It is plaine also that the number of such as shall bee saued is sure and certaine with the Lorde who knowes his owne Their number is certaine and numbereth the sand of the sea Whereunto Augustine de Correp gra cap. 13. The number of them that be predestinated to the kingdome of God is so certaine that nothing may bee added to them nor taken from them Againe ad Laur. cap. 29. The number of the blessed whether it be that which is or that which shall be is in the eye of that workeman that calleth things that bee not as though they were and disposeth all things in number weight and measure And whereas some thinke that the number of the elect is precisely so great as there be deuils that fell from the society of the Angels it is surely curiosity Augustines opinion is better in the place now alleaged who albeit hee acknowledge that the elect among men doe come in the place of the Angels that fell to restore the city of GOD yet hee saith nothing of the equality of the number yea hee leaueth it in doubt as a secret knowen to God For to what purpose should a man auouch a thing with perill that safely he may be ignorant of CHAP. XX. Answeres to such obiections as are wont to be made against the vnchaungeablenes of Predestination BVt some obiect vnto vs in this place The summe of the obiections of both kinds that a windowe is opened to impiety by making as it were sides whereto neither must anything be added nor any thing detracted fatall necessity is brought in the free will of man denied the ministerie of the word and praiers taken away sinners are excused and which God forbid God is accused as the author of sin and men are prouoked to despaire and such other like whereby subtil detractors openly vaunt themselues as the Pelagians did in old time by the report of Prosper and Hilarie Further beside these consequences of mans reason naughtily wrested there bee some places of Scripture obiected but in vaine as we shall see Obiection 1 First therefore they cauill that a windowe is opened to hainous offences because men thus thinke It must needes be done that God hath predestinated Therefore whether I do well or ill if I be predestinated to Gods kingdome I shall be saued if I be not I shall be damned Answere I answeare What ignorant men I will not say Epicures thinke or not thinke it is nothing to vs. For manie abuse euen the doctrine of grace and thinke because we are iustified freely men must giue themselues to sin that grace may abound Rom. 3. whose iudgement is iust saith Paul But that must not bee imputed to the doctrine but to the abuse of it For first it belongeth not to vs to giue sentence of Gods secretes but the will of God reuealed in his word is to be followed And that commaundeth vs to heare the sonne to repent and to beleeue the Gospell that we may be saued So Luther represseth those wicked speeches on the 26 of Genesis and elsewhere For it is all one as if a man said what God hath appointed must be therefore all care of our soules and all our labour is vncertaine and to no purpose Predestination not onely appointeth the end but the meanes to the end Rom. 8. Ephes 1. Secondly predestination not onely appointeth the ende but also the meanes vnto the end as the Apostle saith whom hee hath predestinated them also hee hath called iustified and glorified Also Hee hath chosen vs in him that wee should bee holy and without blame before him Wherefore it is a platting of a contradiction that he who is predestinated can will and do euill finally Yea rather as Augstine writeth they that be of the number of the chosen predestinate albeit they leade a bad life for a time Contra. Iâ—l lib. 6. cap 3. yet through the goodnes of God they are brought to repentance and are not taken out of this life in their sins for predestination is the preparation of Gods benefites whereby as many as be deliuered are most certainely deliuered Therefore that vaine and idle reason as it is called doth not trouble vs which if wee should obey it is to no purpose whatsoeuer we do in our life But let the obiection be turned vpon them that so bring in predestination that they separate the means from the end In old time such was the heresie of the Predestinati who The heresie oâ— the predestinati as Sigebert witnesseth in Chron sprung vp vnder Honorius the Emperor and Pope Zosimus were so called of the doctrine they held because naughtily vnderstanding predestination and grace they auouched that neither the study of good works profited them that liued well if they were predestinated of God to death nor that the vngodly were hurt by wicked liuing if they were predestinated of God to life By which assertion they withdrew good men from good things and stirred vp euill men to wickednes Another obiection was of destiny The second obiection of fate or desteny that it was brought in if all things depend on the stable immutable decree of Predestination as for example who shall receiue the word who not who shall beleeue who shall not and thereby who shall be saued who damned I answere We preach not destinie but the depth of Gods grace whereby the difference is made of the elect from the lumpe of perdition the rest in the same lumpe being forsaken by the iust iudgement of God And whereas the order of Gods grace and his iudgement is vnmoueable that maketh nothing for fate or destinie vnlesse peraduenture we should take fatum to be deriued of fando which is of speaking For we cannot denie that God once spake that is vnmoueably and vnchangeably decreed what things he would doe as he knew vnchangeably all things that should bee in which respect as Augustine writteth wee may say De Câ—uit Dei lib. 5. cap. 9. The Mathematicall fate fatum hath his name of fando But this name was wont to be vnderstood in another matter For in the commoÌ„ vse of speaking by fate men vnderstand the force of the position of the starres and planets as it falleth out when a man is borne or conceaued or newly formed Naturall and poeticall fate this is the Mathematicall fate Also those things are of many writers called fatal which happen beside the will of God and men by the necessitie of a certaine order as that verse sheweth What once prepared is to be Surmounteth Ioue his high degree And in Homer the prince of Poetes Iupiter lamenteth that he could not deliuer from death his deare sonne Sarpedon whom fate compelled to die Likewise Neptune mourneth because he could not hinder the returne of Vlisses into his countrey that he might reuenge Cyclops his sonne for the sates had decreed that Vlisses should returne into Ithaca And in Ouid the same
vndertake the charge of them The first taught them the worship of the gods and kingly instructions The second aduised theÌ„ to affect fauour the trueth in their whole life The third that they would not be ouercome with any desire but accustome themselues to liue like freemen in very deed kings ruling themselues aboue al things not seruing any desires The fourth made theÌ„ stoute least through feare they should commit any thing not beseeming their dignitie and become seruants This instructioÌ„ of one that should be a Prince florished amoÌ„g the Persians And surely they rightly iudged that he ought to be trained vp in the precepts of wisedome that is of religion and of the kingdome but that being ignorant of Gods trueth they imbraced a false religion through the magical instruction of Zoroaster An instruction not vnlike albeit euery way farre better as being taken out of the cleerest fountaines of heauenly wisedome hath happened vnto your Highnesse most gracious Prince Neither haue the praiers of Salomon been wanting both of your Highnesse which from your childhood hauing taken delight in the knowledge of profitable and good things hath beene earnest in dayly prayers with God and is vncessantly instant desiring to be indued by him with an vnderstanding heart and also of all good men who publikely and priuately haue most regarded that thing and not without cause And how much hath been effected thereby manifest experiments doe testifie and such as shall be with thankefull hearts made knowne to posteritie to the honour of God First because that noble Prince and Lord the Lord Iohn Casimire Tutor and a second parent as it were to your Highnes being lately taken out of this life your flourishing age and already ripe to gouernment and your iudgement riper than your age most excellent Frederike haue afforded vs a refuge and solace in so hard a case Then because after you had taken vpon you the gouernment of most large Dominions wee â—oyfully haue seene such trials of your great vertue and such foundations haue beene layd of good gouernment although in a lamentable and wicked time that it hath lifted vp the mindes of all men vnto a singular good expectation Goe on forwarde therefore in this minde and vertue most noble prince Elector be strong in the Lord and in his mightie power remember the Lordes exhortation in old time to Ioshua I will bee with thee as I was with Moses I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be of good comfort that thou mayest doe according to the Law Let not the booke of the Lawe depart from thy mouth Then thou shalt deale wisely and prosperously in all things In like maner also the holy man Dauid as we read diligently exhorted his sonne Salomon 1. Kings 2. when being as yet a child hee was now consecrated to raigne The Lorde God who taketh away Dan. 2. and appointeth Princes and from whom commeth wisedome and fortitude endue your highnes more and more with vertue from aboue But most noble prince Elector and gracious Lorde seeing these foure bookes of the Redemption of mankinde and Gods Predestination being written by me a yeere agoe should nowe come abroad vnder the authoritie of your gouernment I thought that this my duety should be acceptable to your Highnes if I should intitle and offer them most humbly vnto you and that in respect of that thankefulnesse whereunto I am many wayes bound to your Highnes I know well inough that I am not able this way to make a full recompence yet freely to professe the same is the propertie of a thankefull person Further because in these and the like Ecclesiasticall controuersies that arise from restles wits it is meete that Princes especially should haue the knowledge and custodie of the trueth to the intent that malicious detractors and deprauers may doe the lesse hurt to Christian religion At this day we are slandered of malicious men with a new crime that is fained against vs as though wee should deny that Christ died for al men An impudent reproach For according to the Scriptures we also confesse the same but we denie that thereupon it followeth that all mankinde without exceptioÌ„ of any one are by the death of Christ indeed iustified saued and restored into the bosome of grace hauing receiued the pardon of their sinnes whether they beleeue or no. This is a deuise of man and therefore to be refused if wee will retaine the consent of the Prophets and Apostles Acts 10. Ioh. 3. to wit that euery one that beleeueth in Christ Iesu receiueth remission of sinnes through his name the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Now the doctrine of Predestination according to which God saueth in mercie some of the damnable lumpe of mankind and in iustice punisheth others for their sinnes being in the same lumpe vtterly forsaken is of it selfe plaine if we desire rather to follow the direction of Gods spirit than the consequences of foolish reason But reason being troubled with the depth of Gods grace and his iudgement leaueth here nothing vnassayd as we may see by the example of the Pelagians old and newe the first Augustine of old time soundly confuted and Luther the latter De ser arb alibi Therefore let those men that would be counted Lutherans looke to it how they doe agree in iudgement both against Luther the truth it selfe also with the Pelagians But I make an end praying God that vnder your Highnes the studies of peace learning and pietie may alwayes florish Amen At Heidelberge the 12. of March 1592. Your Highnesse most humbly bounden IACOBVS KIMEDONCIVS D. A table of certaine places of Scripture expounded in these Bookes GEn. 3. The seede of the woman c. 100 I will put enmitie c. 101 Gen. 12. 22. In thy seede shall all nations c. 105.201 Leuit. 16. Of the Scape Goate 107 Deut. 7. God hath chosen thee to be a people 283 Esay 53. He hath laid the iniquities of vs all c. 103. 202 Esay 62. Tell the daughter of Sion 205 Ierem. 23. In his dayes Israel shall be saued 204 Ierem. 31. I will make a couenant with the house of Israel c. 203 Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner c. 335 Osea 13. Thy destruction is of thy selfe 334 Zach. 2. Reioyce O daughter Sion 204 Zach. 3. I will take away the iniquitie of that land 105 Zach. 9. Thy king commeth vnto thee 204 Psalm 2. I will giue thee the heathen for c. 106 Wisd 1. God made not death 334 Ecclesiasticus 33. As one day excelleth another 285 Matth. 1. He shall saue his people 180 Matth. 7. I neuer knew you 210 Matth. 18. Of these little ones that beleeue in me 166 The parable of the debter 126 Matth. 26. Which is shed for many 181 Luk. 1. He hath redeemed his people 182 Luk. 2. I tell you of great ioy 183 A light to lighten the
that the Caluinists both dissemblingly and plainly denie that Christ suffered and died for all men But in the very entrance as it is said they run on ground fastning vpon vs a false opinion against which afterwards they perpetually fight For we willingly acknowledge these maner of speeches 1. Iohn 2. 1. Tim. 2. That Christ is made the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world and hath giuen himselfe the price of redemption for all men For who can denie that which the Scripture would haue to bee expressed in so many words But the question is of the meaning of the words For as hee shall not escape the note of impudencie who shall denie what the Scripture expresseth so wee are to take heede least not vnderstanding what is written we should thinke there is some repugnance in the Scripture For the same Canonicall Scripture which saith that Christ died for all and so maketh redemption after a sort common to all doth restraine in other places the proprietie of redemption vnto the Church The words of Paul are Ephes 5. Christ loued his Church and gaue himselfe for it to sanctifie it and present it glorious vnto himselfe And in the same place Christ is the head of the Church and the Sauiour of the bodie And 1. Tim. 4. He is called the Sauiour of all men but specially of the faithfull Also Heb. 9. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance Of which called also that is rightly taken which is read in the end of the same chapter Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many What doth not Christ in his solemne intercession pray for his owne expressely and not for the world I pray not for the world Ioh. 17. saith he but for them whom thou hast giuen me Now the intercession and sacrifice of Christ for vs be inseparable parts of his priesthood Other testimonies of this sort I conceale which shall be produced in their place Therefore seeing the holy Scripture here as elsewhere requireth not contentious disputers but vnderstanding readers the ancient fathers for the explication of these Of the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie Aquinas haue vsed the distinction of Sufficiencie and Efficiencie Thomas Aquinas the best schooleman who florished 300. yeares agoe vpon the 5. chapter of the Apocalyps writeth of this matter thus Of the passion of the Lord saith he we speake after two sorts either according to sufficiencie and so his passion redeemed all For it is sufficient to redeeme and saue all Of the meaning of the sufficiencie of Christs death although there had been many worlds as Anselme saith lib. 2. cur Deus homo cap. 14. Or according to efficiencie and so all are not redeemed by his passion because all cleaue not vnto the redeemer and therefore all haue not the efficacie of redemption The same man part 3. summae quaest 1. artic 3. when he had said that Christ came to blot out all sinnes expounding himselfe he addeth these words Not that the sinnes of all men are blotted out which is through the fault of men who cleaue not to Christ but because he exhibited that which was sufficient to haue abolished all sins Whereunto also may be referred the things which he writeth quaest 49. art 1.3.5 Christ hath deliuered vs saith he as his members from sinnes and his passion hath his effect in them who are incorporated into him as the members into the bodie and so are partakers of his passion But such as are not ioyned vnto the passion of Christ can not receiue the effect thereof But let vs heare others also more ancient then Thomas Innocentius 3. Innocentius 3. Pope of Rome Anno Dom. 1200. repeating the same distinction lib. 2. de officio Missae cap. 41. saith The blood of Christ was shed for those only that are predestinated as touching efficiencie but for all men as touching sufficiencie For the shedding of that righteous blood was so rich in price that if the vniuersalitie of captiues would beleeue in their redeemer the tyrannicall bands of sinne and Satan could withhold none because as the Apostle saith where sinne abounded there grace did superabound This later whole sentence is Pope Leos Epist 83. and 97. which seeing Innocentius alleadgeth Leo. he sheweth apparantly that Leo was of the same minde Vnto these that is not much vnlike which Basil writeth in Psal 48. Basill Man cannot giue a propitiation for himselfe to God yet one worthie price was found out for all men euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs all And that he speaketh of the sufficiencie and dignitie of the price it appeareth by the words themselues and by that which he faith elsewhere very oftē respecting the effect that the blood of Christ was shed not for all men without exception but for many Chrysost Theoph. that is for the beleeuers Chrysostome also and Theophilact who abridged him acknowledge the same distinction as we shall see Augustine Moreouer Augustine the chiefest of the ancient sound writers doth not onely acknowledge that distiction but also doth expound it largely Tom. 7. answering vnto Articles that were falsely fathered vpon him whereof the first was that he was reported to maintaine that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men But he distinguisheth after this maner As touching the greatnes and might of the price saith he and as touching the onely cause of mankind the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are well said to bee redeemed Yet because all are not pulled out of captiuitie and many are not redeemed the proprietie of redemption without doubt belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and now are not the members of the deuill but of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that euen they should appertaine vnto the redemption of it who should not bee regenerated but so that what was done by one example for all should be magnified in euery one by one sacrament giuen vnto them This is as much as if he had sayd As touching the sufficiencie of the price the redemption belongeth to all but as touching the effect it belongeth not to all but to the members only of Christ And anone he setteth out the matter by a similitude saying Augustines similitude The cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine power hath power in it selfe to profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good The new writers also allow this distinction as vsuall very ancient and profitable in this poynt diligently to be retained Stapulensis vpō the 5. to the Romanes Stapulensis similitude declaring the matter by a similitude saith As light is able to driue away infinit darknes
remaineth no sacrifice for sins And a little after Of how greater punishment thinke ye shall he be thought worthie who shall tread vnder his feet the sonne of God and shall count the blood of the couenant wherewith he was sanctified a prophane thing and shall despite the spirit of grace This place Huber simplie vnderstandeth of reprobates but they are not straightwaies to be counted for reprobates and to bee barred of all hope of pardon with the Nouatians who after the knowledge of the trueth wittingly and willingly peraduenture fall And in that it is said that there remaineth vnto them no sacrifice for sins but an expectation of iudgement of this there is diuersitie of opinions I take it as most simple An exposition of the words there is no more sacrifice for sin c. that there be no more sacrifices for sinne as of old vnder the shadowes of the Law that Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and will not come againe to die for sins the second time but to iudgement for their saluation doubtles that looke for him but for their punishment that sinne specially that sinne willingly after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth Vnderstand notwithstanding conditionally to wit vnles they repent as Theophylact well expoundeth and the vse of the Scriptures requireth 1. Corin. 6.9 Apoc. 22.15 Iere. 18.7 Certainly I easily graunt We must take euery one in the Church for a brother and redeemed for his profession sake till the contrarie appeare that these of whom the Apostle intreateth are to bee placed in the number of the redeemed vpon the foundation before set downe to wit as farre forth as they professing the same faith and conuersation with vs we are bound to account them for our brethren for the household and heires of God and for such as are sanctified by the blood of Christ vntill happily they bee made knowne not to bee of vs. All these things certainly the text plainly sheweth to bee spoken of the Apostle in respect of faith which a man seemeth to haue and not of vnbeleefe much lesse of reprobation The third place is 1. Cor. 3. Ye are the temple of God The 3. place 1. Cor. 3. and the spirit of God dwelleth in you Jf any destroy the temple of God him will God destroy That he shuld speake here of reprobates as Huber thinketh it is vnlikely for he speaketh of the Church which he had called Gods building and now calleth it Gods temple as elsewhere this spirituall building and habitation of the liuing God is at large described Ephes 2.21 1. Pet. 2.5 As for the threatning it belongeth to the authors of schismes who through meere ambition by factions distracted and prophaned the Church of Corinth which God had cōsecrated to be a temple for himselfe The like place commeth againe chapter 6. Know yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost who is in you There speaking to each beleeuer he calleth them the temples of the holy Ghost as also the members of Christ saying Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ that thereby they might with greater care auoide all pollutions of the flesh True members of Christ can neuer finally fall away yet they may sinne grieuouslie Psalm 37.24 Iohn 10. Rom. 11.29 2 Cor. 4.9 But hereupon it doth not follow that some being truly the members of Christ and the temples of the holy Ghost shal perish foreuer It cōmeth to passe surely that such fearefully somtime defile thēselues but not finally An exāple hereof is the repentance of Dauid and the promises beare witnes If the righteous falleth he is not cast away because the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand No man shall take my sheep out of my hand And in Paul The gifts and calling of God are without repentance We are cast downe but we perish not What members may perish saith Paul But that they perish in their sins who were accounted the members of Christ and the temples of God it is no new thing but if they had been of the true members of the Church they had doubtles continued with vs 1. Iohn 3. as Iohn saith For there bee sonnes of God saith Augustine who are not as yet such vnto vs De Correp grat ca. 9. A notable saying and there be some againe who for the grace which they haue receiued for a time are called of vs the sonnes of God but yet are not such with God And as the sons so also the temples of God and members of Christ are to be accounted The 4. place Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. The same answere serueth vnto the sayings Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ died neither destroy the worke of God for meate sake Also Shall thy weake brother perish through thy knowledge for whom Christ died As touching the elect we graunt that the true beleeuers How a weake brother may be said to perish and be destroyed Rom. 14.5 How Reprobates falling from the truth and perishing are said to be redeemed but weake in faith are very often grieuously shaken with offences yea destroyed and lost as touching the authors of offences through whom there is no let but they should perish Yet the Lord is able to establish them and also will establish them though they bee inconstant and wauer But a◠touching the reprobates falling away from the trueth for offences and other causes and vtterly perishing they are called redeemed iustified by the death of Christ as farre forth as in the iudgement of the Church they obtaine for a time a place among the iustified and redeemed of Christ as I haue often said alreadie In like sort is that to bee vnderstood which 2. Pet. 2. The 5. place 2. Pet. 2. How the Lord hath bought Reprobates 1. Pet. 1. Acts 20. wee reade of false prophets that perish that they denie the Lord who bought them Doubtles the Lord is said to buy them as farre forth as they are numbred for a time among the faithfull whom he hath redeemed not with siluer and golde but with his precious blood For out of the Church it selfe shall arise rauening wolues not sparing the flocke and speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after thē But what saith Iohn They went out from vs but they were not of vs for verely they had continued with vs if they had been of vs. Further How they are said to denie him that bought them this is rightly referred to the boasting of the false prophets that him in very deede they denie whom they call their Lord and redeemer and bragge of libertie when in trueth they bee the seruants of corruption and sinne as Peter himselfe declareth and the Epistle of Iude confirmeth For these seducers secretly crept in are thus there described that they turne the grace of our God into wantonnes and denie God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ But
the Minor of the argument is false for he that hath knowledge knoweth himselfe to beleeue as before hath been shewed And whosoeuer beleeueth A man may know himselfe to haue faith and so to haue Christ Luk. 22. Matth. 26. is partaker of the merits of the death and humiliation of our Lord Iesus Christ as he saith this is my body which is giuen for you and this is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for you as Luke hath or as Matthew saith which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Why saith he for many Because albeit the blood of Christ be shed for all as touching sufficiencie yet it was shed for the regenerate onely as touching efficiencie as I shewed before out of Innocentius Whereupon Basil saith All of vs as many as do beleeue Exhortat Baptis are redeemed from sinnes by the grace of God which is through his onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who said This is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes which exposition he twise repeateth in his Sermon following of Baptisme for many that is for all beleeuers the blood of Christ was shed CHAP. XVI An answere to the residue of the Absurdities HVber goeth on and that he may maintaine any way his opinion he obiecteth also other absurdities so horrible that a godly minde cannot but tremble in thinking of them as Hubers blasphemies that God is accused of fraud and lying Of fraud in that he saith one thing and thinketh another Of lying in that by word he offereth and commandeth to receiue things which in the meane while by his irreuocable iudgement he forbiddeth to receiue Also that Christ by his passion hath mocked God and men and that the mightie and holy Lord of hosts is worthily accused of crueltie iniustice reioycing at mens harmes and of other great euils agreeing rather to a most cruell tyrant then to God For such and so many words doth his rude and shameles mouth vtter often or rather roreth out But these be the sleights of the aduersarie issuing out of the same forge that his other lyes and slanders doe too too presumptuous truly But because those obiections and mocks excepting only the last saue one respect not so fitly the doctrine of Redemption as of Predestination which treatises Huber here and there without order confoundeth and are long agoe largely confuted by Doctor Luther in his booke of seruile freewill I will not suffer my selfe in refuting them to be carried beside the matter I haue in hand One or two places onely of Luther I will alleadge for their sakes who depend vpon that mans authoritie that they may vnderstand that the doctrine of Luther is wounded through our sides He therefore in his answere to the place of Ezech. 18. Luther de seruo arbit cap. 107. seq J will not the death of a sinner confirmeth the receiued distinction of a double will in God which truly was wont to bee so distinguished for our capacitie And one will he one while calleth secret fearefull and vnsearchable other while the most reuerend secret of Gods maiestie sometime the hidden God but the other will A double will in God he calleth one while the reuealed will other while the word preached sometime God preached and worshipped How God willeth and willeth not the death of a sinner Eze. ca. 18. and proceedeth after this sort God doth many things which he hath not shewed vs in his word and he willeth many things which in his word he doth not shew that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner in his word that is in his will reuealed in his word but he willeth it by his vnsearchable will Therefore it is well said If God will not the death of a sinner wee must impute it to our will that we perish well I say if it bee vnderstood of God preached For he willeth that all men be saued while he commeth vnto all by the word of saluation and it is the fault of the will which doth not admit God as Matth. 25. it is said How often would I gather thy chickens and thou wouldest not But why Gods maiestie taketh not away this fault of our wil or changeth it in all or why he doth impute it vnto man seeing he cannot want it we may not inquire and if thou wouldest inquire yet thou shalt neuer finde it as Paul Rom. 9. saith Who art thou then that reasonest with God Againe it is sufficient saith Luther to know that God so willeth and this will it is meete we should reuerence loue and adore restraining the rashnes of our reason Here Luther sufficiently sheweth that it pertaineth to his reuealed will that God willeth the conuersion and saluation of all and to his hidden will that he neither giueth nor purposeth to giue conuersion and saluation to all but to whom he will according to his meere good pleasure Neither are these cōtrarie one to another The hid and reuealed will are not contradictorie therefore no suspition of fraude or lying in God as though God spake one thing and thought another when we say that he willeth that is commandeth that all repent and beleeue the Gospell to saluation and yet that he will not worke in all men faith and repentance Euen children may perceiue that here is no contradiction because of the diuers signification of the word will The same man cap. 160. God is not vniust or one that reioyceth at mans miserie This surely offendeth common sense and naturall reason that God of his meere will forsaketh hardeneth and damneth men as though he who is said to be of so great mercie and goodnes delighted in the great and eternall paines and torments of miserable persons This seemeth wicked cruell and intolerable to imagine of God But here the most mercifull God ought to be honoured and reuerenced and wee must referre freely some thing vnto his diuine wisedome that he may bee beleeued to be iust A notable saying where he seemeth to vs to bee vniust For if such were his iustice as might be iudged by mans capacitie to bee iust it should not be altogether diuine and should differ nothing from humane iustice But seeing God is true and one wholly incomprehensible and inaccessible by mans reason it is meete yea necessarie that his iustice also be incomprehensible c. Therefore what peruersenes is this that wee should destroy the iustice and iudgement of God These and many other such things hath Luther against such as contend with their maker Esay 45. Brentius in 1. Sam. 2. v. 25. Brentius also vpon those words touching Elies sonnes They heard not the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them subscribeth vnto this doctrine and concludeth this whole question in these words Therefore that they may be punished according to the worthines of their deserts the Lord
men if redemption were common to beleeuers and vnbeleeuers to such as shall be saued and damned Hitherto also let the wordes be referred The 9. place which follow in the same place If the blood of Bulles and Goats and the ashes of a yong Heifer sprinckling the vncleane doe sanctifie and purge the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternal spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Redemption is described by this Redemption described that it purgeth our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God But that purging of consciences and seruing of God is proper to the faithfull For by faith the hearts are purified Acts 15. Rom. 6. and being freed from sinne are made seruantes of righteousnesse through the same faith And a litle after The 10. place Therfore for that cause is he the Mediator of the new couenant that through death which came for the redemption of transgressions the Called might receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance Who are those Called The Called who they be Prosper li. cap. 3. to whoÌ„ belong the couenant redemption and inheritance He that wrote the booke of the calling of the Gentiles answereth for me Because saith hee some are iustified by faith others are hardened in their impiety the beleeuers are discerned from vnbeleeuers by the name of the Called and such as be voyd of faith they are shewed to bee without this calling albeit they heare the Gospell And he citeth the place 1. Cor. 1. we preach Christ crucified to the Iewes an offence and to the Gentiles foolishines but to the Called as well Iewes as Gentiles we preach him the power and wisedome of God Of these Called not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles The 11. place see more Ro. 9.23 and cap. 8.28 and in the rest Neither must we here omit that which we read writteÌ„ about the end of the 9. chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many Many Christo Theophy By these Many he now meaneth those Called whereof he spake before And so Chrysostome and Theophylact expound Why said he of Mary and not of All Sai valuit vt omnes seruaventur because all doe not beleeue The death of Christ was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of sufficient fâ—râ—e and price to haue saued all and yet it doth not take away the sinnes of all because such as resist him make his death altogether vnprofitable vnto them selues Theophylact also maketh mention of Basil to be of the same mind some of whose sayings I haue before alledged vpon the place of Matth. 26. But Aquinas of al men most clearely vpon this place writeth Aquinas He saith to take away the sinnes of many and not of all because the death of Christ albeit it bee sufficient for all yet it is not effectuall but in the respect of such as shall bee saued For all are not subiect vnto him through faith and good workes Lastly what can be spoken more briefly and forceably for the deciding of this whole controuersie The 12. place Heb. 11. than that of the Apostle Hebrewes 11. Hub. Thes 6â— and 1001. without faith it is impossible to prayse God Either this is not true or els it is false that they say often that all alke beleeuers and vnbeleeuers are freed from all sinne and condemnation and receiued into the fauour and grace of our heauenly father which thing what is it els than that al please God without respect of faith and infidelitie CHAP. IIII. Testimonies out of other Scriptures of the New Testament The 1. place FOr the greater confirmation of this point we will adde also certaine other sayings of other bookes of the New Testament In the Actes chapter 5. Peter Acts 5. and the whole Colledge of the Apostles with one accord testifie these wordes The God of our fathers raysed vp Iesus and being exalted by his right hand made him a prince and sauiour to giue repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes Repentance and remission of sinnes be iust parables and therefore they that haue the one haue the other and they be Israel Repentance and remission of sinnes are ioyned together by an in separable knot Wherefore it is as foolish a thing to affirme that remission of sinnes is giuen by Christ to all men indifferently as if a man should auouch that he giueth repentance to all What meaneth that that the prerogatiue of both those benefites is bestowed vpon Israel Vpon what Israel They that bee called of the Iewes and Gentiles according to promise they bee the true Israel saith Augustime Aug. cap. 59. Gal. 6. whereof also the Apostle speaketh And vpon the Israel of God Secondly it is the voice of Peter The 2. place Acts 10. and the testimonie of all Prophets agreeing together that euery one that beleeueth in Iesu Christ receiueth remission of sinnes through his name Vnto this Propheticall and Apostolicall consent which conteineth the summe of the Gospel of Christ is the false vangelicall commentarie of the aduersaries cleane contrary that all simply without respect of faith or vnbeliefe receiue remission of sinnes through the name of Christ Further the same Apostle 1. Epistle 1. The 3. place 1. Pet. 1. when hee speaketh of redemption by the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot hee saith that hee was foreordained before the foundations of the world were laid Christ was foreordained and exhibited to the world for the beleeuers sake and was made manifest for the beleeuers sake Expressely he declareth that Christ was exhibited to the world a Sauiour for the beleeuers Therefore for the same persons in like maner he properly died and rose againe not because they beleeued already but that they might beleeue Iohn 20. and beleeuing might haue eternall life through his name Iohn also 1. Epistle 1. consenteth hereto The 4. place 1. Ioh. 1. Three things to be obserued in Saint Iohns words If wee walke in light as God is light we haue communion with him and the blood of Iesu Christ purgeth vs from all sinne If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. If we confesse our sinnes he is iust and faithfull to forgiue vs our sins and to purge vs from all iniquitie 1. Communion with God belongs not to all Therefore neither the grace of God for where the grace of God is there is also the communion of him 2. The clensing of sinnes by the blood of Christ is theirs who walke in light 3. Remission of sinnes which is propitiation it selfe as Iohn witnesseth presupposeth confession of sinnes which seeing it is not in al propitiation doth not belong to all The 5. place Apoc. 1. I come to the Reuelation of Iohn in whose
whom he would call them he would iustifie glorifie Can he possibly forsake them whom he hath pursued with his so many and great benefits But there is feare least the Iudge be too seuere Consider what iudge thou hast to wit Christ Can he condemne thee whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he hath offered himselfe whose life he knoweth is the reward of his death Will he not say Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. cap. 16. What profit is in my blood if I condemne him whom I my selfe haue saued See also if ye please Augustine confirming this very argument Hereupon it riseth that some vnder pretence of vniuersall redemption haue thought that all at length shall be saued Of which mad error Caluin vpon 1. Ioh 2. Bucer in the Acts of the Conference had at Argentine with Melchior Hofman A booke published in the dutch tongue at Argent 1553. doe make mention and also Wolfgange Musculus in the place concerning the redemption of mankinde warning vs to take heede least vnderstanding amisse the vniuersalitie of redemption we say with frantike men that no man is damned and perisheth for euer These our men with whom we deale deny that thing truly but what auaileth it to denie it seeing neuerthelesse they stifly maintaine that principle from whence that error springeth They except that the redeemed doe not perish vnles they cast away and tread vnder foote redemption once receiued But contrariwise the testimonies of Scripture euen now alleaged doe teach that such as are effectually redeemed and alreadie iustified by the gift of God shall certainly haue life and heauenly glorie and cannot possibly by any meanes be pluckt away from the loue of God towards them in Christ Iesu And as for some examples and places to the contrary they haue been sufficiently answered in the second booke before If all sinner be blotted out and satiâ—fied then vnbeâ—iefe is blotted and it shall not condemne vs. Furthermore how agree these things together that all the sinnes of all men are satisfied for and in very deede blotted out and yet that the greater part of men are damned for vnbeliefe For if all sinnes are forgiuen all men then vnbeliefe also is forgiuen How then shall it damne any man Thus it euer abideth vnmoueable that all at length shall be saued if all men together bee effectually made partakers of redemption The 10. reason The tenth argument is drawne from the causes of redemption two whereof are the principall efficient causes one farther off The causes of redemption to wit the grace of God giuing his sonne vnto vs the other most neere vs the sonne himselfe finishing the worke of redemption in the nature of man which hee tooke vpon him The materiall cause is the passion and death of the righteous for the vnrighteous The instrumentall efficient cause is likewise two-fold to wit 1. The word of grace that offereth Christ vnto vs with his benefits and serueth to stirre vp faith in vs for faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God 2. And faith it selfe wherewith as it were a hand wee receiue grace offered and are made partakers thereof Herevpon the Apostle Rom. 3. saith We haue all sinned but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption made in Iesu Christ whom God hath set foorth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes Where we see among other causes of redemption faith required as the instrument wherewith wee may applie vnto vs redemption gotten for vs by his blood and may become partakers thereof to the blotting out of our sinnes Therefore the vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with redemption and propitiation And that the necessitie of faith may the more appeare in euery matter of saluation Faith how necessarie to saluation the Apostle Heb. 11. expressely testifieth that it is impossible without faith to please God producing for this point most notable examples of antiquitie who are shewed to please God through faith and to haue obtained righteousnes which is according to faith Notably saith Augustine in Euang. Ioh. serm 60. The medicine for all wounds The great necessitie and profit of faith and the onely attonement for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ Neither can any man at all bee clensed either from originall sinne or the sinnes which he hath done vnles by faith he be vnited and ioyned to his bodie For they that beleeue in him are the sonnes of God because they are borne of God by the grace of adoption which is in the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ for in beleeuing we are made the sons of God as it is written He hath giuen them prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God while they beleeue in him And serm 181. de temp Faith is the ground of all good things Aug. de temp ser 181. and the beginning of mans saluation without this none can bee of the number of Gods sonnes and without it in this world neither doth man attaine the grace of iustification nor hereafter shall possesse eternall life and whoso walketh not by faith shall not come to see God In these testimonies of the Scriptures and our Elders according to the Scriptures if wee meane to stand and wee ought to rest therein away with the deuise of the righteousnes of all men and the operation of saluation in all Hub. thes 49. 65. and the receiuing of all men into grace and their purging from sins whether they beleeue or not The aduersaries doe except that they thinke not that the merit of Christ is applied without faith or that any man without it can be made partaker of the fatherly will of God Thes 72. 1112 I answere therefore they bee manifestly contrary to themselues that say such things The aduersaries contrarie to themselues Thes 65.270.168 and yet stifly maintaine that all men none excepted faithfull and vnfaithfull before and after Christs birth are set free by the blood of Christ truly and vndoubtedly from all sinne and condemnation and are receiued into the grace and fauour of God that all alike are saued iustified and quickened that all pertaine to the communion of saluation and the kingdome of grace and such like For if no man can be partaker of the grace of God righteousnes life and saluation in Christ vnles he applie those good things to himselfe and the application cannot be but by faith how belong those things to all vnfaithfull as well as faithfull The 11. reason The Maior The 11. Argument from another consequent Redemption is such a benefit whereby of seruants of sinne wee are made the sonnes of God of children of wrath the children of grace of strangers and vnknowne we are made a royall and priestly stock as it is written Apoc. 1. and 5. He hath loued vs and redeemed vs to God by his blood and hath made vs to our God kings and priests and wee
Epistle when he had said before that Christ came downe to be the redeemer of al to take away the sinnes of all and had abased himselfe to bring liberty to all and had taken flesh vpon him to purchase by his death resurrection for all he addeth these words He that is saith he a true freeman a true Hebrew is wholly Gods whatsoeuer he hath is libertie he hath nothing of his that for the loue of the world refuseth libertie So elsewhere he teacheth that a Lib. 2. Câ—p. â— de Cain Abel redemption belongeth to them that repent and cleaue vnto Gods commandements that b Apol. Dauid remission of sinne is through faith c De Sal. ca. vit and that by the grace of faith washing from offences is obtained d Serm. 15. in 118. Psalm that the crosse of the Lord is life to beleeuers and destruction to vnbeleeuers And in another place The e Serm. 21. ibid. crosse saith he is shame to him that is vnfaithfull but to the faithfull person it is grace to the faithfull it is redemption to the faithfull it is resurrection And all these things he setteth out in another place by a notable similitude of light A similitude of the light For Christ is the light of the world sufficient truly to inlighten and conuert all men yet not actually and in very deede driuing away all darknes but as he saith himselfe I am the light of the world that no man that commeth vnto me may abide in darknes Ambrose his words are these Serm. 19. in 118. Psalm Although he that was borne of the Virgin for all both good and bad haue a large power in all and vpon all as he maketh his Sunne to rise vpon the good and euill yet hee fauoureth him that commeth neere vnto him For as he that shutteth the windowes excludeth froÌ„ himselfe the brightnes of the Sunne so he that is turned from the Sunne of righteousnes cannot behold the brightnes therof He walketh in darknes and in the light of all men hee is the cause of blindnes to himselfe Open therefore thine eyes to see the Sunne of righteousnes arising vnto thee If a man shut the doores of his house is the fault in the Sunne that it doth not shine into his house Out of Augustine the chiefe of the soundest writers among other testimonies these we haue Tom. 7. Augustine ad articul falso impos Vnto the first article which was that Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men he giueth his iudgement of the whole controuersie distinguishing after this sort As touching the greatnes and weight of the price and as touching the onely cause of mankinde the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world But they that passe through this life without the faith of Christ and without the sacrament of regeneration are voide of redemption Seeing therefore by reason of the one nature and cause of all men which the Lord took vpon himselfe in trueth all may bee rightly called redeemed yet seeing all are not plucked out of captiuitie the proprietie of redemption doubtles is theirs out of whom the prince of this world is cast and they be now not the wasse â—s of the deuill but the members of Iesu Christ Whose death was not so bestowed for mankinde that they who shall not bee borne againe should belong to the redemption thereof but so that what was done by one example for all might by one sacrament be celebrated in euery one Augustines simile of the cup. For the cup of immortalitie which was made of our infirmitie and the diuine power meaning Christs death hath truly in it selfe to profit all men but if it be not drunke it doth not profit Against Faustus the Manichean lib. 11. cap. 7. Of those men for whom Christ died and rose againe and who now liue not to themselues but to him that is the people that bee renewed by faith that hee may haue in the meane while in hope what may bee accomplished afterward in very deede none of those men saith he hee knew any more after the flesh Here hee taketh them that are renewed by faith and shal be saued to be all one with those for whom Christ died and rose againe Lib. 13. cap. 15. In his booke of the Trinitie he denieth that any of them whom Christ redeemed by his bloodshed be drawne of the deuill as men intangled in the snares of sinne vnto the destruction of the second and eternall death and affirmeth that such die the death of the flesh onely and not of the spirit And most plainly remoueth from redemption such as shall be damned addeth straightwaies in expresse words that such as were foreknowne predestinate and elected before the foundation of the world pertaine to the grace of Christ and that Christ died for them The same man vpon 21. Psalme writeth That Christ suffered for the Church and that the great Church is the whole world for which he shed his blood And by and by confuting the Donatists including the Church within Africa he saith What saiest thou to me O Heretike Is he not the price of all the world Was onely Africa redeemed Thou dare not say A notable saying of August the whole world was redeemed but it is perished What inuader hath Christ suffered to destroy his goods Behold Christ died his blood was shed behold our redeemer behold our price What hath he bought All the ends of the earth shall be converted to the Lord and all nations shall worship before him Behold the Church which I shew behold what Christ hath bought behold what he hath redeemed behold for whom he gaue his blood So in his Enchiridion to Laurentius chap. 61. he saith that the Church which is among men is redeemed from all sinne by the blood of the Mediator that is without sinne and it is the voyce thereof If God be for vs who is against vs Who also spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all And in the next chapter The Apostle saith that all things in heauen and earth are epaired in Christ for in him are restored the things that bee in heauen when that that was decayed in the angels from thence was recompensed of men But things in earth are repaired when men themselues who are predestinate to eternall life are renewed from the oldnesse of corruption The same man chapter 30 witnesseth that God promised freedome and the kingdome of heauen to a part of mankinde that is to the elect Againe in his 13. Booke of the Trinitie chapter 12. and the rest when hee had sayed that by the remission of sinnes men are plucked away from the deuill through the gratious reconciliation of God straightway he sheweth at large that not all men are set free from the power of the deuil but all the faithfull and the predestinate that all men beeing carnally borne of Adam are through him alone held vnder the
on the other side the cause of predestination For as Aquinas teacheth well In summo expos ad Rom. if the effects of predestination bee compared among themselues there is no let but one may bee the cause of another that is the precedent of the consequent So vocation by the word Rom. 10. is the cause of faith because faith is by hearing faith is the cause of iustification iustification of good workes and of glorie in a heauenly life Yet notwithstanding the same effects of predestination considered neither seuerally nor ioyntly can bee the beginning of predestination seeing the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect The 4. reason 4. In the whole worke of saluation this especially is regarded that all humane boasting bee excluded that as it is written Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. For who separateth thee from other What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Which saying S. Cyprian vsed to follow saying We must glorie in nothing because nothing is ours But not all humane boasting should bee excluded vnlesse election which is the beginning and foundation of saluation should depend vpon the free goodwill and purpose of God without respect of any one qualitie As for example if God should be said to offer like grace vnto all Marke this well and to call al and it should be beleeued to consist in the will of man to obey his calling then surely the obedient person seuereth himselfe from the disobedient and the faithfull man from the vngodly neither can it bee said vnto him Why doest thou boast who hath separated thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued For a proud person may say against another my faith my righteousnesse the good vsing of my free-will or any other thing The 5. reason 5. Election should bee weake and very vncertaine and therefore our saluation if it should depend on the purpose of our will For the vnstable will of man bendeth hither and thither like a reede shaken with the winde On the contrary election standeth firme and vnmoueable in the good pleasure purpose and gratious will of God towards vs in Christ Iesu as the Apostle at large sheweth Rom. 8. saying Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for good that is to them that are called of his purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he also called iustified and glorified And anone Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or the sword Yea in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu Therefore seeing we are men let vs not leane vpon our infirmitie but let vs commit our faith hope life and saluation to the stronger rather than to the weaker to God rather than our selues professing as the trueth is that all things depend vpon his purpose 6. Hitherto is to be referred euen the example of our Mediatour himselfe and our head Iesu The 6. reason which Augustine cannot sufficiently commend De predest sanct cap. 15. de bon perseu cap. 24. 1. He was conceaued of the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary by a singular conception and generation and without all sinne 2. His humane that is our nature in Christ was vnited with the Diuine in the vnitie of person the word as Augustine speaketh singularly assuming it and extolling it into the only sonne of God so that he that assumed and the thing he assumed is one person in Trinitie Which aduancing of mans nature is so great and so high that he could not aduance it higher as the deitie it selfe could not abase it selfe lower for our sakes than in that it receiued the nature of man with his infirmitie vnto the very death of the crosse But all these things mans nature in Christ singularly receiued that is our nature through none of our merits but of the onely grace of God Therefore we also are predestinated vnto eternall life not through our workes but through the purpose and grace of God predestinating vs. For there is one and the same reason of the head and the members but this is the difference that he alone is predestinate to bee our head we being many are predestinate to bee his members And therefore in the head is the fountaine of grace and from thence according to the measure of euery one he spreadeth abroad himselfe throughout all his members The 7. reason from infants dying 7. All this way whereby wee defend free predestination from the purpose of God is greatly cōfirmed by the example of children by which alone all the force of gainsayers and of those that maintaine mans merits of necessitie is ouerthrowne The argument is this Our little children dying euen in their infancie haue the promise of the kingdome of heauen Therefore they are predestinate vnto the kingdome and that either of workes or of grace not of workes because in so yong yeares workes haue no place nor any foreknowledge surely of workes For the things that neither bee nor shall be cannot be said to be foreknowne vnlesse it bee that they shall not bee Therefore of grace and by consequence the predestination of others also is the like as of the purpose of God and not of workes The shift of the Semipelagians The Pelagians held within these straites knew not how or on what side to escape Yet afterward the Semipelagians deuising a hole to get out by a new kinde of absurditie contended that infants were predestinate to life or to death for the merits they would doe if they had liued This deuise not so craftie as rash and foolish Augustine diligently and very well confuteth both elsewhere and also lib. de bono perseuer cap. 12. 13. Among other things he opposeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 14. We shall all stand before the tribunal seate of Christ that euery one may render an account according to the things he hath done in his body whether good or euill that is according to the things he hath done in the time that he was in the bodie For otherwise the soule alone doth many things and not by the body or any member of the body pertaining neuerthelesse to punishment or reward And he said hath done he added not or els shall doe Wherevpon also Sap. 4. we reade of the iust man that is by vntimely death withdrawne from the vncertaintie of temptations He was taken away least malice should change his vnderstanding Thus the argument standeth sure from the example of infants that what we cannot denie in them touching the predestination of grace wee
eternall fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And chap. 10. of Matth. Chap. 10. Feare not them that kill the bodie but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy the bodie and soule in hell 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished If therefore the damnation of hell be the worke of God he hath also foreknowne that is predestinated from euerlasting them Fulgent lib. 1. 2. ad Moâ—â—â— vpon whom he will inflict the same For his predestination is the preparation of his workes which in his eternall decree he did foreknow that he would either in mercie or iustice bring to passe Apoc. 20. Apoc. 20. The bookes were opened and iudgement was giuen of euery one according to their workes and he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire What that the reprobates are called vessels of wrath and prepared for destruction For to bee a vessell of wrath as Augustine expoundeth is Epist 10â— for a man to be appointed to be punished for sinnes What a vessell of wrath is who was created for the benefit of nature And Fulgentius saith Hereunto God formed the vessels of wrath whereunto he predestinated them that is not to sinne but to destruction for sinne Therefore the destruction of them that perish is the worke of God reprobating them and therefore it is the effect of reprobation Obiection 1 But thou wilt say Perdition is to bee ascribed to themselues that perish as Hos 13. saith Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel but onely in me is thy helpe Answere That is true speaking of the fault and not of the punishment For they that are damned haue in themselues the fault deseruing damnation but it is his part to punish that iudgeth the world who can tell how to condemne iniquitie but not to doe it And this is the meaning of the Prophet that God doth not punish but for sins which men haue of themselues as for deliuerance from sinne it commeth from him freely Obiection 2 and not for any workes As Paul also saith The reward of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesu Christ our Lord. Those sayings also are wont to bee obiected God made not death Wisd 1. 2. Eze. 18. Through the enuie of the deuill death came into the world Againe I will not the death of him that dieth c. But here with a deafe eare wee must not forget what elsewhere wee reade Eccles 11. Wisd 16. Deut. 32. that death and life good and euill come of God Which shew of contrarietie to take away we must vnderstand that death as well as life may bee vnderstood not two only but also three maner of waies For in the first man God created both the soule and flesh also immortall But while man sinned Three deaths of the soule bodie and hel the soule dyed and that death of the soule to wit sinne is the beginning and cause of another double death corporall and infernall The sacred Scriptures call it the first and second death Therfore God made not the death of the soule because he made not sinne but the deuill is the author of it by suggesting of sinne and by consequence he is the author also of the other kindes of death which arise from sinne to wit in respect of the vehement stirring vp of it and not that he hath power to punish as God hath Augustine distinctly saith Cont. Iulian. lib. 7. cap. 7. The deuill the deceiuer of man is the cause of death which God inflicted not as the first author but as the punisher of sinne Some vnderstand the place of the Prophet Ezechiel of that death of the soule as Fulgentius I will not the death of a sinner others referre it to the punishment of sinne vsing the distinction of the will of God hidden and reuealed So Luther de ser arbit cap. 109. He will not the death of a sinner to wit by his word while by the word of saluation he commeth to all and so he will haue all men to bee saued But he willeth the same by his vnsearchable will Which will saith he in the same booke chap. 107. is not to be searched into but with reuerence to be aâ—ored as the highest secret of Gods maiestie Againe He will not the death of him that dieth simply and as it bringeth destruction but as it is a punishment for the Lord delighteth not in the perdition of the liuing Wisâ— 1.13 as it is written But he is the punisher of sinners Now as touching the matter of forsaking blinding Of forsaking hardening and blinding Rom. 9. 11. and hardening I will produce a few testimonies of many Wee reade in the sacred Scriptures He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The elect haue obtained it but the rest were hardened as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see cares that they should not heare See the prophesie of Esay 29. vers 10. and chap. 6. Goe and say to the children of Israel In hearing ye shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceiue harden the hearts of this people and make their heires heauie and smeere ouer their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so bee conuerted and I should heale them Which prophesie S. Iohn alleadging affirmeth Ioh. 12. that the Iewes beleeued not in the Lord albeit they had seene many signes neither that they could beleeue because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts To the same vnbeleeuing Iewes the Lord said Ioh 10. Ye doe not beleeue for ye are not of my sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Againe to his disciples Matth. 13. To you saith he it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to others it is not giuen therefore in parables I speake vnto them Neither came it to passe without cause that in so many hundred yeares before the comming of Christ Acts 14. no light of sauing doctrine was reuealed to the Gentiles but as Paul witnesseth the liuing God that made heauen and earth passing ouer the former ages suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies vntill the comming of the time of grace he was found of them that sought him not And in Israel that was fulfilled that the Prophet saith Esay 65. All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a rebellious and gainsaying people By these things it is euident that they that were not ordained to life are also reiected from the grace of faith and conuersion and are
was first made became wicked Is God a debter vnto vs to restore vs because we lost grace receiued Or shall it not therefore be lawfull for him to require againe of vs that which is his owne He hath power to exact it and hath power also to remit it But of whom it must bee exacted and to whom it must be remitted it belongs to the Lord to iudge and not to the debters Obiection But say they the reprobates while God forsaketh and hardeneth them cannot auoide sinnes And it seemeth vniust if God should punish a man for those things that he cannot auoide Answere I know surely that this seemeth vniust to Albert Pighius and other Sophisters whose wisedome God hath made foolishnes but how vniustly it is manifest for if that reason were any thing worth God could not without a token of crueltie and iniustice punish originall sinne which certainly no man can auoide in his birth Obiection They obiect this also He that foreseeth sinne and doth not hinder it when he may is not without fault God foreseeth sins and doth not hinder them when he might most easily Therefore c. Answere Hereunto some make answere that God doth not put away sinnes because hee will haue his reasonable creature to retaine his libertie and choise of good and euil which otherwise he should lose But if that reason were forcible either Gods grace should be destroyed whereby the godly and elect auoide sinnes or els they must be said to want the choise of good and euill Therefore to answer more truly we must here remember that wee ought not to dispute of the righteousnes of God after the rule of mans righteousnes The first proposition taketh place concerning men and not concerning God For men both by the societie of nature Gods law are bound one to â—nother that one should procure the welfare of another and hinder the destruction But God is bound to none and he may doe with his creature what hee will without the iniurie of the creature as Lord of all and hauing full dominion ouer his owne goods Further because of his omnipotent goodnes and wisedome he can tell how to worke good euen of euill which men cannot doe Which things seeing they stand thus let no man in his heart accuse God who will render to euery one according to his workes Psalm 102. but let euery one blame himselfe when he sinneth and let him say when he is damned Thou art iust O Lord in all that thou doest vnto vs and all thy iudgements are true And whosoeuer is set free let him say Psalm 144. The Lord is mercifull and full of compassion he hath not recompenced vs according to our sinnes Obiection 7 As for that that was added touching despaire that it was bred in the mindes of men by the doctrine of the constant and vnchangeable purpose both of Gods election and reprobation Predestination is 〈◊〉 ground of our comfort and no cause of despeâ—ation it is also a meere slaunder Nay it is the most true ground of all our comfort and saluation that we know that God hath chosen his owne in Christ before the foundation of the world who beleeue in him and hath predestinated them vnto adoption according to the good pleasure of his owne will and that this purpose of free election and predestination is so firme that neither it can bee changed of any creature neither doth God euer repent him of his gifts and calling This thing the places of Scripture euery where confirme which speake of predestination as what the Apostle saith â— Tim. 2. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his Doubtles the Scripture speaketh this to our consolation least wee should be troubled for the reuolt of some men from the Gospell and for other offences And more fully Rom. 8. We know that all things work for the best to them that loue God that is to them who are called of purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated also to be made conformable to his image c. And thus concludeth I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor any creature can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu We see how the Apostle armeth vs against all temptations of this world with this perswasion that election is sure and stable whereby wee are chosen in Christ vnto eternall life freely and of his meere loue as the Lord also in the Gospell comforteth vs therewith Matth. â—3 Ioh. 10. Luke 10 11. that the elect cannot be seduced that he suffereth not his sheepe to bee pluckâ— out of his hand that our names are written in heauen Also feare not little flocke for it pleaseth your father to giue you a kingdome And in Iohn Ioh. 6. least the faithfull should be offended through the obstinacie of the vnbeleeuers what soeuer the father giueth me saith he commeth vnto me and he that commeth vnto me I will not cast him forth because I came downe from heauen to doe his will that sent me Therefore by the view of these sayings of Scripture it appeareth that the doctrine of the firmenes of Gods election is reuealed vnto vs for this cause that it might bee the foundation of all certaintie against all kinde of temptations which arise either in respect of our infirmitie among so many dangers of the godly or of the vnbeliefe or apostacie of others from the faith or in respect of other thing Hereof saith Luther notably when he had auouched Praefat. ad Rom. that the decree of predestination is sure and vnmoueable addeth moreouer that this necessitie is most necessarie vnto saluation and consolation He assigneth the reason because we be so wâ—â—ke in our selues that if our saluation consisted in our owne stregth very few or none should bee saued for the deuill would ouercome all men But now saith he seeing Gods decree is sure and most certaine and cannot be altered by any creature wee haue hope to ouer come sinne at the length Luth. de ser arb cap. 144. Hee teacheth the same thing at large and amplifieth it by the consideration of so many perils and deuils daily assaulting vs. Aâ—â—de praedâ—st sanct cap. â— And surely it is a wonder among so many streites wherewith our life is beset that any man had rather betake himselfe to his owne infirmitie than to the certainety of Gods promise and grace Obiection I am vncertaine of my election which maketh me sad But thou wilt say the will of God concerning my selfe is vncertaine vnto me And this is it that maketh me sad and sorowfull that seeing there is a certaine and sealed number of them that be predestinate which cannot be increased nor diminished I am vncertaine whether I belong to that number if I knew this I would rest my selfe in that sure foundation Answere Answere This is one question whence we may knowe our selues to be elect
booke of life cannot otherwise be taken than as farre forth as they gloried for a while in the title of the Church till they were blotted out that is were declared to be cast awaies no waie pertainnig to the body of the Church But Moses was one of the predistinate sonnes of God An instance and truely written in the booke of the liuing Therfore some truly written in the booke of life are blotted out of it or may be blotted out Answere I denie the consequence because the Maior which is omitted in the argument is false to wit that Moses was blotted out or could be blotted out of the booke of life He surely wished to be blotted out for the sin of Israel rather than the name of God should be blasphemed among the Gentiles but it was not done or could be done because he wished it Nether are we to maruell that Moses wished that that could not bee seeing this is vsuall in the praiers of the Saints that through a certaine vehement loue of God and their neighbor their will is caried away euen vnto things that cannot be done Example hereof we haue in this very wish of Moses who desired to drawe rather vpon himselfe the punishment and damnation of transgressors if God would not at all pardon their sin For the iustice of God doth not suffer him to punish an innocent for an offender but the soule that sinneth shall die Euen as Moses that wished such a thing was answered of the iudge of the worlde He that sinneth against me I will blot him out of the booke that I haue written So Dauid prayed 2. Sam. 18. Who will graunt me that I might die for thee sonne Absolom Whereas yet it could not be that hee should die for Absolom Christ also knew well enough that he must drinke of the cup yet he said Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And to vse a most like example Paul wished to bee accursed from Christ Rom. 9. for his brethren the Israelites that is for the loue of Christ hee was ready if it were possible to lose the kingdome of heauen and to goe to hell De compunâ—t â—ora lib. 1. serm de nulla regni spe as often Chrysostome expoundeth that place But as touching the Lordes answere to Moses when hee saith That he will blot him out of his booke that hath sinned against him the answere is all one with that that we made before to the place of the Psalme which Ambrose also vpon the ninth to the Romanes plainely approueth by his iudgement and among the later writers Doctor Heerbrand subscribeth vnto him Heerb disp de elect praed thes 115. Hub thes 771. Equiuocos doctores Therefore let Huber rather consult with them than scorne the trueth and the louers of it and tauntingly terme them doubtfull Doctors when as he himselfe plaieth more truely the doubtfull disputer dallying with the doubtfull significations of wordes to deceiue others Obiection 4 Beside it is obiected out of the twelfth chapter to the Hebrewes Heb. 12. Yee are come to mount Sion the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to thousands of Angels and to the companie of the first borne c. Take heede that yee despise not him that speaketh for if they escaped not that despised him that spake in Gods name in the earth much more wee if wee abhorre him who is from heauen Some of these of whome this speech is doe fall away and perish for euer because hee terrifieth them with eternall punishments if they resist the worde But these that are spoken of are written in heauen therefore some of such doe pertsh Answere I answere that of pure perticulars nothing is concluded Certainly the Minor is onely particular because it is spoken of those first begotten that are written in heauen and not of other whomsoeuer that pertaine to their societie and the Churches among whom it is not to be doubted that many are hypocrites that shall in their time be iudged of the Lord. But say they it is written keepe that thou hast that no man Obiection 5 take away thy crowne He that standeth Apoc. 3.11 let him take heed lest he fall If God spared not the naturall branches take heed 1. Cor. 11. Rom 11. Phil. 2. that he spare not thee also In feare and trembling worke your saluation These and the like exhortations and threatning pertaine to all euen to Gods elect Therefore the elect are not without perill of losing saluation Answere I answere There is a fallacie from that which is not the cause as if it were the cause for whereas such exhortations and threatnings meete vs in the Scriptures it is not therefore done because the saluation of the elect is not in good safetie as touching the grace of the chuser but seeing the elect carry about them and in them manifolde infirmities and endure sundry temptations of the world the holy Ghost thinketh good by those meanes to worke in them watchfulnes and perseuerance for their saluation But what shall we say to that of the Apostle I beat downe Obiection 6 my body bring it into subiection least by any meanes 1. Cor. 9. when I haue preached to others my selfe became a reprobate Paul doubtlesse was elected yet he laboured that he might not bee a reprobate Answere I answere Grammar vndoeth this knot For a reprobate is here opposed to one approued and the meaning is that hee went before others in example least by not doing what he taught he should bring himselfe into contempt So siluer is called reprobate Ieremie 6.30 And diuerse times this signification meeteth vs as 2. Cor. 13.6.7 Secondly though we should grant that reprobate here is taken for one that is to be condemned in eternall death what consequence is this Paul and other elected to life chastise their flesh and vse other exercises of faith and repentance that they perish not Therefore some of the elect doe fall away from grace Nay therefore they doe not fall away because they carefully shunne falles and vse the meanes vnto saluation WHETHER AND HOW WE MAY BE CERTAINE AND SVRE OF OVR Election in Christ CHAP. XXIII Of the certainety of saluation and therefore of Election against the Papistes THe elect of God as we haue seen haue an excellent prerogatiue and dignitie whom no creature can separate from his loue in Christ Iesu in whom before the world they were vnchangeably predestinated to eternall glory But that we may be partakers of this consolation we must consider 1. Whether and 2. how wee may be certaine of our election in Christ Where also we wil touch 3. what we must iudge in this point of our brethren in Christ and of our neighbour in generall The first of these three questions was wont to be in controuersie betweene vs and the Papistes The Papists say that election is certaine in it selfe but vncertaine to vs. For