that hath sent me that I shall lose nothing of all those which the Father hath giuen to me but that I might rayse them vp in the last day for this is the will of him that hath sent me that all that seeth the Sonne and beleueth in him may haue life euerlasting Of those wordes of our master it is euident first that the Father hath geuen some to thâ— Sonne Christe Iesus yea and also that some be that are not giuen But of that after And secâ—ndarely that it behoueth the same to come vnto him for so he affirmeth sayiÌ„g All that my father gaue vnto me shall come vnto me He leaueth it not in doubt but planely affirmeth they shall come Thirdly the end aÌ„d fruicte of the commiÌ„g is expressed to witt y â— they obteine life euerlasting Which to them that of the father are giuen and of the Sonne receaued is so sure that Christe Iesus him self pronouÌ„ceth y t oute of his handes is none able to plucke them awaye Plaine it is that the counsell of God is stable and his loue immutable towardes his elect becaus al other conditions set aparte Christe affirmeth that the life euerlasting perteineth to theÌ„ that are giuen by God and receaued by him in protection and sauegarde But more planely doth he speake in that his solemne praier for after that by diuers meanes he had coÌ„forted the sorowfull heartes of his disciples he giueth comfort to the whole churche Affirming that he did not pray onely for those that there were present with him but also for all those that should after beleue by their preaching in him These wordes he added for our singuler comforte I haue giueÌ„ vnto them the glorie which thow hast geuen to me that they may be one as we are one I in them aÌ„d thow in me that they may be made perfecte in one aÌ„d that the world may know y t thow hast sent me aÌ„d y t thou hast loued theÌ„ as thow hast loued me O that oure heartes coulde witâ—â—out contradictioÌ„ embrase these wordes for theÌ„ w t humilitie shoulde we prostrate oure selues before oure God aÌ„d with vnfeined teares giue thanks for his mercie Three things in these wordes are to be obserued first that the same glorie which God the Father hath giueÌ„ to his Sonne the same hath he giuen to such as beleue in him not that either Christ Iesus had then the full glorie as he was man for as yet he had not ouercome the death neither y â— his elect at any tyme in this life can atteine to the fruition of the same but that the one was as assured in gods immutable counsell as was the other For as the head shoulde ouercome the bitter death and so triumphe ouer sathan the authour thereof so should his membres in the tyme appoiÌ„ted as he doth further expresse sayinge I wil Father that where that I am there also be those which thou hast giuen vnto me that they may se my glorie The second is that so streâ—t and â—ere is the coniunction and vnion betweixt Christ Iesus and his membres that they must be one and neuer can be seperated For so did Christe pray Saing That they all may be one as we are one I in them aÌ„d thow in me that they may be made perfecte in one Let the coniunction be diligently marked for much it serueth to our comâ—ort As the Godhead is inseparably ioined with the humanitie in Christ Iesus our Lord so the one that is the God head neither could nor can leaue the humanitie at any tyme. how bitter that euer the stormes appeared so caÌ„ not Christ Iesus leaue his dear spouse the Church neither yet any trew membre of the same For that he includeth vnder the generall word all for any accideÌ„t how horrible that euer it be that came to passe in their life And albeit that this appere straÌ„ge and also a doctrine that may seme to giue libertie to sinne yet may not the children of God be defrauded of their fode becaus that dogges will abuse the same But of this we shall God willing after speak The third thing to be noted is that the loue of God towardes his elect giuen to Christe is immutable For Christ putteth it in equall ballance with the loue by the which his Father loued him Not that I wold any man should so vnderstand me as that I placed any man in equall dignitie and glorie with Christe Iesus touchiÌ„g his office No that must be reserued wholly and onely to him self that he is the â—lie beloued in whom all the rest are beloued that he is the head that onely geueth life to the bodie and that he is the souerane prince before whom all knee shall bowe But I meane that as the loue of God the Father was euer constant towardes his deare Sonne so is it also towardes the membres of his bodie yea euen when they are ignorant and enemies vnto him as the apostle witnesseth SaiÌ„g God specially commendeth his loue towardes vs that when we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more being iustified now by his blood we shall be saued by him from wrath For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more we being reconciled shall be saued by his life To some these wordes maye appere coÌ„trary to oure purpose for they make meÌ„tion of a reconciliation which is not made but where there is enemitie and dissention But if they be righteously considered they shall most euideÌ„tly proue that which we affirme which is that God loued the membres of Christes bodie euen when they are ignorant when they by them selues are vnworthie and ennemies For this is his first proposition that we being iustified by faith haue peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ. Where he maketh mention of peace he putteth vs in mynde of the dissension and warre which was betwext gods iustice and oure sinnes This enemitie saieth he is taken away and we haue obteined peace And leâ—t that this comforte shouldâ— sodenly euanish or els that men shoulde not depely wey it he bringeth vs to the eternall loue of God affirming that God loued vs when we were weake Where we must obserue that the apostle speaketh not vniuersally of all men but of such as were and shoulde be iustified by faith â–ª and had the loue of God poured in to their heartes by the holie Gost which was giuen vnto them To such saieth he if God did loue vs when we were weake and his ennemies muche more must he loue vs when we are reconciled and begin in faith to call him father The Apostle affirmeth that oure reconciliation proceded from gods loue which thing sainct Iohan more planely doeth witnes in these wordes In this appereth the loue of God towardes vs that God hath sent furth his onely Sonne into the world that we should liue by him In this I say is loue not that we loued God but that
e same aÌ„d vpoÌ„ y e other yo r ignoraÌ„ce orels malice in corruptiÌ„g y e scriptures THE ADERARIE To proue this similitude good and to shew how much his loue towardes his children excedeth the loue of all creatures towardes their birtâ—es he saieth Can a woman forget the childe of her wombe aÌ„d not pitie the same whom she hath borne And thogh she do forget it yet I will not forget the. Here he speaketh not onely to the elect as some say but also to them which did for sake and dispyse him as there Alas for these disobedient children saieth the Lord that they will take counsell without me Here he calleth the wicked which heape sinne vpon sinne â–ª and were disobedient his chiidren Christ saieth If ye when ye are euill caÌ„ giue your children good giftes how mmch more your heauenlie father After the same manner may I reason with you carelesse by necessitie if none of you thogh y e be euill wold beget a child to miserie how much les wold God which is all good beget and creat man his own image to perpetual paynes Here we may se how much this noghtie opinion is coÌ„trarie to nature and to reason and that it is coÌ„trarie to the worde God willing I will proue If God hath ordeyned the most part of the world to be damned then were his wrath greater theÌ„ his mercie But the scripture witnesseth that his mercie is ouer all his workes and that God is slow vnto wrath and redie vnto mercie so that his wrath is extended onely to the third and fourth generation but his mercie to the thousand generatioÌ„ wherefor thus saieth he A litle whil I haue forsaken thee but with greate mercifulnes shall I take thee vp vnto me Whâ—n I was angrie I hid my face from the for a litle ceason but throughe euerlasting mercie haue I pardoned thee And Dauid saieth his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eie and his pleasure is in life heuines may well endure for a night But ioy cometh in the morning And so Moises called him a mercifull and gracious God long suffring and keping mercie in store for thousandes By these scriptures and many mo it is euident that gods mercie is greater then his wrath contrarie to their sainges ANSWER How blasphemous be your similitudes your selue may consider if malice haue not vtterly blinded you for I haue all redie proued that God is not bound to the lawes and boundes of nature and how shamefully ye do abuse the scriptures which ye alledge fewe wordes shall declare Ye deny that God doeth speake here to his elect in the place of isaiah the Prophete but to all meÌ„ in generall and euen to those that had forsaken him as ye wold seme to proue by the wordes of the same Prophete spoken â—efore in his thirtie chapiter First I say that those two places do no more agree then do those wordes of Christ spoken after his resurrection Go to my brethren and tell them I passe vp to my father and vnto your father and vnto my God and vnto your God and those which he spake before his death against Capernaum Bethsaida and Corosaim or vnto Ierusalem against whom he pronounced woo and malediction becaus they did not know the tyme of their visitatioÌ„ For in the former place God speaketh to Syon which long had bene waist and to his people which long had bene oppressed And to the end that the reader may better vnderstand how deceitfully ye withdraw and steall the wordes which explain the hole mater I will bring furth the wordes of the Prophete Reioise saieth he â— heauens and reioce thow earth â— you mountanes brest you furth in gladnes for the eternall hath conforted his people and shall haue mercie vpon his poore ones Syon hath said the Lord hath left me and my Lord hath forgotten me May a woman forgett her child that she shall not haue compassion vpon the sonne of hir bosome but let it be that they forget neuertheles I shall not forget the for lo in these my two handes haue I engrafted the and thy walles are for euer before me If these coÌ„fortable wordes were spoken in generall to all men as ye affirme let indifferent men iudge If all men were Sion that long had lyen desolate if all were his people that loÌ„g had bene oppressed in the captiuitie of Babylon If all did so complaine that they thoght God to haue forgotten his league and promes which of mercie he made with them And finally if all haue this promise that their deliueraÌ„ce is ioined with gods infinite power theÌ„ is your application to be approued but if God did make a plaine difference betwext Israel and all nations in the earth if he had chosen his habitation in Syon and if he will kepe promes with the afflicted for his own names sake be they neuer so vnworthie then are ye to bolde to giue the honor and prerogatiue of the children and heires to straÌ„gers aÌ„d bastardes The wordes which ye alledge of the thirtie chapter make nothiÌ„g for your purpose for albeit he speaketh to those that were inobedieÌ„t yea that were treasonable traitours yet had they the name the title yea the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods people and among them were som of gods chosen children for whose comfort after long affliction susteined in Babylon were those other wordes spoken And so except that ye be able to proue that the people of Israel and the citie of Ierusalem had no greater prerogatiue euen in the time of their greatest blindnes and vnthankfulnes before the comming of Christ Iesus in the fleshe then had other nations ye conclude nothing But yet wonder it is that ye can make no difference betwext the tymes in which the one wordes and the other were spoken The wo was pronouÌ„ced you say alas which the text hath not against them what tyme they had declined from God when they toke counsel of them selues when they could not abide the admonitions of the Prophetes but the comfortable promes of delyueraÌ„ce was made after that vengeance was powred furth vpon the proude contemners and after that the hole bodie was sore tormeÌ„ted by great oppression and long impresonement Do ye not thinke that their might be great alteratioÌ„ in that people within the space of an hundreth yeres for so long was it betwext the daies of the Prophete and the daies of their last captiuitie vnder Nabucadnezer after which tyme also did this former promes of gods remembrance of theÌ„ onely take place Might not the one â—e spoken of those which should be punished yea let it be that they were the reprobate and the other to the people of God to whom by his own holines he had promised deliuerance Do ye thinke that because the same Prophet speaketh bothâ— the sentences that therefor they do appertein to one estate aÌ„d condition of people I haue proued the contrary by Christes plain wordes
peruers dâ—ctryne â—e will infect Christianite with the chief error wherewith the Iewes be deludâ—d That 〈◊〉 they esteme it a great madnes to say that Christ should suffer death for the offence coÌ„mitted by Adam euen so may I collect of your error-for what nedeth Christ to die for them whom nether Adams transgression â–ª nether their own could make them fall from gods election but now I will more largely dilate this argument Election was afore the world when there was no sinne and the promes of Christ was made sitheÌ„se the world was created because of sinne for had not sinne bene we neded no new promes being alredie iust and holie images of God Now if the elect did not fall out of the election by AdaÌ„s traÌ„sgressâ—on then nede they no redemer being alredie safe by reason of the electioÌ„ in which they were afore sinne aÌ„d remaine still in the same Because as you say the elect nether did nor can fall out of the election Then seing the elect be safe and hole they nede no phisition nether came Christ to call the righteous but â—innâ—rs wherfor the death of Christ as concerning them is in vain they being safe alredie by election The like argument vseth Paul to the Galathyaâ—s if righteousnes cometh by the Law then Christ died in vaine if the elect â–ª be stâ—ll in the fauor of God what nede they of Christ to reconcile them to the father in whose fauore they are alredie Now as touching the other sorte whom ye call reprobates you say they caÌ„ by no maner of meanes be saued yea that Christ died not for them then was Chistes death altogither in Vaine â–ª for his death you say belongeth not to the reprobate and the elect haue no nede of it Is not this godlie gere ANSWER In dilating your argument by the which ye go about to proue y t Christes preciouse death was surperfluouse and vaine if the elect did not fall from their election this reason ye vse Election was afore the world wheÌ„ there was no sinne and the promes of Christ was made sithence the world was created becaus of sinne for had not sinne bene we nedâ—d no newe promes being alredie iust and holie â—mages of God Now if the elect say you did not fall out of the election by Adams transgression then nede they no râ—demer being alredie saue by reason of the election in the which they were afore sinne and remaine still in the same c â–ª In this argument ye commit two fowle faultes The first ye take that for a thing true aÌ„d coÌ„fessed which is fals and therefore by vs alwaies denied for thus ye reason man was elected before the worlde was created but man sinned aftre the world was created Ergo man fel from his election we still denie the conclusion and do affirme that as we were elected in Christ Iesus before all times so did the elect euer remainâ— in Christ. and therfore after that they had sinned it behoued that the promes shoulde be declared that by the same the elect might receaue comfort and be assured of their election Your second fault more declareth youre grosse ignorance in the mysterie of our redemption for from election ye streight waies leap to glorificacion and saluation obseruing nether middes nor meanes which gods wisdome hath appointed and determined to go betwext Trew it is God hath elected in Christ to life euerlasting his chosen childreÌ„ But how Sainct Paul yea the hole scriptures wheresoeuer mention is made of our election ioyneth therewith the death and blood of Christ. for none otherwies were we elected in him but that he shoulde sustein the punishement for our transgression And that we shoulde receaue life which we had lost in Adam and in our selues by the meanes of his death and resurrection therefore where ye reason if the elect did not fall oute of the Election by Adams transgressioÌ„ theÌ„ nede they no redemer being alredie saued by reason of their election the coÌ„clusion is fals and the reason vaine for the elect haue nede of a redemer not because that they did fal out of election but by reason that they did fal from iustice to sinne froÌ„ obedieÌ„ce to dissobedieÌ„ce therefore nede they a redemer a phisicion aÌ„d one to giue theÌ„ life because y t they being elect in gods eternal counsel are yet fallen into bondage into mortal sicknes death by their own traÌ„sgression If ye can proue y t the elect did not sinne that they are noâ— sicke then might ye haue concluded that they neded no redemer nor phisition And so ye might haue proceded in your argument vpon the wordes of the Apostle saing that if righteousnes cometh by the law then Christ died in vaine but seing that all gods childreÌ„ are fallen in to sinne the bondage and miserie wherof they in this lief coÌ„tinually fele how iustly ye may conclude that becaus they remained in gods election and so consequently in his fauor by Christ that therefor they neded no redemer let the indifferent reader iudge If it seme straÌ„ge to you that God loued sinners in Christ besides the places that are afore alledged for probation of that part heare what the veritie it self pronounceth So God loued the world saieth our master that his onelie begotten Sonne hath he giuen whom soeuer ye shall vnderstand vnder the name of the world ye can not sâ—clude sinners from it where ye most vnreuerently ask what then nede they of Christ to recoÌ„cile them I answer with greater feare and reuerence then alas you declare euen such nede they haue of Christ as the bodie hath of the soule or yet the liuing maÌ„ of holsome nuriture yea much more for albeit the bodie haue lief by the meanes of meat and drink yet haue the elect nether lief nor reconciliation but by Christ Iesus yea and that by the meanes of his deathe and passion by the which iust payment and satisfaction is made to gods iustice for their sinnes And so are they reconciled who by nature are the enemies to God We do not denie but that Christes death is sufficient for to redeme the sinnes of the hole world but because all do not receaue it with faith which is the fre gift of God giuen to the chosen children therefor abyde thâ— vnfaithfull in iust condemnation God remitt vnto you if his good pleasure be aswell your vnreuerent conclusion as your most vniust accusation in which ye burden vs that we will infect the Christianitie with the chief error with the which the Iewes are infected who esteme it a great madnes to say that Christ should suffer death for the sinnes and offences committed by Adam Assuredly I do more then woÌ„der that such impietie shal be found in any creature indewed with reason but I remitt iudgemeÌ„t to God Thus you procede THE ADVERSARIE The Apostle saieth God hath frome the begining choseÌ„ you to saluatioÌ„ through sanctifiyng of the the spirit
you pretēd ye cā not but vnderstand this answere to be sufficiet to dissolue what so euer ye haue vnreuerently collected But yet to make it more sēsible to the simple I say y t in this proposition God can not wil two contraries and in the conclusion which you make vpon the same you oght to haue made a distinction betwene those thinges w c God simply or as ye spake before absolutely will and betwene those thinges which he will for a certein end and purpose which doeth not appere in the external actiōs For certen thinges there be as in an other place I haue entreated which God will euen for them selues such as be mercie iustice temperance chastitie and all other vertues which he wil haue to shyne in his elect and please him in Christ Iesus his Sonne And yet neuertheles he also will crueltie iniustice excesse filthie life blindnes induration to be in others as iust punishmētes of their sinnes and causes of their condēnation The last I say will God to be in the reprobate not for the wicked actes sake which do euer displease his Maiestie but for such endes as his wisedom hath appointed Let this be explained by examples some natural and some takē frō gods scriptures There is no mā except he be of a most cruel nature that considering the incōmodities of warre and of battell doeth will it for the selfe And yet a godly prince persewed by externall ennemies doeth not onely will his soldiours to fight and to mainteine the warre but also he prouoketh he encourageth and exhorteth his subiectes to the same And why is it because y t warre or battell pleaseth him in the self or for the self No but because with out such trauaill such danger and hasard his subiectes can not lyue in quietnes and the estate of his commō wealth can not be preserued The same may I say of godlie magistrates punishing murtherers adulterers and blasphemers w t death and yet nether willing the death of any mā neither yet deliting in the sheding of their blood In these similitudes I grāt somwhat to be vnlike for gods power is not subiect to such incōmodities vnwillingly as be the powers of men But yet these similitudes suffice to explaine the chief purpose w c is y t man may will two contraries for diuers respectes without any contrarietie in him self For peace and warre are cōtraries to kill to saue the life are likewise cōtraries and yet one man euen at one time may will both the one and the other for diuers respectes and diuers endes He may will peace for the cōfortable quietnes and felicitie y t ther of springeth and at the same instāt without all cōtrarietie in him self he may wil warre to withstād the furie of the ennemie y t wold oppresse his subiectes And may not these thinges w c we perceaue to be in creatures be in God in greater perfectiō althogh we perceaue not the causes Let vs trie the answere both by the examples of gods seruātes and last by the exāple of God him self Lot no doubte did agree with gods wil in that he loued chastitie sobrietie and temperāce and hated filthie life riotous chere and excesse For the holy Gost boareth him this record that he was pure and cleane both in eares and eyes But what will had he when he did offer his two daughters to be defloured and abused by those vilanous persons was it cōtrarie to his formar will Did he now beginne to delyte in that execrable filthines assured I am he did not But being oppressed with the present necessitie reteining the same loue wil and minde to chastitie and honest conuersation soght y e next remedie that to him appered able to haue staied the rage of that furious multitude vpon God I grāt falleth no such necessitie But let the chief scope be obserued and we shall vnderstand that for diuers respectes to will two thinges wherof the one is contrarie to the other is not to will contrarietie But let vs come to God him self God willeth mercy iustice all other vertues as before we haue said and these he will at all times and before all times But is it not possible therfor that he can will crueltie oppression blood sheding murther and death Who then sent Nabuchadnezer to destroy not onely the Iewes but also the Moabites and other nations Who pronounced this sentence Cursed be he that doeth the Lordes worke negligently and he that withdraweth his swerd from blood Who did create the smithes with their hammers to break downe the hornes which had dispersed Israel And finally who gaue his owne sonne to the cruell death Who hath subiected the deare spouse of Christe Iesus to afflictions and temporall calamities Dare you denie but that it was and is the eternall God by whose good will all these thinges were appointed and decreed or were any of them done agaīst his almightie will I think you wil not so affirme For the scripture witnesseth that God gaue his Sonne to the world euē of determined purpose that he should dye orels who could haue compelled his Maiestie therunto if his will had bene repugnant Peter affirmeth that blessed are we that suffre for y e name of Christe adding this comfortable sentēce By them y t is by the persecuters is y e name of God blasphemed but by you it is glorified And therfor let such saith he as be afflicted by y e will of God lay doune their soules in well doīg as in the handes of a faithfull keper Paul witnesseth y t those whom God hath elected in Christe Iesu he hath also predestinate and before appointed to be like fashioned to the image of his owne Sonne Of which testimonies it is plaine that the greuous destruction the aboundance of the bloodshed amōg diuers natiōs the cruell death of Christ Iesus and the most fearefull afflictions of his dearely beloued Church did procede from gods will in so much as he did not onely suffer them but also for most iust causes respectes and endes which often before I haue recited he did will and appoint them and yet in God was there no contrarietie For in the destruction of Ierusalem ād of others he had not respect simply to the ruine and vastatiō of those places but to his iust iudgementes which were prouoked to take vengeance vpon the multitude of their sinnes which lōg he had suffered When our Master Christe Iesus did suffre he had no delite in the crueltie of those enraged dogges who did crucifie him which as he hated so after he did most seuerely punish but his pleasure ād delite was in the redēption of man which by none other sacrifice could haue bene perfited And this day and from the beginning he hath had no pleasure in the blood which is shed neither in the tyrānie which is vsed against his simple and smal flock but because he wil haue the members like y e head he doeth a