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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	great_a	know_v	life_n	7,935	5	4.3038	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19076	Tvvoo bookes of Saint Ambrose Bysshoppe of Mylleyne, entytuled: Of the vocation and callying of all nations. Newly translated out of Latin into Englyshe, for the edifiying and comfort of the single mynded and godly vnlearned in Christes Church, against the late sprong secte of the Pelagians ... By Henry Becher minister in the Church of God ...; De vocatione ominum gentium. English.	Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, d. 397.; Prosper, of Aquitaine, Saint, ca. 390-ca. 463.; Leo I, Pope, d. 461.; Becher, Henry, fl. 1561.	1561 (1561)	STC 549; ESTC S100123	79,647	298

he thrise denyed Chryst with whom he had promysed to dye Then he whiche beheld the troubled heart of the Apostle not with humaine but with deuyne eyes and stirred hym by a myghtye looke vnto aboundaunte teares of repentaunce was able and coulde haue geuen vnto hys chiefe disciple that stedfastnes of minde That lyke as nothynge feared the lord him selfe from his purpose to perfourme hys passion So should not any feare at that tyme haue ouercommed blessed Peter But thys stabilitie was onely proper vnto him whiche onely truly and mightely sayd I haue power to put away my lyfe and I haue power to take it agayne But in other men so longe as the fleshe lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirite contrary to the fleshe and so longe as the spirite is willinge but the fleshe weake the immutable feare of mynde can not bee founde for perfect and secure felicitie is not hadde in this life but in the life to come And in the vncertaintie of thys present conflicte and battayle neyther is victory it self in safegard frō pryde lying in wayte nor without daunger of mutabilitie And though Goddes deuine protection and fauoure do geue vnto innumerable hys sainctes power to perseuer and continue to the ende yet taketh he from none of them that that repugneth against themselues whiche also is of them selues that in all theyr studies and endeuoures euermore wyll and nyll do stryue amonge themselues The whiche fyght and battaile the saide blessed Peter suffred euen in the ende of all hys victories for the lorde himselfe protested the same when he sayd Verely verely I say vnto thee when thou wast yonge thou girdedst thy selfe and walkedst whyther thou wouldest But when thou art olde thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shal girde thee and leade thee whyther thou wouldest not And thys he spake to declare by what death he shuld glorifie GOD. Then who can doubt yea who can but knowe that thys moste stronge rocke which toke part both of vertue name of that principal rocke to haue had alwaye the desyre that constancie might be geuen hym to dye for Chrystes sake Notwithstandyng the obluctacion and strugling of feare was so vnable to bee auoyded that the man most gredie of marterdome was tolde aforehande that he should obtayne the vyctorie of passion and suffringe of death howebeit not without the temptacion of feare Therfore not without good cause not onely the Sainctes whiche are but beginners but also thei which are growen vp vnto the moste perfection do vniformely beseche the Lorde and saye Leade vs not into temptacion but delyuer vs from euyll For vnto all them that abyde in faith and in loue it is geuen of him that they be not ouercome in temptacion that he whiche doth glory shoulde glory in the Lorde And yet doth he ascribe that same glorye vnto them whom he geueth it vnto that though thei stande thorowe the helpe of God yet forasmuch as it laye in theyr owne power to fall it should be theyr own merite that they dyd stande Therfore like as thei which haue beleued are holpen y t they myght abyde in the fayth So they whiche not yet beleued are holpen that they myght beleue And lyke as the one sorte haue in their own power to go back so the other sort haue in theyr own power that thei come not And it is made manyfeste that by dyuers and innumerable meanes God wylleth al men to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth But they whiche come are guyded and dyrected by the helpe of god and they whiche come not do stryue the contrarye in theyr own stubburnes And although that manye men louynge their owne darknesse do not receyue the brightnes of the truth and many which were once lyghtened do fall agayne into darkenes yet doth the worde of God abyde for euer and nothing falleth awaye from the trueth of his promyse The foreknowen and promised fulnes of the gentiles doth dayly enter in and in the seede of Abraham all nations all tribes and all tongues are blessed for that which the father hath geuen to the sonne the sonne loseth not neyther is anye manne able to take oute of hys hande that whiche he hath receyued The foundation of GOD standeth stedfast and sure and the buyldynge of the Temple that shall endure for euer wauereth not The truth and mercy of GOD beynge stretched foorth vppon all men of whom that whiche is both denyed to no man and also is due to no manne is perfectly perfourmed and brought to passe in them whom he hath promysed For he worketh all in all but out of doubt it is all iuste thynges and good thynges For all the wayes of the Lord are very mercy and faythfulnesse Who lyke as he knewe before al worldes howe great a multitude of mē of the whole world eyther vsing his cōmon gyftes or being holpen with his speciall aydes but yet declining frō the way of trueth lyfe should enter into the brode way of errour and death Euen so had he alway in his foreknowledge howe great a nomber of godlye men through the helpe of grace and the seruice of obedience shoulde parteyne vnto euerlastyng blysse that none fallyng awaye from the fulnesse of the nombre of promesse who neyther shoulde fayle of aduauncement nor be destitute of helpe he myght glorifie them before all men whom he hath chosen out of all men For the manyfolde and vnspekable goodnesse of GOD hath in such sorte alwayes holpen and yet doeth helpe the generall multitude of men as we haue sufficientlye proued that none of them whiche perishe haue ani excuse that the lyghte of the trueth hath bene denyed hym neyther hath any man libertie to glori in his owne ryghteousnes forasmuch as theyr owne wickednes wayeth downe the one parte vnto paine and the grace of god conducteth and bryngeth the other part vnto glory ¶ The .x. Chapiter THerfore that which we haue declared in the begynnynge of this seconde booke the same do we now commende agayne vnto youre remembraunces that when we disputed of the depth height of grace we stayed vppon three moste wholsome and true diffinicions Whereof the one professeth that it commeth of the eternall and proper wyl of god that he wylleth all men to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth The other also teacheth that euery man which is saued and whiche commeth to the knowledge of the trueth is holpen and gouerned by the helpe of god and that he is therby kept that he myghte abyde in fayth whiche worketh by loue And the thirde doth temperately and soberly protest that all the reason of the wil of God cannot bee comprehended and that there bee manye causes of gods workes hydde from mans vnderstandynge as when in times in nations in families in Infantes in them which are not yet borne in them which are vnbegotten certayne thynges are knowen to

beleuers whyle thei which are to become Christians are agaynst the Christian faith For many shall loue that they haue hated and shall preache that that they do not nowe alowe And among these thynges who shall make it knowē vnto these murmuters or curious searchers whye the Sunne of ryghteousnes shyneth not yet to some Nacions and why also the veritie which is to bee reuealed hereafter withholdeth at this tyme her bright beames from the hartes that are so ful of darknes why thei which are to be refourmed afterwardes are suffred so long to go astray and why that that is geuen to olde men in the end of theyr lyfe is not geuen them by so long a time before Whye the chyldren beleue nowe in Christ and the parentes do not yet beleue And agayne why an euyll childe differeth vtterly from his godlye and religious parentes And yet notwithstanding prayers are dayly made to god which is both the geuer of the begynnyng of faith also of then crease therof according to his cōmaundement so that both yf he mercifully do heare the grace of his mercy maye be knowen and also yf he do not fauourably heare the trueth of his iudgement maye be vnderstanden And also in times past euen the same grace whiche after the resurrectiō of our Lorde Iesus Christ was spred abrode euery where and of the which it is wrytten Thy illuminacions hath shone abrode to all the worlde was not lacking in the worlde For though it can not be denyed but that the people of Israell were elected by a speciall regarde and mercye of God and all other Nacions were suffred to walke in theyr owne wayes that is to saye were suffred to liue after theyr owne wyll yet notwithstanding the euerlastyng goodnesse of the Creatoure dydde not so tourne away it selfe from those menne that he dyd not admonysshe them by some significasignifications both to knowe hym and also to feare hym For heauen and earth the sea and euery creature which may be seene knowen was chiefly ordeyned for this profyte and vtilitie of mankynde to the entent that the reasonable nature through the beholdyng of so manye kyndes of thynges throughe the experience of so many good thynges throughe the receipte of so many gyftes might be instructed to the worship and loue of his maker the spirite of God replenyshyng all thynges in whom we lyue moue and haue our beynge And though that health be farr from sinners yet is there nothing voyde of the presence and power of his saluacion Therfore as the Prophete saith The earth is full of the mercy of the Lorde that neuer fayled anye tyme or any generacion And he dyd euer bestowe that same prouidence by the whiche he doth geue and preserue al thinges to the gouernaunce succouryng of nature hauyng ordinarilie prepared and appointed by the immutabilitie of his eternall councell vnto whom and what he hym selfe woulde distribute in theyr seasons and also the vnsercheable and inuestigable measures of his manyfolde grace wherby he wold diuersly geue distribute his giftes and diuine misteries For like as the liberalitie and large nesse of this grace which last of all had her influence vppon all Nacions doeth not euacuate that which fell vpon one Israell vnder the lawe nor the rychesse presente do not abolysshe the faith of the former penurye and scarsenesse Euen so lykewyse we muste not imagine of that care and regarde of God whiche properly gouerned the chyldren of the Patriarches that the mercifull gouernaunces of God were withdrawen from the residue of men who surely in comparison of the electe seeme to be but abiectes but they neuer were repelled from both manifest and secrete benefites For we reade in the Actes of the Apostles that Paule and Barnabas the Apostles sayde to the Lycaonians Ye men why do ye these thynges We also are mortall men lyke vnto you preachyng vnto you that ye shulde be conuerted frō these vaine things vnto the liuing god who made both heauen earth the sea al things in thē conteined who in times past suffred al nacions to wander theyr owne wayes And yet lefte he not hym selfe without witnes in that he sēt vs his benefites in geuyng vs rayne frō heauen fruitfull seasons fylling our hartes with foode and gladnesse And what witnes is this which euer serued y e Lord neuer kept silēce of his goodnes power but that same vnspekable bewtie of the whole world the rych orderly liberalitie of his vnspekable benefites by y e which certein tables of y e eternall law were written in the heartes of men that the cōmon and publike doctrine of gods institucion myght be read in the bookes of the elementes The heauens therefore and all the heauenlye bodyes the sea the lande and all that euer is in them dyd preache the glorye of GOD with the consonant hermony of theyr kinde and ordinacion and by that perpetuall preachyng they vttered the maiestie of theyr maker And yet notwithstandyng the greatest nombre of men which were suffred to walke the wayes of theyr owne wyll dyd neyther vnderstande nor folowe that lawe And the sauoure of lyfe whiche smelled vnto lyfe became vnto them the sauour of death vnto death so that also euen in those visible testimonies it myght be learned that the letter kylleth but the spirite geueth lyfe The .ii. Chapter THat thyng therfore whiche was done in Israell throughe the ordinaunce of the law and the doctrine of the Prophetes that same the testimonies of all creatures the marueylous workes of God dyd continuallye among all nacions But forasmuche as among that people Nacion to whom bothe those kyndes of erudicion was geuē no manne was iustified but by grace throughe the spirite of fayth who doubteth but that they which were able to please God of what Nacion so euer they were or in what tyme soeuer they were were discouered by the spirite of gods grace The which grace though afore tyme it was both more scarse and more priuie and secrete yet did it neuer denie it selfe at any tyme in one power in dyuers quantitie in immutable counsell in manyfolde operation For euen in these dayes wherein the ryuers of vnspeakable giftes do water y e whole world one maner is not geuen to all men nor yet one measure For thoughe all one and the same veritie be preached to all men by the ministers of the woorde and of the grace of God and al one and the same exhortacion geuen yet is it the husbandry of God and the buyldynge of God whose vertue woorketh inuisiblye that that whiche is buylt may go forwarde and that that which is tylled maye growe and encrease as the Apostle Paul witnesseth saying What is Apollo and what is Paule his ministers are they whom ye haue beleued euen as the Lord hath geuen to euerye man I haue planted Apollo hath watered but GOD gaue the encrease So then neither is he that

thys Citie agaynste thy holye childe Iesus to do whatsoeuer thy hand and counsell haue determined to be done Therefore to the settynge forth of Goddes grace which was disposed and bent of gods eternal vnchaūgeable counsell vnto the saluation of al nations the former tymes were not eschewed as not able to apprehende them But these tymes were elected the whiche haue brought forth such a people whose fearce and cruel wickednesse should go forwarde in doynge those thinges that the hande of God and hys counsell haue determyned to be done not of the desyre to profyte any mā but to thintent to deale cruelli that the grace and power of God myght be y e more wonderfull whiche of so harde hartes so darke mindes and so enuious stomackes hath made a people to himselfe both faithfull obedient and holy whiche came not to the knowledge of the wisdome of god by the wisdome of this worlde but by the gift of hym of whom thapostle S. Iohn witnesseth saying We knowe that the sonne of God is come hath geuen vs a minde to knowe the true GOD and might be in his true sonne Vnto the whiche testimonie the Apostle Paule agreeth sayinge We thanke GOD which hath made vs worthye to bee partakers of the inheritaunce of the Sainctes in lyght which hath delyuered vs from synne and from the power of darknes and hath trāslated vs into the kingdome of his derely beloued son And agayne he sayeth For we were somtime sayth he folishe vnfaithfull wandering astray seruing diuers desyres lustes liuinge in malice and enuy hatinge one another But when the benignitie and gentlenesse of oure Sauiour appeared not of the workes of ryghteousnes whiche we wrought but according to his merci hath he saued vs through the lauer of regene ration of the holy ghost which he hath poured foorth on vs aboundauntlye through Iesus Chryste our Sauiour that we beynge iustified by hys grace might be heyres of euerlastyng lyfe through hope Coulde it be more fully more euidentlye or more truely declared what merites Christ founde in men and what maners he subdued vnto himselfe what heartes he conuerted vnto him when he came not to heale those that were hole but the sicke and to call not the iuste but the sinners to repentaunce For the people of the gentiles which sat in darknes sawe great lyght and vnto them that sat in the region and shadow of death light is begon to shyne The heathen raged the people of the Iewes were angry kinges waxed fearce the high powers countersayde al the supersticions and errours of the whole world impugned But of the veri resisters of y e ragers of them that persecuted Chryst augmented hys people through enprisonmentes punishments and death the faith of the Sainctes was strengthned the trueth got the victory and the come of the Lordes fielde did aboundantly encrease all the worlde ouer for there was suche constancye of fayth geuen from aboue suche confidence of hope and such strength of pacience that the same fyre of loue whiche the holy ghoste hadde kyndled in the heartes of faythfull men coulde not bee quenched of the oppressours by anye maner of meanes when euen they whiche were tormented were the more feruenter thei which persecuted them did mani times fele as great heate as those did whom thei persecuted Wherwith thapostle s Paul beynge inflamed sayde boldely and feruently Seyng therfore that we are iustified by fayth we are at a peace with GOD through our lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue free accesse or comminge through faith vnto thys grace wherin we stand and reioyce in hope of the glory of the sonnes of God Not only that but we reioyce in tribulation knowinge that tribulation worketh pacience and pacience woorketh proofe or experience proofe woorketh hope hope is not ashamed neyther departeth emptie For the loue of God is shed abroade in oure heartes through the holy ghost which is geuen vs. And againe he sayth Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguyshe eyther persecution or hunger or nakednes or perill or sworde As it is wrytten Beholde we are kylled continuallye that is to wete we are counted as sheepe apoynted to the slaughter But yet in al these thinges we haue the victorye through hym that loued vs. For I am sure that neyther death nor lyfe neither Aungel nor principate nor power neither present thynges nor thynges to come neyther heyght nor loweth nor anye other creature shalbe able to seperate vs from the loue of god whiche is in Christe Iesus our Lorde This loue being spread abrode by the holy ghost hath brought to passe that the worlde of the faythfull shoulde ouercome the world of the wicked This loue hath confunded the crueltie of Nero the fury of Domicianus and of many Rulers after them by the glorious ende of innumerable martyrs Chryst geuyng vnto them y t folowe hym thorow the persecution of Kinges the crownes of euerlasting reward ¶ The .vi. Chapiter THerefore there is no cause to doubt but that Iesus Chryste oure Lorde dyed for wicked men and sinners whose number are found in the boke And died not Christ for all men then yes no doubt for all men dyed Chryste For afore the reconciliation and attonement that was made by Chryst there was not one man that was not eyther a sinner or elles vngodlye as the Apostle sayeth For yf when as yet we were weake accordynge to the time Chryst dyed for vs whiche were vngodly for scarce wyll a man dye for a ryghteous man yet peraduenture for a good mā durst a man dye But God setteth forth his loue towards vs seeynge that when we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more now seing we are reconciled shal we be safe through hys life And y e same Apostle in the seconde to the Corin. saith For the loue of god compelleth vs to thinke thus yf one bee dead for al that thē al are dead he died for al y t they which liue should not henceforth lyue vnto them selues but to him that dyed for them and arose agayne But lette vs heare what he pronounceth of hym selfe saying This is a true saying and of al mē worthy to be receiued that Ihesus Christe came into this world to saue sinners of whom I am the chiefe but therefore dyd I obteyne mercye that Iesus Christ shoulde first shew on me all long pacience vnto the example of them which should beleue in hym vnto eternall life Therefore whether they were circumcised or vncircumcised they were concluded all vnder sinne and one guylte or trespasse hath tyed or bound al men and ther was none whether theyr guylte were more or lesse whiche without the redemption of Christ could be saued whiche redemption came freely into all the worlde appeered to all men indifferently Forasmuche as on the fiftieth daye from that Easter wherein the true lambe offred hym selfe a

and wyll buylde agayne the Tabernacle of Dauio whiche was fallen downe and that that was fallen in decaye thereof wyll I buylde agayne and wyll set it vp that the residue of menne myght seeke after the Lorde also all the Gentyles vppon whō my name is named saith the Lorde that doeth these thinges knowen vnto the lord is his owne woorke from the beginnyng of the worlde Simeon also euen he whiche had receiued an aunswere of the holye ghoste that he shoulde not taste of death vntyll he had seene the Lordes Christ spake these woordes of the saluacion of all Nacions whiche saluaciō was reueled in Christ Nowe Lorde let thy seruaunte departe in peace accordyng to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy saluaciō which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A lyght to lyghten the gentyles and to be the glorye of thy people Israell In these other lyke testimonies of the holy Scriptures it is vndoubtedlye declared that this most ryche most myghtye and most benigne grace wherby all nacions in the laste ende of the worlde are called into the kingdome of Christ was hyd in the secrete counsell of GOD in the former ages And why it was not made knowen in time past by the same manifestacion that it is nowe made knowen to all naciōs can no knowledge comhende nor no vnderstandynge perceiue Yet notwithstanding that which moste godly is beleued of the goodnesse of GOD howe that he wylleth all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth ought to be iudged to be perpetuall euerlastyng accordyng to the measures whereby God knoweth howe to heape his speciall vppon generall gyftes That both they which haue bē without grace might be reproued of their wickednes and also that they which haue shyned in his lyght myght glory and reioyce not in theyr owne merite but in the Lord. And in this streite but yet the right path of vnderstandyng the consideracion of yonge Infantes doth set forth vnto vs no small difficultie which Infantes haue not the iudgement of reason whereby they feelynge the benefite of theyr maker might come to the knowledge of the trueth Neyther doth it seme that they can be iustly reproued for that they haue neglected the grace that shoulde haue holpen them seing that they were naturallye brought foorth in that ignoraunce which no doubte receiueth no knowledge nor perceiueth any doctrine ¶ The .viii. Chapter WHerfore forasmuch as God wylleth all menne to be saued what is the matter that so greate a multitude of Infantes are alienated from euerlastynge saluation and so many thousandes of menne in these dayes are left without eternall lyfe as though he had made them for that purpose onlye which created no man of euyl wyll so that because they came into this worlde with the fleshe of sinne they should fall into the bandes of vnlooseable trespasse without the gyltinesse of theyr owne acte What can be more deeper then this what can be more marueylous then this And lawfull is it not to beleue that they whiche haue not obteyned the Sacrament of regeneration do perteyne vnto anye felowwyppe of the blessed And it is more to bee wondered and more to to be maruayled at that where the act offendeth not where the wyll resisteth not where there is all one miserie lyke weakenesse the cause common and al one that the iudge is not all one in so great a lykenesse and such as repulsiō refuseth euen suche doth the election adopte and take Howbeit our hartes shal not be troubled about this depth of gods seperation if we beleue with a firme and stedfast fayth that all gods iudgement is iust do not desyre to know that thyng that he would haue secrete So that when a man can not fynde out whye he so iudgeth it maye suffice hym to knowe who it is that iudgeth Albeit this question is not so farre past knowlege that there shoulde be no instruction at all that can be learned concerning it yf the quiete looke of a sober harte be applyed to beholde the thyng that maye be seene For when we do consider amonge the Pagans among the Iewes among the Heretickes and among them that are Catholike Christians howe great a number of Infantes doeth peryshe who so farre foorth as perteyneth to theyr proper wylles we are sure haue done neither good nor badde We learne that the same sentence abydeth vppon them which mankind receiued for the transgression of our first parent the rigour of whiche sentence whyle it is not resolued toward such it is declared howe great that sinne was And it shoulde be iudged that euery man were borne innocent excepte it should be hurtefull to suche not to be borne againe And as touching the vntimelinesse of death there is no reason why to complaine of it seyng that death mortalitie being once entred into our nature through sin hath brought in bondage to it euē euery day of our lyfe For it shuld come to passe that after a certeyne maner a man myght be called immortall yf there were a tyme within the which he could not dye But corruptiō is neuer on such wyse partaker of incorruption that it shuld not alway be bounde vnto the defection that is due to the fall or transgression The begynnyng of this life is the begynnyng to dye and our age begynneth not to bee increased before it begin to be diminished Wherunto yf anye temporarie space be added it is not added to thend it should endure but it passeth away to the end it shuld peryshe be gone Therfore that which is mortal frō the beginning what day so euer it dye it dyeth not cōtrary to the lawe of mortalitie Neither haue they at any tyme power to liue any nyer then they haue power to die And though the mortalitie of al mē is come of one cause yet corruptible nature is drawē not into one only but into manyfold imbecilities not only the yeres monthes or dayes of mās tyme but also al houres momentes are subiect either to diseases debilities or hurts nether is ther ani kind of death or any way to die but it chaūceth into som portiō of the generalitie of mortal mē For there remayneth an heauy yoke vppon all the chyldren of Adam from the daye that they come foorth of theyr mothers wombe vntyll the day of theyr buryall agayne into the earth which is the mother of al thinges But the weyght of this moste sharpe yoke hath not in such wyse fallen vpon the chyldren of Adam that the Iustice of God myght not worke anye part of his moderation therin The whiche hath so subdued thinges transitory and fayling vnto the lawes of defectiō that he wold not take away frō thē the power of his moderacions Or els all euyls shoulde fall vppon all men because that by common condicion all menne shoulde be subiecte to them all But that the general necessitie being variated and made dyuers the Lorde myght

Or howe all Israell shalbe saued when theyr obsecation and blindnesse is taken a way of whom an innumerable multitude are fallen awaye in theyr infidelitie and haue not come to the tyme wherein they are promysed to be saued Or howe the fulnesse of those nations whiche were not called before are sayde to enter in nowe when of euerye age condiciō of men so many thousandes of all nations vnder heauen do dye without beynge iustified in Chryste But the godly and wise teacher had leuer suspende the causes of these secretes and iudgmentes vnto the profoūditie and depth of the ryches of Goddes wysedome and knowledge then with rashe inquisition to dyscusse the misterie of the moste iuste veritie and moste mercyfull goodnesse whiche is taken awaye from the knowledge of man omittinge none of those thynges which it behoueth mē to knowe and medlynge not at all with those thynges whiche are not laweful to be knowen For there are manye thynges in the dispensatiō and ordering of Gods workes whose effectes only are shewed but the causes lye hydde that when it doeth appeare what is done yet it appeareth not why it is done that where as the worke is sene of all men yet the reason why it was done is shutte vp in secrete to thende that in all one and the selfe same thyng both presumption in thynges vnsercheable might be holden vnder also that faished of manifeste thinges might be confuted For though I knowe not why one man was created a Greeke another a Barbarian this man borne in richesse and he in pouertie one man the valiaunt beautie of a personable stature doth sette foorth another the croked deformitie of feble membres doth disfigure this man begotten of Christen parentes was norished in the cradell of veritie another beynge the broode of heretickes drynketh the poyson of errour with the milke of his mother And to be briefe although I can not discusse a thousand other differences in the habite of bodies in the qualities of myndes the condicion of times the maners of countryes yet foloweth it not therof that I am ignorant that God is the maker and the disposer of all these thinges who verely hath on suche wyse created the bodies and spirites of all men that besides the voluntarye or wylfull diuersitie that foloweth the studie of euery man he variated them in most vnlyke number in the beginning of their creation The manye opinions of vayne bablers would trouble vs and drawe vs diuers wayes which out of thynges vnable to bee knowen haue presumed to goe into inconueniences and haue ascribed these original inequalities and differences vnto fate or destinies when in dede there are none at all and vnto planettes or starres onlesse we dyd holde in moste sure knowledge that God the creatour hath formed of the natural Elementes euery vessel as he wyl and hath ordered one nature of soules and one nature of bodyes by measures after hys owne pleasure whiche workes of GOD might also be knowen to mans vnderstandynge yf they ought to be knowen and it myght be shewed why euery thynge was so made but that it is sufficient to knowe that they were so made The Lord saith vnto Moses who hath geuen man a mouth who hath made the dombe and the deafe the seynge and the blynde haue not I the Lorde God And by the Prophete Esay he saith Haue not I made the fruitefull the barreyne saith the Lord It is red in the boke Ecclesiasticus good and euyll lyfe aud death pouertie and richesse are of God Also Iob saith The dwellyng houses of robbers and brybers are full of plentifull store yet dare they boldly prouoke GOD whereas he hath geuen all thynges into theyr handes And the same Iob disputing of the increase and decrease of humaine and worldly thinges and referrynge all chaunges to the iudgmentes of God sayth With hym is there wysedome and strength he hath counsaile and vnderstanding If he pluck downe there is no man can builde vp if he close vp a man there is no man can open hym yf he withholde the waters all shalbe dried vp if he send them foorth they shall ouerflowe the earth with hym is power and wisdome he knoweth both the deceiuer and hym that is deceiued he bringeth counsellers to a foolyshe ende and Iudges into dasednesse he looseth the girdle of Kynges and gyrdeth theyr loynes with a rope he maketh Priestes without honour and ouerthroweth the rulers he changeth the lippes of the true speakers taketh awaye the learnynge of the Elders powrynge foorth dispite vpon Princes and relieuynge them that were oppressed who openeth the thynges that are buryed in darknes bryngeth to lyght the shadowe of death which multiplieth the naciōs and destroyeth them and maketh them that are destroyed sounde agayne whiche chaungeth the heartes of the Princes of the earth beguyleth them that they maye goe they wote not whyther They grope as in darknesse and not in the light and he wyll make them to goe out of the waye lyke dronken men And agayne the same Iob shewyng that the wyll of God can not be frustrate saith For he is alone saith he and no man can turne his thought and loke whatsoeuer his soule wylleth the same shalbe done Part of mankynd is deliuered and part of them doth peryshe if we shoulde ascribe that vnto the merites of mens wylles as though it shoulde seme that grace hadde refused naughtie men and chosen good men then shal the causes of innumerable people resist and be agaynst vs vnto whom by the space of so many yeres the preachynge of the heauenly doctrine hath not shone Neither maye we saye that their posterities were better of whom it is written The people of the nacions whiche sate in darknes haue sene great light vnto them that sate in darknes and shadowe of death light is sprong vp And they to whom the Apostle Peter saith Ye are an electe generation a kyngly priesthod an holy nacion a purchased people that ye myght shewe foorth the power of him that hath called you frō darkenesse into his so marueylous a lyght who in time past were not a people but nowe are the people of god on whom sometime he had no mercy but nowe hath mercy Wherefore that is not geuen for the merites of the yonger whiche the elders did not deserue For the vngodlynes was all alike that accused the children aswell as y e fathers and all one the lyke blindnesse of ignoraunce drowned and ouerwhelmed both the one and the other in lyke error But what knowlege can cōprehend or what wisdome cā finde out why God had mercy on the one sort had not mercy on the other The reason of this difference lieth hyd is secrete but not the difference it selfe We vnderstande not his iudgement herein but we se his workyng And why then do we falsely accuse his secret iudgement that owe thanckes to his manifeste mercy Let vs praise