hony combe and â—â—â—â—eth our soules to loue againe except we be dead yea to loue most earnest according to the mercie that we haue tasted of Some shadowing of it we may sée in men that stand all condemned iustlie for matter of trespasse committed and expect a sentence of bitter death accordingly Let the Prince in this case release one pardoning in mercie and giuing life when paritie of trespasse called for equall punishment O how leapeth the hart of that released one when be knoweth it crying mercy mercy O swéetest mercy how bound am I for this release Can I loue can I thinke can I honor euer condignly the fountaine of this fauour towards me I cannot I cannot and therefore I will dye with this O mercy aboue merit and hope of requit all in me So it is in our election where onely grace hath made the difference saued vs. The loue is great we cannot but sée it what is due we may not deney it If all loue destre loue againe God forbid but such loue should be euer thought of as the Lord inableth Fourthly it prouoketh vs to all good works we neuer think obediene to much y t redounneth to the good liking of him y t thus hath loued vs. If men in this world shall stede vs any way how wish we how will we how care we how seeke we to do the thing that may content auoyd the thing that may offend them what comparison is there betwixt the loue of men and this loue of God towards vs before the world was made Can then the knowledge and true regard of it be without fruite in our conuersation It cannot be Fiftly it stayeth vs against offence that wold grow by such as fall away if this wer not For it telleth vs some stand in show and some stand in truth some stand for tyme and some stand for euer If any had bene of vs saith y e Apostle Ihon. They would haue continued with vs. Feare we not therfore when men start aside but stand we fast whosoeuer shake remembring wel that all being not apointed to the end they neither are apointed to the meanes Lastly most swéetly this doctrine of our election profiteth vnto patience telling vs y t no tiranny in this cursed worlde no malice nor moods of mortall men can or shall euer preuaile beyond the limits and lists of his counsell y t hath decréed their pitch And therefore indure it and indure it patiently for he moderateth This comforted the Apostles for their Lord master in that notable place of the Acts worthy reading a thousand times O Lord say they against thy holy Sonne Iesus whome thou hadst anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentills and the people of Israel gathered themselues together But what could they doe Surely they haue done nothing but what thy hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done This comfort our Sauiour himselfe pleased to apply to himself against the cruel enemy lifting him selfe vp vaÌ„ting as though he had all power of life death against our Sauiour Thou couldst haue no power against me saith he except it were giuen thee from aboue True in the head and true in the members euer to our great stay and comfort These and such like are y â— fruits of this doctrine of our election Which they neuer tasted nor euer knew that so wickedly condemne it Let it suffice that we féele it to the prayse of God our comfort and let them perish with their error that so cast away a doctrine of such heauenly vse if they will not repent and be perswaded Away then with those cursed Cauils that flye vp downe against this doctrine For it is holy it is swéete it is the Lordes It maketh no man set all at six and seuen as carelesse what he doth saying if I be predestinate to be saued I cannot be damned and if I be apointed to death I cannot be saued But contrarywise it maketh men rather carefull to vse meanes as knowing that the decrée of God taketh his effect by meanes And therefore such as rightly vnderstand this doctrine cary in themselues a care not to speake prophanely of any truth of God howbeit they knowe that the decrée of God standeth euer in it selfe vnchangeable and cannot be altered yet looke they not at that but at the meanes that God hath apointed all men to vse either for the obtaining or auoyding of any thing wished or feared And those meanes they vse with all care and diligence séeking the ende by the way ordeyned not any way made retchlesse in the meanes by the end As for example that I may be plaine Rebecca knew that GOD had apointed her sonne Iacob to liue to be a greater man then Esau because God himselfe had tould her that he would make two mightie nations of her two sonnes the elder should serue the yonger yet did she not conclude hérevpon as these men do that therfore it skilled not what she did when Esau threatned to kill Iacob for being apointed to liue he could not be killed But contrarywise she most carefully deuised and most spéedely vsed meanes to kéepe him from danger by sending him away to her brother Laban till Esau his anger should be as waged Knowing as I say that the decrée of God did not preiudice meanes but rather binde vnto the same as being to take his effect in time by the same And so she ran not rashly to the counsell of GOD as these men doe but looked what her owne dutie was and vsed that By which meanes her Sonnes both liued and all came to passe well as God had decréed Take an other example as plaine as this In the Acts of the Apostles we read that Paule and his company were in great danger vpon y t sea In so much that they were faine to throw all their lading out and in the end the ship burst in two Before the extremitie of the perill God that is euer carefull to comfort his by his Angel in y t night foretould Paule of all y t should happen had him not feare for he should escape and for his sake all likewise that were with him which were in number 276. soules Héere was Gods couÌ„sell knowen his decree and purpose reuealed which Paule beléeued and exhorted all theÌ„ most firmely to be persuaded of What now Did Paule vpon this coÌ„clude as these men speak why then it skills not what we do For God hauing determined to saue vs we cannot be drowned No such matter but leauing y â— decrée of God looketh streight at the meanes that must be vsed the industrie of y â— Mariners who wold haue stolne away had not Paule preuented them the streÌ„gthning of their bodies by taking some meat Which being don such as could swim threw themselues first into the Sea y t getting to land they might helpe
to honor or dishonor to saluation or damnation to heauen or hell In which good pleasure of his euer the rule of right he hath disposed of some one way of some another It being his glory in his house also to haue vessells of diuers sortes and not all to one vse Of many scriptures some few shall serue First the testimonie of the Apostle who saith to the Romanes That whome he hath predestinate them also he called and whome he called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them also he glorified Boldly auouching this doctrine which some make so dangerous with all the degrées sequells of the same In the 9. Chapter he maketh expresse mention of Vessels of mercy prepared to glory and vessells of wrath prepared to destruction To the Ephesians he saith He hath chosen vs in him he hath predestinate vs to be adopted c. In the Gospell sée often two sorts of men one to whome it is giuen to vnderstand the secrets of the kingdome of Heauen an other to whome it is not giuen one sort to whome it shalbe said Come ye blessed an other sort to whome it shalbe said Go ye cursed Behold againe saith olde Simeon This childe is apointed for the fall and rising of many in Israell Therefore two sorts there are in this counsell of God one must rise the other must fall being so apointed Esau and Iacob Peter and Iudas with the two theues at the death of Christ many mo declare thus much in example to vs. God hath loued and God hath hated God hath elected and God hath reiected God hath saued God hath cast away for euer Still but in iustice whatsoeuer he doth without wrong to any all being his owne Now if any man will not stay héere but will search further and aske a reason of this the Lords doing why he reiecteth any all being equall his workmanship and alike by nature to these the wise and sober Apostle answereth no otherwise but he willed because he willed Noting therby that his will should content vs which he hath reuealed without any reason which is not reuealed And if it do not then heare I pray you what Saint Austine saith to such curious inquirers Tu homo expectas a me responsum ego quoqua homo sum Itaquae ambo audiamus dicentem O homo tu quis es qui responsas deo melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia Quaere merita non inuenies nisi paenaÌ„ O altitudo Petrus negat latro credit O altitudo Quaeris tu rationem ego expauescam altitudinem Tu ratiocinare ego mirabor Tu disputa ego credam Altitudinem video ad profunditatem non peruenio Paulus inscrutabilia vocat tu vis scrutari ille inuestigabiles vias eius tu vestigas Cui responsio ista displicet quaerat doctiores sed caueat ne inueniat presumtores Thou O man lookest for an answere of me and I my selfe am also a man Therefore both thou and I let vs harken to him that saith O man who art thou that disputest with God Better farre is faithfull ignorance then rash knowledge Seeke for merit thou shalt finde but punishment O depth Peter denieth the theefe beleueth O depth Thou seekest a reason of this I will treÌ„ble at the depenes Thou reasonest I will wonder Thou disputest I will beleue A depth I see to the bottome I cannot come Paule calleth them the vnsearchable waies of God thou wilt search theÌ„ Whosoeuer is not satisfied with this aunswere let him seeke for one better learned then I am but let him take hede that he finde not a more presumer Thus much may suffice for the doctrine it selfe that it is euident in the scripture Concerning the braunches of it as euident againe is the word for the same and first for the cause It telleth vs plainelie that we are chosen according to his good will His will I say and not our will or yet worke any manner of way That we should be holy saith the Apostle not because we were holy making our holinesse an effect flowing from election not election from or for our holynesse With which Saint Austine agréed when he said Pradestinatio est preparatio beneficiorum Dei Praedestination is a preparation to all the benefits of God I haue obtained mercie saith the Apostle to be faithfull not because I was faithful or would be in time Againe to the Romans There is a remnant according to the election of grace of grace I say and marke it he saith not of merit or for merit for grace excludeth merit as the Apostle plentifully prooueth Ro 4. And Sainct Austine plainly confessed when he saide Gratia non est vllo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo It is not grace any way except it be free euery way And againe writing vpon these words in Iohn Nisi pater traxerit except the father draâ—veth Cur aijt traxerit non duxerit Ne vllam precedere nostram voluntatem auâ— meritum credamus Why saith he except the father draw him and nor except the Father guide or leade him Surely for feare wee should think by so speaking that some will of ours or merit went before 3 Plaine againe is the scripture for the firmenesse and stabilitie of this decrée of God as by many places might be showed Writing vnto Timothie the Apostle saith thus in plaine words The foundation of God remaineth sure sure I say and marke it hauing this seale the Lord knoweth who be his To the Romanes he saith thus The gifts and calling of God are without repentance that is without change or alteration It may appeare vnto vs also most euidently by this argument If whatsoeuer befalleth the wicked still befalleth them to their damnation béeting so by theyr great wickednesse peruerted and whatsoeuer befalleth y â— godly still turneth to their good then is the decrée of God for the life of some and death of other some most stable and firme but this is so if you marke particulers therefore the conclusion followeth For perticulers name what you will be it neuer so good yet to them that be reprobates still it is a fall The gospel of God how swéete how good how profitable yet to the wicked it is a sauour of death vnto death and not a sauour of life vnto life The long suffering of God how gratious how good how worthie praise and thanks for euer Yet vnto the wicked it is made an occasioÌ„ to harden their harts to presume in sinning to heape vp more and more wrath against the day of wrath for body soule Christian libertie what a blessed grace of God is it Yet of the wicked it is turned into wantonnesse made an occasion of great offence The Supper of the Lord what a swéete Sacrament is it full of comfort to y â— godly to
others the rest on boards and broken péeces of y t ship came all safe to shore Thus did meanes effect Godê purpose and not Gods purpose knowen of Paule hinder the carefull vse of meanes in him or the company A third example if you will let vs adde to these two as pregnant to our purpose as either of theÌ„ Our Sauiour Christ him selfe in his youth was sought for by Herod to haue bene slaine Yet God had apointed him to liue and to effect the worke of our redemption So in respect of Gods decrée it was not possible y t Herod should hurt him doe what he could What then would God haue this counsell of his a cause of securitie or neglect of meanes in Ioseph the reputed father of our Sauiour No. But his owne selfe willeth him in a dreame by his Angel to take Mary and the Child and to slye into Egipt there tarying till he should bring him word Which Ioseph dyd so by vse of meanes preserued him whom yet God had apointed to liue from euerlasting do Herod all the world what they could Did Mary hinder Ioseph from vsing these meanes saying to him tush do not we know what God hath aponinted this Child vnto Did not I heare what the Angell said to me when I conceiued what the Shepherds wise men said when he was borne what Simeon and Anna sayd at my Purification all which things Mary layd vp in her hart saith the text therefore let Herod doe what he can Gods apointmeÌ„t must take place cannot be preuented by his malice though we sit still and slye not at all Did I say Mary thus reason or thus hinder him Nothing lesse And therefore learne we euer by this example the true dutie of Gods children the right vse of the doctrine of gods predestination Surely it is this that whatsoeuer the decrée of God is we euer pitch our owne eyes vpon the meanes that God hath apointed knowing that as he hath apointed vs to the ende so he hath prescribed away to come to the same by If I wilbe saued I must doe this if I will not be damned I must auoyd that So you sée did Rebecca Paule God himselfe for his Sonne Christ and all that euer feared God vnderstoode this doctrine since the world began So doe we our owne selues I doe not doubt at this day carefully working our saluation with feare trembling by hearing the word receiuing the Sacraments and folowing the course prescribed in the word to such as wilbe saued Making the determined counsell of God in predestinating vs to life whereof in our consciences we féele a swéete assurance the ende of this our obedience a comfort against our imperfections wheÌ„ we cannot do the good that we would and therevpon Satan séekes to terrifie vs and in a word rather a chéefe cause to incourage vs to the vse of meanes then any way to make vs negligent in the course of good liuing Let prophane persons doe what they will and say what they list as hoth works and words be vnsanctified yet thus both doe say the godly whome we are to folow If for the abusing of this doctrine by some the doctrine it selfe must be reiected then must y e whole word it selfe be also prohibited because that vnto some it is a sauour of death vnto death as often as it is either read or preached But God forbid Let sinne be sinne in them that abuse it and truth be frée for them that will learne it Uaine then is this obiâ—ction I hope you sée against gods predestination that it maketh vs carelesse what we doe Surely it maketh vs most carefull as I haue shewed And let this suffite Why but if I did nothing yet I should be saued being apointed to be saued and if I do neuer so well yet I shalbe damned being apointed therevnto Be not deceiued Being apointed to be saued it is not possible that you should do nothing For aswell you are apoynted to the meanes as to the end which apointmeÌ„t is effectual euer as examples haue showed no example can be showed to y â— contrary For as predestination hath folowed vpon loue in God so doth calling folow predestination iustification folow calling sanctification which is this vsing of meanes that I speake of folow iustification Till at the last we come to gloryfication You knowe it is the Apostles cheyne to the Romanes Contrarywise if a man be apoynted vnto death and a reprobate it is neuer possible that his déeds should be good in respect of him selfe but alwaies there wilbe some secret poyson in them as was in Iudas care for the poore when he would haue had the oyntment sould beare they neuer such a glosse to the eye of the world And therefore that againe is but an error that men shalbe damned do they neuer so well being apoynted therevnto Well Sir then may you say this is also that which maketh against this doctrine which you now handle that it séemeth to iustifie or excuse the wicked who are not able to do other wise theÌ„ they do being marked of God vnto perdition therfore should not as it séemeth be punished for that which they cannot chuse but commit Neither in this againe let vs be deceyued For to sinne necessarely and to sinne constraynedly are two things farre differing one from an other The reprobate they sinne necessarely in respect of Gods decrée but yet they sinne not constreynedlie or by force thereof at any time For then might their punishment séeme somewhat hard But there is in them knowledge many times when they sinne will delight anger if they be restreyned or brideled any way all which are testimonies against theÌ„ of the iustice of their punishment fully conuincing them in their consciences and accusing theÌ„ clering this doctrine of Gods decrée from being any compulsion to them to transgresse euer Let this cauill therfore also cease and this holy doctrine stand still vndefiled in our eyes Thirdly it is not so high mysticall obscure hidden if it be soberly intreated of and within the limitts of the word but that it may be vnderstode with profit and comfort of a reuereÌ„t minde Witnesse hereof all that I haue now saide of the points seuerall members of this doctrine so euident and plaine and easie as we cannot desire a greater light If any thing be obscure in it or hard yet may not that cause all the rest to be reiected as Austen truely testified when he said Numquid negandum quod apertum quia comprehendi non potest quod occultum Must we therefore deny what is playne and manifest because we cannot comprehend what is hidden Thus doe we sée the vanitie of mens cauills against this sacred truth of God and whatsoeuer else is brought of any man against it falleth as these with the light of truth when they are considered and compared with it And let thus much