the king But because he did it so often and neuer ended the king being offended went his way Then hastily he went into the throne and behaued him selfe like a king But the king coÌ„ming in the meane while thrust him out and caused him to be kept in prisoÌ„ne three dayes During the siege they set out a boke naming it y e restitutioÌ„ in which boke besides other things they say The kingdome of Christe to be suche afore the iudgement daye that the elect and godly shal reigne but the wicked that they should be destroyed euerie where Also that it is lawful for the people to put downe the ciuile powers and that althogh the Apostles had no commandement to take iurisdiction vpoÌ„ them yet notwith standing the ministers of the church now oght to take the sworde into their handes and by violence to set vp a new common wealth Also that none oght to be suffered in the common wealth that is not a true Christian that none can be saued vnlesse he put all his goods in common without possessing any thing proper vnto him selfe that Luther and the Pope be false prophetes and of the two Luther to be the worse aÌ„d that the mariage of those which are not illuminated by the true fayth is polluted and impure aÌ„d oght to be takeÌ„ for adulterie and for nicatioÌ„ rather theÌ„ mariage AmoÌ„g other meÌ„ MelanctoÌ„ Iustus Ionas Vrbanus Rhegius withstode their doctrine as it appered by their pleÌ„tiful and excelleÌ„t writings Within feaw wekes after the new prophet of whome wâ— spake before blew a trompet in all the stretes and commanded y t all the people should come in to the church yarde of the great teÌ„ple all harnesed for the wicked were to be driue forthe of the citie When they were come thither they fonâ—d a supper prepared and by commandement they sate downe at the table to the nomber of 4000. After they had supped those y t kept the watch aboute 1000. supped also The king and the Quene with their household serued the supper being almost â—nded the king gaue bread to euerie one saying Take aÌ„d eate shew forthe the death of the Lord. And the Quene giuing them the cuppe said Drinke and shew forth the death of the Lord. This being done the new prophet of whome we spake before went vp into the pulpet and asked of them all whether they wold obey the word of God or no. Whereunto when they had all said yea he said The commandement of the father is that there be sent forth 28. preachers which shal go into the foure quarters of the world and preach the doctrine that is published in this citie And then by order he named theÌ„ and the places to which they should euerie one go Syxe were sent to Osembirge as many to warendorfe eyght to Sufat as many to Cosâ—eld The king and the Quene supped afterwarde with the seruitours that had serued at the table and with them that were ordeined to go forthe When supper was in doing the king rose saying that he had a busines to do commannded him of the father and by chance there was a souldioure taken whome the king accused to be a traitoure as Iudas was and with his owhe hand he stroke of his head This done he returâ—ed to supper and tolde merely of his goodly acte that he had done After supper those 28. preachers were sent forthe alitle before night And besides for the finding of them there was giuen to each of them a piece of golde with a charge that wheresoeuer their doctrine was not receaued they should leaue those pieces in a witnes against theÌ„ of their destruction and euerlasting damnatioÌ„ because they had refused peace and a doctrine so wholesome When they came to the places appointed vnto them they cried in the townes that men should repent orels they should perish out of hand They spred their garmeÌ„tes vpon the ground before the Rulers and cast vpon them their pieces of golde which they had receaued affirming that they were sent of the father to bring them peace which if they wold receaue then they willed them to put all their goods in common and if they refused then by this signe and as it were a marke they wold witnes their euil dede and vnthankfulnes For behold the time said they spoken of before by the prophetes in the which God will that righteousnes shall reigne vpon the whole earth is come And when the king shall haue fulfilled his office that iustice doeth rule in euerie place then shal it come to passe that Christe shall giue vp the kingdome to the father They speaking after this maner were takeÌ„ and in y e beginning by gentlnes and afterwith tormentes they being asked of their doctrine life of y e strength of y e citie answered that they onely had the true doctrine which they wold mainteine with the perill of their liues For said they from the time of the Apostles the trueth hathe not bene truely preached nor any iustice vsed also that there were 4. prophetes two iust Dauid and Iohn Leiden and two vniust the Bishop of Rome and Luther who was the worst of bothe They being asked why coÌ„trarie to their promise they had driueÌ„ y e innocentes out of their Citie occupying their goodes wiues and children by what place of the scripture they wolde proue that their fact to be well and iustly done they answered that the time was come which Christe spake of that the meke should posses the earth and that in lyke case God did giue the goods of the Aegyptians to the Israelites Afterward they tolde of the munition and victualles that were in the citie and the multitude and also that many in it had aboue fiue wiues a pece adding this that they loked for armies of meÌ„ out of Friseland and Holand which when they were once come the king wold set forth with all his host to bring the whole worlde vnder his power and subiection after that he had killed all the kings therof for not ministring iustice When they had bene reasoned withall after this maner and they continued in their purpose and wolde acknowledge none other magistrate then their king they were all put to death sauing one that escaped The Citie was so hardly and so straitly beseged that none could ether go in or out Wherefore the citizens fearing famishment and seing the danger that they were in they thoght to haue taken the king and to deliuer him to the Bishop bound but he getting knowledge therof chose 12. out of all the multitude suche as he thoght to be most faithful vnto him and called them captaines and to eche of them he appointed certeine quarters of the Citie to defend and garisons of men to kepe the people from rising More ouer he promised to all the multitude that by Ester the siege should be remoued and that they should be deliuered from the necessitie that they were in But vnto
affirme that gods election in Christ Iesus is so certen ād his eternall purpose to saue his churche is so cōstant that against the faith of gods elect shall not the Portes and gates of hell preuale in the end that neither can lief nor death thinges present nor to com seperat and disseuer vs from the loue of God which is in Christe Iesus That this foundation is stable the Lord knoweth his own and therefor shall euerie one that incalleth the name of the Lord depart from iniquirie for we are not called to vncleannes but vnto sanctification and holynes by the power of that Spirit who raysed from death Iesus the great Pastor of our soules which holie spirit frely by faith which also is the gift of God doeth so reule and reign in our heartes that albeit the flesh lusteth against the spirit yet are we assured of victorie by the onely power of him who hath ouercom the world This is our doctrine faith and professiō But you affirme as after plainely ye write that none is so elected in Christ to lief euerlasting but that he may fall becom a reprobate and finally be condemned and cōtrary waies y t none is so reprobate in gods eternall purpose but that he may becom elect ād so be saued That in God there is neither election nor reprobation but according to mannes disposition so that when men haue good motiōs and be godly disposed God doeth elect thē and write their names in the book of lief but when they chāge and turne to iniquitie he doeth reprobate them and blotteth out their names out of the book of lief Let now all creatures iudge betwext vs and you whether of the two play fast and loose and surmounte iuglers in cūning Frome the third kind of election which ye call most especiall how you be able to proue that the seuentie disciples did so depart from Christe that there was no difference betwext them and the trudging of Iudas as ye terme his horrible treason be iudges your self In the sixt of Iohn we read that many of his disciples left him and fallīg frō him did go with him no more But whether these were the hole seuentie whom he sent to preach or others who for a time did folow him it is not expressed neither yet doeth the text say that all his disciples fell from him but many departed further it appereth to me verie rashe iudgemēt to pronoūce that none that departed from Christe at any tyme in his lief before his death vpon the crosse did at any tyme after return vnto hī but that all such did remain in damnation with Iudas For I fynd that all his Apostles did flie and leaue him and yet we know they were called againe And so also do we fynd were two of the disciples to whom Christ appering betwext Ierusalem and Emaus did first instruct them and after reueled him self vnto thē This I note to giue you occasion to be more circunspect in so weghtie maters Towardes the end of this parte thus ye write of those whome you say haue subiected them selues altogither to the gouernement of their Lord and capteyn they daily obtein such victorie of their ennemies that their war fare is now becom easie and in the hope they haue to subdue by the aid and counsell of their Lord all their ennemies there ioy and comfort is so greate that they esteme all earthlie pleasure which should draw thē back but vaine These wordes augment in me that suspition which before I noted to witt that ye haue a further fetch in this mater then your rude scholers vnderstand at the first to witt that euerie one of you shall becom Christes so perfect ād cleā that in you euen in this lief shall rest no ennemie to be ouercome except death onely and that this is the opiniō of your greatest Angelles I am able to proue by sufficient testimonie I mean by their own hand writinges But how far S. Paul was from that perfection yea euen when he was redie to be offerred in sacrifice for the testimonie of Christe Iesus he eshamed not to confesse thus writing to the Philippians after that he had affirmed that all iustice which before he looked for in the law was becom to him as domage and doung to the end that he might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his own iustice which was of the law but that which was by the faith of Christ Iesus he addeth Not as thogh I had already atteined to the mark vnderstanding to that iustice which he hoped for either that I am alredy perfect but I folowe if I may comprehend that for whoe 's sake I am comprehended of Christe Iesus Brethren I think not with my self to haue atteined to the mark but one thing I do forgetting that that is behind I endeuore my self to that which is before here the Apostle who had foghten somwhat lōger thē some who now can bragge of an easie battell confessed he was not yet perfect neither yet that he had atteined to that estate that is to the resurrectiō of the dead to the which he daily did contend The other poyson which in these your former wordes I espie and therefor of conscience must admonish my brethren is That ye be proud contemners of the fre graces of God offered to man in Christe Iesus for with the Pelagians and Papistes ye are become teachers of fre will and defenders of your own iustice for how coldly ye speak of Christ Iesus and his power these your wordes may witnes They are in hope say you to subdue their ennemies by the aid counsell of their Lord are you becom so strong and your warfare so easie that the coūsell of your captein is sufficient for you to conquire your ennemies you sodenly did repent that ye had confessed that the aid of your Lord was necessarie for you and therefor to mitigate and extenuate that immediatly ye adde by the coūsell of their Lord. Is this I pray you vnfeanedly to cōfesse that without Christ ye may do nothing that of your selues ye be not able to think one good thoght That it is he that beginneth and to the end performeth the work of our saluation God of his greate mercie and for Christe Iesus his sonnes saik preserue his Church from your pestilent vēnom What ye mean by the historie of Gedeō in the which say you well and duelly vnderstanded be your thre kindes of Election plainelie set furth because ye your self do not expresse I will not deuyne The copie which came to my handes was in that place imperfecte for after the former wordes it had onely written Confyr to the world And because I will not take vpon me to alter any thing in your wordes I leaue them to be corrected by your selues ād your mynd further to be explaned in that point if so it shall seme good vnto you Ye procede saying THE ADVERSARIE
theÌ„ that God worketh by creatures this impedeth not but that the wicked work also vpoÌ„ theire part which thing the scripture most euidently declareth for as it pronounceth that God will whissill aÌ„d blow as it were the truÌ„pet to call aÌ„d bring furth to battell the vnfaithfull so ceaseth it not to make meÌ„tioÌ„ of theire own couÌ„sell aÌ„d ascribeth to theÌ„ both a will aÌ„d a work which they did execute vnder the decre of God The other exception of the which these vnhappie libertines take no head is that there is a greate differeÌ„ce betwext thework of God aÌ„d thework of the wicked wheÌ„ that God vseth him in stede of aÌ„ instrumeÌ„t The wicked maÌ„ is prouoked to iniquitie ether by auarice aÌ„bitioÌ„ enuie or crueltie nether yet looketh he to any other end or purpose and therefor the worke taketh the qualitie from the roote from the which it springeth that is frome the wicked affectioÌ„ of the mynd and the mischeuous end which he looketh vnto and therefor iustly is it iudged euill but God altogither hath a contrarie respect to witt that he may exercise his iustice to the conseruation of the good to vse his fauor and gentilnes towardes the faithfull and that he may punish such as haue deserued Consider how we must make difference betwext God and man that vpon the one parte we shall behold his iustice his goodnes and his iudgements and vpon the other part we shall consider in the self same work the malice and enuie of the deuill and of the wicked Let vs take a bright and clear glasse in the which we may behold these thiÌ„ges When the message of the losse of all his goodes came to Iob the sodan death of his sonnes and so manie calamities which all at once fell vpoÌ„ him He doeth acknowledge that he was visited by God saing The Lord gaue all these thinges and it is he that hath taken them away and no doubt so it was But in the mean time do we not know that the deuil procured all these thinges and did not he vnderstaÌ„d by narration of his seruants that escaped that the chaldeis had driuen away his bestiall and flockes Did he commeÌ„d those brigandes and spoilers or oght we to excuse the deuill becaus that all these calamities proceded from God Not so for bothe we and he do and did vnderstand that there was a great difference betwext their purposes And therefor he yet damning the euill said the Name of the Lord be blessed The same may we say of Dauid but at this tyme it sufficeth that God so worketh by his creatures and so doeth vse them to his prouideÌ„ce that the instrument by the which he worketh ceaseth not to be euill And albeit that he conuert the malice of the deuill and of wicked men to good yet they therefor are neither excusable neither yet clean from sinne and their workes are wicked and to be damned for all workes take their qualitie of the purpose and the will of the author Who so euer maketh no distinction betwext these thinges maketh an horrible confusion And such be the libertines who as before is said do not onely ioyn the deuill in societie with God but also do transforme him in to God iudgeing his workes worthie of praise vnder this coulor that he doeth nothing but that which is appointed by God But contrarie wies we oght to obserue that the creatures do woâ—k their own workes in this earthe which workes according as they were directed to this or that end so are they to be iudged either good or euill and yet God gouerneth and doeth moderat all things and guideth them also to a right end He turneth the euill into good or at least God working by the goodnes of his nature draweth as it were by violence som good furth of that which in the self is euill So doeth he vse the deuil that he doeth not mixe him self with him neither to be in felowshipe with him neither yet with his wicked fact neither that his iustice shal put away the nature of the deuil for as the son sending furth his beames and heat to the carion and so ingendreth in it som corruption draweth to it self neither corruptioÌ„ neither yet any filthines neither yet doeth the son by his puretie aÌ„d birghtnes so purge the carioÌ„ but that it remaineth stincking and corrupt so doeth God so work by the wicked that the iustice which is in hiÌ„ doeth not iustifie theÌ„ neither yet is he defyled by their wickednes and corruptioÌ„ The third kinde of gods operation coÌ„sisteth in the gouernaÌ„ce of the faithful in whom he liueth aÌ„d reigneth by his spirit In so far as we are corrupt by original sinne we be lyke to the drie and barren grounde which produceth no good frute for our iudgement is corrupt our will rebellious euer redie to euill and finally our hole nature is nothing elles but a lompe of sinne And therefor not onely can we not applie our selues to any good action but we are not able nor sufficienâ— to conceaue one good thoght as Paul doeth witnes but if we be able to anâ— thing of necessitie that must procede froÌ„ God It is he therefor that worketh in vs both to wil and to performe he doeth illuminate vs and lead vs to the knowledge of him self he draweth vs to him self and by softening our heartes he formeth new heartes in vs. further it is he who moueth in vs a desire of prayiÌ„g he giueth power and strength to resist all the tentations of sathan and maketh that we do walk in his commandements But yet we must consider that of nature we haue both will and election but because they are both depraued by sinne the Lord reformeth theÌ„ aÌ„d of euill maketh them good That we therefor be apt to discerne that we haue a will that we do this or that this is a naturall gift but that we can chouse desyre or do nothing but that which is euil that cometh of the corruption of sinne that we thirst to do good that we haue som power to execute the same this procedeth from the supernaturall grace by the which we are regenerat and newly born to a better and more godlie life Behold then what God worketh in his children first putting away their peruerse nature he coÌ„ducteth aÌ„d guy deth theÌ„ by his holie spirit in obedience of his wil. But these dronken or rather furious libertines crying that al things are wroght by God do make him author of euil And further euen as the nature of the euill were changed when it is cloked vnder the couerture of gods name they affirme it to be good in the which they do greater iniurie and coÌ„tume lie vnto God then that they should transfer his power and iustice to an other For seiÌ„g there is nothing more proper vnto God theÌ„ is his goodnes it behoueth first y â— he should vtterly denie him self before that he can work euill which thing these
same the godlie may be ware For this present I say first that Seruetus whom you iustifie did maintein and by worde and writing dispersed abrode wicked and most deuilishe opinions of God which might not onely make his Godhead to be dispised but also called in doubt and question He iudged those things nothing necessarie to saluation w c Christ hathe commanded and ordeined And last that impugning the true religioÌ„ he did most obstinatly maintein his diabolical erros did resist the plaine trueth to y e death His erroneous opinioÌ„s of God of his eternal Godhead were these Whosoeuer beleueth any trinitiâ— in the essence of God hath not y e perfect God but goddes imagined and elusion of deuils That Christ is the Sonne of God onely in so far as he is be gotten of God in the wombe of the virgin and that not onely by the power of the holy Spirit but because that God begat him of his owne substance That y e worde of God descending from the heauen is now the flesh of Christ so y t the flesh of Christ is from the heauen â–ª further that y â— bodie of Christ is the bodie of the Godhead the flesh of God godlie and heauenlie as it that is begotten of the substance of God That the soule of Christ is God and that the flesh of Christ is God and that aswel the flesh as the soule were in the verie substance of the Godhead from all eternitie That God is the father of the holie Gost. That Christ hauing the participation of the Godhead or of God and participacion of man may not be called a creature but one that doth participat with creatures As the worde descended into the flesh of Christ so did the holie Gost descend in to the soules of the Apostles That Christ so long as he was conuersant in the flesh receaued not the new spirit which he was to receaue after his resurrection That in all men from the beginning is ingrafted the spirit of the Godhead euen by the breath of God yet may the spirit by the which we be illuminated That the substanciall Godhead is in all creatures That the soule of man althogh it be not God it is made God by the spirit which is God him self That the soule is made mortall by sinne euen as the flesh is mortal not that the soule returneth to nothiÌ„g as nether doth the flesh but that it dyeth wheÌ„ that it is depriued of liuelie actions And that it is holden in hel languishing as that it should neuer after liue but these that be regenerated haue another soule then that they had before because of the substance which is renewed for the godhead which is ioyned That a like it is to baptise an infant as to baptise aâ— asse or a stone That there is no mortale sinne committed before the age of twentie yeares These I haue thoght sufficient to produce at this present to let the reader vnderstand that it is not without cause that I say that Seruetus whom ye iustifie is a blasphemer I haue omitted things more horrible grieuous to auoid the offence of godlie readers which sodaÌ„ly I am not minded to manifest except y t I shal vnderstaÌ„d that your vennemous tongues be not stayed by these I appeale to the coÌ„scieÌ„ce of Castalio him self if in euerie one of these former propositions which concerne y e Godhead there be not conteined horrible blasphemie For what is more blasphemous then to affirme that such as beleue in the Godhead three distinct persons haue no true God but the illusion of the deuilles That Christ Iesus is not the eternal son of the eternal father that there is no distinction betwext the father and the Sonne but in imagination onely That Christ hath no participation of mans nature but that his flesh is from heauen yea that it is the flesh of the Godhead That in Stockes stones and all creatures is the substantiall Godhead If these I saâ—e be not blasphemies worthie of ten thousand deathes especially being obstinatly mainteined against all holsom admonition let all those that feare God iudge yea euen you your selues how furious that euer ye be iudge in the mater eueÌ„ as ye wil answer before the throne of y e Lord Iesus That coÌ„tempteously he spake of baptising of the childreÌ„ of y e publyke preaching of the Euangill and of the administration of the Lordes supper that haue you common w t him for this is your glorie and persuasion to all your scolers that these things be nothing necessarie to saluation yea most streitly ye inhibit all of your sect to frequent any coÌ„gregatioÌ„ but your own And whether this be blasphemie of your parte or not to affirme those thiÌ„gs nothiÌ„g necessarie which Christ Iesus hath established and commanded to be vsed in remembrance of him to his againe comming I am content that iudgement be referred euen to those that be most indifferent betwext vs and you To supersede the rest of your blasphemies I return to your booke because that after I purpose to speake of your holie conuersation and of the great perfection y t is founde in you Ye accuse vs that we haue written bookes in a perpetuall memorie of our crueltie affirming it to be lawful to put to death such as dissent from vs in religion Notwith standing that some of vs were of an other mynd before they came to auctoritie â–ª and further that we haue giuen the sworde in to the haÌ„des of bloodie tyrannes Trew it is that bookes are written bothe by you by vs. for your master Bellius affirmeth that lawfull it is not to the ciuil magistrat to vse the sworde against heretikes To whome that godlie learned maÌ„ Theodorus Beza hath answered In which if you or your master thinke not your selues fully answered ye may put pen to the paper when you list looking to receaue answer with conuenient expidicion Iohn Caluin hath besides committed to writing the examination of Seruetus and the cause of his miserable death which bookes albeit to you they be a perpetual memorie of crueltie yet I haue good hope that to our posteritie they shal be profitable as now to vs be the godlie labors of those that before vs haue foghten the same battel against the obstinate heretikes And further seing bothe you and we must abyde the sentence of one iudge we can not greatlye feare the preiudice of your faction Where ye aske if these be y e shepe which Christ sent furth in the middes of wolues And if the shepe can per secute the wolues and I demand for answer whether Moses was a shepe or a wolf wether that fearefull slaughter executed vpon idolaters without respect of persons was not as great a persecution as the burning of Seruetus and Ioan of kent To me it appereth greater for to them was granted no place of repentance no admonition was giuen vnto them but with out further delay or
serue the Lord what profit haue we for keping his commandements â–ª Therefore may weâ— say that the proude are happie aâ—d that they which deale with vngodlines are set vp Such a spâ—rit haue ye carâ—les libertins as your doctrine wel declareth did not God threaten Adam that in what daye so euer he shoulde eat of the frute he shoulde dye the death not onely corporall but also eternall They which forsake the commandements of God forsake God him self as the Prophetes saye th they are not the Lords for they haue vnfaithfully forsaken him Wherefore Adam when he forsoke God was not the Lords but the seruant of death and sinne to whom soeuer ye commit your selues as seruants to obeye saieth Paul his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnes And againe if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and nâ—ther AdaÌ„ nor Dauid were led by the spirit of Christ when they sinned for the spirit of Christ dwelleth not insuch as forsake him obey the deuil except Christ saith the Apostel dwel in you ye are cast away then AdaÌ„ Dauid were cast à waies that is reprobates wheÌ„ they sinned for nether were they in Christ nor Christ in theÌ„ in whoÌ„ the electioÌ„ of God was is but to what purpose shoulde I thus conteÌ„d with you that AdaÌ„ did fâ—lle out of the electioÌ„ seing in this ye agre not your selues for your coÌ„gregatioÌ„ which is aâ— Genâ—ua in the confession of their faith say that of the lost sonnes of AdaÌ„ God elected som to life and the rest he refused Eâ—her improue their beâ—efe or els confâ—sse with them that all the children of Adam were lost by traÌ„sgression If they were lost â–ª then were they out of the eleâ—tion with their father â–ª Adam from thâ— transgression vnto the promâ—s was made Therefore saieth Paul damnatioâ— came of one sinne vnto condemnatioÌ„ in an other place like as by Adam all dye euen so by Christ â–ª shal all be made aliue Here doeth the Apostles witnes plaâ—nely â–ª that we all by Adam do dye S. Iohn saieth hâ— that beleueth not is alredie condemnedand the wrath of God abideth on him Then were Adam and Dauid and all such workers of iâ—â—quitie for that tym that they siâ—â—ed alredie condemned being void of faith And coulde they be in the â—â—ate of condâ—mnation election both together â–ª Harken what followeth and â–ª the wrath of God abideth on 〈◊〉 as Adam from the traâ—sgression vâ—to thâ— promes felt the force of the wrath of God Thus we 〈◊〉 thaâ— Adam and Dauid and all other 〈◊〉 they sinned â—hey be out of the louâ— and fauâ—r and election of God vnto they repenâ— and be bâ—rnâ— a nâ—w for otherwisâ— can they neuer enter intâ— the kingdome of heauen Again S Iohn saith ye knowe that no manslâ—yâ— are hath etâ—rnâ—l lieâ— abiding in him Dauid was a man killâ—r wherefore he had not eterâ—al lief abiding in him Buâ— during the timâ— of his wickedâ—es he was the childe of death as the Prophet Nathan shewâ—d him Dauid gâ—uing iudgement against him self â–ª without faith it can not bâ— that any man shouldâ— please God Adam and Dauid when they sinned they were without faith then pleasâ—d they not God If they pleased him not they displeased him so that they were fallen from the loue and fâ—uor of God ANSWER Albeit that I perceaue y t ether ignoraÌ„ce doeth so impede you orels that malice doeth so blynd you y t nether ye wil nor can vnderstand y t which in y e self is most sensible plaine I wil neuer theles yet once againe repete that w c before I haue said to the eÌ„d that we may giue testimonie aswâ—ll to those y t now liue as vnto y e posteritie to com what doctrine it is w c ye so furiously impugne If ignorance be the cause why thus ye rage against vs ye may be taught if ye list to bestowe your eares to heare your eyes to read heartes to vnderstand for o â— doctrine is not as som of you do complein darke nor obscure except y t it be to those to whom y e Apostle affirmed y t his EuaÌ„gill was hid But if that malice w c ye haue coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st the eternal trueth of God doth so blynd you that ye wil not se y e bright son in y e midday there resteth no more to vs but to desire of God ether to remoue this your deuelish malice I write as knoweth God euen froÌ„ y e grief of heart orels so to stay brydle it y â— it trooble not his afflicted Church Ye accuse vs as y t we made no differeÌ„ce betwext vice vertue sinne and iustice nether yet betwext AdaÌ„ and Dauid as they were elected in Christ Iesus before y e fouÌ„dacions of the worlde were laid and betwext Adam transgressing and Dauid committing adulterie and murtheâ— Ye further seme to charge vs as we should affirme that God hated not sinne nether yet that he respected vice If our short plaine and vnfeined coÌ„fessioÌ„ be able to satisfie you in these thre dowtes I haue good hope y t after this ye shall haue no occasion to suspect vs in such causes first before God before his holie Angelles in heaueÌ„ before his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in earthe we protest acknowledge y t sinne vice and all kind of iniquitiâ— is and euer hath bene so odious in y e presence of God y t he neuer suffered y e same vnpunished in any of his elect childreÌ„ That for y e same not onelie death but also coÌ„moÌ„ calamities hath appreheÌ„ded all man kynd eueÌ„ sitheÌ„ce the first trasgression That vertue iustice and ciuil honestie besydes the iustice of the regenerat children hath so pleased God â–ª that for loue of the same he hath mainteined and to this day doth maintein coÌ„mon welthes albeit that many grieuous crymes be commited in the same As God we say and affirme loueth equitie iustice chastitie trueth mercie and teÌ„peraÌ„ce so doth he in som sort hieghly reward the same and hateth vnrighteousnes filthie life deceat excesse crueltie and riaâ—ous liuing which often he punisheth euen in manneâ— eyes And this difference we say God maketh euen amongest those that be not regenerate nether were euer called to y e true knowledge of saluation And this much briefly for the first secoÌ„d and 3. This difference we make betwext Adam and Dauid elected in Christ Iesus and Adam and Dauid transgressing gods holie commaÌ„demeÌ„t and wil reueled â–ª Adam and Dauâ—d elected in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the worlde were laid were so loued in the same Lord Iesus their head that when they had most horribly fallen and offended yet did God seke Adam call vpon him gently reason with him and at length conuicting his conscience of his offence did make vnto him that most ioyfull promes of recoÌ„ciliation of the same loue we say
it proceded that God did send the Prophete NathaÌ„ to Dauid the offender that by the fiction of an other person he letteth him se the horror of his sinne that he did first terrifie and beate downe his conscience and after most tenderly did erect and lift it vp from the pitt of desperation All these graces say we proceded frome gods immutable loue which did remaine coÌ„stant both towardes the one and towardes the other euen in the tyme of their greatest vnthank fulnes And that because they nether were beloued nor elected in them selues but in Christ Iesus their head who nether did transgresse nor offend in any iote against the wil of his heauenlie father But Adam and Dauid transgressing and horribly falling from God were so hated in them selues and for their sinnes that first behoued the innocent Sonne of God by his death to make a satisfaction â–ª for their sinnes â–ª as also for the sinnes of all gods children And secondarely we say preache write and maintein that the sinne was so odious before God that his iustice could do none other but inflict vpon Adam and his posteritieâ— The penaltie of death corporall the punishemeÌ„tes and plagues which daily we do se apprehend gods children that vpon Dauid he did execute his iust iudgement which in these wordes he pronounced Now therefor y e sworde shall neuer departe from thyne house because thow hast despysed me and taken the wife of vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Thus saieth the lord behold I wil raise vp euill against the oute of thyne own house and I shall take thy wiues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of sunne for y u didest it secretely but I shall do this thing before all Israel and before y â— sunne This sentence I say most iustly pronounced was after most sharply and yet most iustly for sinne commited put in â–ª execution And so do we affirm that none of gods children be they neuer so deare shall escaip punishement if contempteously they transgresse I suppose y t this our confession nothing doth offend you except in this one thing y t we affirme that God still loued AdaÌ„ and Dauid after their sinne before y t his holie Sprit wroght in their heartes any true repentance And yet I wonder why this should offend you seing y t we assigne the cause not to be them selues nether any vertue with in them selues but Christ Iesus in whom they were elected and chosen The signes of gods loue we haue euideÌ„tly proued and y â— end and issue did witnes y t gods loue was not mutable If you require scriptures for the probatioÌ„ of y e same Behold they are redie if wheÌ„ we were enemies we were recoÌ„ciled vnto God by the death of his sone much more we being recoÌ„ciled shal be saued by his life And a little before in the same chapter WheÌ„ we were sinners Christ died for vs c. And y e Apostle Iohn herein appereth the loue of God towardes vs y â— his onelie begotten sonne hath he sent in to the world that we may liue by hym herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. And hath sent his Sonne in the mercieseat â–ª for our sinnes These are verey plaine and we think that no reasonable man wil denie to Adam and to Dauid that which the holie Gost maketh common to all gods elect children to witt to be beloued of God â–ª euen when they were ennemies dead in sinne drowned in idolatrie and polluted with all filthines as witnesseth the Apostle in these wordes And you when ye were dead by sinne in the which ye somtymes walked according to this worlde accordiÌ„g to y â— prince to whom power is the ayre which is the spirit now working in the rebellious children amongest whom we all had somtymes conuersation in the lustâ—s of our flesh doing those thinges which pleased the fleshe and the mynd and were of nature the sonnes of wrathe like as others But God who is riche in mercie for his own great loue by the which he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes marke and if ye be offended complein vpon the holie Gost hath qwickened vs togither with Christ by grace ye are saued and hath raised vs vp togither with him and to gither with him hath caused vs to sit amongest y â— heauenlie by Christ Iesus to shew in y e ages to com his most rich grace in his liberalitie by Christ Iesus God open your eyes that you may se the light and mollifie your heartes that ye may magnifie with gods children his superaboundant loue and mercie bestowed euen vpon the most vnworthie If ye think y t this loue hath onelie place before that man offend you se the holie Gost plainely repugneth to your senteÌ„ce for he speaketh to them that had bene polluted defiled with all sinnes If yet ye replie but that was during the tyme of their ignoraÌ„ce and not after they were illuminated by grace ye haue said nothiÌ„g against our confession for we affirme that God loueth sinners being wrapped in death and damnatioÌ„ by sinne and y t we haue plainely proued But yet for your satisfactioÌ„ and instructioÌ„ for I take to record the Lord Iesus y â— I wold bestow my own life to ioyne you fully to Christ Iesue I will procede a litle further with you â–ª Do ye think that the sinne of Dauid touching the nature and qualitie of y e sinne it self was more horrible and odious be fore God then were all the sinnes committed in Ephesus by those to whom the Apostle writeth yea then the â—innes which were done amongest y e hole GeÌ„tiles I trust ye will not think it and we clerely see that God loued y â— elect in Ephesus and amongest the Gentiles when they were drouned in all kynd of iniquitie If still ye replie Dauid was vnthankfull who after so many benefites receaued so traterously declined frome God followiÌ„g his own appetites and of purposed couÌ„sell murthering his innocent seruant and y â— with great ignominie of God This nether do nether yet euer did we denie but yet as y â— question is other so is not our coÌ„feâ—â—ion proued fals Albeit Dauid was vnthankfull yea and after AdaÌ„ most vnthankfull of any of gods children to his daies for herein standeth the doubt whether y â— the vnthankfulnes of gods childreÌ„ after they haue once receaued mercie grace and large benefites from gods hands doth so alienat the mynd of God from them that he beareth to them no maner of loue till they turn to him by repentance The contrarie hereof we hold and affirme not fearing to auowe that repentance as it is ioyned with faith which is the fre gift of God so is it the effect of gods coÌ„stant loue toward them and no cause of the same And for the more ample declaration
whoÌ„ he knew to be predestinate so that they coulde not fall In the congregation of Pergamus were two most detestable sectes that is Balaamites and Nicholattains whom the Lord did hate then were they not beloued and so consequently were they not elect after your opinion yet willeth he them to be conuerted and to receaue a new name written in whiâ—e stone In the coÌ„gregation of Thiatyra was the fals prophetesse Iesabell to whom he gaue space to repent â–ª and as Peter saieth the long suffering of the Lord is saluation then might she haue repented not withstanding she did not repent then was she reprobate likwise vnto them which committed fornication with her that is idolaâ—rie is repentance granted The congregation of Sardis thogh in name she did liue yet in dede she was dead And that of her which was yet a liue was in danger of death wherefore he willeth her to call to remembrance what she had heard and what grace she had receaued and to repent her of her imperfect workes and watch lest the Lord shoulde like a thief come vpon her Vnwares If the congregation of Sardis was elect then in vaine doth the Lord threaten her after your opinion and if she was reprobate what auaileth it to watche and repente The congregation of Philadelphia he commandeth to holde fast that which she hath that no man take away her crowne as Peter saith Beware lest ye with â–ª other men be also plucked away through the errâ—r of the wicked fall from your owne 〈◊〉 what shoulde they feare the losse of that which as you say they can not lose The congregation of Laodicia which was nâ—â—her hote nor colde but wretchâ—ed miserable and poore and blynd and naked if ye say it was elect yet the Lord threatned it that he wolde spew it out of his mouth if you say that they were reprobate yet might they bene saued grâ—we â—eruent and repent And where they were poore they might haue boght of Christ tried gold in the fier to make them rich and where they were naked they might be clothed with whyte raymâ—nt â—f rightâ—â—â—snes to couer their filthie nakednes Moreouer they might haue gotten the salue of true knâ—wledge by the spirit of God to anâ—â—t their blynd eyes bâ—re we se how that there is none of these coÌ„gregatioÌ„s so elect but they might fall therefore haue nede of exhortations to be consiant vnto the 〈◊〉 Leâ—t perchance as Paul the elect vessel of God feareth him self they shoulde become cast aways reprobates againe there be none so reprobate but they be here coÌ„forted space of repeÌ„tance granted theÌ„ to turne froÌ„ their wickednes liue So wolde I exhort you to repent and turne from your errors and to seke for this salue of true knowledge to anoint your blind ignorant eyes â–ª that ye might porcâ—â—ue how ye be partakers of all the fâ—ltes which were found among the seuen congregations by that ye are infected with this poysoned error of mere necessiâ—â—e and stoicall destinie more then they God grant that ye may be also partakers of the mercie and grace offred to the said congregations first ye participate with the congregation of Ephesus in that there is of you which call them selues Apostles are liers with the coÌ„gregation of Smirna in that there be among you which call them selues Iewes 〈◊〉 spirituall Israelites and are of the congregation of Sathan with the congregation of Pergamus in that Sathan dwelleth among you and ye are become persecuters of Antipas that is of the faithfull and in that ye mainteine the doctryn of Balaam giuing the people occasion of sinne with the congregation of Thiatira in that ye haue the spirit of the prophetesse Iesabell teaching a careles and libertiâ— life with the congregation of Sardis in that ye haue a name that ye liue and yet are dead and in that your workes are not perfect for ye teache that by no meanes can they be perfect in this worldâ— with the coÌ„gregation of Philadelphia in that as is afore said ye are become the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of sathaÌ„ where as ye wold be estemed faithfull lewes of Christes coÌ„gregatioÌ„ with the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of Laodiciâ— in that ye are wretched miserable blynd naked and nether hote nor colde for ye thogh ye exhort your disciples to do wel yet to pull all earnest feruentnes from them ye say they can neuer atâ—eine to any perfectioÌ„ during this world Take hede therefore that Christ spew you not out of his mouth Behold I staÌ„d saieth the Lord at the doore knocke if any maÌ„ heare my voice opeÌ„ the doore I wil come in to him wil suppe with him he with me Open the doore in time refuse him not which calieth by his voice And so you shal be certein of your election but if you shut your doore and refuse him which calleth and if you do not obey his voice then are ye cast awayes without ye repent in time Thus it becometh vs all to talke reuerenâ—â—y of gods election so far onely as we fele by experiâ—nce the spirit of God worke in vs So that when we fele the spirit of God increase in vs. we may be assured that we are in his fauor but when we be led away froÌ„ one vice to an other as Dauid was in abusing Bear seba killing Vrias letvs not presume then to be beloued of him which hated all workes of iniquitie ANSWER When I did first read this your blasphemous rayling I did wonder to what purpose ye wolde rehearse the aduertisementes admonitions and exhortations giuen to the seuen Churches in Asia vnto all other churches in their names and conditions seing that nothing in the same can serue your purpose yea altogether the holie Gost through y t hole worke doth manifestly fight against your pestilent errors and therefore I say at the first sight I did wonder to what purpose ye wolde trauail where ye were assured tolose your labor But when I came to your coÌ„clusion which ye make in maner of exhortation to vs I did perceaue that easie it is to fynd a staf as the prouerbe saith to beat the dogge which maÌ„ wolde haue killed But to the matter Ye boldely affirme how so euer ye be able to proue that the Apostle vseth no such maner of doctrine as we teach c. If ye vnderstand that because he teacheth not in those seuen epistles or letters in expresse and plaine wordes that from the beginning som be elected to life euerlasting others be reprobate that therefore he teacheth it in no place ye are not ignoraÌ„t of y e answer and therefore I omitt it But I aske if you do not think that the Apostle doth dedicat this his hole worke to those seuen congregations so doeth him self witnes as in the first chapter is euident then what so euer is conteined in this hole vision apperteineth to the instruction exhortation admonition comfort and before
most feareful end and I suppose that none wil be so peruerse of iudgement as to denie that none other was appointed to be the salt of y e earth and the light of the worlde except those twelue I verilie beleue that Paule is nothing inferior to any of the chiefest Apostles in that case And so yet I affirme that nether were those wordes spokeÌ„ of all the twelue nether yet of theÌ„ onely If this can not satisfie your curiositie labor you to proue that Iudas was elected to life euerlasting in Christ Iesus before the fundacions of the world were laid I haue before proued that the elect can not finally refuse nor deny Christ Iesus their head and therefor I will not trouble the reader with the repetition The place of Ezechiell serueth nothing your purpose for there doth he onely intreat of such righteous men as in the beginning of the same chapter vsed this prouerbe The fathers haue eaten soure grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge signifying thereby as before we haue declared that they were iust and innoceÌ„t and that yet they did suffer punishement for the offenses of their fathers Against whom y e Prophet speaketh most sharpely affirming that the soule which did sinne shoulde die in this praising gods iustice that he wolde suffer sinne vnpunished in none of his creatures supposing that some for a time had a shew of righteousnes The prophet doeth further accuse and conuict their consciences for they knew them selues criminall in all crimes which the prophet there recited And therefore to prouoke them to repentaÌ„ce w t this exhortacion Cast away from you saieth he all your transgressioÌ„s whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why wil you die ô house of Israel for I desire not the death of him y t dieth saith the Lord God Cause therefore one another to returne and liue ye Of this coâ—clusioÌ„ I say it easely may appere of what sort of righteous men y e Prophet speaketh not of such as being ingrafted in Christes bodie by the true sanctification of his spirit do daylie studie to mortifie their affections but of such as hauing an outward appearance or shew of holines did notwithstaÌ„ding lowse y e bridle to all impietie In very dede God can not remeÌ„bre y e iustice of any such w c is not but their sinnes must craue iust vengeance y t the rather because by theÌ„ y e name of God is blasphemed Now to y e rest of y t w c foloweth in yo r book THE ADVERSARIE This say you with many other manifest testimonies of the Scriptures ye â—osse and turne vpside dounâ— seking shiftes to maintein your errors where by you declare your self to be of the nombre of them of whom it is written in the same place which do say tush the way of the Lord is not indifferent ye will not that the Lord iudge according to this way set furth in his word but of necessitie by an immutable 〈◊〉 saue a certeÌ„ of necessâ—tie to coÌ„deÌ„ne all the rest ye must not so read gods word studying rather to teache the holy Gost then to learne your duetie of him seking meanes rather to coÌ„firme your preconceaued error then to auoid it what trueâ—â— can he learne at the word of God which worshippeth the idoll of his own phantasie and hath alredie forsaken the mynd of the trueth RemeÌ„bre that the first lessâ—Ì„ of wisdom is to be willing to learne wisdom â–ª Cast away therefor the â—doles of your heartes which made you stâ—mble in your wayes submit your selues to the word as humble and meke laÌ„bes for the lambe onelie was found worthie to open the seales of the book Trust not your error to be the-better because it hath many fauorers specially of theÌ„ which haue the name of learning for such haue bene alwaies in all ages ennemies to the trueth inuenters of sectes errors such like as Iannes and â—ambres resisted Moises so do they the trueth as the learned scribes Phariseâ—s blasphemâ—d the word of God and persecuted Christ the trueth it selfe so do they yet in hu membres And euen as the pharesies said do any of the reulers or of the phareseis beleue in him this comoÌ„ people which know not the law is cursed so say they nowdo any of our learned doctors teach so these vnlearned felowes are cursed for they caÌ„ not vnderstaÌ„d gods word they vnderstaÌ„d onely the english toÌ„gue yet wil they medle with 〈◊〉 as thogh the gifte 〈◊〉 the giftes of prophecying were so bouÌ„d together that God coulde not minister the one without the other but this is no newâ— thing for this was laid to Christ his Apostles charge â–ª that they were vnlearned â–ª But the holie Gost willeâ— vs not to iudge so marke saith Paul your calling how that not many wyse meÌ„ after the fleshe not many migthie not many of hieght degre are called but God haâ—h chosen the weake things of the worlde the vile things of the worlde thinges which are despised of 〈◊〉 reputacioÌ„ to confound the mightie to bring to naught things of reputacioÌ„ how caÌ„ such great meÌ„ beleue seing they seke tobe praised one of an other and to be preferred for their knowledge in the tongues for the multitude of their bookes which they writ such learned meÌ„ are more mete to be in Herodes hall theÌ„ in Christes stable the dore is to lowe â—hey 〈◊〉 stout they may not stowpe so lowe for the disgracing of their grauiâ—ie onely poore shepherds which are accustomed to stables are fouÌ„d mete to haue Christ reueled to them not that I dispâ—se learning or learned men for I knowe that learning is the good gift of God yeâ— as S Paul saith knowledge maketh a man to swel and many in our tyme as in all ages paste do abuse this good gift of God yet not all God forbid for som I know I prayse God to whom it hath pleased God to reuele the trueth of this mater which in perfect knowledge of the soÌ„gâ—es are to be compared with any of your Rabbes Be not deceaued therefore with vaine 〈◊〉 of learning or of worldlie wisdome ifye seke Christ seke him where he is in the poore stable and not in Annas and Caiphas pallasses wiâ—hout ye will se and heare Christ accused to such a banket peraduenture Christ may be called of the learned If you wil haue Christ ye must not go to seke him in â—he vniuersities where you may be praised for your sharp wittes and eloquent tongues but you must go forth vnto him out of the tentes and suffer rebuke with him â–ª knowe ye not that the learned phareseis and lawers coueted to talke somtime with Christ not to learne but to dispute and trap him in his sayinges and so did the learned Philosophers of Grecia with Paul Awake therefore in time be no longer deceaued with heâ—r auctoritie examyn your selues examyn
earth and that also he hath reueled vnto vs so much as is profitable for vs to knowe ether yet necessarie for our saluacion for the which we praise his eternal goodnes and infinit wisdom do affirme further as before we haue said that such as staÌ„d not content with that which is reueled but arrogaÌ„tly list to mouÌ„t vp to search the secretes of gods counsel shal be beateÌ„ downe againe by the brightnes of his glorie to eternal confusion in a iust recompence of their presumpteous boldnes And thus much with you we wil willingly coÌ„fesse but where vpon certen questions you make such conclusions as pleaseth you we cannot but accuse in yon that vnreuerent yea deuelish boldenes and pride which in all men we condemne But let vs heare your own wordes Can you proue thereby that God hath two willes or is that which is not reueled contrarie to that which is reueled then shoulde there be coÌ„trarietie in God which is false if God in respect of his reueled will wold not that Adam should fall but in respect of his secret will he wolde Adam shoulde fall Then did God will two contraries which is impossible These be your wordes and seuerall reasons most blasphemously spoken not against vs but against gods eternall wisdome against vs I say ye cannot speak them for no such doctrine haue we euer taught for we most constantly affirme that the secret wil of God and his will reueled is alwaies one which is the manifestation and declaratioÌ„ of his own glorie althogh it seme diuers in y e instrumentes as before I haue most manifestly decâ—ared and thus most iustly might I send you to debate your cause with him whose iustice wisdom cannot be subiect to the vanitie of your reason But yet because no small part of this coÌ„trouersie betwext you vs consisteth in this that you can admit no will in God the reason and cause whereof ye cannot see perceaue nor vnderstand and affirming the contrarie say that of gods secret will can nether man nor Angell perceaue assigne or vnderstand any other reason or cause but his holie will onelie and therefore with all reuerence do they stoupe and couering their eyes crie iust and righteous art thou oh Lord in all thy workes holie holie holie Lord God of armies The vniuersall earth is replenished with the glorie of his Maiestie Because I say a great part of our controuersie standeth in this point I wil go through your questions and seuerally answer to euerie one first you aske if God haue two willes by reason that he hath a secret will and a reueled wil. I answere that as God in his eternal God head is simple and one so is his will in respecte of him selfe from all beginning simple and one which is the declaration of his owne glorie But because the instrumentes in which gods glorie is and must be for euer manifested and knowen be diuers therefor hath gods will w c in him selfe is one diuers considerations effectes endes in respect of the diuers instrumentes for example God will the vessels of his mercies to be extolled to the glorie of the kingdome with Christ Iesus but he will the vesselles of wrath to be adiudged to the fire inquenchable prepared for the deuill all his Angelles Who doth not see but in respecte of these diuers instrumeÌ„ts the will of God hath diuers respectes and diuers endes and iustly may be called two willes or a dooble will for it is one will to saue and an other will to condemne as touching the instrumentes creatures saued or condemned But in respecte of God the wil is one and simple which is as before is said the manifestation of his glorie which no lesse shyneth in the iust punishmeÌ„t of the one sort then in the mercifull deliuerance of the other And this much for the first SecoÌ„dly ye ask if y t w c is not reueled be coÌ„trary to that w c is reueled To the w c I answere as before that in respecte of God there is no coÌ„trarietie betwext y e will reueled and the will vnreueled But yet may the creatures to whome God doeth notifie his will by commandement rebuke or exhortation apprehend vnderstand one thing and yet it may be that God in his eternall counsell hath determined the expresse contrarie if this to you at the first sight seme strange yet my good hope is that examples in the scriptures proposed shall make the mater sensible ynough to the godlie and sobre reader What do we think that Dauid did apprehend of that most sharp and vehement rebuke giuen vnto him by Nathan theÌ„ Prophete in the name of God No dowt that he was the sonne of death that God wold break the league and couenant with him as he had done to Saule his predicessor But was it therfor the eternall purpose of God that so it should be The end and issue declareth the contrarie Ezechias receaued the very sentence of present death from the mouthe of the Prophet Isaiah who no doute came not with message at all aduenture but at the expresse commandement of God for so he affirmeth sayinge Thus saieth the lord put ordre to thy house for thou shalt die and shalt not liue But was not therefor the coÌ„trarie to witt that he should afterward liue fiftene yeres determined in the immutable couÌ„sell of God The same might I declare by many other exhortations commandementes but with one I wil staÌ„d contented which shall adde light to the former Abraham was commanded by God to take his sonne Isaak whome he loued his onelie sonne in whome the promes stode and to go to the mounteine which God wold appoint there to offer him in sacrifice What will of God did Abraham apprehend in this commandement during the iourney of thre dayes God him selfe beareth recorde that Abraham did so vnderstand gods will that his owne haÌ„d was stretched out to kill his sonne yea that in his heart he had killed him for so saith the Angell because thou hast donne this and hast not spared thy onelie sonne I shall blesse the. but whether had God in his eternall counsell deâ—ermined that AbrahaÌ„ should kill his sonne as Abraham did vnderstand by his will reueled who so euer dare so affirme maketh God subiecte to mutabilitie and denieth him to be God whose wisdome knowledge purpose and couÌ„selles be stable and appointed from all eternitie if with reuereÌ„ce the causes hereof be searched inquired y e holie Gost will answer y t good it was to Dauid thus to be humbled that profitable it was not onely to Ezechias but also to the hole Church of God after him to coÌ„me to the knowledge of his infirmitie and of the agonye battel which he susteined fighting as it were agaiÌ„st gods iudge meÌ„tes That by Abrahams great obedieÌ„ce be we all instructed to obey God in all things which he coÌ„maÌ„deth and to subiecte not onely our lustes and
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
him all feare indewing him with an heroicall and bold spirite as God him selfe saith I girded the thogh thou hast not knowen me and giuing to him so fortunate succes that all was subiecte to his empire And therefor albeit tenne thousand times ye will aske What nedeth God to mouâ— the wicked to do wickedly which being giuen ouer of God imagineth nothing but wickednes his master the deuill slâ—peth neuer Yet will I answere that as to destroye Babylon in so farre as it was gods worke it was no wicked dede but his most iust iudgement So albeit Cyrus had neuer bene so much enraged against Chaldea ether by his owne pride ether yet by sathan that nether of both could haue broght any thing to passe except that the Lord had decreed to perfourme his worke in Babylon as he him selfe did threaten saying Behold I come vnto the o â— thou destroying mountaine saith the Lord which destroyest all the earth I will stretche oute myn hand vpon thee and rolle the downe from the rockes and will make the a burnt mountaine They shall not take of the a stone for a corner nor a stone for fundations but thou shalt be destroyed for euer saith the Lord c. If you see nothing in these and other such threateninges of God but a permission onely I can not cease to say that you are more then blinde But now to that which folo weth in these wordes THE ADVERSARIE To that which ye alledge of the Prophet Isai harden the heartes of this people c. for the better vnderstanding of thaâ— place we must note that which is written in the chapter going afore howe the Lord had chosen this people and planted them as a vineyarde and called all Israel to be iudge betwext him and his vâ—neyard what more could haue bene donne for it then he had donne and yet when he looked for frute of equitie and rightâ—ousnes to there was wrong and mysâ—rie where vpon followed their induraâ—sâ— for they were hardened of the lord that is as afoâ— is sade God gaue them ouer to their own heartes lustâ—s Further where he saieth to the Prophet hardâ— their heartes we must alwaies consider that their heartes were alredye hardened which their wickednes did plainely declare yet hath he coÌ„manded the Prophet to do his office not to make their heartes hard for that belongeth â—nelie to Godâ— who giuing them â—uer to their heartes lustes hath alredy haâ—dnede them but the office of a Propheâ—e was toâ— shew them the hardnes of their harâ—es so when he saiethe harden their heartes it iâ— as muche as shew and declare vnto them the hardnes of their heartes The like phrase of speaâ—che haue we in Leâ—it 13. If the priest see that the scab is growne abrâ—de in the skiâ—me the priest shall make him vncleane how should the priest make him vncleane who is alredye vncleane and whose fleshe he durst not touche but by declaring him to be vncleane So how should the Prophet harden their heartes whose heartes were hardened alredy and whose heartes he could not touche but by declaring â—hem to be hard hearâ—ed So saieth the Lord to Ieremie driue this people away that they may go oute of my sight sâ—m to death som to the swerd some to hunger some to captiuâ—tâ—e this was not the office of the Prophet which the Caldes executed but the Prophet was here commanded to shew that for their wickednes they should be driuen away some to death some to the swerd some to hunger and some to captiuitie So Ieremie tooke the cuppe out of the lordes hand and made all people drinke thereof â—nto whom the Lord sent him where there be mâ— nations recâ—ned then euer Ieremiâ— did see with his corpâ—rall eyes this place therefore must be vnderstand as the others conforme to the office of the Propheâ— which was to shewe them that for their wickednes they should drink of the cuppâ— of the â—ordes wrathe which appereth more plainely by that which followeth where he sayeth if they will not receaus the cuppe of thy hand and drâ—nck it that is if they will not take warning by the c. This interpretation is conforme to the phrase of the scripture nether is it contrary to any part of the word but if any man hath a better vnderstanding lett him vse is tâ— the glory of God Of these thinges alredy spoken â—t is sufficiently proued that God hath reprobat and cast away no man before the foundation of the world but as he hath creaâ—ed man like vnto his own image so he will the deathe of none but that all should be saued nether is he â—he author or mouer to any euill which with long pacience suffereth wickednes to drawe men to repentance nether willeth he any thing contrary to that which is expressed in his word for at God is constant and immutable of this his holy will he haâ—he vttered and declared vnto man to knowe the rest reserued he vnto him seâ—f for as much as no man is able to câ—preheÌ„d the prâ—funditie and depth thereof therefor oght no man to go about to proue or improue any thing by that which is vnknowen to him wherefor they which affirme and teache that â—od haâ—h ordeâ—ned men a fore the fundation of the world to be damned so that by no meanes they can be saued for suche is his secrâ—te will not with standing be declareth the coÌ„trary in hâ—s word they must nedes haue an euill opinion of God and therefore oght all men of duetie to abhoâ—re their deuilishe doctrine And because I haue said that they haue an euill opinion of God I haue added here a discription of â—hose careles libertines â—â—d conforme to their doctrine in all pointes and a discription of the true God wherby it may appere euen vnto the simple howe abhominable their doctrine and opinion in this mater is ANSWER What soeuer shal be redde in the hole scriptures you shall neuer be able to proue that in these wordes of Isaie Go and harden the heartes of this people is nothing els meant but that the Prophete was onely commanded to declare vnto them their blindnes and hardnes of heart for wher soeuer mention is made of the difference betwext the elect and the reprobate this vertue is attributed to the word that it doth illuminate the eyes and mollifie the heartes of the one by the power of the holy Gost and by the contrarie that it doth excecate and more harden the other by reason of their corrupt nature to the which they are iustly left The Euangelist saint Iohn making mention that the Iewes did not beleue in Christ Iesus albeit that they had sene his wonderous workes addeth this cause therefore saithâ— he they could not beleue because Isaiah had said He hath blinded their eyes hardened their heartes that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand in their heartes and be conuerted that I may heale them Here
you wold affirme y t gods good wil pleasure may change and y t is to deny his Godhead But I will burden you no further then ye shall plainely confesse I onely put you in minde that y e holy Gost vseth no such phrase You procede saing Nether is it his pleasure aÌ„d will that ether pharaâ— Semei or any other should sinne and come to destruction Before we haue confessed y t iniquitie and sinne is so odious before God y t in it can his goodnes neuer delyte nether yet can he haue pleasure in the destruction of any creature hauing respect to y e punishment onely But seing y t gods glorie must nedes shyne in all his creatures yea euen in y e perpetuall damnation of sathan torment of the reprobate why shal not he wil and take pleasure y t so it come to passe Albeit your phrenetique braines can not comprehend y e brightnes therof yet wil he one day declare y t al his workes are wroght in iustice wisedom and equitie I thinke you will not deny but that pharao Semei Iudas and others came to destruction like as in the end shall all reprobate do Then do I aske if God at no time for no purpose respect nor end did so will how then came their destruction to passe By sinne say you that we denie not but yet the questioÌ„ is not answered For continually we demand if in God there was not power ether to haue impeded their sinne or yet after their sinne to haue called them to repentance if it had so pleased his eternal wisedom and goodnes Consider your foly and giue glorie to God who doth what so euer he will in heauen and in earth But now to that which foloweth For he will the death of no creature but will all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth How violeÌ„tly you wrest the wordes of the Prophet and of the Apostle shall shortly appere after I haue reasoned a litle with you how these your propositions do agree with that which goeth before Ye haue affirmed that God is ready to mercie and slow to wrath in which wordes you â—hew and cofesse that in the God head there is readines to â—hew mercy and also that there is a iustice w c must execute wrath vpoÌ„ the disobedient And so in the nature of y e God head ye cofesse mercy ad iustice But here you say that God will the death of no creature but that he will all men to be saued which last wordes being vnderstand as ye do vrge them must destroy the former nature of God take awaye his iustice For if he absolutely will the death of no creature then will he no punishment to folowe sinne And if he will no punishmeÌ„t then willeth he his iustice to cease and so coÌ„sequently must one of the properties of his godlie nature cease Studie for an answere to make your former wordes and latter wordes better agree orels ye wil be compelled to coÌ„fesse that God for som respect willeth both death and damnation to come vpon some creatures Further if God willeth all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth and yet many do perâ—sh in ignoraÌ„ce and shal be condemned as Christ Iesus doth pronounce then must it ether folow that gods will is mutable and so he vnconstant and not at all times like to him self or els that he is not omnipotent For if God at the first creation of man wold all men to be saued as ye alledge then wold I know when this will was changed After that man had offended say you Then yet haue I obteined that in gods will there was mutabilitie For after sinne he wold and by his sentence pronounced that Adam and his posteritie should suffer the corporall death yea and that the sede of the serpent should haue the head broken downe by the which is ment the spirituall death which nether of both as you affirme did God will before If you reply gods will towardes the saluation of all mankind did remaine the same after sinne which was before for a generall promes of deliuerance was made by the womans sede that was promised I haue before plainely proued that difference most manifest betwext y â— two sedes was made in that promes But admitting that the promes had bene generall so that the will of God this day remaineth the same which ye alledge it to be to witt that he willeth y e death of no sinner but that he willeth al men to be saued Can you deny but that a separation and diuision of the shepe from the goates of the elect from the reprobate shal be made at the glorious commiÌ„g of y e Lord Iesus Shall not these most ioyfull wordes be said vnto theÌ„ y t shall stand vpon the right hand Come ye the blessed of my father possesse the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning And shall not this most fearefull sentence be pronounced and executed against the other Depart ye cursed go to the fire prepared for the deuill and for his angels Shall the Sonne of God in pronouncing senteÌ„ce do any thing that day repugning to the will of his heauenly Father I think you will not so affirme Then if gods will in the day of iudgement shal be that many shal be adiudged to tormeÌ„t perpetual and his will in the creation of man was and this day yet remaineth that all men shal be saued then of necessitie it doth folow that gods will shall change If you say that death and damnation cometh not by gods will but by the sinne and vnbelief of man you haue releued your self nothing for if death be one thing and life be an other damnation one thing and saluation an other TheÌ„ if God this day will all men to be saued and so to haue life and yet that day he shall will many to be damned to torment perpetuall what causes so euer you alledge I shall obteine one of two to witte that ether gods will is and may be mutable orels that there is a power superior to his maiestie and godly will For if willingly he shall damne those whom before he wold and had determined to saue then is his will and determination changed And if he shall damne those vnwillingly whoÌ„ willingly he wold haue saued then is he not omnipotent Consider now vpon whom falleth the snowe and who do cast them selues in greatest absurdities Now it resteth to declare how violently ye wrest the wordes of the Prophet of the Apostle The Prophete speaking in the personne of God saith I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue And the Apostle affirmeth that God will all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth Hereupon ye conclude God will the death of no creature this is your first violence which you do to the text For the Prophet
saith not I will the death of no creature but saith â–ª I will not the death of a sinner Ye are not ignorantâ— suppose what difference there is betwext an vniuer saâ—â— negatiue an indefinite or particulare Where ye saye God willeth the death of no creature ye speake generally and vniuersally excepting none But so doth not the Prophet for he saith not I will the death of no creature nether yet I will the death of no sinner but simply saith I will not the death of a sinner I wonder that ye consider not that as there is difference betwext creatures and creature so that also there is difference betweâ—â— sinners and sinner Some creatures are appointed 〈◊〉 death for the vse and sustentation of maÌ„ And dare yoâ— say that this is done against gods will we be taught the contrarie by his owne mouth If you correcting your generalitie shall say that you meane onely that God will the death of no man And I feare not yet to ioyne with you and against you to affirme that God hath willed doth will and shall will the death of some men The holy Gost speaking of the sonnes of Heli the high Priest saith But they did not heare the voice of their Father because the Lord wold kil them And Moises saith Sihon king of Hesbon wold not suffer vs to passe through his cuntrie for the Lord thy God did harden his minde and strengthen his heart y t he shoule giue him into thy handes How often doth Moses Iosua declare vnto the people that God wolde kill roote oute and destroye those wicked nations from besore the face of his people And were all those kinges whom Iosua did kill killed against gods will The holy Gost affirmeth the contrarie For it is written the Lord did trouble them before Israel and he did strike them with a great slaughter And while that they did flee before the Israelites and were in the descense of Bethoron the Lord cast downe vpon them from heauen greate stones and many more perished by the haile stones theÌ„ were slaine with the swerd of the children of Israel If the destruction slaughter death of these wicked men and of the greate host of Senacherib was not the will of God I can not tell how man shal be assured of his will For the plaine word did before promise that the Lord should destroye them and the fact doth witnes the constaÌ„cie and perfourmance of his will and the same thing doth God this day shall do to the ende of the world when he shall adiudge the reprobate as before is said to the death perpetuall and that not against his will but willingly for the manifestation of his iust iudgementes and declaration of his owne glorie And therefore I say that your prosition saying God willeth the death of no creature is manifestly fals as it that repugneth to gods iustice and to his euideÌ„t scriptures The minde of the Prophetes was to stirre such as had declined from God to returne vnto him by true repentance And because their iniquities were so many offenses so greate that iustly they might haue despaired of remission mercie and grace therefor doth the Prophet for the better assurance of those that should repent affirme that God deliteth not nether willeth the death of the wicked But of which wicked of him no doubâ—e that truely shoulde repent in his death did not nor neuer shal God delyte But he deliteth to be knoweÌ„ a God that sheweth mercye grace and fauor to such as vnfeinedly call for the same how greuous so euer their former offenses haue bene But such as continue obstinate in their impietie haue no portion of these promises For them will God kill them will he destroye and them will he thrust by y e power of his word in to the firewhich neuer shal be quenched The Apostle in these wordes God willeth all meÌ„ to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth speaketh not of euery man and of euery particulare persone But of all men in generall that is to say of men of all estates all conditions all realmes and all ages For as in Christe Iesus there is nether Iew nor Gentile nether man nor woman free manâ— nor seruant but all are one in him so can no estate no condition of man no realme nor no age be proued so wicked and so corrupt but out of the like hath God called some to the participation of his light and to saluation and life by Christe Iesus and that this is the very naturall meaning of the holy Gost the texâ—e it selfe doth witnes For the Apostle immediatly before willeth praiers and supplications to be made for all men for Kinges and for all that were placed in authoritie And because that the Church was chiefely oppressed by such this doubte might haue risen Are we then bound to pray for those that are expresse and coniured ennemies against God You are saith the Apostle for that is good and acceptable before God our Sauior who will all men to be saued That is God willeth you to pray for your persecuters that their eyes may be opened and they conuerted to the liuing God who no doubt will saue some of all estates of all conditioÌ„s and vocatioÌ„s of men For the natioÌ„s are giuen to Christe Iesus by inheritance Kinges shal be the feders of the Church Quenes shal be nurses And in his holy temple shall all sing praise If this interpretation which we doubt not to be the verie meaning of the holy Gost caÌ„ not satisfie you Then will I aske of you If God will men otherwise to be saued then by Christe Iesus or as the Apostle speaketh by comming to the knowledge of the veritie Plaine it is that by the wordes of the Apostle ye caÌ„ conclude none otherwise For as he saith God will all men to be saued so doth he adde and willeth all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie Which word willeth albeit it be not expressedly repeted in the second meÌ„bre yet of necessitie it must be vnderstand as those that be but meanly sene in the greke or latine tongue do euidently see Then if I shall sufficiently proue that God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of the veritie in such sort as the Apostle meaneth shall it not infallablye folow that God will not all men to be saued in such sense as you vnderstand That God willeth not all men to come to the knowledge of that veritie by the which man is verely made free from the boÌ„dage of sathan is euideÌ„t not onely by those whom we do see walke in darknes and ignorance but also by the manifest srriptures of God who called Abraham making to him and to his sede the promes of saluation saying I will be thy God and the God of thy sede after thee which promes he kept secrete many ages from the rest of the world WheÌ„ he did notifie his law vnto Israel
all traitours they are all I say traitours euery brother deceaueth another All men contemne me all men hold me in execration If these and other lyke places shal be vnderstand so vniuersaly as they appere to be spoken then must we be compelled to say that no true fearer of God remayned in Ierusalem when the Prophetes did preach but that all were blood thirstie all auaricious all idolaters and all dumme dogges the contrarie wherof is euidently declared For Isai had the children whom the Lord had giuen vnto him who albeit they were holden as monsters amonge men yet did they patientlye abide the Lord. Ieremie had Baruch his faithfull scribe not withstaÌ„ding his weakenes and infirmitie Abedmelech feared the Lord was fauourable to the Prophete and therefore saued he his soule for a praye and was deliuered from that day of vengeance And therefore these vniuersall sentences must also be restreyned and kept within their own boundes like as these All haue left me all seke the thinges that apperteine vnto them selues and not those thinges that be of God Which senteÌ„ces except they be restreined we shall condemne the dearest children of God who in Paules daies did valiaÌ„tly fight against the prince of this world These examples of the one sorte of the other I haue adduced to lette the simple vnderstand that such generall sentences of necessitie must be so restreined that difference may be kept betwext the elect and the reprobate For els we shall do nothing in explaning scriptures but confound light with darcknes For if the wordes of our Master Christe Iesus saying All shal be taught of God shal be so generally vnderstaÌ„d that no exception be admitted then of necessitie it is that all men and euery persone shall come to the true knowledge of Christe Iesus â–ª for of that knowledge doth he speake in that place But the contrarie thereof is moste euident euen by Christe Iesus his owne wordes who putteth a plaine difference betwext them that be giuen to him by his father and betwext them that be not giuen But now let vs briefly consider what sinners they are whose death God will not but rather hat they conuert lyue Sainct Ihon in his Epistle saith If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the veritie is not in vs. If we coÌ„fesse our sinnes he is faithfull iust to remitte to vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes c. And after Who soeuer commiteth sinne transgresseth also y â— law for sinne is the transgression of the law And ye know y t he is reueled to take away our sinnes and in him is no sinne As many as byde in him y t is in Chriiste Iesus sin not who soeuer sinneth hath not sene him nether hath knoweÌ„ him c. He y t coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuill for the deuil sinneth froÌ„ y e beginning c. who soeuer is borne of God committeh not sinne for his sede abideth in him nether can he sinne because he is borne of God Of w c wordes it is euideÌ„t y t there be two sortes of sinners the one be they who mourne lameÌ„t and bewaile their owne wretchednes and miserie vnfainedly before God coÌ„fessing not onely that their hole nature is sinfull and corrupt but also y t dailie they so offend y e Maiestie of their God y t most iustly they deserue the tormentes of hell if Christes iustice Christes mediation w c by faith they embrase should not deliuer them from the wrath to come To these is not sinne imputed for y e blood of Christe purgeth them from all sinne his aduocation and intercession maketh to theÌ„ an enterance to the throne of their fathers grace To theÌ„ is giuen the spirit of sanctification w c from time to time as it reueleth their sinnes so doth it mortifie purge the same Not that euer in this life gods elect hath bene are or shal be so cleane purged from sinne y t the flesh lusteth not against the spirit as some times affirmed the Pellagians those that then were called Cathari that is cleane purged and now also do the Anabaptistes renew the same most pestilent error by the which Christ Iesus his iustice his office and perpetuall mediation is vtterly destroyed in such sort I saye are not gods childreÌ„ purged in this life that nether they fele sinne nether yet the motioÌ„s entisemeÌ„tes of the same But they are so purged y â— sinne raigneth not in their mortall bodies for the sede of God which is the vertue power efficacie and operation of his holie spirite suffereth them not to delyte in sinne but as they are first called from darcknes to light froÌ„ the bondage of sathan to the libertie of gods children so when they sinne as there is none that sinneth not they are called againe by true repentance to their former societie and felowship with Christe Iesus The death of such sinners did God neuer will nether yet can he will for from all eternitie they were his elect childreÌ„ whom he gaue to his deare Sonne to be his enheritaÌ„ce whom the Sonne receaued into his protection and sauegard to whome he hath manifested and to the ende shall manifest him selfe and the louing kindes of his heauenlie father In whose heartes he writeth the law of God and maketh them to walke in his commandementes â—uer thirsting to a further and more perfect iustice then they find within them selues by reason of their corruption The death I say of those sinners God will not but he will that they repent and liue The Apostle saint Peter saith The Lord that hath promised is not slow but he is long suffering toward vs while that he will none to perish but will receaue all to repentaÌ„ce The Apostle here meaneth not y t al without exception shal be receaued to life by true repentance but y t the cause why God so long deferreth as it were y e extreme iudgement is y â— the electnomber of gods children may be complete as answere was giuen to those y â— cried vnder the aulter to be reuenged vpon the tyrannes that dwell on the earth of these his elect children God will none to perish as before is said But there is an nother sort of sinners farre different from these For nether are they displeased w t theÌ„ selues nether yet hate they iniquitie but against gods expresse coÌ„mandementes furiously they runne w t Cain to murther the innocent with Pharao to oppresse the people of God with Iudas to betray the knowen and professed veritie and finally so delyte they in all filthines impietie that they can not repent The eyes of such be blinded their heartes are hardened they are giuen ouer in to a reprobate minde And for theÌ„ doth not Christe Iesus pray and therefore they can do nothing but headlonges runne from euill to worse as the deuill to whose tyranny they are committed doth driue them till finally they come