nor will they beleeue nor liue in pietie for I will harden them as I hardened Pharaoh not giuing my grace nor working faith and sanctitie in them And this is part of the secret will of God not reuealed vnto vs but onely in the elect themselues and some few whom God hath witnessed in his Word either to be heires of life or to be partakers of eternall death Of these two premises which are parts the one of the reuealed the other of the secret will this conclusion is inferred which is the absolute decree of God Therefore these and these haue I elected and will in mercy saue Those and the other haue I refused and will at the last day in iustice condemne and cast into euerlasting fire Thus you see that the one will doth no way contrary the other but with a sweet harmony they both concurre in one Demonstration wherein from the effect of Gods will which in giuing his grace is our beleeuing and in not giuing his grace is our not beleeuing wee proceed vnto the cause of both which is the absolute will of God in electing these and the absolute will of God in reiecting or leauing the others Nor is that in any sort to bee allowed which some of later times following the fancy of Iulianus the Pelagiâ— Heretick doe affirme and teach that God vseth not his absolute but oâ—ely his conditionall will in this case of mens saluation so that if men doe beleeue and repent they shall then be saued leauing it to mens owne will and choise whether they will beleeue and repent or no For then would our Sauiour neuer haue said It is your Fathers wil to gliue you the Kingdom but rather he would haue said It is your own wil in that ye belieue for which God doth and wil giue the Kingdome vnto you Nor could that be true which againe he saith You have not chosen mee but I haâ—e chosen you seeing if his will were in this case onely conditionall he should neuer chuse man before man had first chosen God by choosing to beleeue in God yea the saluation of each man should by this means depend wholly on him that runneth him that willeth and the Apostles words so cleerely and certainly set down should be vntrue It is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercy By which words is cleerely signified that the onely cause why this man rather then another is chosen vnto life stands not in the will of man but of God who by his absolute will decreeth to giue his grace vnto one and thereby make him to beleeue and runne the race of piety and so be saued and by his like absolute will decreeth to harden that is not to giue his grace to another so leaue him to runne on the race of his own wickednesse vnto eternall perditioâ— This being obserued it is not hard to answere those places of Scripture Where it is said that God would haue all men to come to repentance and be saued For if these and the like speeches be vnderstood not of all sorts or degrees of men as besides others St Austen often expounds them but as they take them of all men without exception of any then can they no way be meant of the absolute will of God seeing then it were impossible that any at all should perish for if they did the will or wickednesse of man should make frustrate the wil and Counsell of God And who is able to resist his will Of which himselfe saith 46. 10. I will doe whatsoever I will and of which S. Austen saith that many are not saued non quia ipfi sed quia Deus non vult and quia nolit saluos fieri not because they would not but because God wil not that they shal be saued or he had absolutely willed that euery one without exception should be saued how could Saint Paul haue said of those vessels of wrath that they are prepared or Saint Iude that they are ordained or as Saint Austen and after him Fulgentius and others often speake predestinate to destruction and coudemnation For none can doubt but what God prepareth ordaineth and predestinateth that also he willeth seeing predestination is his very will Hence it is that some considering that those testimonies could not be meant as they suppose of the absolute will of God seeing by it he will haue many to perish doe expound them of his reuealed which is called his conditionall will for by it God wil haue his Gospel preached and saluation conditionally offered vnto all and so all conditionally to be saued to wit all who performe that condition of faith and sanctitie which is required of all But I rather assent to the iudgement of others and specially of Saint Austen who by those generall speeches of all and none vnderstand not all men without exception but all Gods Elect and chosen children expounding the places in this manner that God would haue all to come to repentance and be saued namely all his chosen of what degree or condition soeuer they be and againe he would haue none to perish to wit none that beleeue in him none of his elected seruants of what degree soeuer Which restriction is the more agreeable seeing Christ himselfe seemeth of set purpose to set it downe Math. 18. 14 saying It is not your Fathers wil that any of these little ones should perish He said not It is not Gods will that any should perish but granting this of some hee saith It is not Gods will that any of these little ones of these chosen ones who are little meane and contemptible in the eyes of the world that any of these should perish And the very circumstances in Saint Peter Who is an expositor of Exechiel do enforce the same limitation For besides that hâ— writeth this to the elect of God who had obtained like precious faith with himselfe he giueth this as a reason of the long patience of God and his slacknesse in comming vnto ludgement because God would haue no man to perish but would haue all to come to repentance Now the reason of Gods slacknesse is not the repentance and saluation of all men without exception for if he stayed for that he should neuer come vnto ludgement but the reason thereof is the expecting and waiting till the elect be all effectually conuerted and their number fulfilled as it is most manifest Reu. 6. 10 11. where those blessed soules vnder the Altar crying vnto God How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud receiue this very answere that here S. Peter giueth that they must rest and stay yet for a little season till the number of their fellowâ— seruants and brethren were accomplished Wherefore though God will haue none of these his chosen children and of their fellow seruants to perish for whose
Then will I professe to them I neuer knew you Depart from me ye workers of intquity Wherefore to returne their own reason against themselues Seeing God knoweth that is loueth and approueth all those whom he electeth as St Paul teacheth but neuer knoweth in this sort any Reprobate or vngodly man as our Sauiour professeth it remaineth true and certaine euen by that very Text whereon they most rely that not all men without exception but only some are elected of God and ordained to euerlasting life Concerning the number of which the Massilians and some other most ignorantly and impiously taught that it was not defined nor set downe by God but left so vncertaine and depending on the wils of men that according as they were either willing or vnwilling to embrace the grace of God the number of the Elect might be either augmented or impayred A conceit so repugnant to the truth that though their other error touching mens wils were admitted yet can it no way stand with the praescience of Almighty God who knowing all things yea the very thoughts of men long before euen before all eternitie can not bee ignorant either how many will or how many himselfe will haue to embrace his grace and to be saued Some others haue fancied that though the number of the Elect which the Schoolemen call Numerum formalem bee certaine yet the persons who are to make vp this number called by them Numerus materialis is vncertaine and not defined by God A fancy indeed seeing the Scriptures plainely teach that God in his secret Councell hath decreed not onely how many but in particular also who those are whom he hath chosen to bee heires with Christ. For when our Sauiour saith that euen your names are written in Heauen and that he being the good Shepheard calleth his Sheep by name that he knoweth whom he hath chosen and when the Apostle saith The foundation of God standeth sure and hath this Seale The Lord knoweth who are his What else doe or can these import but that God hath most certainly decreed and set downe in writing not onely how many but euen particularly who they be yea and what their names are whom hee hath chosen and sealed vnto eternall life and this number as Saint Austen saith is so certainly set downe with God that neither any one of them can be taken away nor any other can bee added vnto them Now what this number in particular is â—as to set downe is impossible for mortall man so to search it out were most vaine and fruitlesse curiositie Let this suffice vs to know that though this number in respect of the wicked is but small seeing Christ telleth vs that many are called and few chosen and that many going the brâ—ad way which leadeth to destructioÌ„ and few in the narrow which leadeth vnto life Few indeed in respect of those many ryet euen those few coÌ„sidered in themselues are an exceeding great number For the seed of Abraham is like the Starres of heauen or as the sand of the Sea shore such as can not be numbred And I may truely say of the Elect they are a number numberlesse Saint Iohn himselfe warranting this saying Reu. 7. 9. where besides those thousand thousands that were sealed of the Iewes he saw a great multitute which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Languages whâ—ch stood before the Throne cloathed with long white Robes and hauing Palmes in their hands in regard of which infinit number our Sauiour telleth his Disciples that in his Fathers house are many dwelling places And let this suffice to bee spoken of the parties which are elected The next point to be considered in our election is the cause thereof Where first it is vndoubted that the declaring and manifesting of Gods glory is the cause why God in generall would elect some and reiect some other when all were alike before him in the same masse or lumpe of perdition That one saying of Salomon doth sufficiently proue this Pro. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake that is for his owne glory and honour For when wee were all included in the same masse of sinne out of whâ—ch God elected some and left others therein if God had then refused all as in iustice if it had pleased him he might haue done neuer could those glorious riches of his mercy haue been knowne vnto vs which now are manifest in sauing his Elect by Christ. Againe if then by a generall Pardon hee had released all as in mercy if it had pleased him he might haue done then could we not haue seene the glory of his iustice which now in the deserued punishment of the wicked is mightly and manifestly declared vnto vs. So then to make knowne vnto all the glory and praise of his mercy in the one and the glory and praise of his Iustice in the other he framed of the same Iumpe and masse of sinne some to be vessels of mercy by electing them vnto life and he left others to be vessels of iustice letting them alone in that state of damnation into which all mankind had plunged it selfe But if wee wade further into this doctrine and search not only why in generall God elected some refused others but why in particular these are elected rather then the other as namely Iacob rather then Esau and St Paul rather then Iudas seeing not onely they both were in themselues alike but Gods glory had no lesse been seene in electing the one then the other if it had so pleased him as now the cafe is more difficult so are there diuers men of diuers iudgements Most fond of all others is the dreame of Origen who thought that mens soules were created long before their bodies and according to their good or ill deserts before their vniting to the bodies God elected some men unto life and appointed others vnto death though none as he supposed to eternall death Which errour of Origâ—ns is not onely by all sound Philosophers reiected who rightly teach that the soules are not created before but in the very instant of their coupling to the bodies so is it together with Origen the Author of it and with the Priscilian Hereticks who after Origen reuiued the same most iustly condemned by the iudgement of the Church truely and constantly teaching that the soules were not before their inspiring into the bodies For this time contenting my selfe with that one cleere testimony of the Prophet Zech. 12. â— that God formeth the spirit of man in him I will passe from this errour as unworthy of any further expence of time Others there are who haue taught that Gods electing of these and reiecting the other dependeth wholly on the will of men themselues and not of the Decree or will of God and that there is none reiected of God â—â—ll by their
should turne from his euill way and liue according as S. Paul teacheth 1. Tim. 2 4. That God will haue all to bee saued and S. Peter 2. Epistle 3. 9. that God would haue no man to perish but would haue all to come to repentance If God say they would haue none to perish then can it not bee his will to ordaine any vnto death who professeth hee would not their death vnlesse there bee two diuerse yea euen contrary wils in God which vpon our doctrine they suppose most necessarily to follow Which reason of theirs might haue some force with Epicures and all such as make God an idle spectator of the euents in this world For then perhaps he might see their death and either not will it or winke thereat But farre be these conceits from vs who haue learned out of the Word of God that hee not onely seeth but by his counsell ordereth and gouerneth euery thing in this world so that not so much as one Sparrow can fall to the ground nor one haire from our heads without the prouidence and will of God Nay these most wicked men Herod Pontius Pilat and the other Iewes Gentiles which put Christ to death neither did not could doe ought but as Saint Peter saith Act. 4. 28. What thine hand O God and thy Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had determined before or decreed to be done Wherefore if God would not at all haue the death and destruction of those vessels of wrath which are of old ordained to condemnatioÌ„ as Saint Iude speaketh then certainly though all the armies both in heauen and earth should band themselues together yet could they not all effect the death of the meanest or weakest of them for who is able to resist his will who is Almighty And who saith of himselfe Esay 46. 10. My counsell shall stand and I will doe whatsoeuer I will Vnlesse then we will deny the first Article of our Faith which is the omnipotency of God wee must needs confesse that the death and damnation of those vessels of wrath coÌ„meth to passe by the will of the Almighty for if he would it not hee could nay he would haue hindred it ten thousand wayes and as St Austâ—n truely and excellently saith There is not there can not be done ought either in heauen or earth vnlesse God will haue it to be done either doing it himselfe or suffering it to bee done and he suffers it not against his will but with his will Now this wil of God though in it selfe it be but one and most simple yet in respect of vs it consisteth of two parts the one opened and reuealed in his Word the other hid and secret from our eyes neuer knowne vnto any vntill himselfe either by the euent of things or some other way make it manifest vnto vs. Both which are cleerely expressed in that true and memorable saying of Saint Austen where speaking of the sinnes of men and Angels he saith It comes to passe by a wonderfull and ineffable manner that those things are not done besides or without the will of God not without his secret and permissiâ—e will which are done against and euen contrary to the will of God contrary to his reuealed and preceptiue will All which will easily appeare if we rightly obserue the difference of the one will from the other In his reuealed will is set downe as our duties towards God and whatsoeuer he willeth that is requireth or commandeth to be done by vs according wherevnto our liues and actions are to be framed so also is set down therein the publishing and free offering of saluation vnto euery creature but still with this condition in regard whereof it 's called his conditionall will that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ and leades a sanctified life shall be saued but whosoeuer beleeueth not but abideth in sinne he is condemned already His secret will is farre otherwise For therein he hath absolutely set downe whatsoeuer euent doth fall out in the whole world and concerning the saluation of men hee therein hath particularly and without any condition decreed whom in mercy hee will haue to be saued and therefore in his due time will by his effectual grace worke faith and sanctitie in their hearts that they may be saued againe he hath therein absolutely set downe whom in iustice he will leaue in that masse of perdition into which they had cast themselues and therefore will not giue his grace vnto them but leaue them to their owne hearts lust that they may willingly runne forward in sinne and so most deseruedly fall into that pit of perdition which is prouided for them Hereof we may haue some resemblance in this manner Put case a King after the iust sentenâ—e of death passed against sundry offenders should proclaime and publish in one writing that he would freely pardon and saue all those that did bring vnto him his owne Signet and in another writing kept secret to himselfe should set downe which of those offenders in particular he would saue and therefore would send vnto them his owne Signet that they might bring 〈◊〉 vnto him and so be saued The former of these writings may well bee called his open and reuealed will the later his hid or secret Euen so it is in the will of God the conditionall part whereof is euer since the fall of Adam reuealed and published vnto men that hee will in mercy pardon and saue all those and onely those who doe bring vnto him his own Seale or Signet which is ingrauen with the image of his Sonne the print whereof is a liuely Faith working by charitie but in another part of his will as it were in an other booke which is not not can bee seene by man he hath absolutely set downe whom in particular he will saue and therefore will giue his own Signet vnto them imprinting in their hearts both faith and holinesse by which they are sealed vnto eternall life These two wils or rather two seuerall parts of Gods one and most simple will are so farre from being repugnant or contrary the one vnto the other as they ignorantly and impiously affirme that they doe most fitly and euen subordinately agree one with the other which that we may perceiue The whole will of God concerning mens saluation and damnation may bee fitly set downe in a reason or demonstration drawne from the effect to the cause The proposition whereof is this Whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ and liue in pietie them hath God elected and them will be haue to be saued but whosoeuer doe not beleeue nor liue in piety them hath hee reiected and will in the end condemne And all this is reuealed vnto vs and it is the summe or effect of his whole reuealed will The Assumption which God maketh is this But these and these men will beleeue for I will worke faith and sanctitie in their hearts those and the other doe not
sake hee slacketh his comming yet as before we haue proued it is the absolute will and decree of God concerning the reprobate and refuse of the world that they shall perish in their sinnes and runne headlong of their owne accord into the pit of destruction prouided and ordained for them O but say they this can not stand with the Iustice of God that he should ordaine any or create them vnto everlasting death and that for no other cause but that it is his will and pleasure For death is the reward of sinne and not of Gods ordinance or decree Wretched men who being besotted with a spirit of blindnesse and daring to reprehend that which they do not comprehend doe most ignorantly confound those two acts of Gods decree which in this cause of the Reprobation of men are diligently and necessarily to be distinguished The former is Negatiue and that is the eternall purpose and decree of God not to shew mercy nor giue his grace vnto them nor to pull them out as we doth the elect but leaue them in that masse of sinne and most wofull state whereinto both they and the elect vvere now together falne The other is Positiue and that is the eternall purpose and decree of God to inflict that euerlasting punishment vpon them which is most instly deserued by that sinne into which they wilfully fall and in which they stil abide pursuing sinne with all greedinesse We neuer say nor so much as once think that God either condemneth any or appoints them vnto death without their owne most iust deserts God himselfe teacheth vs this lesson Hos. 13. 9. Thyperdition O Israel is of thy selfe and the Apostle saying Rom. 6. 23. that the wages of sinne is death cleerely witnesseth vnto all that eternall death is as duely earned by the wicked and paid vnto them for their iust recompence and hire as is the wages by any master to his labourer or seruant And herein is that true which S. Austen saith God is both good and iust Hee may without our good deserts free vs because he is good but hee cannot without our ill deserts condemne vs because he is iust Yea in that last and great Day when God shall sit in his Throne of iudgement the wicked and reprobate forced to confesse their faults written in their conscience as in a large booke shall then acknowledge both their owne deserts and the Iustice of God in rewarding them with the due wages of their sinnes It is not then the will and pleasure of God as they maliciously slander but their owne great and hainous transgressions for which they are punished and for which God from all eternitie decreed to punish them sinne onely is the cause of this later and positiue act in Gods decree But for the former Negatiue act in their reiection whereby God ordained that when all mankinde was alike guilty before him all included in that one and the selfesame masse of perdition into which by their owne voluntary transgression all mankinde had plunged it selfe for in â—Adam all men sinned and so death and Gods wrath went ouer all that hee would not then in mercy pull these out of that masse and make of them vessels of glory but in iustice leaue them in that their sinfull and wofull estate to be vessels of wrath leaue them to their owne lusts destitute of his grace that so they might runne out the race of their sinnes and be as it were fatted for the day of slaughter the cause of this act I say is the very will of God which though we may not doubt but that being his will who is most wise it is also most reasonable grounded both vpon most iust wise and diuine reasons such as perhaps in the life to come shall be made euidenâ— vnto vs yet hereof no other reason can possibly be giuen by vs nor ought to bee sought for in this mortall life but onely this I will haue mercy on whom I will and whom he will he hardneth that is he wil not shew mercy vnto them Now why should this seeme vniust vnto thee O thou disputer against God It is as the Apostle tels thee the will of God whose will seeing he is infinitely wise is euer most iust yea it is the very rule of all perfect iustice Again in that thou art a creature thou art none of thine owne but thou art wholly Gods Is it not lawfull for me to doe with my owne what I will saith the hous-holder in the Gospell and shall it not be lawfull for God to doe and to dispose of his owne as it best pleaseth him Shall the Potter without controulement frame of the same lumpe of clay one vessell to honour another to dishonour onely because it so pleaseth him and wilt thou which art but dust and ashes aske a reason of God why of that one lumpe of sinne fit for nothing at all but to make vessels of dishonour he made thee rather then another a vessell of dishonour which of a silly Potter thou wouldest blush and be ashamed to aske Nay the Apostle saith of the Potter that he hath not only power but euen authoritie a rightfull power for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth to frame the clay as he listeth and of what part thereof he wil to make a vessel either for honor or dishonour How much more is there authoritie and a rightfull power in God ouer all men For the Potter made not the clay but God made yea created vs of nothing and the Potter though by much and many degrees he excell the clay yet still the oddes and difference is finite But God infinitely excelleth all mankinde and therefore his authoritie is infinitely more ouer vs all then is the Potter ouer the least parcell of Clay Yea thou thy selfe wilt for thy own pleasure sport or glory kill and slay of thy Deere and fat of thy beasts which thou wilt for slaughter and yet because thou thinkest they are thy owne death it were for any of thy seruants to say to thee no lesse then to the man of sinne Domine cur ita facis yet thy beasts had no way offended thee but beene good and seruiceable vnto thee so that thou hadst onely the power of a Lord ouer them but thou hadst no cause of wrath and anger against them How much more may the Almighty for his glory designe or leaue which of all mankinde he pleaseth for the day of slaughter seeing both they all had by their rebellion against God incensed his wrath and prouoked his iust indignation against them and hee being the Lord of all Lords and Creator of heauen and earth hath infinitely more authority ouer them all then thou hast or canst haue ouer the least and meanest thing that thou doest possesse Lastly if God had beene indebted vnto thee or bound to shew thee mercy and fauour then mightst thou haue had some cause to
he did all the transgressing angels in that wofull and wretched state hee had done no wrong to any seeing hee was not bound to shew his mercy or fauour vnto any In that he puls out some it 's a superaboundance of his loue and mercy towards them In that hee leaues the rest to destruction it 's truely iustice on Gods part and on theirs most deserued punishment for to giue vndeserued fauour is mercy but not to giue it or to render deserued punishment is no wrong Now whereas in the last place they accuse God not onely of inuistice but for tyranny and cruelty for creating so many whom hee would permit to fall into sinne and then inflict endlesse and insupportable torments vpon them whereas if it had pleased him he might haue giuen vnto them all such grace as would haue preuented not onely their destruction but their sinne also which was the cause thereof they doe herein bewray themselues not onely to be besotted in errour but such as Gyant-like doe maliciously fight against God Art thou wiser then the Almighty or wilt thou prescribe a Law vnto God whom or how many hee should create or what measure of grace he should giue vnto them Art thou able to answere him one for a thousand Was 't not sufficient to giue both to all mankinde and to all angels so much grace and power as that thereby they might for euer haue stood in integritie and haue inherited eternall felicitie if they would themselues In which one gift consists the effect of all that which the oppugners of this truth either doe or can say to cleere the iustice of Godâ— or free hish from that cruelty which against vs they obiect Or had God entended their death or destruction before he foresaw their most wilfull rebellion then might they haue had some colour for their impious and blasphemous declaiming against the Lord. But seeing no thought of punishing either men or Angels euer entred into the heart of God but in order though not of time yet of nature and reason after his foresight of their voluntarie disobedience and rebellion against him why should they count it either iniustice or cruelty to inflict that deserued punishment on them which they wilfully puld downe vpon themselues Or was God bound to giue them such an antidote of his preuenient grace as would haue preserued them from sinne Besides that he was not so obliged to any in the infinitenesle of his wisedome he saw it was not fit he should giue that vnto them for by giuing such grace vnto all it would haue beene thought that it had been their own and their naturall power which now by not giuing it to some is declared to bee due vnto none and by bestowing it on others is knowne to bee his free and supernaturall gift and grace vnto them Nay by giuing such grace vnto all hee had for euer both damm'd vp all passage to his iustice and mercy and the greatnesse of his loue wisedome and goodnesse had for euer beene obscured And therefore first heâ— would let them know what of themselues and by their owne will they would doe euen runne into destruction that afterwards hee might make euident and knowne all the exceeding riches of his glory The riches of his mercy which could neuer haue beene seene if he had suffered none to fall into misery whence afterwards himselfe would deliuer them by mercy The riches of his iustice who is now seene to be so infinitely iust as that he hath an infinite hatred against all iniustice and therefore iustly inflicteth an infinite punishment vpon it and who therefore would not in mercy pardon all as he might haue done lest it might seeme that hee who is Righteousnesse it selfe had not in a iust and perfect manner hated vnrighteousnesse The riches of his wisedome who is now seene to be so infinitely wise as that he could finde a most blessed meanes both fully euen to the vtmost farthing to punish the offences and so to satisfie his infinite iustice and yet wholly to pardon the offenders and so to manifest his infinite mercy that euery one might with the Prophet say vnto God Mercy and iudgement will I sing vnto thee The riches of his power and goodnesse which both are now seene to be so infinite that hee is able to turne the greatest euill to our greatest good and euen out of sinne to worke saluation and out of death to effect eternall life The riches of his lone to the elect the infinite greatnesse whereof could neuer haue beene conceiued if they had not seene in the iust punishment of others from what infinite and endlesse torments they are freed themselues and freed by his onely loue either most louingly preuenting them vvith his grace that they should not fall into sinne as hee did the elected Angels or most louingly deliuering them by his grace when they were falne into sinne as he did all the elect of mankinde In regard of all which it may truely bee faid with Saint Austen that God being both most powerfull and most good would neuer haue suffered euill to haue beene vnlesse hee had beene so infinitely good and powerfull that he was able euen out of euill to bring good and vnlesse he had knowne that it was a farre more glorious worke and would turne to his farre greater glory when some had sinned euen out of sinne to worke saluation then not to suffer them to sinne at all But what though we in the shallownesse of our vnderstanding either cannot giue or cannot comprehend the reason of Gods will herein Shall we therefore presume to exclaime against the Lord or accuse him for thus doing Doth not the Apostle put to silence the insolency of this folly when hee saith O man who art thou that disputest with God Who art thou that darest aske a reason of his will whose very will is the rule of al reason Much rather oughtest thou here euen with amazement and admiration cry out with the same Apostle O the depth of the richesâ— both of the wisedom and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Yet euen by this little which we haue now said you doe cleerely see both the will of God to bee most holy and his iustice most vpright and both his will and iustice to be without all blame in that his whole Decree whereby hee elected some to giue freely vnto them both grace and glory and left others in their owne sinne to bee led thereby into euerlasting perdition Howsoeuer then blasphemous mouthes doe barke against Heauen against their Creator yet let vs all Gods seruants not onely acknowledge but magnifie as in those whom he refuseth his Iustice so in our selues his exceeding and vnexpresseable mercy let vs cast all our crownes before his footstoole and sing an hymne of praise vnto him who not onely hath made vs of nothing but which is the
celestiall Hauen they will certainly make shipwracke of their saluation the Spirit of GOD assuring them that bee that beleeueth not is condemned already and that euery Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be â—ewne downe and cast into the fire As for the rest wee cannot speake to any one in particular as one retected of God for neither can any knew of another no nor of himselfe neither that hee is a Reprobate seeing at the last watch yea euen at the last gaspe God may effectually call and conuert him and wee in charitie are both to iudge and hope the best of all Yet euen them also if wee know any to bee such wee would not cease to stirre vp vnto all the duties of a Christian life assuring them that if they will beleeue and liue in fanctitie and holinesse they shall be crowned with glory God himselfe saying to Cain whom hee knew to bee a Reprobate If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and Christ proclaiming that whosoeuer beleoueth shall baue euerlasting life Besides which vnto them both whether they be Elect or reprobate it may be further said that as by their refraining from sinne and doing that which is good in either of both estates they shall be sure to gaine so by their pursuing of sinne and heaping vp iniquitie they shall in either estate bee sure to lose thereby For if they bee elect though by reason of Gods ordinance they bee sure to obtaine remission of sinnes and eternall life and to bee in the number of those heauenly starres yet because euen in that eternall life there are many and diuers mansions and one Starre differeth from another in glory the moe and the more hainous sinnes that they doe commit the lesse portion and weight of that eternall glory shall bee giuen vnto them as there is lesse light and glory in those which they call obscure or cloudy starres and those of the fift or sixt magnitude whereas if their liues had here shined in sanctitie in innocencie in faith in purity and in sinceritie then themselues also should haue shined like those prime and fairest starres or like the Sunne in his strength and glory In like sort If they be reiected of God though by reason of their owne peruerse wils beeing hardened in sinne they are sure to runne into etnerall death and perdition yet because euen in that eternall death there are diuersities and degrees of punishments for some fewer for others moe and more bellish stripes the more they restraine themselues from sinne and the more they practise those workes of iustice and temperance which for the substance of the worke are good and such as Heathen men and Reprobates may performe euen by this they shall gaine thus much that their stripes and punishments shall bee farre more easie then if by their wallowing in sinne and letting loose the reines to impietie they had treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath Seeing then whether soeuer they be Sheepe or Goates they are sure by impietie to lose and by good workes to gaine both of them in Tanto though neither of both in Toto euen in this respect if there were no other it behoues them both to labour and striue to represle sinne and doe that which is good that if they be elect their reward may bee more glorious and if they bee not elect their punishment may bee lesse grieuous Lastly in whom I pray you doth or can this holy doctrine breed securitie and carelesnesse Not in them who know or thinke themselues to bee elect For this very perswasion of Gods loue in whomsoeuer it is doth cause a more feruent loue and more earnest seruing of the Lord who hath vouchsafed them so great and vnexpressible mercy euen as the Apostles who knew that their names were written in heauen were most ready and desirous to doe and suffer all things for the loue they had vnto God the loue of Christ constraining them therevnto For as Saint Austen saith Hee is too churlish and â—nkinde qui amorem si nolit impendere nolit rependere who if hee will not bestowe loue vpon God will not yet requite the loue of God freely bestowed on him Not in them vvho thinke themselues Reprobates For seeing they doe not nor can know themselues to bee such why should they deiect their mindes and not rather hope by repentance faith and and sanctitie to obtaine fauour with God and bee found in the number of those of whom the Apostle faith 2. Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall bee a vessell vnto honour Euen as in their bodily sicknesse and worldly estate they labour and toyle neglecting no meanes to attaine health wealth and welfare because they know no other but that God hath decreed an happy successe and to giue a blessing to those meanes vvhich are commanded and ordained by himselfe So because they know no other but that God hath decreed to giue saluation and eternall glory vnto them why should they not labour by faith sanctitie and all holy meanes to attaine vnto life and leaue the successe vnto him vvho hath said and assured them Ezekiel 18. 31. Returne and cast away all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your destruction So many wayes is that their cauill of securitie cleerely refuted by which as by the chiefest engine which their wits could deuise they seeke to ouerthrow both the whole doctrine of Gods Predestination and that certainty or assurance of our election of which we now entreat But they further oppose the Scriptures against vs and against that assurance which we before declared seeing Dauid Psal. 69. 28 desireth of God that hee would wipe his enemies out of the Booke of Life Now if any may be wiped out whom God hath once enrolled among his elect then is not our election so sure and immutable as wee haue taught For answere whereunto I say with Saint Austen God neuer wipes out any whom hee writ in that Booke for if a wretched man was so constant that hee would not alter his writing but said What I haue written I haue written what indignitie were it to Almighty God to thinke him so wauering that hee will write and blot out againe which a sinfull man Pontius Pilate was ashamed to doe Those enemies then of God of whom Dauid speaketh who vnder the colour of an outward profession cloaked their inward hatred to God and his Prophets were written in the Booke of God or seemed so to be onely by the iudgement of men who saw no more then their outside and fained profession they were neuer written there in truth nor according to his knowledge who tryeth the hearts and reines And Dauid to whom Gods Spirit had reuealed their hypocrisie and deepe dissimulation among other curses prayeth that this also may befall vnto them that whereas themselues or other men thought them to bee
written among his chosen children and to bee of their number God would in his iustice pull off that vizor of hypocrisie and make it knowne to all by brauding them with some marke of his hatred as hee branded Cain that they neither are nor euer were of that flocke of his chosen seruants Which the Prophet expresseth by two seuerall phrases the latter whereof doth expound the former saying Let themâ— bee wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not bee written among the righteous wiped out according to mens iudgement who thought they were writt therein but in truth declared not to bee nor euer to haue beene written among his rightcous seruants Which to bee the Prophets meaning is most cleere by that of Saint Iohn Renel 17. 8. where speaking of all the wicked who shall goe into euerlasting perdition of which sort none may doubt but these cursed enemies of God were hee faith that their names are not written in the Booke of Life from the foundation of the world that is were neuer written in that Booke And if they were neuer truely but only in the iudgement of men written in that book neither were they nor could they be in truth but onely according to the iudgement of men charitable I confesse in this point but yet erroneous wiped out of the same Booke That seemeth of greater difficultie which they obiect from the prayers of Moses and Saint Paul who being without all doubt written in the Booke of Life the Spirit of God witnessing of the one that hee was faithfull in all the house of God and of the other that he was a chosen vessell for whom was layd vp the crowne of glory desired of God that rather then his name should bee blasphemed or his glory impayred he would euen blot them out of that Booke of Life and make them a curse for euer to bee separated from Christ. Which thing if Gods election were immutable had beene simply impossible and such as those holy men would neuer as it seemes haue requested and so earnestly prayed for at the hands of God I can no way here assent to the iudgement of Saint Ierome who expounds these prayers to bee meant of a temporall and bodily death onely but not of the eternall For such a death could not haue made them accursed or an Anathema nor haue separated them from Christ nay by it they should haue attained blessednesse and haue beene eternally vnited vnto Christ. By which and some other reasons Chrysosteme doth not onely refute but euen deride that opinion Much lesse may wee consent to some other learned men who rightly vnderstanding in these prayers a totall and eternall separation from God doe thinke them to haue beene somewhat rash ouer-heady and lesse considerate positious proceeding indeede from a minde full of zeale but so astonished amazed and carrted away with the aboundance of loue vnto God and to his people that they considered not neither that it was vnfit for themselues to haue or for God to yeeld to these requests nor yet how impossible it was which they now desired Such confusion and inconsiderate zeale wee may not admit in these holy men seeing Saint Paul did not speake but write this with most serious and aduised premeditation yea by the inspiration and guiding of Gods holy Spirit protesting also and calling God to witnesse of his hearts desire in this matter and Moses in his prayer was moued for the same cause and directed by the same Spirit to request the same thing of God yea and the prayers of them both are such if they bee rightly considered as euery true Christian and child of God may in the zeale of their hearts present before the Throne of God For whereas they suppose it in no wise allowable to pray for that which either in it selfe or in regard of Gods Decree and Praescience is impossible and cannot bee granted our Sauiours owne prayer doth vndeniably teach the contrary when hee conditionally desired of God that if it were possible that cup of death might passc from him And yet hee knew it to bee no lesse impossible for him to escape that Cup then it was impossible that Moses or Saint Paul or any elect vessell of God should eternally perish Now that Moses and Paul did in their prayers imply the like condition is not to bee doubted For seeing their Petitions proceeded from a true faith and aymed at nothing else but Gods glory they could not chuse but be accepted of God and granted by him in like sort as our Sauiours was Christ himselfe assuring vs that whatsoeuer wee aske in his name and with a belecuing heart shall be granted vnto vs now they could no way bee granted if simply and without condition they had beene asked of God for then they had beene actually wiped out of Gods Booke and separated from Christ who by his eternall and immutable Decree were elected and ordained to bee partakers with him in glory Their prayers then were conditionall and in effect thus much that seeing the glory and honour of God seemed much to bee encreased by preseruing his people of Israel whom hee threatened to destroy and cast away these men inflamed with the desire of Gods glory request that if it were possible and if it might stand with Gods holy will bâ—ee would rather destroy them then so great a Nation and rather blot them out of his Booke and make them an Anathema for euer to be separated frem God then by casting away those whom he had chosen for his inheritance and peculiar people suffer any part of his glory and honour to bee impayred Great loue I confesse vnto God but such as if any thinke them too prodigall of their soules hee therein bewrayeth himselfe to bee of the minde and affection of Iudas who when the box of Spikenard was powred on Christs feete moued the Disciples to grudge and say What needed all this waste Such men are too rife in this last and worst age of the world who if any thing bee bestowed on Christ or vpon his Church for the furtherance of his glory straightway they murmure and repine and cry out with Iudas What needeth all this waste But when they themselues haue spent many boxes nay barrels and Butts of Spikenard to wallow in the lusts and pleasures of their sinnes yea when they haue spent not onely their Lands and goods but their bodies and soules â—lso in the seruice of the Diuell yet in all this there is no wasâ—e at all Now if such vile and wretched miscreants thinke nothing too much nor too deare for the honour and seruice of Satan why should Moses Saint Paul or any of Gods children thinke any thing though it be their very bodies and soules too deare or precious to bee bestowed on God or for his honour I am verily perswaded that if the true Child of God after serious meditation of these