption also the right of the heauenly inheritance in al which points we vnderstand that redemptioÌ„ consisteth are the proper gifts of the Church of the saints and of true beleeuers stretcheth far wide as the Church of Christ doth and they are neuertheles rightly said to belong to all as far forth as no man of what degree or condition soeuer is hindred froÌ„ them so that he doe beleeue Whereunto belongeth also that exposition whereof wee before made mention in Matth. 1. To whom is Iesus a Iesus that is a Sauiour from their sinnes the Euanglist saith he shall saue his people He doth not saue strangers but his owne people They be strangers as many as beleeue not in him and they are his owne as many as acknowledge and imbrace him by faith be they Iewes or Gentiles c. Let the disputers of Tubinge if they can make these things agree with the deuise of their braine that all wholly whether they come to Christ by faith or no are freed from all sinne and condemnation receiued into grace iustified quickened Huber thes 1059. and accounted in the number of Saints and that all no one excepted are that people of Christ whereof it is said he shall saue his people from their sinnes But let them heare another of their friendes also openly pronouncing that Christ died for all men Ilirie in Io. 12. ver 52. in ver 31. because by him not onely the Iewes but also the elect of God whersoeuer ought to be saued who from the East and West are gathered to Abraham their father Againe the merite of Christ saith he is found to surmount exceedingly in the iudgement of God the sinnes of the whole world and so Christ and all his members not the members and vessels of Satan are pronounced righteous And he addeth that therefore chiefly Christs victorie against Satan was referred to the time of his death because then by the merite of his death was that treasure of victories obtained which otherwise is distributed to the beleeuers in all times And by and by here is the difference betweene the power and the act or the purchase and the application or the right and the possession In the Merite and purchase of the right or in power Satan was at that time of his passion cast out of all men and so out of the whole world but in application or acte onely of the beleeuers is he cast out at all times Let that distinction of power and act or of sufficiency and efficiencie bee well obserued as this authour doeth fully explaine himselfe when vpon the wordes of Iohn 1. Epistle 2. hee writeth the chiefe point of the cause of the aduersaries in these wordes when hee saith for our sinnes hee meaneth the beleeuers whom the passion of Christ doth in very deed profite In that he addeth of the whole world he vnderstandeth it of the power because the benefites and merite of Christ lye open for all and all may be saued fully by his satisfaction so excellent sufficient and precious is his merite if they vouchsafe to lay hold vpon it by faith It would be very long to reckon vp euery thing yet it may not be let passe The Synode held at Argertine against 〈◊〉 Hofman an Anabaptist and Pelagian Heritike that I meane to say now concerning the Synode held at Argentine Anno D. 1533. There a disputation being appointed with one Melchior Hofman an Anabaptisticall and Palagian deceauer among other his errors this also was condemned that he maintained that all be elected and all redeemed by Christ altogether as Huber will haue not onely redemption and the merite of Christ but also election in him to bee indifferently common to all men after the fall But contrariwise that Synode out of the word of God pronounced that God after he had foreknowen from euerlasting that mankinde by the fall of our first parents would he subiect to eternall death of meere mercie before the world was made chose foreknew and predestinated vnto himselfe to eternall life some out of mankind letting passe the rest that the death of Christ was for the sins of these men a propitiation Therfore that neither election nor redemption of Christ is common to al men as Hofman dreamed to entangle wretched consciences and to corrupt sound doctrine But that therefore the merit of Christ is said and preached to be common to the whole world because after Christs glorification not onely the Iewes but all other nations must bee made partakers thereof to wit as many of them as be elected And in this sense the sayd Synod doth expound the testimonies of Scripture obiected by Hofman Gen. 12. 1. cor 15. Io. 12. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Io. 2. Io. 1. In thy seede all nations shall be blessed As in Adam all dye so in Christ all are quickened When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all vnto me God wil haue al men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth Also Iesus Christ is the attonement for the sinnes of the whole world The Lambe taking away the sinnes of the world and such like For wee must not thinke that where these words be all men all the world the whole world that there straightwaies all men no one excepted must bee vnderstood for such phrases haue not euery where one and the same signification He that desireth to know these things more throughly let him reade Hieronymus Zanchius of godly memorie my reuerend teacher whom for honour and reuerence sake which I owe him I name lib. 3. miscell pag 79. and specially the Acts of the disputation of Hofman by Martin Bucer which hee published in his owne and his associates name printed at Argentine by Matthias Appiarius Anno 1533. And this whole doctrine which M. Bucer defendeth in disputation against Hofman the whole Senate of Argentine approued as sound and would haue it faithfully taught and preached in that citie suffering no man to speake any thing against that
on the other side the cause of predestination For as Aquinas teacheth well In summo expos ad Rom. if the effects of predestination bee compared among themselues there is no let but one may bee the cause of another that is the precedent of the consequent So vocation by the word Rom. 10. is the cause of faith because faith is by hearing faith is the cause of iustification iustification of good workes and of glorie in a heauenly life Yet notwithstanding the same effects of predestination considered neither seuerally nor ioyntly can bee the beginning of predestination seeing the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect The 4. reason 4. In the whole worke of saluation this especially is regarded that all humane boasting bee excluded that as it is written Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. For who separateth thee from other What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Which saying S. Cyprian vsed to follow saying We must glorie in nothing because nothing is ours But not all humane boasting should bee excluded vnlesse election which is the beginning and foundation of saluation should depend vpon the free goodwill and purpose of God without respect of any one qualitie As for example if God should be said to offer like grace vnto all Marke this well and to call al and it should be beleeued to consist in the will of man to obey his calling then surely the obedient person seuereth himselfe from the disobedient and the faithfull man from the vngodly neither can it bee said vnto him Why doest thou boast who hath separated thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued For a proud person may say against another my faith my righteousnesse the good vsing of my free-will or any other thing The 5. reason 5. Election should bee weake and very vncertaine and therefore our saluation if it should depend on the purpose of our will For the vnstable will of man bendeth hither and thither like a reede shaken with the winde On the contrary election standeth firme and vnmoueable in the good pleasure purpose and gratious will of God towards vs in Christ Iesu as the Apostle at large sheweth Rom. 8. saying Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for good that is to them that are called of his purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he also called iustified and glorified And anone Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or the sword Yea in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu Therefore seeing we are men let vs not leane vpon our infirmitie but let vs commit our faith hope life and saluation to the stronger rather than to the weaker to God rather than our selues professing as the trueth is that all things depend vpon his purpose 6. Hitherto is to be referred euen the example of our Mediatour himselfe and our head Iesu The 6. reason which Augustine cannot sufficiently commend De predest sanct cap. 15. de bon perseu cap. 24. 1. He was conceaued of the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary by a singular conception and generation and without all sinne 2. His humane that is our nature in Christ was vnited with the Diuine in the vnitie of person the word as Augustine speaketh singularly assuming it and extolling it into the only sonne of God so that he that assumed and the thing he assumed is one person in Trinitie Which aduancing of mans nature is so great and so high that he could not aduance it higher as the deitie it selfe could not abase it selfe lower for our sakes than in that it receiued the nature of man with his infirmitie vnto the very death of the crosse But all these things mans nature in Christ singularly receiued that is our nature through none of our merits but of the onely grace of God Therefore we also are predestinated vnto eternall life not through our workes but through the purpose and grace of God predestinating vs. For there is one and the same reason of the head and the members but this is the difference that he alone is predestinate to bee our head we being many are predestinate to bee his members And therefore in the head is the fountaine of grace and from thence according to the measure of euery one he spreadeth abroad himselfe throughout all his members The 7. reason from infants dying 7. All this way whereby wee defend free predestination from the purpose of God is greatly cōfirmed by the example of children by which alone all the force of gainsayers and of those that maintaine mans merits of necessitie is ouerthrowne The argument is this Our little children dying euen in their infancie haue the promise of the kingdome of heauen Therefore they are predestinate vnto the kingdome and that either of workes or of grace not of workes because in so yong yeares workes haue no place nor any foreknowledge surely of workes For the things that neither bee nor shall be cannot be said to be foreknowne vnlesse it bee that they shall not bee Therefore of grace and by consequence the predestination of others also is the like as of the purpose of God and not of workes The shift of the Semipelagians The Pelagians held within these straites knew not how or on what side to escape Yet afterward the Semipelagians deuising a hole to get out by a new kinde of absurditie contended that infants were predestinate to life or to death for the merits they would doe if they had liued This deuise not so craftie as rash and foolish Augustine diligently and very well confuteth both elsewhere and also lib. de bono perseuer cap. 12. 13. Among other things he opposeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 14. We shall all stand before the tribunal seate of Christ that euery one may render an account according to the things he hath done in his body whether good or euill that is according to the things he hath done in the time that he was in the bodie For otherwise the soule alone doth many things and not by the body or any member of the body pertaining neuerthelesse to punishment or reward And he said hath done he added not or els shall doe Wherevpon also Sap. 4. we reade of the iust man that is by vntimely death withdrawne from the vncertaintie of temptations He was taken away least malice should change his vnderstanding Thus the argument standeth sure from the example of infants that what we cannot denie in them touching the predestination of grace wee
iudging it to be a better thing to doe good out of euill than to permit no euill to be as Augustine saith Which thing in another place notably expounding he writeth Wee profitably confesse what we rightly beleeue that God and the Lord of all things who created all things exceeding good and foreknew that euill would arise out of good and knew that it more appertained to his almightie goodnes euen out of euill to doe good than not to suffer euill to bee had so ordained the life of Angels and men that therein he would shew first what their freewill was able to do and then what the benefit of his grace and the iudgement of his iustice could bring to passe Of this thing see also Tertullian lib. 2. contra Marcio 2. Sent. distinct 23. why God suffered man to be tempted knowing that he would fall And lib. 1. dist 45. it is learnedly declared how and how farre forth Gods permission must be referred to his will according to that of Augustine Enchir. cap. 95. Mâ—â—ke how God willeth good and euill things Nothing is done vnles the Almightie would haue it to be done either by suffering it to bee done or by doing it himselfe Where hee includeth all good and euill things that are done but with this difference that he bee vnderstood to will euill by suffering it to bee done and to will good by doing it himselfe For he suffereth doubtles not vnwilling but willing as the same Augustine saith And de praedest gra cap. 15. Enchir. ad 〈◊〉 cap. 100. he saith that all things are either done the Lord assisting or els permitted the Lord forsaking them that yet we may know Nothing is done against the Lords will and why that nothing at all is done against the Lords will Certainly if any thing be done that God simply and euery way will not haue done or els if that be not done that he willeth to be done the very beginning of our faith is in hazard wherein we confesse that we beleeue in God almightie and some God is brought in out of Epicurus his schoole Psalm 105 For our God doth in heauen and earth whatsoeuer pleaseth him Luther of this whole matter speaketh thus Lib. de ser arbit cap. 152. To them that inquire why he permitted Adam to fall when he was able to saue him it is said It is God of whose will there is no cause nor reason See how hee includeth permission vnder his will Whereupon also chap. 197. he writeth Whether God suffer or els incline a man that suffering or inclining commeth not to passe but by Gods will because the will of man cannot auoide the worke of almightie God CHAP. XIIII Of the effects of Election HEreafter now we must intreate of the effects both of election and also of reprobation And because the predestination of Saints which we call election Election what it is is a preparation of grace that is of glorie hereafter and of benefits in this world whereby as by meanes the elect are lead to the glorie appointed for them both the end and the meanes The effects of it be the ende and meanes The ende double Rom 9.23 Ephes 1.7 The meanes be al benefits and they be of two sorts be effects of election By the end we meane saluation and the glorie of the elect For in respect of them that is the end of election albeit in respect of God there is another and higher to wit the demonstration of his rich grace in the vessels of mercie to his glorie As for the meanes that bee subordinate to this end they be all benefits whatsoeuer whereby whosoeuer are deliuered are most certainly set at libertie as Augustine saith de bono perseu cap. 14. And these be of two sorts altogether some are necessary to the common saluation of all Some necessary to the common saluation of all men and infants Some peculiar to men onely men growen and infants as for example the merit of Christ iustification and regeneration by the holy Ghost Some do follow men growen onely through the want of discretion of good and euill in children as is the knowledge of Christ a true confidence in him the studie of good workes perseuerance in temptations and such like Foure principall effects of election And although there bee many and sundry effects of election yet such as bee more speciall whereunto other commonly are reduced be foure to wit Christ as the Mediatour and high Priest with the whole worke of his humiliation and glorie then vocation effectuall vnto Christ iustification also and glorification Hereof commeth that truly golden chaine of the Apostle Rom. 8. that whom God hath predestinated them he calleth and whom he calleth vnderstand that calling that is according to Gods purpose them also he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth them he also glorifieth And of Christ without whom no man can be saued he straightway addeth What then shall we say to these things If God bee for vs who can be against vs who hath not spared his owne sonne but giuen him for vs all Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Who is he that can condemne It is Christ who is dead yea who is risen againe who is at the right hand of God who maketh also requests for vs. The 1. effect of election Christ That we may therefore speake something of these beginning at the Mediatour and head of the elect our Lord Iesu Christ he surely is the onely foundation of our coniunction with God and therefore of all our blessednes for wee had not been capable of so great glorie whereunto wee are elected vnles our heauenly father turning his eyes from our vnworthines vpon Christ had made vs acceptable vnto himselfe in that his beloued Therefore Paul witnesseth that wee were elected in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1. that is as himselfe interpreteth that wee were predestinate to bee adopted for sonnes and to obtaine other heauenly good things by and for Christ In which sense also he writeth to Timothie 2. Tim. 1. that grace was giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the worlds â—s if he should say that God from eternitie decreed to giue vs grace whereby wee are saued but in Christ the fountaine of grace Thus then let vs determine and iudge of a certaintie that God when hee minded to haue mercie vpon some that he might make knowne the riches of his glorie towards the vessels of mercie and had neede also of a fit Mediatour hereunto who might by his death and satisfaction pacifie the wrath of God and procure for them righteousnesse and life that was lost and might defend and maintaine saluation obtained ordained by his eternall and very fatherly counsell that his sonne of like substance and eternitie with the father in the fulnes of time assuming truely mans nature should dye for our sinnes and rising againe from the
eternall fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And chap. 10. of Matth. Chap. 10. Feare not them that kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy the bodie and soule in hell 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished If therefore the damnation of hell be the worke of God he hath also foreknowne that is predestinated from euerlasting them Fulgent lib. 1. 2. ad Moâ—â—â— vpon whom he will inflict the same For his predestination is the preparation of his workes which in his eternall decree he did foreknow that he would either in mercie or iustice bring to passe Apoc. 20. Apoc. 20. The bookes were opened and iudgement was giuen of euery one according to their workes and he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire What that the reprobates are called vessels of wrath and prepared for destruction For to bee a vessell of wrath as Augustine expoundeth is Epist 10â— for a man to be appointed to be punished for sinnes What a vessell of wrath is who was created for the benefit of nature And Fulgentius saith Hereunto God formed the vessels of wrath whereunto he predestinated them that is not to sinne but to destruction for sinne Therefore the destruction of them that perish is the worke of God reprobating them and therefore it is the effect of reprobation Obiection 1 But thou wilt say Perdition is to bee ascribed to themselues that perish as Hos 13. saith Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel but onely in me is thy helpe Answere That is true speaking of the fault and not of the punishment For they that are damned haue in themselues the fault deseruing damnation but it is his part to punish that iudgeth the world who can tell how to condemne iniquitie but not to doe it And this is the meaning of the Prophet that God doth not punish but for sins which men haue of themselues as for deliuerance from sinne it commeth from him freely Obiection 2 and not for any workes As Paul also saith The reward of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesu Christ our Lord. Those sayings also are wont to bee obiected God made not death Wisd 1. 2. Eze. 18. Through the enuie of the deuill death came into the world Againe I will not the death of him that dieth c. But here with a deafe eare wee must not forget what elsewhere wee reade Eccles 11. Wisd 16. Deut. 32. that death and life good and euill come of God Which shew of contrarietie to take away we must vnderstand that death as well as life may bee vnderstood not two only but also three maner of waies For in the first man God created both the soule and flesh also immortall But while man sinned Three deaths of the soule bodie and hel the soule dyed and that death of the soule to wit sinne is the beginning and cause of another double death corporall and infernall The sacred Scriptures call it the first and second death Therfore God made not the death of the soule because he made not sinne but the deuill is the author of it by suggesting of sinne and by consequence he is the author also of the other kindes of death which arise from sinne to wit in respect of the vehement stirring vp of it and not that he hath power to punish as God hath Augustine distinctly saith Cont. Iulian. lib. 7. cap. 7. The deuill the deceiuer of man is the cause of death which God inflicted not as the first author but as the punisher of sinne Some vnderstand the place of the Prophet Ezechiel of that death of the soule as Fulgentius I will not the death of a sinner others referre it to the punishment of sinne vsing the distinction of the will of God hidden and reuealed So Luther de ser arbit cap. 109. He will not the death of a sinner to wit by his word while by the word of saluation he commeth to all and so he will haue all men to bee saued But he willeth the same by his vnsearchable will Which will saith he in the same booke chap. 107. is not to be searched into but with reuerence to be aâ—ored as the highest secret of Gods maiestie Againe He will not the death of him that dieth simply and as it bringeth destruction but as it is a punishment for the Lord delighteth not in the perdition of the liuing Wisâ— 1.13 as it is written But he is the punisher of sinners Now as touching the matter of forsaking blinding Of forsaking hardening and blinding Rom. 9. 11. and hardening I will produce a few testimonies of many Wee reade in the sacred Scriptures He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The elect haue obtained it but the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see cares that they should not heare See the prophesie of Esay 29. vers 10. and chap. 6. Goe and say to the children of Israel In hearing ye shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceiue harden the hearts of this people and make their heires heauie and smeere ouer their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so bee conuerted and I should heale them Which prophesie S. Iohn alleadging affirmeth Ioh. 12. that the Iewes beleeued not in the Lord albeit they had seene many signes neither that they could beleeue because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts To the same vnbeleeuing Iewes the Lord said Ioh 10. Ye doe not beleeue for ye are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Againe to his disciples Matth. 13. To you saith he it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to others it is not giuen therefore in parables I speake vnto them Neither came it to passe without cause that in so many hundred yeares before the comming of Christ Acts 14. no light of sauing doctrine was reuealed to the Gentiles but as Paul witnesseth the liuing God that made heauen and earth passing ouer the former ages suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies vntill the comming of the time of grace he was found of them that sought him not And in Israel that was fulfilled that the Prophet saith Esay 65. All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a rebellious and gainsaying people By these things it is euident that they that were not ordained to life are also reiected from the grace of faith and conuersion and are
the beginning is of the vnchangeablenes of predestination Where wee must consider that election and reprobation namely the decree of God concerning the either sauing of men in mercie or the punishing of them in iustice cannot be changed so that of the number of the elect any one perisheth or contrarily any of the reprobates be saued but as well the one be vnfallibly saued as the other be vnfallibly damned This opinion may be confirmed by many testimonies of the sacred Scriptures Ioh. 6. the Lord saith The elect cannot perish not the reprobates be sauâ—d because Gods decree is vnchangeable towards both proued by many places euery one that the father giueth me shall come vnto me and all that commeth vnto me I will not cast forth And chap. 10. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer and no man shall plucke them out of my hand My father who gaue them me is greater then all neither can any man pull them out of my fathers hand 1. Ioh. 2. They went of from vs but they were not of vs. For if they had been they had surely continued with vs. 2. Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale God knoweth who are his As also Apoc. 7. there is mention made of the seale of the liuing God and of the certaine number of them that are sealed in their foreheads to wit of the seruants of God whom his grace preserueth harmeles and vntouched among the midst of the stormes of calamities vpon sea and land So afterward in the same booke chapter 13. and 17. power is giuen to the Dragon and beast to seduce the whole earth yet the elect are excepted whose names are written in the booke of life from the foundation of the world Therefore the elect cannot be deceiued at the least finally As also Mat. 24. False Christs and Prophets shall arise and shall worke great signes and miracles to seduce if it might bee the very elect What meaneth that saying of Paul Rom. 8. Wee know that all things worke for good to them that loue God that is that are called of purpose In Soliloq c. 28. All things he saith euen euill things yea sinnes themselues as Augustine witnesseth And most plainly the Apostle confirming the same addeth For whom hee foreknew them hee predestinated also to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne Whom he predestinated them he hath iustified and glorified also What shall we say then to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs euen he who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shal he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall accuse the elect of God who shall condemne who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Neither death nor life c. And in the 9. chapter of the same Epistle It cannot bee that the word of God should faile On whom he will he hath mercie and whom he will hee hardeneth Who shall resist his will And chap. 11. God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew which thing he there sheweth by the example of Elias times and of the Iewes of his time among whom albeit farre degenerate and enemies to the Gospell yet God reserued to himselfe a remnant according to the election of grace And he annexeth a saying worthie to bee remembred Israel obtained not that he sought for but the elect attained it and the rest were hardened And a little after Therefore as touching the Gospell they are enemies for your sakes but in respect of election they are loued for their fathers sakes For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance that is surely fixed without changing as Augustine expoundeth who also warneth vs to vnderstand this saying not of that calling whereof it is sayd Many are called c. but of that whereby the elect are called Secondly Predestination is vnchangeable The 1. reason the propounded sentence leaneth on most effectuall reasons For what things God from eternitie foreknoweth they must needes certainly and vnfallibly come to passe as they be foreknowne of him For foreknowledge is the knowledge of a thing that shall be And that which shal come to passe must needes bee done And it is confessed already that God foreknoweth who shall be saued and who shall be damned Ergo c. Further the decrees of God are vnchangeable The 2. reason But election and reprobation as it is said be the decrees of God of sauing whom he will in mercie and condemning whom hee will in iustice Therefore it cannot be but both election and also reprobation is firme and immutable so that neither the elect can perish nor the reprobates be saued For of the immutabilitie of Gods secrets it is said 1. Sam. 15 2â— Numb 23.23 The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent For he is not a man that he should repent Also God is not as a man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should be changed He hath said and shall he not doe he hath spoken and shall he not accomplish And in Esay The Lord of hosts hath decreed and who can breake it Esay 14. â—4 27. The hand of the Lord is stretched out and who shal turne it away And My counsell shall stand and I will doe all my will Cap. 46.10 But in that God now and then denounceth and threatneth some things which yet afterwards he doth not A doubte by the example of the Niniuites and of Ezechias wee must vnderstand that therein the Scripture speaketh according to the nature of second causes or els with the condition secretly vnderstood of repentance and prayer as Iere. 18. such like sayings are expounded and not in respect of Gods simple and absolute decree In which sense it is well said of Gregorie The Lord knoweth how to change his saying but neuer knoweth how to change his counsell And of Augustine God knoweth how to change his saying if we would change our life Thirdly The 3. reason examples manifestly proue the infalliblenes of predestination Pharao Sehon and the kings of the Canaanites with their subiects were appointed to destruction What was done their hearts were hardened that they might fight against Israel and perish for their sinnes And it is expressely written Exod. 4. Deut 2. â—s 11. 1. Sam. 2. 2. King 12. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts to fight with Israel that he might destroy them So Elies sonnes hearkened not to the voyce of their father because the Lord had appointed to destroy them Roboam heard not the people because it pleased the Lord by that meanes to rent the kingdome 2. Sam. 7. and to pull it away from Salomons race Absalom and euery man of Israel despised the good counsell of Achitophel and heard Husai because the Lord minded to destroy Achitophels counsell to
It is plaine also that the number of such as shall bee saued is sure and certaine with the Lorde who knowes his owne Their number is certaine and numbereth the sand of the sea Whereunto Augustine de Correp gra cap. 13. The number of them that be predestinated to the kingdome of God is so certaine that nothing may bee added to them nor taken from them Againe ad Laur. cap. 29. The number of the blessed whether it be that which is or that which shall be is in the eye of that workeman that calleth things that bee not as though they were and disposeth all things in number weight and measure And whereas some thinke that the number of the elect is precisely so great as there be deuils that fell from the society of the Angels it is surely curiosity Augustines opinion is better in the place now alleaged who albeit hee acknowledge that the elect among men doe come in the place of the Angels that fell to restore the city of GOD yet hee saith nothing of the equality of the number yea hee leaueth it in doubt as a secret knowen to God For to what purpose should a man auouch a thing with perill that safely he may be ignorant of CHAP. XX. Answeres to such obiections as are wont to be made against the vnchaungeablenes of Predestination BVt some obiect vnto vs in this place The summe of the obiections of both kinds that a windowe is opened to impiety by making as it were sides whereto neither must anything be added nor any thing detracted fatall necessity is brought in the free will of man denied the ministerie of the word and praiers taken away sinners are excused and which God forbid God is accused as the author of sin and men are prouoked to despaire and such other like whereby subtil detractors openly vaunt themselues as the Pelagians did in old time by the report of Prosper and Hilarie Further beside these consequences of mans reason naughtily wrested there bee some places of Scripture obiected but in vaine as we shall see Obiection 1 First therefore they cauill that a windowe is opened to hainous offences because men thus thinke It must needes be done that God hath predestinated Therefore whether I do well or ill if I be predestinated to Gods kingdome I shall be saued if I be not I shall be damned Answere I answeare What ignorant men I will not say Epicures thinke or not thinke it is nothing to vs. For manie abuse euen the doctrine of grace and thinke because we are iustified freely men must giue themselues to sin that grace may abound Rom. 3. whose iudgement is iust saith Paul But that must not bee imputed to the doctrine but to the abuse of it For first it belongeth not to vs to giue sentence of Gods secretes but the will of God reuealed in his word is to be followed And that commaundeth vs to heare the sonne to repent and to beleeue the Gospell that we may be saued So Luther represseth those wicked speeches on the 26 of Genesis and elsewhere For it is all one as if a man said what God hath appointed must be therefore all care of our soules and all our labour is vncertaine and to no purpose Predestination not onely appointeth the end but the meanes to the end Rom. 8. Ephes 1. Secondly predestination not onely appointeth the ende but also the meanes vnto the end as the Apostle saith whom hee hath predestinated them also hee hath called iustified and glorified Also Hee hath chosen vs in him that wee should bee holy and without blame before him Wherefore it is a platting of a contradiction that he who is predestinated can will and do euill finally Yea rather as Augstine writeth they that be of the number of the chosen predestinate albeit they leade a bad life for a time Contra. Iâ—l lib. 6. cap 3. yet through the goodnes of God they are brought to repentance and are not taken out of this life in their sins for predestination is the preparation of Gods benefites whereby as many as be deliuered are most certainely deliuered Therefore that vaine and idle reason as it is called doth not trouble vs which if wee should obey it is to no purpose whatsoeuer we do in our life But let the obiection be turned vpon them that so bring in predestination that they separate the means from the end In old time such was the heresie of the Predestinati who The heresie oâ— the predestinati as Sigebert witnesseth in Chron sprung vp vnder Honorius the Emperor and Pope Zosimus were so called of the doctrine they held because naughtily vnderstanding predestination and grace they auouched that neither the study of good works profited them that liued well if they were predestinated of God to death nor that the vngodly were hurt by wicked liuing if they were predestinated of God to life By which assertion they withdrew good men from good things and stirred vp euill men to wickednes Another obiection was of destiny The second obiection of fate or desteny that it was brought in if all things depend on the stable immutable decree of Predestination as for example who shall receiue the word who not who shall beleeue who shall not and thereby who shall be saued who damned I answere We preach not destinie but the depth of Gods grace whereby the difference is made of the elect from the lumpe of perdition the rest in the same lumpe being forsaken by the iust iudgement of God And whereas the order of Gods grace and his iudgement is vnmoueable that maketh nothing for fate or destinie vnlesse peraduenture we should take fatum to be deriued of fando which is of speaking For we cannot denie that God once spake that is vnmoueably and vnchangeably decreed what things he would doe as he knew vnchangeably all things that should bee in which respect as Augustine writteth wee may say De Câ—uit Dei lib. 5. cap. 9. The Mathematicall fate fatum hath his name of fando But this name was wont to be vnderstood in another matter For in the commoÌ„ vse of speaking by fate men vnderstand the force of the position of the starres and planets as it falleth out when a man is borne or conceaued or newly formed Naturall and poeticall fate this is the Mathematicall fate Also those things are of many writers called fatal which happen beside the will of God and men by the necessitie of a certaine order as that verse sheweth What once prepared is to be Surmounteth Ioue his high degree And in Homer the prince of Poetes Iupiter lamenteth that he could not deliuer from death his deare sonne Sarpedon whom fate compelled to die Likewise Neptune mourneth because he could not hinder the returne of Vlisses into his countrey that he might reuenge Cyclops his sonne for the sates had decreed that Vlisses should returne into Ithaca And in Ouid the same
was first made became wicked Is God a debter vnto vs to restore vs because we lost grace receiued Or shall it not therefore be lawfull for him to require againe of vs that which is his owne He hath power to exact it and hath power also to remit it But of whom it must bee exacted and to whom it must be remitted it belongs to the Lord to iudge and not to the debters Obiection But say they the reprobates while God forsaketh and hardeneth them cannot auoide sinnes And it seemeth vniust if God should punish a man for those things that he cannot auoide Answere I know surely that this seemeth vniust to Albert Pighius and other Sophisters whose wisedome God hath made foolishnes but how vniustly it is manifest for if that reason were any thing worth God could not without a token of crueltie and iniustice punish originall sinne which certainly no man can auoide in his birth Obiection They obiect this also He that foreseeth sinne and doth not hinder it when he may is not without fault God foreseeth sins and doth not hinder them when he might most easily Therefore c. Answere Hereunto some make answere that God doth not put away sinnes because hee will haue his reasonable creature to retaine his libertie and choise of good and euil which otherwise he should lose But if that reason were forcible either Gods grace should be destroyed whereby the godly and elect auoide sinnes or els they must be said to want the choise of good and euill Therefore to answer more truly we must here remember that wee ought not to dispute of the righteousnes of God after the rule of mans righteousnes The first proposition taketh place concerning men and not concerning God For men both by the societie of nature Gods law are bound one to â—nother that one should procure the welfare of another and hinder the destruction But God is bound to none and he may doe with his creature what hee will without the iniurie of the creature as Lord of all and hauing full dominion ouer his owne goods Further because of his omnipotent goodnes and wisedome he can tell how to worke good euen of euill which men cannot doe Which things seeing they stand thus let no man in his heart accuse God who will render to euery one according to his workes Psalm 102. but let euery one blame himselfe when he sinneth and let him say when he is damned Thou art iust O Lord in all that thou doest vnto vs and all thy iudgements are true And whosoeuer is set free let him say Psalm 144. The Lord is mercifull and full of compassion he hath not recompenced vs according to our sinnes Obiection 7 As for that that was added touching despaire that it was bred in the mindes of men by the doctrine of the constant and vnchangeable purpose both of Gods election and reprobation Predestination is 〈◊〉 ground of our comfort and no cause of despeâ—ation it is also a meere slaunder Nay it is the most true ground of all our comfort and saluation that we know that God hath chosen his owne in Christ before the foundation of the world who beleeue in him and hath predestinated them vnto adoption according to the good pleasure of his owne will and that this purpose of free election and predestination is so firme that neither it can bee changed of any creature neither doth God euer repent him of his gifts and calling This thing the places of Scripture euery where confirme which speake of predestination as what the Apostle saith â— Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his Doubtles the Scripture speaketh this to our consolation least wee should be troubled for the reuolt of some men from the Gospell and for other offences And more fully Rom. 8. We know that all things work for the best to them that loue God that is to them who are called of purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated also to be made conformable to his image c. And thus concludeth I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor any creature can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu We see how the Apostle armeth vs against all temptations of this world with this perswasion that election is sure and stable whereby wee are chosen in Christ vnto eternall life freely and of his meere loue as the Lord also in the Gospell comforteth vs therewith Matth. â—3 Ioh. 10. Luke 10 11. that the elect cannot be seduced that he suffereth not his sheepe to bee pluckâ— out of his hand that our names are written in heauen Also feare not little flocke for it pleaseth your father to giue you a kingdome And in Iohn Ioh. 6. least the faithfull should be offended through the obstinacie of the vnbeleeuers what soeuer the father giueth me saith he commeth vnto me and he that commeth vnto me I will not cast him forth because I came downe from heauen to doe his will that sent me Therefore by the view of these sayings of Scripture it appeareth that the doctrine of the firmenes of Gods election is reuealed vnto vs for this cause that it might bee the foundation of all certaintie against all kinde of temptations which arise either in respect of our infirmitie among so many dangers of the godly or of the vnbeliefe or apostacie of others from the faith or in respect of other thing Hereof saith Luther notably when he had auouched Praefat. ad Rom. that the decree of predestination is sure and vnmoueable addeth moreouer that this necessitie is most necessarie vnto saluation and consolation He assigneth the reason because we be so wâ—â—ke in our selues that if our saluation consisted in our owne stregth very few or none should bee saued for the deuill would ouercome all men But now saith he seeing Gods decree is sure and most certaine and cannot be altered by any creature wee haue hope to ouer come sinne at the length Luth. de ser arb cap. 144. Hee teacheth the same thing at large and amplifieth it by the consideration of so many perils and deuils daily assaulting vs. Aâ—â—de praedâ—st sanct cap. â— And surely it is a wonder among so many streites wherewith our life is beset that any man had rather betake himselfe to his owne infirmitie than to the certainety of Gods promise and grace Obiection I am vncertaine of my election which maketh me sad But thou wilt say the will of God concerning my selfe is vncertaine vnto me And this is it that maketh me sad and sorowfull that seeing there is a certaine and sealed number of them that be predestinate which cannot be increased nor diminished I am vncertaine whether I belong to that number if I knew this I would rest my selfe in that sure foundation Answere Answere This is one question whence we may knowe our selues to be elect
booke of life cannot otherwise be taken than as farre forth as they gloried for a while in the title of the Church till they were blotted out that is were declared to be cast awaies no waie pertainnig to the body of the Church But Moses was one of the predistinate sonnes of God An instance and truely written in the booke of the liuing Therfore some truly written in the booke of life are blotted out of it or may be blotted out Answere I denie the consequence because the Maior which is omitted in the argument is false to wit that Moses was blotted out or could be blotted out of the booke of life He surely wished to be blotted out for the sin of Israel rather than the name of God should be blasphemed among the Gentiles but it was not done or could be done because he wished it Nether are we to maruell that Moses wished that that could not bee seeing this is vsuall in the praiers of the Saints that through a certaine vehement loue of God and their neighbor their will is caried away euen vnto things that cannot be done Example hereof we haue in this very wish of Moses who desired to drawe rather vpon himselfe the punishment and damnation of transgressors if God would not at all pardon their sin For the iustice of God doth not suffer him to punish an innocent for an offender but the soule that sinneth shall die Euen as Moses that wished such a thing was answered of the iudge of the worlde He that sinneth against me I will blot him out of the booke that I haue written So Dauid prayed 2. Sam. 18. Who will graunt me that I might die for thee sonne Absolom Whereas yet it could not be that hee should die for Absolom Christ also knew well enough that he must drinke of the cup yet he said Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And to vse a most like example Paul wished to bee accursed from Christ Rom. 9. for his brethren the Israelites that is for the loue of Christ hee was ready if it were possible to lose the kingdome of heauen and to goe to hell De compunâ—t â—ora lib. 1. serm de nulla regni spe as often Chrysostome expoundeth that place But as touching the Lordes answere to Moses when hee saith That he will blot him out of his booke that hath sinned against him the answere is all one with that that we made before to the place of the Psalme which Ambrose also vpon the ninth to the Romanes plainely approueth by his iudgement and among the later writers Doctor Heerbrand subscribeth vnto him Heerb disp de elect praed thes 115. Hub thes 771. Equiuocos doctores Therefore let Huber rather consult with them than scorne the trueth and the louers of it and tauntingly terme them doubtfull Doctors when as he himselfe plaieth more truely the doubtfull disputer dallying with the doubtfull significations of wordes to deceiue others Obiection 4 Beside it is obiected out of the twelfth chapter to the Hebrewes Heb. 12. Yee are come to mount Sion the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to thousands of Angels and to the companie of the first borne c. Take heede that yee despise not him that speaketh for if they escaped not that despised him that spake in Gods name in the earth much more wee if wee abhorre him who is from heauen Some of these of whome this speech is doe fall away and perish for euer because hee terrifieth them with eternall punishments if they resist the worde But these that are spoken of are written in heauen therefore some of such doe pertsh Answere I answere that of pure perticulars nothing is concluded Certainly the Minor is onely particular because it is spoken of those first begotten that are written in heauen and not of other whomsoeuer that pertaine to their societie and the Churches among whom it is not to be doubted that many are hypocrites that shall in their time be iudged of the Lord. But say they it is written keepe that thou hast that no man Obiection 5 take away thy crowne He that standeth Apoc. 3.11 let him take heed lest he fall If God spared not the naturall branches take heed 1. Cor. 11. Rom 11. Phil. 2. that he spare not thee also In feare and trembling worke your saluation These and the like exhortations and threatning pertaine to all euen to Gods elect Therefore the elect are not without perill of losing saluation Answere I answere There is a fallacie from that which is not the cause as if it were the cause for whereas such exhortations and threatnings meete vs in the Scriptures it is not therefore done because the saluation of the elect is not in good safetie as touching the grace of the chuser but seeing the elect carry about them and in them manifolde infirmities and endure sundry temptations of the world the holy Ghost thinketh good by those meanes to worke in them watchfulnes and perseuerance for their saluation But what shall we say to that of the Apostle I beat downe Obiection 6 my body bring it into subiection least by any meanes 1. Cor. 9. when I haue preached to others my selfe became a reprobate Paul doubtlesse was elected yet he laboured that he might not bee a reprobate Answere I answere Grammar vndoeth this knot For a reprobate is here opposed to one approued and the meaning is that hee went before others in example least by not doing what he taught he should bring himselfe into contempt So siluer is called reprobate Ieremie 6.30 And diuerse times this signification meeteth vs as 2. Cor. 13.6.7 Secondly though we should grant that reprobate here is taken for one that is to be condemned in eternall death what consequence is this Paul and other elected to life chastise their flesh and vse other exercises of faith and repentance that they perish not Therefore some of the elect doe fall away from grace Nay therefore they doe not fall away because they carefully shunne falles and vse the meanes vnto saluation WHETHER AND HOW WE MAY BE CERTAINE AND SVRE OF OVR Election in Christ CHAP. XXIII Of the certainety of saluation and therefore of Election against the Papistes THe elect of God as we haue seen haue an excellent prerogatiue and dignitie whom no creature can separate from his loue in Christ Iesu in whom before the world they were vnchangeably predestinated to eternall glory But that we may be partakers of this consolation we must consider 1. Whether and 2. how wee may be certaine of our election in Christ Where also we wil touch 3. what we must iudge in this point of our brethren in Christ and of our neighbour in generall The first of these three questions was wont to be in controuersie betweene vs and the Papistes The Papists say that election is certaine in it selfe but vncertaine to vs. For
albeit they maintaine as well as we the firmenes and certaintie of Gods election in it selfe yet they would haue it to bee vncertaine to vs as long as we liue in this mortal life whether we be in the nūber of the elect those that shall be saued yea whether in this life we bee in fauour with God neither suppose they that it cā possibly be known without especial reuelatiō such as they attribute to Paul and some few other Concil Trid. sesse 6. cap. 12. Hereupon the Councell of Trent held vnder Pope Paul the third decreed in this sort No man in this life ought so to presume of the secret misterie of Gods predestination that hee should certainely make account that he himselfe is in the number of them that be predestinated as though it were true that he that is iustified either could not sinne any more or if he hath sinned ought to promise himselfe certaine repentance For without speciall reuelation it cannot be knowne whom God hath chosen to himselfe Can. 15. And in the same Session among the Canons wherein the Trent fathers establish doubting of the forgiuenes of our sins and of the grace of God Hee is pronounced accursed whosoeuer shall say that a man regenerate and iustified is bound by faith to beleeue that he is certainely of the number of the predestinate This is the doctrine of poperie and no maruell seeing they are not subiect to the righteousnes of God but goe about to set vp their owne righteousnes of worthinesse and humaine merites For seeing they rest not in the mercie of God by and for Christes sake forgiuing sinnes to euery one that beleeueth but respect also their owne disposition worthinesse satisfactions merites to iustifie thē they doe lesse yet than becommeth thē that they so much doubt of their receiuing into grace or of their iustification For Paul without al doubting plainly pronoūceth that he knoweth nothing by himself yet hereby he is not iustified 1. Cor. 4. Gal. 5. Gal. 3. And to the Gal. Behold I Paul say vnto you ye are made voide of Christ as many as are iustified by the Law and ye are fallen from grace For as many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse And truely this doctrine of doubting of the grace of God in this life or the life to come Reasons against doubting of Gods grace greatly swarueth frō the scope of the diuine Scriptures For the Apostle saith What things are written are written for our instruction that by patience consolation we might haue hope Lib. 3. Sent. dist 26. What hope is But hope excludeth doubting because hope euen by the confession definition of the papistes themselues is a vertue whereby spiritual and eternal things are confidently expected or which is all one Hope is a certaine expectation of future blessednes proceeding from the grace and trueth of God They adde and from precedent merites because to hope for any thing without merites is not to bee called hope put presumption As though it were not presumption rather to aduance merites against grace For if of workes then not of grace saith the Apostle Rom. 11. but if of grace then not of workes Secondly a most strong argument against popish doubting is taken from this that in the scriptures we are commanded to beleeue the remission of sinnes and eternall life and that not onely historically and generally but also with the application of the promise of grace vnto vs as also euery where the holy Scriptures require vs to beleeue in Christ who died for our sinnes that he might restore vnto vs Gods grace that was lost righteousnesse and eternall life To beleeue and to doubt are contrary Now to beleeue and to doubt are manifestly contrary one to the other as we may see in Iames cha 1. If any of you want wisedom let him aske of God but with cōfidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing doubting or wauering hither and thither like the waues of the sea that are caried of the winde And the words vsed in the sacred Scriptures to expresse the force and nature of faith confirme the same thing as that to faith is attributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sure perswasiō substance demonstration confidence boldnes which surely signifie not a doubting of the mind but a sure certaine assurance Whereto then tendeth the doctrine and shop of doubting with the papists but to ouerthrowe faith altogether and to turne vpside downe the vse of the Scripture vnto vs which was therefore deliuered of the holy men of God that we should beleeue that Iesus Christ and that in beleeuing we might haue life through his name Hitherto serue the expresse sayings of Scripture Matth. 8. Be of good cheere my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Luk. 7. Woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace The papists flee here to some speciall reuelation but as we doe not denie the same so we say that those special reuelations depend vpon the generall foundation that is the promise of grace made to beleeuers in the Gospell Mark 16. He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned 2. Tim. 1. This also is manfest by the testimonies of Paul I knowe whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe my pledge against that day Chap. 4. Againe I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the faith hereafter there is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue me in that day and not to me onely but to all that loue his comming Also I am perswaded that neither death nor life Rom. 5. nor Angels nor principalities nor any other creature is able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu towards vs. In vaine doe they here except that Paul in those places speaketh onely of his owne assurance that he had by a singular reuelation For he speaketh in the plurall number of himselfe and others that are ingrafted into Christ by a true faith and loue his comming So elsewhere the Apostle generally testifieth Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God and wee reioyce in the hope of the glorie of God through our Lorde Iesu Christ For being now iustified through his blood we shall much more be saued from wrath by him And to the Ephesians After ye beleeued Ephes 1. ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance against the day of redemption Iohn also hereto agreeth 1. Ioh. 3. 4. We know that we are translated from death to life And hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in vs that he hath giuen vs of his spirit These and such like testimonies plainly proue that a faithfull man may and ought to make certaine account that he hath