shall deceaue or persuade him And the lord said wherunto he said I shall passe out be alieng Prophet in the mouthes of all his Prophetes he said therfor thou shal deceaue him thou shalt brâ—g it to passe goo forth therfor do eueÌ„ so And lo God hath giueÌ„ a lieÌ„g spirit in the mouthes of al these Prophetes the lord hath spoken euill vpoÌ„ the. If to make a publique proclamation to call for one to deceaue to send him forth to giue him power to do the same be onely a simple permission a thing which God suffereth against his will lett the indifferent man iudge I think that no maÌ„ will deny the incest of Absalome openly committed not onely to be sinne but also to be so execrable detestable a facte that nature it self be it neuer so corrupt must nedes abhorre it and yet I pray you what saith God that he wil do in that be half let the Prophet witnes Thus sayeth the Lord God saieth NathaÌ„ behold I shall rayse euill against the forthe of thine own howse and I shall take thy wyues and giue theÌ„ to thy neighbour who shal slepe with them in the sunne Thou did est y t facte secretely but I shall do this thiÌ„g opeÌ„ly before all Israel let y e vehemeÌ„cie of y e words w c here be spoken be noted be iudges your selues whether your interpretation be tollerable he saieth not I shal suffer euil to come vpon the but plainly he saieth I shal raise vp euil against the. And therwith not content he saieth I shall take thy wyues and to put the mater out of all controuersie he addeth aÌ„d I shal giue theÌ„ to thy neighbour yea and that will I do openly If to raise vp to giue to do be to permitt onely the thing which he will not we must confesse our selues ignorant of the phrases of the holie Gost. this same might I proue by Iob by Nabuchadnezer by Salmanasar by Syrus aÌ„d diuers others which for breuities saik I passe ouer one I will recite w c I trust shal be so plaine that the deuill him self by no subtilitie shal be able to obscure the light of y e trueth Was there euer any facte since the begining more wicked if the instrumeÌ„tes shal be coÌ„sidered as was the cruell and ignominiouse death of the Sonne of God And yet what doeth the holie Gost attribut to God in that case him saieth Peter beiÌ„g crucified did you kill after that you had taken him by the haÌ„des of y e wicked men being giuen by the appointed couÌ„sell fore knowledge of God And after they haue verely coÌ„uened agaiÌ„st thy holie SoÌ„ne Iesus whoÌ„ thou hast anointed Herode together PoÌ„tius Pilate w t y e Gentiles together y e people of Israell to do what so euer thy hand thy cousell haue decreed to be doÌ„ne Aduise well what ye wil answer y e wordes are plaine so plaine y t you caÌ„ not auoide the. for he that sayeth the wicked meÌ„ did what so euer God did foresee before dotermined yea what his hand â–ª y t is his power and couÌ„sell y t he had before decreed to be donne meaneth a thing of more greater importaÌ„ce theÌ„ he y t saieth they did what God permitted and suffered to be donne Consider forther y t you haue not to do w t men as w t Augustine Caluine and vs whome you call careles libertines but w t the holie Gost speaking in Peter in the hole Church of Ierusalem yea speaking in the hole scripptures for if not to spare his Sonne but to giue him to y e deathe for vs to cause our sinnes to make warre agaiÌ„st him to punishe hiÌ„ for y e same in suche sorte y t of al men he was most contemptible for a season if I say to giue to death to strike to wound punish be actions then did not God onely suffer his Sonne to die to be wouÌ„ded to be smytten to be punished without any will that any such thing should come to passe but he in his eternall counsell appointed the time the place the persons wheÌ„ where and by whome he should suffer y e same for of loue he gaue him to suffer the trewe death that we by him might receaue life the time could not be changed the cuppe which the father had giuen him he must nedes drinck as in the figures was foreshad owed and by his own people and geÌ„tiles as the Prophetes and Dauid had before spokeÌ„ If in gods counsell gods gift gods hand and eternall purpose before decreinge all things to come to passe in the deathe of his Sonne ye can se nothing but a bare simple permission I can not cease to affirme that as by falsifying such plaine scriptures you labor to take from the Churche of God their most singuler coÌ„fort left to vs in Christes death so do you walk in darknes in y â— same ye shall perishe except spedely you repeÌ„t Howe one the same work in so far as it procedeth from God is most iust most profitable most mercifull and yet as it procedeth from y e instruments most profane most wicked damnable to theÌ„ selues most cruell I haue abouÌ„dantly declared and after as occasion shal be offered shall touch by gods grace so much as may instructe the sobre mynd if it be ignorant and also to put sileÌ„ce to your venemous mouthes be they neuer so impudeÌ„t Because the scriptures which you heape together be either plainely repugning to your error orels make nothing for probation of the same I will so shortly as I caÌ„ go through them onely noting wherin you abuse the wordes and mynd of the holie Gost. The wordes of our master spokeÌ„ in the 24 chapter of Mathewes Gospell serue nothing for your purpose for in that place our Sauiour Christ Iesus speaketh as he that is the messinger of his heaueÌ„lie father aÌ„d declareth that the Iewes obstinatly euen from their original had resisted God speakiÌ„g by his patriarks prophets of old now last by his Sonne he neither speaketh nor meaneth what wil God had to saue his elect neither yet y t will w c he had to gather seperate theÌ„ froÌ„ v â— world but onely as Moises and Elias had before spoke declareth what fidelitie diligence God had vsed in the generall election vocation of that people from time to time and yet what had bene their obstinate rebellion vnthankfull defection from him by the which they killed the Prophetes aÌ„d should kill his Sonne sent of God to call them from iniquitie What hath this to do I say with that will by the which God in his eternall counsel hath made diuisioÌ„ betwext the electe the reprobate If ye dare say that Christe in that place meaneth in that he wold haue gathered those murtherers and sonnes of murtherers as he doth witnes he doth gather his chosen flock him self
and when Moses did repete the same he said Behold I haue laid before you this day life and death benediction and execration chose therefore life that thou and thy sede may liue If God wold that all men and all nations indiffereÌ„tly should come to the same knowledge why were not the lawes statutes and iudgemeÌ„tes of God made manifest to others as they were to Israel And if you answer that so they were the holy Gost shall coÌ„uict you of a liâ— For he affirmeth that God had not done so to all nations and that his iudgemeÌ„tes he had not reueled nor made knowen vnto them But if that plaine diuision made by God him selfe betwext Iew and GeÌ„tile during the time of the law doth not fully satisfie you Heare yet the sentence of our Master Christ Iesus who saith to his disciples To you it is giuen to vnderstand the secretes of the kingdom but vnto others in parables that hauing eyes they should not see And y t most plainely in that his solemned thâ—Ì„ckes giuing he saith I praise the ô father for y u hast hidde these thinges from the prudent and from the wise but y u hast reueled them to litle ones If God wold haue had the true knowledge of him selfe and of his Sonne Christ Iesus common to all why should Christ him selfe affirme y t to some it was giuen to others it was not giuen to some it was reueâ—ed froÌ„ others it was hidde And therefore seing it is plaine y t God will not giue his true knowledge to all yea to some he doth neuer offer it ye shall neuer be able to proue that God will all men to be saued For the onely meanes to atteine to saluation and to life is to know and embrace God to be our merâ—ifull father in Christe Iesus to w c knowledge who so euer doth not atteine I meane of those y t come to y e yeares age of discretion can haue no assuraÌ„ce to be saued This were sufficient to coÌ„uict you euen in your owne coÌ„science For albeit malice will not suffer you to giue place to y e plaine veritie yet shall the weight therof so oppresse your pride that when you do open your mouth against it yeâ— shall ye be witnesses euen against yo r selues But yet for the cause of my simple brethereâ— I will adde two thinges first how all such places as ether make a general promes of saluation to all or yet that do pronounce gods wrath against all must be vnderstand Secondarely what sinners they are wose death God will not For the first I say that who so euer doth denie that from the beginning there hath bene this day are and to y e endâ— shall remaine two armies bandes or companies of men whom God in his eternall counsell hath so deuided that betwext theÌ„ there coÌ„tinueth a battâ—ll w c neuer shal be reconciled vntill the Lord Iesus put a finall ende to the miseries of his Church who doth not vnderstand the trueth of this I say doth nether know God nether his Sonne Christ Iesus nether yet do such beleue his word in w c both y e one sort y e other are most manifestly expressed The one of these Armies is called the Church of God the elect Spouse of Christe Iesus y e shepe appointed to slaughter the kingly priesthode the sonnes of God and the people redemed by ancient writtets it is termed the citie of God The other is called the sinagoge of satan the church malignant cruell deceat full and bloodthirstie wolues Progenie of vipers sonnes of the deuill workers of iniquitie and such as worship the beast and his image And according to the diuers natures coÌ„ditions and endes of these two companies doth the scripture pronounce generall sentences and vniuersall propositions which not withstaÌ„ding must be restreined to those of whom the holy Gost meaneth For nether iustly may those sentences spoken of gods elect be referred to the reprobate nether yet such as be spoken of the reprobate sorte be rightly applied to the elect except it be for terrifying of their conscience and that onely for a ceason as Christ Iesus called Peter sathanas and Nathan called Dauid the Sonne of death I will adduce examples of the one sort and of the otherâ— that the mater may be more euident The Prophet Isai which place also our Master alledgeth speaking of gods elect childreÌ„ saith They shall all be taught of God and they shall know me froÌ„ the least to the greatest I shall powre forth of my spirite on all flesh All flesh shall see the saluation of God The Lord raiseth vp all that fall All the inhabitantes of the earth shall learne iustice All men shall come out of Saba All thy people shable iust I shall comfort all that mourne You be all the Sonnes of God ye be all the Sonnes of light These and many mo places which be vniuersally spoken must be restreyned to gods children onely who be elected in Christe Iesus For those that be with out his body are nether taught of God nether yet know they God in such sort as the Prophet there meaneth Into them is neuer powred the spirite of sanctification They giue neuer vnto God true honor and glorie They nether learne iustice nether yet are they iust They are not the sonnnes of God by adoption nether yet the sonnes of light whose workes shine before men to the praise of our heauenly father But remaine ignorant prophane idolaters filthie persones replenished with darckenes as the sonnes of the deuill And therefore can not these former sentences which apperteine to gods children onely be rightly spoken or pronounced of the reprobate Of the other sort it is said All that see me haue mocked me they put furth their toÌ„gues they shake their heades These wordes spake Dauid in the persone of Christe and yet God forbid that we should think that all without exception did so mocke and iest at Christe no not euen in his greatest extremitie For some we reade stode beside his crosse with sorowfull heartes Some returned giuing open confession that he was the Sonne of God And the thefe began to be a preacher eueÌ„ when others did most dispitefully rayle And therefore where it is said all that saw me did mocke me that generalitie must be restreined to those enraged dogges the Priestes Scribes wicked souldiours and most vnthaÌ„kfull people who of verye malice did deny and crucifie their Lord and Messias that was promised â–ª Isai and Ieremie speaking of the destruction of Ierusalem and of the causes of the same say I shall consume you all at once and ye shall all be ashamed by a people that shall not profit you They haue all folowed their owne waies Euery man gapeth for bribes Why will ye contend with me ye haue all declined from me From the least to the most euerie one is bent vpon auarice they are
AN ANSWER TO A GREAT NOMBER of blasphemous cauillations written by an Anabaptist and aduersarie to Gods eternal Predestination AND CONFVTED By Iohn Knox minister of Gods worde in Scotland Wherein the Author so discouereth the craft and falshode of that sect that the godly knowing that error may be confirmed in the trueth by the euident Worde of God PROV XXX ¶ There is a generatioÌ„ that are pure in their owne coÌ„ceit and yet are not washed from their filthines Printed by Iohn Crespin M.D.LX. To the Reader FOr the vnderstanding of the nombres the readers shall obserue that as the writer in his pestilent booke hath deuided the hole into certeÌ„ argumeÌ„tes so lykewise haue I deuided myne answers into certen Sections And because that many things in his railing reasons are either vnworthie of any answere or els not necessarie to be answered so oft as he repeteth the same I thoght good to signe those thinges in euerie seuerall section which I thoght in the same moste necessarie to be answered And this I haue done as well in his reasoÌ„s as in myne answers so that the figure of 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. which be marked in the mergeÌ„t of his reasons are answered where the lyke nombre is fouÌ„d in myne answers This I thoght good to admonish the reader The Preface AMongest the manifold blessinges where with God hath blessed his chosen childreÌ„ whom before all begining of times he hath predestinate to life in Christ Iesus it is not the least most deare brethreÌ„ that he hath giuen vnto vs plaine aduertisment how diuerse vnto dyuerse persons shal be the effect and operation of his word so oft as it is offered vnto the worlde To wit that as he him self was appointed by his heauenlie Father aÌ„d forespokeÌ„ by the Prophetes to be the Stone of offeÌ„se the stombling block and a snare to the two houses of Israel and yet that he shoulde be to others the Sanctuarie of honor the Rocke of refuge author of libertie so should his word I say truely preached be to some foolishnes and the sauor of death and yet vnto others that it shoulde be the swete odore of life the wisedo me and power of God and that to saluation to all those that beleue I purpose not at this present to intreat nor to reason how and why it is that gods eternall worde which in it self is alwayes one worketh so diuersly in the heartes of those to whoÌ„ it is offered but my onelie purpose is in few wordes to admonish vs to whom it hath pleased God of his owne fre mercy more playnely to reuele the mysteries of our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ theÌ„ he hath done to many ages be fore vs not to esteme this a small and common blessing of God that we haue not onely his trueth but also the effect and operation of the same coÌ„firmed to vs by experience of all ages Great infinite is that benefit of God and rightly can it neuer be weighed when so euer he doth offer his trueth vnto the world But such is either the dulnes of man orels his extreme ingratitude that he will not acknowledge the face of theveritie shyne it neuer so bryght The ingratitude of the Iewes is hereof vnto vs a sufficieÌ„t witnes For albeit that loÌ„g they did looke for the Messias and Sauior promised yet neuertheles when he came with wonderous signes workes super naturall they did not onely not know him but also refusing and vtterly denying him they did hang him bewext two theues vpoÌ„ a crosse The cause hereof in some parte we know to be the carnal libertie which coÌ„tinually they did thirst after and their preconceaued opinioÌ„ of worldlie glorie which because Christe Iesus appeared not to satisfie according to their fantasie and expectation therfore did they conteÌ„pteously refuse him aÌ„d with him all gods mercies offered vnto them Which fearfull example deare brethereÌ„ is to be obserued of vs. For by nature it is euident that we be no better then they were And as touching the league societie with God which prerogatiue long made theÌ„ blessed we be farre inferior vnto theÌ„ For in coÌ„parisoÌ„ of that league made with AbrahaÌ„ the tyme is shorte that the GeÌ„tiles haue bene auowed for gods people beloued spouse of Christe Iesus â–ª yea Paule feareth not to call theÌ„ the very natural braÌ„ches and vs the braÌ„ches of a wilde oliue And therfore if their coÌ„teÌ„pt was so punished that blindnes yet remaineth vpoÌ„ theÌ„ what oght we to feare They not considering the office of Christe the cause of his coÌ„ming were offended with his presence and doctrine And doeth any maÌ„ thiÌ„ck that we be free froÌ„ the same dangers Few shal be found that in mouth praise not veriâ—ie euery maÌ„ appereth to delyte in libertie but such coÌ„panyons do follow boâ—â— the one and the other in this life so that both are despised and called in doubt wheÌ„ they be of fered moste plainly to the world To speake this mater somewhat more planely it is a thiÌ„g as I suppose by many coÌ„fessed that after darknes light hath appeared but alas the vices that haue abounded in all estates and conditioÌ„s of persons the terrible crueltie which hath bene vsed against the saintes of God and the horrible blasphemies which haue bene daily are vomited furth against Christe Iesus and his eternall veritie hath giuen and iustly may giue occasion to the imprudent beholder of such confusion to preferre the darcknes of superstition which be fore did reigne to the light of saluation which God of his greate mercie hath now of late yeres offered againe to the vnthankfull world For what naturall man can think that the iustice of faith planelye and truely preached should be the occasion of sinne That grace and mercie offered shoulde inflaÌ„be the heartes of meÌ„ with rage and crueltie And that gods glorie declared shoulde cause meÌ„ impudeÌ„tly to spew furth their vennom and blasphemies against him who hath created theÌ„ The naturall man I say can not perceaue how these incoÌ„ueniences shoulde follow gods worde therfor do many disdein it a greaâ—e noÌ„ber deny it and few as it becoÌ„meth with reuereÌ„ce do imbrace it But such as with graue iudgemeÌ„t shal consider what was the common trade of liuing when Christe Iesus him self did by preaching and working call men to repentaÌ„ce what was the intreatement of his dearest seruaÌ„ts whoÌ„ he sent furth to preach the glad tydinges of his death and resurrectioÌ„ and what horrible sectes followed and daily did spriÌ„g after the publication of that ioyfull attonement made betwene God and man by Christe Iesu by his death resurrectioÌ„ and asceÌ„sioÌ„ such I say as diligeÌ„tly do obserue these former pointes shall not onely haue mater sufficient to glorifie God for his graces offered be the liues of meÌ„ neuer so corrupted and the confusion that thereof insueth neuer so fearful but also they shall haue iust occasion more
e same aÌ„d vpoÌ„ y e other yo r ignoraÌ„ce orels malice in corruptiÌ„g y e scriptures THE ADERARIE To proue this similitude good and to shew how much his loue towardes his children excedeth the loue of all creatures towardes their birtâ—es he saieth Can a woman forget the childe of her wombe aÌ„d not pitie the same whom she hath borne And thogh she do forget it yet I will not forget the. Here he speaketh not onely to the elect as some say but also to them which did for sake and dispyse him as there Alas for these disobedient children saieth the Lord that they will take counsell without me Here he calleth the wicked which heape sinne vpon sinne â–ª and were disobedient his chiidren Christ saieth If ye when ye are euill caÌ„ giue your children good giftes how mmch more your heauenlie father After the same manner may I reason with you carelesse by necessitie if none of you thogh y e be euill wold beget a child to miserie how much les wold God which is all good beget and creat man his own image to perpetual paynes Here we may se how much this noghtie opinion is coÌ„trarie to nature and to reason and that it is coÌ„trarie to the worde God willing I will proue If God hath ordeyned the most part of the world to be damned then were his wrath greater theÌ„ his mercie But the scripture witnesseth that his mercie is ouer all his workes and that God is slow vnto wrath and redie vnto mercie so that his wrath is extended onely to the third and fourth generation but his mercie to the thousand generatioÌ„ wherefor thus saieth he A litle whil I haue forsaken thee but with greate mercifulnes shall I take thee vp vnto me Whâ—n I was angrie I hid my face from the for a litle ceason but throughe euerlasting mercie haue I pardoned thee And Dauid saieth his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eie and his pleasure is in life heuines may well endure for a night But ioy cometh in the morning And so Moises called him a mercifull and gracious God long suffring and keping mercie in store for thousandes By these scriptures and many mo it is euident that gods mercie is greater then his wrath contrarie to their sainges ANSWER How blasphemous be your similitudes your selue may consider if malice haue not vtterly blinded you for I haue all redie proued that God is not bound to the lawes and boundes of nature and how shamefully ye do abuse the scriptures which ye alledge fewe wordes shall declare Ye deny that God doeth speake here to his elect in the place of isaiah the Prophete but to all meÌ„ in generall and euen to those that had forsaken him as ye wold seme to proue by the wordes of the same Prophete spoken â—efore in his thirtie chapiter First I say that those two places do no more agree then do those wordes of Christ spoken after his resurrection Go to my brethren and tell them I passe vp to my father and vnto your father and vnto my God and vnto your God and those which he spake before his death against Capernaum Bethsaida and Corosaim or vnto Ierusalem against whom he pronounced woo and malediction becaus they did not know the tyme of their visitatioÌ„ For in the former place God speaketh to Syon which long had bene waist and to his people which long had bene oppressed And to the end that the reader may better vnderstand how deceitfully ye withdraw and steall the wordes which explain the hole mater I will bring furth the wordes of the Prophete Reioise saieth he â— heauens and reioce thow earth â— you mountanes brest you furth in gladnes for the eternall hath conforted his people and shall haue mercie vpon his poore ones Syon hath said the Lord hath left me and my Lord hath forgotten me May a woman forgett her child that she shall not haue compassion vpon the sonne of hir bosome but let it be that they forget neuertheles I shall not forget the for lo in these my two handes haue I engrafted the and thy walles are for euer before me If these coÌ„fortable wordes were spoken in generall to all men as ye affirme let indifferent men iudge If all men were Sion that long had lyen desolate if all were his people that loÌ„g had bene oppressed in the captiuitie of Babylon If all did so complaine that they thoght God to haue forgotten his league and promes which of mercie he made with them And finally if all haue this promise that their deliueraÌ„ce is ioined with gods infinite power theÌ„ is your application to be approued but if God did make a plaine difference betwext Israel and all nations in the earth if he had chosen his habitation in Syon and if he will kepe promes with the afflicted for his own names sake be they neuer so vnworthie then are ye to bolde to giue the honor and prerogatiue of the children and heires to straÌ„gers aÌ„d bastardes The wordes which ye alledge of the thirtie chapter make nothiÌ„g for your purpose for albeit he speaketh to those that were inobedieÌ„t yea that were treasonable traitours yet had they the name the title yea the honour aÌ„d dignitie of gods people and among them were som of gods chosen children for whose comfort after long affliction susteined in Babylon were those other wordes spoken And so except that ye be able to proue that the people of Israel and the citie of Ierusalem had no greater prerogatiue euen in the time of their greatest blindnes and vnthankfulnes before the comming of Christ Iesus in the fleshe then had other nations ye conclude nothing But yet wonder it is that ye can make no difference betwext the tymes in which the one wordes and the other were spoken The wo was pronouÌ„ced you say alas which the text hath not against them what tyme they had declined from God when they toke counsel of them selues when they could not abide the admonitions of the Prophetes but the comfortable promes of delyueraÌ„ce was made after that vengeance was powred furth vpon the proude contemners and after that the hole bodie was sore tormeÌ„ted by great oppression and long impresonement Do ye not thinke that their might be great alteratioÌ„ in that people within the space of an hundreth yeres for so long was it betwext the daies of the Prophete and the daies of their last captiuitie vnder Nabucadnezer after which tyme also did this former promes of gods remembrance of theÌ„ onely take place Might not the one â—e spoken of those which should be punished yea let it be that they were the reprobate and the other to the people of God to whom by his own holines he had promised deliuerance Do ye thinke that because the same Prophet speaketh bothâ— the sentences that therefor they do appertein to one estate aÌ„d condition of people I haue proued the contrary by Christes plain wordes
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
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
error And albeit your great and perfect angell Castalio preteÌ„d great knowledge in that tongue yet in that as in many other places a childe may espie his negligence Trewe it is that in the hebrew this word Adam is in that place But if we shall vnderstand that word wheresoeuer it is founde in the scripture for the person of Adam our first father we shall make a mad translatioÌ„ and a sense more mad Suche as haue but mean vnderstanding in that tongue do know that that worde is ofteÌ„ common for any man as in the prophetes is most euident The veritie of the text is this they haue transgressed the couenante as the couenante of a man they haue rebelled against me c. God compleineth vpon Ephraim and Iuda that they had no further respect reuerence nor regard to that most excellent couenante and league whiche God had made with them to wit that he wold be their God and they should be his people for God had preferred them to all nations of the earth and had set them a part from others to serue and honor him in holynes of lief and to offer vnto him rather spiritual theÌ„ carnall sacrifice But they serued him at their pleasure yea and in that land which they had receaued of gods most liberal benediction they did decline to Idolatrie for that he meaneth where that he saieth there haue they rebelled that is where that they most oght to be obedient This I doubt not shall euerie man who diligently marketh the scope of the prophete perceaue to be his verie meaning Otherwies and more sharply I might haue answered your ignorance who can se no difference betwext Adam once sinning and yet shortly after by grace called to a new and more sure league with God whiche with all gladnes and thankfulnes he did receaue and the manifest contemners of God which do nothing els but delyte in sinne forme the whiche albeit that ten thousand tymes they be called yet contemning all societie with God their pleasure is to remaine in vanitie and so finally in death This difference I say ye oght to haue obserued and then I doute not but that ye wold haue exempted Adam from the rancke of suche as contempteously crie it is but labor lost to serue God If diligently ye shall consider what is writen in Iob and in Malachie the third cha ye shall easely vnderstaÌ„d that the prophete there deuideth y e hole multitude in these two sortes of men to wit in those that be proud obstinate conteÌ„ners and in them y t feared the Lord whoÌ„ he calleth his peculiare people whom he promised to spare as a man spareth his son that serueth him And one of this last sorte vnderstand we Adam to haue bene all his daies after his fall and recoÌ„ciliation by grace The lord purge your heartes if his good pleasure be from y t venom which so oft moueth you to spew furth your own shame sometymes crying that we be led with the spirit of Balaam and now affirming â–ª that we be careles libertynes To w c blasphemies because I can nether answere without y e sorow grief of heart nether without som offence of godlie eares I will remit iudgement to him to whoÌ„ as he hath frome the beginning opened thinges that for a tyme lay hid in darknes so I dout not but that he will yea and that shortly reuele vnto the world with what spirites both you and we be led when more occasioÌ„ shall be offered I purpose if so it please the mercie of my God to assist me to notifie with what spirites you and your sect haue bene led here to fore What soeuer ye gather of the wordes of the Apostle it is altogither out of y e purpose for in none of all those places doth he define determin what Adam and Dauid were whan they had sinned but plainely he declareth what tryall oght euerie maÌ„ to take of him self â–ª wheÌ„ Christ Iesus is preached vnto him affirming that if any haue not the spirit of Christ Iesus that he is not of his but y e spirit of Christ remaineth not in vnclean and prophane persons say you but yet I affirme that Adam and Dauid oght not to be noÌ„bred in that band for althogh they sinned and that most horribly yet did they not abyde in that estate And albeit they were not led with the spirit of Christ wheÌ„ they sinned yet they were both led drawen and gouerned by his omnipotent spirit when they repented And so can ye neuer be able to proue them to be reprobates no not euen when they sinned except that ye be able to proue that they finally perished in sinne for this principall do I still hold that true faith and true repentance which the reprobate â—â—uer haue be the frutes of Election The place of the Apostle written in the 13. chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians is neither well marked nor rightly applied by you neither yet will it suffer any suche conclusion as ye gather of it The mynd of the Apostle is this After the departing of Paule from Corinthus where after many stormes susteined he had established the forme of a Churche did enter in fals Prophetes whose chief studie was to eleuate the auctorite of Paule and so to deface his hole labor affirming that he was not worthie to be called an Apostle for he was neuer in the companie of Christ others were of greater estimatioÌ„ and faour then he was And as a multitude is euer more redie to receaue poyson theÌ„ holsom medicine agreate noÌ„ber began to giue eare vnto them and so began litle to esteme what so euer Paul had labored amongest them Against which vnthankfulnes â–ª the Apostle very sharpley writeth as in bothe his epistles doth appere And amongest other his argumentes which he vseth to proue that he was an Apostle nothing inferior to the greatest he adduceth theÌ„ selues for a testimonie saing Trie your selues if ye be in the faith proue your selues know ye not your selues that Iesus Christ is in you except y t ye be reprobates By these wordes most sharp and most vehement he laboreth to conuict their conscience that he was an Apostle and that the prooffe of his Apostleship as in an other place he doth affirme was declared in them as he should say your fals Apostles affâ—rme that I am not worthie of the name of an Apostle but if the office of an Apostle be to preach Christ Iesus and if the true signe that decerneth the true Apostle from the fals be that Christ so potently worketh by his ministerie that Christ Iesus taketh possession in the heartes of the hearers by the true preaching of his word then be iudges your selues whether I be an Apostle or not Call your coÌ„science to examination in what estate I did find you were ye not drowned in all sortes of iniquite did ye not walk in darkenes without any true light of God
peruers dâ—ctryne â—e will infect Christianite with the chief error wherewith the Iewes be deludâ—d That 〈◊〉 they esteme it a great madnes to say that Christ should suffer death for the offence coÌ„mitted by Adam euen so may I collect of your error-for what nedeth Christ to die for them whom nether Adams transgression â–ª nether their own could make them fall from gods election but now I will more largely dilate this argument Election was afore the world when there was no sinne and the promes of Christ was made sitheÌ„se the world was created because of sinne for had not sinne bene we neded no new promes being alredie iust and holie images of God Now if the elect did not fall out of the election by AdaÌ„s traÌ„sgressâ—on then nede they no redemer being alredie safe by reason of the electioÌ„ in which they were afore sinne aÌ„d remaine still in the same Because as you say the elect nether did nor can fall out of the election Then seing the elect be safe and hole they nede no phisition nether came Christ to call the righteous but â—innâ—rs wherfor the death of Christ as concerning them is in vain they being safe alredie by election The like argument vseth Paul to the Galathyaâ—s if righteousnes cometh by the Law then Christ died in vaine if the elect â–ª be stâ—ll in the fauor of God what nede they of Christ to reconcile them to the father in whose fauore they are alredie Now as touching the other sorte whom ye call reprobates you say they caÌ„ by no maner of meanes be saued yea that Christ died not for them then was Chistes death altogither in Vaine â–ª for his death you say belongeth not to the reprobate and the elect haue no nede of it Is not this godlie gere ANSWER In dilating your argument by the which ye go about to proue y t Christes preciouse death was surperfluouse and vaine if the elect did not fall from their election this reason ye vse Election was afore the world wheÌ„ there was no sinne and the promes of Christ was made sithence the world was created becaus of sinne for had not sinne bene we nedâ—d no newe promes being alredie iust and holie â—mages of God Now if the elect say you did not fall out of the election by Adams transgression then nede they no râ—demer being alredie saue by reason of the election in the which they were afore sinne and remaine still in the same c â–ª In this argument ye commit two fowle faultes The first ye take that for a thing true aÌ„d coÌ„fessed which is fals and therefore by vs alwaies denied for thus ye reason man was elected before the worlde was created but man sinned aftre the world was created Ergo man fel from his election we still denie the conclusion and do affirme that as we were elected in Christ Iesus before all times so did the elect euer remainâ— in Christ. and therfore after that they had sinned it behoued that the promes shoulde be declared that by the same the elect might receaue comfort and be assured of their election Your second fault more declareth youre grosse ignorance in the mysterie of our redemption for from election ye streight waies leap to glorificacion and saluation obseruing nether middes nor meanes which gods wisdome hath appointed and determined to go betwext Trew it is God hath elected in Christ to life euerlasting his chosen childreÌ„ But how Sainct Paul yea the hole scriptures wheresoeuer mention is made of our election ioyneth therewith the death and blood of Christ. for none otherwies were we elected in him but that he shoulde sustein the punishement for our transgression And that we shoulde receaue life which we had lost in Adam and in our selues by the meanes of his death and resurrection therefore where ye reason if the elect did not fall oute of the Election by Adams transgressioÌ„ theÌ„ nede they no redemer being alredie saued by reason of their election the coÌ„clusion is fals and the reason vaine for the elect haue nede of a redemer not because that they did fal out of election but by reason that they did fal from iustice to sinne froÌ„ obedieÌ„ce to dissobedieÌ„ce therefore nede they a redemer a phisicion aÌ„d one to giue theÌ„ life because y t they being elect in gods eternal counsel are yet fallen into bondage into mortal sicknes death by their own traÌ„sgression If ye can proue y t the elect did not sinne that they are noâ— sicke then might ye haue concluded that they neded no redemer nor phisition And so ye might haue proceded in your argument vpon the wordes of the Apostle saing that if righteousnes cometh by the law then Christ died in vaine but seing that all gods childreÌ„ are fallen in to sinne the bondage and miserie wherof they in this lief coÌ„tinually fele how iustly ye may conclude that becaus they remained in gods election and so consequently in his fauor by Christ that therefor they neded no redemer let the indifferent reader iudge If it seme straÌ„ge to you that God loued sinners in Christ besides the places that are afore alledged for probation of that part heare what the veritie it self pronounceth So God loued the world saieth our master that his onelie begotten Sonne hath he giuen whom soeuer ye shall vnderstand vnder the name of the world ye can not sâ—clude sinners from it where ye most vnreuerently ask what then nede they of Christ to recoÌ„cile them I answer with greater feare and reuerence then alas you declare euen such nede they haue of Christ as the bodie hath of the soule or yet the liuing maÌ„ of holsome nuriture yea much more for albeit the bodie haue lief by the meanes of meat and drink yet haue the elect nether lief nor reconciliation but by Christ Iesus yea and that by the meanes of his deathe and passion by the which iust payment and satisfaction is made to gods iustice for their sinnes And so are they reconciled who by nature are the enemies to God We do not denie but that Christes death is sufficient for to redeme the sinnes of the hole world but because all do not receaue it with faith which is the fre gift of God giuen to the chosen children therefor abyde thâ— vnfaithfull in iust condemnation God remitt vnto you if his good pleasure be aswell your vnreuerent conclusion as your most vniust accusation in which ye burden vs that we will infect the Christianitie with the chief error with the which the Iewes are infected who esteme it a great madnes to say that Christ should suffer death for the sinnes and offences committed by Adam Assuredly I do more then woÌ„der that such impietie shal be found in any creature indewed with reason but I remitt iudgemeÌ„t to God Thus you procede THE ADVERSARIE The Apostle saieth God hath frome the begining choseÌ„ you to saluatioÌ„ through sanctifiyng of the the spirit
if ye affirme y t God nether teÌ„pteth y e obeidieÌ„ce of his seruaÌ„tes nether yet sendeth false prophetes to tempt his people his plaine scriptures will rebuke your vanitie for God tempted Abraham he tempted his people fortie yeres in the wildernes he tempteth also by sending fals prophetes as Moises doth witnes And therefor ye must be compelled to grant that this word tempting or to tempt is diuersly taken in the scriptures somtimes to trye and examyn somtimes to bring to light and knowledge thinges that be secret in mans heart sometymes to seke by experience a certentie of thinges spokeÌ„ pronounced or affirmed and somtymes moue or to prouoke to iniquitie in this last signification we confesse that God tempteh no man for as the mater of all iniquitie lieth within man so is he prouoked moued and stirred therunto by his owne lustes and instigation of the deuill onely And thus albeit we grant that to moue euill thoghtes is to tempt yet we denye y e coÌ„uersion which is this Ergo to teÌ„pt is to moue euill thoghtes But let vs heare forther of your profound vanitie all is good say you that commeth from the father of light God grant that in your heartes ye were assuredly so persuaded if euill thoghtes come from him they must be good and so you conclude that then was Iosephes wordes fals and that God may be called the father of darknes O execrable is your blasphemie because from him come euill thoghtes which are darknes Answer If any of vs haue so written or spokeÌ„ let vs be stoned to death as execrable blasphemers And if that ye in your blind fury do therewith vniustly burden vs althogh ye may eskape the handes of man yet shall you not esskape gods seuere and soden vengeance It is malice that will not suffer you to vnderstand howe that these euilles whiche men willingly comitt in so farre as they com from God are iust profitable and good for we most constantly affirme that the damnation of the deuill the induration of Pharao the deceauing of Achab and other such in so farre as they proceded from God are his iust and good workes because they are the punishment of sinne the excecution of his iust iudgementes and a declaration of his iustice which iustely is armed against the obstinate rebellion of Angelles and men but thereof to conclude ergo their euill thoghtes their malicious myndes their hatered and crueltie came immediatly from God is more then a blasphemie for all these be and are found within the offenders which God doth vse not by an ydle permission for that is a thing most contrarious to his iustice but effectually as his wisedome best knoweth they shall serue to his glory y t for vtilitie of his chosen children I say it is a thing most contrarious to gods iustice power ydly to suffer iniquititie to be done if he had no further respect then to the facte as it is committed for as a man can not be excused who may impede murther and doth it not so can not gods iustice be excused by your ydle permission if he had no further respect but to thinges as they be doÌ„ne by man And so is gods iustice rather accused then mainteined by the foolishness of your curious braynes saying God permitteth many thinges which he wold not what vanitie is this Is it not a thing confessed amongest all that gods power is omnipotent who then caÌ„ compelle him to suffer that which he wold not And why doth he willingly suffer thinges which in his law he hath forbidden I answer for the manifestation of his own glory which is more precious then the heauen and y e earth and all the creatures in y e same conteined And thus doth vanitie cause you to fear that gods iustice shall fall into decay except it be vndersett vpholdeÌ„ w t your foolishe distinctioÌ„ betwext his will his permission but we feare not to affirme y t he permitteth nothing which in some respect he will not for as he is omnipoteÌ„t a most louing father so should he suffer no calamitie to come nor crueltie to be vsed against his children â–ª except he did before see yea and before determyn their cofort his glory to arrise of the same And will you say y t gods glory the coÌ„fort and y â— preseruation of his Church is an euill work because that wicked men are instrumentes by whome gods eternal counsell is broght to passe Was the exaltatioÌ„ of Iosephe to honor the preseruation of Egypte and of other nations from famine yea and the feding of Iacob and his familie an euill work because that Iosephes brethren of malice and enuie did sell him to the Ismaelites and they for lucre did seli him againe to Putiphare whose wyfe of malice did moste vniustly accuse him so being in prison at length he was broght to the knowledge of Phirao and so was promoted for his reuelation and wisedome to honor and dignitie O say you it is not this that we do lay to your charge but you affirme that God was author of the malice and of the wicked thoghtes of Iosephes brethren You do belie vs most maliciously for we constantly denye that God ether powred in them any malice oâ— did moue by his holie Spirit any wicked thoght into them for those we say they had of nature in so farre as it is corruâ—ted But we say that God vsed their wicked thoghtes and malice to his glory and to the full comfort of him whose destruction they soght and that he did not ydly permitting them but effectually working by such instrumentes and meanes as his wisedome had before appoiÌ„ted Rage now as you list for albeit to you this saing is vaine y t God worketh all thinges for his owne glory yet will not God haue his glory measured by y e vanitie of your braine We glâ—rifie God say you when we iudge him wâ—rthie to be gloriâ—ied Answer if you vnderstaÌ„d that then onely and at none other time elles do meÌ„ glorify God but when they confesse him worthie of glory you are ignorant foolishe and manifest liers for your argument is no better then if I should say man slepeth in the night season therfor no man may or can slepe at any other time If your master Castalio had considered that an argument made a specie ad genus negatiue is vaine and foolishe he had not heaped to gether so many sophisticall reasons by the which you and others are abused To make this mater some what more plaine If y e glorie of God coÌ„sist in the manifestation of his mercie of his trueth of his power of his wisedome and of his moste iust iudgementes then do all creatures glorifie God whether they iudge him worthie or vnworthie of the same for Dauid affirmeth that the heauens declare the glory of God and yet haue they nether iudgement nor vnderstaÌ„ding the heauen and the earth saieth Isaiah are replenished with his glorye
doth the Euangelist attribute to the Prophet not onely that he declared their blindnes but that God by him did in verydede iustly blind their eyes and harden their heartes But this shall more plainly appere in examining the reasons and scriptures which ye alledge for proofe of your interpretation First say you their heartes â—ere alredy hardened which their wickednes did plainely declare yet hath he commanded the Prophet to do his office not to make their heartes hard for that belâ—ngeth onely to God who giuing them ouer to their heartes lustes he alredy hardened them And so ye conclude that the Prophet did onely declare vnto them the hardenes of their heartes We do not deny but that their heartes were hardened before and that iustly for their iniquities sake they were giuen ouer to their heartes lustes But whether they were so hardened before the preaching of the Prophet that after they could be not harder I greately doubte Yea I nothing doubte to affirme but that euen as the claye by the heate of the Sunne becometh more hard and more hard or as the branch cutte of the natural stock doth more more wither vntill that no kinde of sappe nor moisture doth remaine euen so I say do the reprobate from time to time become more obstinate more blinde more hard and more cruell and that by the word w c doth plainely rebuke their iniquitie and euidenly declare whose children their are ExaÌ„ples in scripture hereof are manifest Some lenitie and geÌ„tlenes appered in Pharao toward the people of Israel before that Moses at gods commandement required their libertie But that will and word of God commanding him to let his people go and serue God in the wildernes did so quicklye worke in the heart of that reprobate that the greater hardnes of his heart was sodenlye felt by the Israelites to their greate grief and grudging disconfort In the people of Israel in their elders Priestes and counsell appered some face of iustice when Stephan was accused before that he pronounced these wordes ye stiffenecked and vncircumcised in heart and eares you haue euer resisted the holy Gost eueÌ„ as your fathers haue resisted so do you whom of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted and they haue slayn them whiche shewed before of the coÌ„ming of y t iust whom ye haue now betraied murthered Before this sentence I say there appered some face of iustice but what ensued the holy Gost doth witnes saying wheÌ„ they heard these thinges their heartes brast for anger and they gnashed at him with their tethe And after also that he gaue a more plaine confession of Christe Iesus of his exaltation glory power and Maiestie they cried out w t a great voyce they stopped their eares they as wolues enraged russhed vpon him w t one consent and so without all ordre of iustice did stone him to death If ye coÌ„fesse not y t the word of God proceding froÌ„ the mouth of Stephen did not more harden them who no doubte were hardened before you deny a trueth that is more then euideÌ„t Diuers places more I might adduce for the same purpose but hauing respect to breuitie I stand content with thâ—se two which I doubte nothing are sufficient to proue that men that be alredy hardened yet by the comming of the plaine word which rebuketh their iniquitie they become more hard As the owle being blind euen when she appereth to see best in the night season but yet in y e day time she is more blinded bacause that the weaknes of her eyes can not abide the bright beames of the sunne And eueÌ„ so it is w t the reprobate they are alwaies blind and hard heared but wheÌ„ the light of God doth most plainely shine before theÌ„ or when they are called froÌ„ iniquititie to vertue then becometh the word of glad tidinges to theÌ„ a verie sauor of death by the w c they are both more blinded and more hardened And so in your first reason we dissent froÌ„ you in y t that you seme to affirme that because y e reprobate are once hardened therefore they caÌ„ be no more hardened Your second reason is that because it beloÌ„geth to God onely to make hard their heartes thâ—t therefor there resteth nothing to the Prophetes but to shew vnto them the hardnes of their hartes I am glad that once ye will coÌ„fesse y t it is nothing repugning to gods good nature for iust causes to harden the heart and to make blind y e eyes of the reprobate But y t therfore nothing resteth to y e Prophetes or Apostles but onely to declare vnto meÌ„ their hardnes I caÌ„ not admitte For we do find y t God doth so coÌ„municate his power w t his true messingers and embassadours that what soeuer they lowse in earth he doth lowse in y e heaueÌ„ what soeuer they bynd in earth he bindeth in heaueÌ„ whose sinnes they remitte they are remitted whose sinnes they reteine they are reteined The Lord him selfe saith vnto Ieremie Behold I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and I haue ordeined thee aboue nations and kindomes that thou maiest roote out destroy scatter and that y u maist also build vp and plant And vnto Paul it was said And now I shall deliuer the from the natioÌ„s to y e which I send thee that thou maist open the eyes of those that be blind that they may conuert from darknes vnto light and from the power of fathan vnto God These wordes do witnes that the effectuall power of God doth work with the word which he putteth in the mouthes of his true messingers in so much that ether it doth edifie lighten or mollifie to saluation or els it doth destroy darken and hardeÌ„ For the word of God is of y e nature of Christe Iesus he is not onely come to illuminate and to raise vp but also to make blind and to beate downe as he him selfe doth witnes saying I am come to iudgement into this world y t those that see not shall see that those that see shal be blind And Simeon saith Behold this is he y t is put in resurrection in ruine of many in Israel In so much that vpon whoÌ„ that stone of offense falleth it shall burste him to powder And therefore we can not admitte that the ministerie of his blessed word preached or published by his faithfull messingers be nothing els but a simple declaration what men be No we know that it is the power of God to saluatioÌ„ of all those y â— beleue that the message of reconciliation is put in their mouthes that the word w c they preach hath such efficacie strength that it deuideth asunder y â— ioyntes sinewes y e bones froÌ„ the marye that y e weapons of their warrefare are not carnall but are power in God to the beating downe of all stroÌ„g holdes by the which the true messingers beat down all counselles
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
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
finde out an other way much more compendious One of them as if he were inspired with the holy Gost â—anne through the stretes of the citie crieng â—epent you and be bâ—ptised againe orels the wrath of God shall consume you By this meanes there was a common tumult and as many as were rebaptised cried after the same maner as did the first many fearing the wrath of God which they so threatened to fall vpon them deceaued of verie simplicitie which otherwise were good men obeied them and others did the same for sauing of their goods For after that the Anabaptistes had gotten the vpper had of their aduersaries they dispossessed the of their goâ—des This was about the end of december and now came they againe furth of their secret corners of which we spake before And being gathered to gether in the market place they made a greâ—t shout commanding all y t were not rebaptised to be 〈◊〉 as paganes and wicked persones After this they toke the artilerie and munition of the citie and also the towne house not without doing violence vnto many The others on the other part for sâ—uing of them theirs from iniuries got them seluâ—s vnto a nother certen place of the citie that euer was wel fensed and toke manie of y â— Anabaptistes This conflict against the Anabaptistes which enioyed y e market place and â—ad fortified it round about coÌ„tinued so long while pledges being deliuered on both parties they came to a composition wherin was agreed that euerie one should holde his religioÌ„ to him selfe as him lyked â–ª and returne to his house in peace In the meane ceasoâ— Rotma Bernard Knipperdoling which was the chiefe author of this faction althogh they semed to haue alowed this composition yet notwithstanding they priuely sent leters to villages about willing all those that were of theâ—â— secte y t leauing their goods behind them they should with all spede repaire to the citie to them promising y t what soeuer they should lose should be restored vnto theÌ„ teÌ„ne fold againe many entised through these greate and plentifull promises came vnto Monster both men and wemen with an assured hope to obteine no small benefite but chiefly they of small substaÌ„ce which were not â—ble to kepe their houses The citizens and chiefly those that were of some reputation when they saw that the citie beganne to be filled with strangers they with drew them selues as well as they could leauing behind them the Anabaptistes with the mingled people This was in februarie about shroftide 1534. Thus one partie growing weake by their departing the Anabaptistes chose new Magistrates suche as were of their owne opinion They made counselers also amoÌ„g whome was Knipperdoling Not long after they inuaded the temple of sainct Maurice in the suburbes and they burnt it withall the houses about it they spoiled all the temples about it also and defaced the great church within This done they began to runne on heapes about the citie in the stretes crying first Repent and immediatly after they cryed Hie you hence ye wicked persones except ye list to adueÌ„ture your liues At the same time they ranne about the Citie in harnes and chased out of the Citie all such as were not of their secte without any regard of age or kinde after such a sorte that in this turmoil and hastie flight many women were deliuered before their time and immediatly they toke the goods of those whome they had chased out And althogh that this chanced the day before the bishope laide siege to the Citie yet notwithstaÌ„ding when certaine of the companie of those that fled fell into the handes of the bishop they were taken as ennemies of which companie some were put to death among whome were takeÌ„ one or two preachers of the Gospell And when Peter wirtam of whome we spake before was in danger of his life he was saued through the sute of the Lantgraue Now the residue of the townes men moued thereby which were good men beholding present daÌ„nger to fal vpon them thogh they wold forsake the Citie ful fore against their willes and as it were constrained they taried still At y t time their chief Prophet for that name they vsurped named Iohn Mathew commanded that euery one which had any gold siluer or mouable goods they should bring it forthe to be in common vnder paine of heading And to this vse there was a publike house ordeined The people was greatly astonished with this sharpe commandement yet notwitstaÌ„ding they obeid it And it was not best for anie to vse deceat in this thing or to kepe any part backe for they had two prophesying maideÌ„s w c declared if any deceat was vsed And they were not onely content thus to do with their owne goods but also they vsed the gods of others whome they had driuen out after the like maner After this the same Prophet gaue in commandement that none should haue or kepe to him self any boke sauing the Bible and that all other should be broght forthe to be rased and destroâ—ed This commandement he said was giuen him from aboue vpon this a greate nomber of bokes were broght forthe and burned It chanced in that time that a handye craftes man named Hâ—bart Turteline had spoken in mockage against those that called them selues prophetes This being knowen they called the multitude together and commanded them to come in harnes and streight way they accused the man and coÌ„demned him to death With this the people was greuously moued and striken with feare The chief prophet a fore named toke the poore man which being downe on the grouÌ„de he stroke him with a speare without giuing him his deathes wounde althogh he ranne vpon him with a greate violence Then he commanded him to be caried into an other place and taking a yong mans halfe hake that stode by him he shotte him through lying on the ground And because that yet he died not out of hand he said that it was shewed to him froÌ„ heauen that the time of his death was not yet come and that God wold pardon him of his offense But the poore man within feaw dayes after dyed When the propheâ— heard of his death he toke a long speare and ran with it about the Citie crying that God the father had commanded him to driue the enemie out of the Citie And wheÌ„ he came neare vnto the campe a certeine soldiour slew him â–ª And notwithstanding that this was the seconde time of bewraying of their falshode yet the residue of his felow prophetes had so bewitched the people and they so set out the mater vnto them that the common people toke the mater verie heauily and said that surely some greate plague should fall vpon them for the taking away of so notable a man But the next propheâ—e after him named Iohn Leyden willed them alâ— to be of a good courage for said he it was loÌ„g before shewed me that he shoulde dye after that maner