world is spoken of whereupon God hath bestowed his grace they maintaine that the word cannot otherwise bee taken then indifferently for all men beleeuers and vnbeleeuers For of many significations of the World they acknowledge onely three chiefe wherein they say the rest may easily be included as that the word World is taken for the frame and vniuersall compasse of heauen and earth then for the common multitude of all men good and bad lastly for that part of men which comprehendeth the reprobates and vnbeleeuers Of these significations the first and the third agree not with those places It remaineth then that all those places bee taken in the second signification I answere that the reckoning was insufficient in the maior For as the world in the holie Scriptures is taken for the reprobates and vnbeleeuers only so also it is often vsed for the elect and faithfull dispersed throughout the whole world There be many plaine testimonies to proue this Ioh. 14.31 he ioyneth both those significations together in those words of Christ The prince of this world commeth and hath nothing in me but that the world may know that I loue the father and that I doe as the father hath commanded rise let vs goe hence Of this world also is that Ioh. 17.21 that the world may know that thou hast sent me Which is that world which shal know Christ and beleeue in him but that which is discerned from the world of reprobates For of these about the end of the same chapter he speaketh Righteous father Vers 25. the world doth not know thee but I know thee and these haue knowne that thou hast sent me and I haue manifested thy name vnto them and will manifest it to wit vnto them of whom hee had spoken that the world may beleeue that I am sent of thee So Rom. 4. the promise is said to bee made to Abraham that he should be the heire of the world that is the father of all beleeuers circumcised and vncircumcised as Paul himself declareth And chap. 11. he saith that the fall of the Iewes is the riches of the world and the casting away of them the reconciliation of the world that is of the Gentiles to whom he saith saluation happened by the ruine of the Iewes that they might bee prouoked to follow them Where wee see the word world also restrained for them that appertain vnto that fulnes of the Gentiles which is appointed to come into the roome of the Iewes Therefore it is idle and impudent wrangling to say Huber thes 143 where be we able to finde and plainly shew in the whole Scripture that the world is taken onely for a certaine kinde of men whom God hath chosen to be saued But goe to let vs annexe to these the testimonies of Augustine the very chiefe of the old Diuines Augustine and most practised in such questions against the Pelagians He tract in Ioh. 110. vpon that saying that the world may beleeue The word world attributed sometime to the reprobates onely sometime to the elect and faithfull onely writeth after this sort Behold he that said I pray not for the world doth pray for the world that it may beleeue because there is a world whereof is written that wee may not bee condemned with the world For this world he praieth not for he knoweth whereto it is predestinated And there is a world whereof it is written The sonne of man came not to condemne the world but that the world by him may be saued Whereupon the Apostle also saith God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe for this world he prayeth saying That the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me The same man in the next tract saith Who are those whom he saith are giuen him of his father They be those whom he receiued of the father and whom he himself chose out of the world that they might not be of the world and yet they themselues are the beleeuing and knowing world that Christ was sent of God the father that so the world may be deliuered from the world and that the world which is reconciled to God may not bee damned with the world that is enemie to God And about the end of the same Tract vpon that saying The world doth not know thee he saith The world surely which is predestinated to damnation by desert doth not know but the world which he reconcileth to himselfe through Christ doth know not of desert but of grace Againe tract 53. Euill men are called the world because they bee scattered through the whole earth and good men also are called the world because they likewise bee dispersed through the whole earth Wherevpon the Apostle saith God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe And in this sense in the same place hee expoundeth the saying Now is the iudgement of this world to wit the iudgement not of damnation but of separation whereby it shall come to passe that farre and wide sins shall bee pardoned and thousand thousands shall be deliuered through faith from the power and rule of the deuill and reconciled vnto God Ambrose Likewise Ambrose saith in Psal 118. serm 12. The whole world is truly in the Church wherein there is not the Iew only nor Grecian Barbarian Scythian bond or free but we are all one in Christ Iesu By these sayings it appeareth that it is a very rotten foundation that the word world wheresoeuer it is expressed in the Scripture in the matter of grace doth note out an vniuersalitie of all mankinde none at all excepted The first place Ioh. 3. World taken for mankinde indefinitly Now let vs consider the places by themselues seuerally As touching the words Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world we say that by the name of world mankinde indefinitly is meant as Christ saith Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world that is for the reprobates but onely for them whom the father gaue vnto him and should beleeue in him Rom 8. Paul also to the Romanes declareth that the loue of God in Christ is so great that the beloued of God are made vnconquerable against things present and to come and against all the temptations of the world which thing certainly cannot be spoken of all men Therefore that loue belongs not to all albeit generally God hateth nothing of those things hee hath made as wee haue seene before But goe to let vs answere the contrary reasons whereby they endeuour to proue that the word world which is verie doubtfull in the Scripture is here necessarily taken for the whole masse of mankinde altogether say they as it is taken Rom. 5. By one man sinne came into the world and death by sinne D. Iacob Andreas Colloq Mompel appealeth vnto the iudgement and one consent of all writers and interpreters old and new Great rashnes certainly which to suppresse I will produce one of many euen Rupertus Tuitiensis who florished about 400. yeres
Champion of this conflict trusting to this triple ranke dealeth no more modestlie nor lesse boasteth himselfe and singeth the triumph before the victorie then euen that fierce Goliath 1. Sam 17. 2. Paral. â—2 1. â—eg 20. arrogant and stout by reason of his sworde speare and shield or that proud Sanherib or glorious Benhadad trusting in their horses and chariots to the reproach of Israel For he boasteth boldly that all attempt is in vaine of ouerthrowing those rankes Comp. thes 14. vnles first they that assaie it doe accuse and conuince the scripture of falsehoode But oh sirtha of good fellowship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sing not your triumph before the victorie and as it is set downe in the sacred Scriptures Let not him that putteth on his armor boast as he that putteth it off as we learne that Ahab long agoe wisely answered Benhadad 1. Reg. 20.21 The Scripture with vs is of vndoubted credit and constant authoritie But the question is not of the trueth of the Scriptures which who so beleeueth not is a Pagan and no Christian but of the trueth of mans opinion which too boldly truely thou doest defend vnder pretence of Gods word as we shall see Wherefore we nothing regarde as well thine armies as thy triumphs CHAP. II. VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE FIRST ORDER A generall answer to testimonies of the death of Christ for all THe first order or ranke as farre as I obserue consisteth in a fourefold kinde of testimonies as a foureparted rescuing armie of souldiers for the places of Scripture of the olde and new Testament are brought wherein either Christ is said to die for all or the fruite of his death seemeth to be extended to all without exception or mention of the world is made in the matter of saluation or lastlie the gospell is said to appertaine vnto all Of all these we will speake in order First of all as touching the testimonies of the death of Christ for all we graunt also after a sort that Christ suffered and died for all men as many as haue been are and shall be What then Shall it thereof follow that all and euery one whether they beleeue or not beleeue are in very deede reconciled iustified quickened renewed saued and that all iudgement and wrath of God is truely and properlie taken away in all men and that all together are set free from all sinne and condemnation vndoubtedly and receiued as sonnes into the fauour and bosome of God This thing this stout defender maintaineth in these very words in his Theses but we denie and vtterly denie these consequences For that they may be admitted this of necessitie must be the Maior of the Syllogisme For whomsoeuer Christ suffered and dyed The opinion of the aduersarie drawne into a syllogisme they vndoubtedly are freed from all sinne and condemnation and are in deede made partakers of saluation reconciliation iustification regeneration and other benefits purchased by Christs death without any respect of faith and vnbeliefe The assumption followeth Christ is dead for all Therefore c. Answere But the Maior taken so absolutely is most false and full of reproach euery way against all the trueth of Christian religion and the very passion and death of the sonne of God But it is true conditionally that they for whom he died be partakers of the rehearsed benefits if they beleeue in Christ and obey him For it is impossible that a man should please God Heb. 11. who is without faith And Christ plainely maketh such a difference As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes Ioh. 3. so must the sonne of man be lift vp that euery one that beleeueth should haue euerlasting life And straight waies So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternal life Againe in the same place For God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saued He that beleeueth is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie And about the end of the chapter Iohn Baptist saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath life but he that beleeueth not in the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Neither doth Paul acknowledge any to be iustified by the redemption of Christ Rom. 3. but such as beleeue All saith he haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whoÌ„ God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This answere vseth Theophilact vpon Heb. 2. Theoph. whom Anselmus there seemeth to follow His words are these He tasted death not for the faithfull only but for the whole world For albeit all are not saued in very deed yet he a Peregit quod suâ intererat wrought that which was his part to do See how it doth not follow that if Christ died for all all are straightway saued which is the diuinitie of Huberus thes 270. Vpon the 9. chapter to the Hebr. the same interpreter hath left it thus written He hath taken away the sinnes of many Why said he of many and not of all Because all mortall men haue not beleeued The death of Christ surely was equiualent to the perdition of all that is was of value sufficient that all should not perish and it was paied for the saluation of all and * Quantum in eo fuit as much as lay in him he died for all yet he tooke not away the sinnes of all because they that resist him make the death of Christ altogether vnprofitable vnto themselues These things he Stapulensis The foresaid answere Stapulensis an interpreter among the late writers not to bee despised confirmeth vpon the 2. chapter to the Hebr. in these words Christ truly suffered for all men and his death is of value for the redemption of all but then his death hath freed vs from the feare of death and from the feare of bondage hath restored vs into the libertie of life when wee follow him willingly And vpon the 10. chapter he writeth that by the oblation of Christ there is a most full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world which haue been are and shall be but their sins are remitted who comming vnto Christ doe aske grace which he vouchsafed to obtaine of the father for them but their sins are not pardoned who refuse his grace and contemne the vniuersal fountaine of the washing away of sinnes not knowing or being vnwilling to purge themselues in him And Brentius doth so declare it Brentius Catechis artic de remiss peccat We are iustified saith he by the meere mercie of God only for the redemption wherwith Christ hath redeemed mankind from sinnes and for that reconciliation which he hath obtained and not for any merit of man But
vse of the former doctrine for the confutation of certaine errors BY the doctrine alreadie expounded Heretikes denying Christ to be true man are confuted by the former doctrine Leo epist 85 97. those men are confuted which haue denied the trueth of mans substance in Christ as Eutyches Apollianaris Manichaeus Marcion and other old Heretikes and at this day certaine Anabaptists who haue wallowed in the vngodly errors of old Heretikes Pope Leo vrging these men saith Let them speake with what sacrifice they are reconciled let them speake with what blood they are redeemed who is he that hath giuen himselfe an oblation to God So are the popish merits of Saints these paâ—ker of pardons the upon brought in wherby Christs merits are prophaned and a sacrifice of a sweete sauour Furthermore by this same doctrine the Papists are refelled who ioyne the sufferings of the Saints to the passions of Christ and thereof haue confusedly made their fained treasure of pardons Neither are they ashamed to boast of the superfluitie of merits and humane satisfactions that the Saints haue suffered more then they ought for their sinnes and heaping one error vpon another haue fained that this their superabundance pertaineth not only to the quick but also to the dead in purgatorie This is a meere mockerie of Satan and a prophanation of the blood of Christ as Pope Leo notably sheweth in the forenamed Epistles against the Papists of these times whose words are these A notable saying of Pope Leo against the meritorious suffrings of Saints Albeit saith he the death of many Saints hath been precious in the sight of God yet the slaying of no guiltles person hath been the propitiation of the world The righteous haue receiued they haue not giuen crownes and from the fortitude of the faithfull examples of patience haue sprong and not gifts of righteousnes For there were peculiar deaths in euery one neither hath any man by his end paied the debt of another seeing among the sonnes of men there hath been one alone our Lord Iesus Christ in whom all are crucified all are dead all are buried and all are also raised vp againe And before Leo Pope Gaius of the countrie of Dalmatia being in that Sea about the yeare of our Lord 284. wrote the same thing elegantly vnto Bishop Felix the doctrine of which ancient Bishops I would to God the Romane Church had kept inuiolablie A saying of Augustine to the same end Vpon the same point Augustine writeth in his 84. treatise vpon Iohn Albeit we brethren die one for another yet the blood of no martyr is shed for the remission of sinnes which Christ did for vs and bestowed it not vpon vs that wee should imitate it but that we should be thankefull for it The trifling Pardoners or more truly sacrilegious deceiuers obiect the words of the Apostle to the Colossians Colos 1.24 Scripture abused by popish pardoners I reioyce in those things which I suffer for you and I fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the Church But the true sense of that place they might haue learned euen of Aquinas who part 3. of his Summae quaest 48. artic penult disputing that only Christ is our redemption obiecteth this place and thus expoundeth it The sufferings of the Saints profit the Church not by way of redemption but by way of example and exhortation according to that 2. Cor. 1. Whether we be afflicted it is for your exhortation and saluation Which is very well sauing that for exhortation a man may better translate the Greeke word Consolation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in that the afflictions of the Saints are called the rest of the afflictioÌ„s of Christ he doth not meane that the passion of Christ was vnperfect farre off be such blasphemie but therefore that is spoken because Christ suffereth daily as yet in his members but to a farre diuerse end and after another maner But those men are not ashamed such is their wickednesse to bragge of the superabundance as I said of humane merits and satisfactions Our sufferings are not meritorious Rom. 8.18 which redoundeth to the quicke and dead What doth not the Scripture plainly testifie that the things which wee suffer in this present life are not equall to the glorie that shall bee shewed in the sonnes of God What that none can redeeme his brother nor giue the price of his raunsome to God For the redemption of the soule is precious Psalm 49.8.9 as the Psalmist singeth Vpon which place Basil in his gloses noteth Basils sayings thereof worthie remembrance that the whole world is not the price of a soule And tom 1. vpon the same Psalme saith Man hath no abilitie at all to offer a reconciliation to God for a sinner because he himselfe is guiltie of sinne For all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu Therefore no man can giue his owne appeasement and the price of his soule to God neither ought to seeke his brother to redeeme him but one who surpasseth our nature that is not man only but the man God Iesus Christ who alone is able to giue himselfe to be a reconciliation to God for vs all These things he Therefore all men must hope in him alone We must then rest vpoÌ„ Christ alone for redemption propitiation and saluation who onely is the Mediatour of God and man the redemption propitiation and saluation of all men Let our heart say vnto him I will loue thee O Lord my strength my rocke my tower my deliuerer my shield and the horne of my saluation I will trust in thee and I shall neuer be ashamed Hauing an high priest saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes which is mercifull Chap. 2. 4. and faithfull in things concerning God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs goe with confidence to the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercie Let vs goe in a true heart and certaine perswasion of faith Chap. 10.19.20.22 hauing libertie to enter into the Sanctuarie by the blood of Iesu by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh There is no cause there is no cause I say why we should doubt to goe by him vnto God If wee haue committed grieuous things we haue found a worthie Phisition wee receiue the soueraigne medicine of his grace And not that onely but also we trust that he which hath not spared his owne sonne Rom. 8.32 but giuen him for vs all will also with him bestow vpon vs all things CHAP. VII Of the time of the Redemption purchased IT followeth that we consider diligently of the time also of this redemption purchased for vs by Christ And it is manifest by the historie of the Gospell
that our Lord and Redeemer our King and high Priest Iesus Christ came into the world Christ was borne in the 42. yere of Augustus Anno mundi 3963. made of the seede of Dauid after the flesh in the 42. yeare of the raigne of Octauius Augustus which was the yeare of the world 3963. after Funccius supputation Yet I am not ignorant that others disagree from that account certaine of the olde Latines and Greekes ascending vp to the 5000. yeare but by a plaine error in account which riseth from the difference betweene the Hebrew copies and the Greeke Septuaginte But to proceede in my purpose the Lord from the time of his comming and appearing in the flesh sustained all his whole life both in bodie and soule the wrath of God against the sinne of all mankinde but specially in his end 1. Pet. 2.24 when he bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree Coloss 2.14 and tooke out of the way the hand-writing of death that was against vs nailing it on the crosse And it is recorded that this was done in the 34. yere of the incarnation of Christ He suffered death in the 18. yere of Tiberius being 34. yeres old or as Epiphanius saith 32. yeres and 74. daies on the 12. day of the Calends of Aprill that is 21. of March and in the 18. of the raigne of Tiberius Caesar Yet Epiphanius contra Alogos haeres 51. will haue all the yeres of Christs presence in the flesh from his birth to his passion which he writeth was done the day before the 13. of the Calends of Aprill to be only 32. and 74. daies differing one yeare from the former opinion And the same man diligently refuteth the naughtie supputation of others who misunderstanding that prophesie of Esai chap. 61 that I may preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord thought that the Lord after he had finished only one yeares ministerie after his baptisme by Iohn suffered death in the full thirtith yeare of his age In which opinion was Seuerus Sulpitius who noteth that our Lord was crucified when the two twinnes Fusius and Rebellius were Consuls And their Consulship fell in the 31. yeare of Christ as Epiphanius witnesteth But now to omit the curious searching out of these things least any should marueile that Christ after so many thousand yeares should bee made manifest at the length vnder Tiberius as it were in the euening of the world Heb. 9. and as the Scripture speaketh in the end of the world to abolish sinne by the offering of himselfe wee must thinke that it happened not so by chance or fortune but by the eternall counsell and prouidence of God Wised 81. 11.17 which as the Wiseman saith reacheth mightily from one ende to another and disposeth all things pleasantly and ordereth all things in number weight and measure Hereupon saith Peter 1. Epist 2. Christs comming into the world after so many thousand yeares was appoynted so from al eternitie in Gods counsell as the Scripture teacheth vs. that the Lambe by whose precious blood we are redeemed was made manifest in the last times for our sakes being foreordained before the foundations of the world were layd And by the witnes of Paul Gal. 4. God sent his sonne made of a woman after the fulnes of time was come And he meaneth the time of the incarnation of the Sonne and of our redemption by him which was before appointed of his heauenly father which thing the similitude vsed in that place doth declare For he had said that the heire being an infant is vnder tutors vnto the time appointed of the father So Ephes 1. he mentioneth the fulnes of times for the restoring of all things by Christ And that we may more certainly vnderstand that this time of the restoring of all things was by God from all eternitie appointed the same was by diuine inspiration plainly foretold by the mouth of the holie Prophets 1. Epist 1. who as Peter teacheth foretold of the grace that should come to vs searching when and at what instant that foreshewing spirit of Christ that was in them should declare the passions that should happen to Christ and the glorie that should follow Vnto whom it was reueiled that not to themselues but vnto vs they should minister those things We haue examples in the prophesie of Iacob Gen. 49. and of the 70. weekes in Daniel chap. 9. And euery where the Prophets when they foretell of the kingdome of Christ haue made mention of the last daies A question Why came he in the old age of the world and not in the beginning after the fall Acts 1.7 But some man may aske why in the old age and almost end of the world hath God sent his sonne to be a Redeemer and not rather straightwaies after the fall of mankinde Although it be not our part curiously to enquire into the counsell of GOD and it is sufficient to answere curious wits as Christ answered his disciples It is not for you to know the time or seasons which the father hath put in his owne power yet there are reasons of some account alleadged by learned men Thom. part 3. quaest 1. art 5. of the redemption or sending of the Sonne of God so long deferred First it was expedient that the greatnes of mans disease and corruption should more and more be felt Foure causes why Christs birth was so long deferred and made manifest not by the examples of one age onely but of many Therefore God left man first in the state of nature that hee might know the strength or infirmitie rather of his nature after when it decaied he receiued the Law which being giuen the disease increased through the fault not of the Law but of nature that so his weakenes being knowne he might crie vnto the Phisition and seeke for the helpe of grace Secondly the Law and the Prophets the figures and legall shadowes and promises of Christ to come ought to haue their course also and the greater the Iudge or Lord is that was to come the longer rew of cryers or heralds ought to go before as the glosse saith vpon that to the Galathians chap. 4. When the fulnes of time came Thirdly it is agreeable to order that that which is vnperfect and naturall should be first and then that which is spirituall 1. Cor. 15. Therefore the states of nature and of the law as being more vnperfect haue well gone before the state of grace and that by a iust distance of time Fourthly that way the godly were exercised in faith and in the expectation of the redemption to come which when they had beheld a farre off through faith they dyed not obtaining the promises as farre foorth as the exhibiting of the Messiah did not fall out in their times Hereupon the author to the Hebrewes setteth out their faith and long sufferance with notable praises and propoundeth them vnto vs for imitation Heb.
loueth and that we might be this thing for this cause he loued vs before wee were For he began not to loue vs since we were reconciled to him by the blood of his son but before the world was made he loued vs that with his onely begotten we might also be his sonnes before we were any thing at all Therefore that we are reconciled to God by the death of his son let it not so be receiued nor so be vnderstood as though therefore the sonne hath reconciled vs that now he might begin to loue whom hee had hated as one enemie is reconciled to another but wee are reconciled to him that already loueth vs with whom for sinnes wee were at enemitie and yet it is most truly said vnto him Thou hast hated all that worke iniquitie Marke this Hitherto Augustine The summe of all is that seeing GOD hath loued vs as his worke but especiallie as the members of his Sonne before the foundations of the world were laid he of his meere and free loue being moued gaue vs his Sonne that being redeemed by his grace from sinne whereby wee were put away from the presence and fruition of God we might bee made heires of eternall life Bernard Serm. 20. of the 9. verse of the Psalme He that dwelleth c. very well saith Christ according to the time died for the wicked but in respect of predestination he died for his brethren and friends CHAP. X. Of the finall cause of redemption THere followeth that question whereunto are we redeemed wherein the question now is concerning the end of our redemption And the end is two-fold to wit Two ends of redemption the glorie of God and our saluation The former end the Apostle extolleth Ephes 1. where hee saith The first end is Gods glorie that God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid hath foreordained to adopt vs for his sonnes through the same Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will to the praise of his glorious grace whereby he hath made vs acceptable in that his beloued in whom wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of sins In which words he not only teacheth that the end of the eternall and free election of God is the praise of his glorious and rich grace but also sheweth that the redemption of vs by Christ is subordinate vnto the same end Prou. 16. For God hath made all things for himselfe euen the wicked against the euill day that both the benefit of their healing who are deliuered and also the iudgement of damnation in the deserued punishment of such as perish should further his glorie Wherefore wee are here warned Coloss 1. that with Paul wee giue thankes without ceasing vnto the father who hath made vs meete to be partakers of the portion of the Saints in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom wee haue redemption through his blood c. 1. Pet. 2. As Peter also admonisheth vs of our dutie in this point that wee should preach the vertues of him who hath called vs out of darknes into his marueilous light It is well knowne what Moses and the children of Israel did when the sea yeelded a readie passage for all his people to goe through how being protected by Gods hand and beholding that wonderfull redemption Exod. 15. Sap. 19. they leaped like lambes and sung his praise Thou O Lord art our deliuerer thou art our strength But what speake I of the old people and of the old song we haue a new song the song of the Lambe let vs standing vpon the glassie sea of this world and hauing the harps of God sing it vncessantly with the vniuersall Church Apoc. 5. 15. to him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe because hee was slaine and hath redeemed vs vnto God by his blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hath made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne vpon the earth The song of the vniuersall Church in the honour of Christ To thee O Sonne of God the louer of mortal men O good Lord O pacifier O rich Sauiour and a king in deed the creator and maker of all things the word and wisedome of the father the light and brightnes of the father the power arme and right hand of the father to thee be blessing and honour and glorie and strength for euer and euer Thou hast redeemed vs being captiues and seruing sinne thou hast deliuered vs by thine owne death Thou hast giuen vs the adoption of sonnes Thou becamest poore that by thy pouertie thou mightest enrich vs. Thou hast freely giuen vs the kingdome of heauen Thou hast fashioned vs a new in darknes hast inlightened vs and being dead men thou hast quickened vs thou vnloosedst the sorrowes of death and brakest the gates of brasse and doores of iron and hast broken in peeces the yoke of sinners Eccle. 15. And because praise is vncomely in the mouth of fooles and this wonderfull and altogether diuine redemption is to be published of vs not so much in words as in deedes themselues goe to let vs so be affected let vs so frame our life maners actions counsels and all our affaires that wee bee not found foullie vnthankfull to our common Redeemer to whose glorie wee ought wholly to bee consecrated and nothing better yea euery way worse then those obstinate Iewes through whom the name of God was euil spoken of among the Gentiles as it is written But let that sharpe reproofe of Moses neuer goe out of our mindes in the song in Deuteronomie Chap. 32.6 Will ye giue this recompence vnto the Lord O yee foolish and vnwise people Is not he thy father who oweth and possesseth thee hath not hee made and prepared thee The second end of redemption is our saluation The 2. end is our saluation which containeth many benefits which comprehendeth many and sundrie benefits albeit knit together in one and the same band as these especially Iustification which consisteth in the free remission of sinnes Sanctification and newnes of life Consolation yea reioycing in aduersitie vnder the hope of the glorie of God and lastly Entrance into the eternall kingdome of our God and Sauiour Iesu Christ and euerlasting ioyes in life eternall These so many and so great benefits of God are purchased for vs by the abundant grace of the death of Christ as the sayings of the Scriptures doe shew Rom. 3. We are iustified freely by the redemption made in Christ Iesu whom God set forth to be a reconciliation thorow faith in his blood by the remission of sinnes And chap. 5. When wee were as yet sinners Christ died for vs. Therefore being iustified by his blood wee shall be saued now much more from wrath by him
restraint is it to be taken as oft as it is read in our writers that Christ suffered not for all to wit in respect of the effect of his passion which belongeth to such as are to bee saued and not to them that shall be damned to the faithfull and not to Infidels And so Beza also declareth himself Colloq Mompelg pa. 217. And there is nothing in him which is not in so many words and in the same sense written by the old writers Neither are cauillers to be regarded which say what need is there to say Huberus thes 1154. that Christ is a price sufficient for the whole world why bewitch ye men with these termes I answere this is no bewitching but the ancient and right explication of this controuersie against them that loue to bewitch the world with new opinions Huber comp thes 5. 6. But say they the word sufficiently taken in that signification wherein sacred antiquitie tooke it we refuse not but rather approue it But our Caluinists say they deuising a wrong and doubtfull signification of the word doe deceiue the simpler sort For this they meane that Christs death is so mightie that if he would helpe all men by the same he could easily doe it thes 1152. But if they would vse the word of sufficiencie in another signification as when we say against the Papists that the death of Christ is sufficient for al men that is needeth no helpe of mans works to redeeme vs or els also in this sense when we say that Christs death is sufficient for all whether men beleeue and be saued or beleeue not and perish yet that Christ hath satisfied for al we would not refuse the vse of this terme in such a signification But I thinke it is plaine enough by the things which are recited before how antiquitie hath vsed those termes of sufficiencie and efficiencie neither that wee change any thing in the sense or deceiue any by doubtfull signification In the meane while the thing it selfe proueth that the simpler sort are here beguiled by our aduersarie who when hee would seeme to allow the terme of sufficiencie in that sense wherein antiquitie accepted it yet he deuiseth of his own head significations altogether vnknowne vnto antiquitie in his propounded opposition otherwise we defend also against the Papists that the merit of Christ needeth no helpe of mans workes neither deny we that he hath satisfied for al whether they bee saued or perish to wit as touching the sufficiencie and greatnes of the price so mighty and rich for redemption that if the vniuersalitie of captiues would beleeue in him the bands of the deuill should hold back none CHAP. XII Another maner of vniuersall redemption THis also we affirme that albeit not all All taken for all that bee Christs and of his Church as many as are borne of Adam are by the death of Christ effectually borne againe redeemed and iustified rightly neuerthelesse it may be said that Christ died for all euen in respect of the effect of his death iustification regeneration and such like benefits not that they redound to all and euery man but to all who are Christs as the Apostle saith If God be for vs Rom. 8. who can be against vs who also spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all Who be those all in whose mouth that saying is and faith in their hearts If God be for vs who can be against vs Truly they whom he foreknew and predestinated whom he also calleth iustifieth glorifieth the elect of God whose is saluation and eternall life whom no creature can separate from the loue of God in Christ as there it is said Who shall lay any crimes against the elect of God The author of the bookes de vocat gentium a man surely very learned and eloquent Prosper Aq. whether he were Ambrose or rather Prosper of Aquitaine lib. 1. cap. 3. writeth notably in this sort Therefore saith he the people of God haue their fulnes and albeit a great part of men either reiect or neglect the grace of the Sauiour yet in the elect and soreknowne which are seuered from the generalitie of all there is a certaine speciall vniuersalitie that out of the whole world the whole world seemeth to bee set at libertie and out of all men all men seeme to be receiued Where let vs note a doubt A three-fold vniuersalitie nay a three-fold vniuersalitie namely the generalitie of all men then the generalitie of the elect who are saued and on the other side the vniuersalitie of the reprobates who perish Of these as well elect as reprobates as the same author well obserueth the diuine stile doth so order his speech Lib. 2. cap. 1. that both those things which are spoken of one part of men seeme to appertaine to all and also whereas there bee some who perish and some who are saued yet neither part is without the name of all men the portion of rebels bearing the losse of their saluation and the dignitie of the faithfull obtaining the account of fulnes But the matter shall bee made more cleere by examples When the Lord saith Ioh. 12. When I shall be lifted vp from the earth All taken for all the elect only I will draw all things or after another reading all men vnto me doth not the conuersion of all men seeme to be promised and yet many thousands to this day do serue the deuill and the world But rightly wee vnderstand with Augustine Aug. tract 53. all that is all men predestinate to saluation of all whom none shall perish So that which is written in the Prophets Esay 54.13 Esay 31.34 Ioh. 6. All shall be taught of God and all shall know me from the least vnto the greatest are alike true of the men of Gods kingdome according to the limitation of Augustine Athanasius Tract 26. See also Athanasius of these three sayings now alleaged in Euang. de pass cruce Domini What when it is said Esay 65. All flesh shall come into my sight and worship in Ierusalem saith the Lord. Or els that Ioel. 2. And in the last daies it shall come to passe that I will powre out of my spirit vpon all flesh Or this The Lord vpholdeth all that fall Psal 145.14 and lifteth vp all that are bowed downe Are not these so vttered as though no man were seuered from this gift of God Of this sort are these sayings also Vntill wee all grow into the vnitie of faith Ephes 4. 2. Cor. 5. and knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man Old things are passed away behold all things are become new Matth. 26. Drinke ye all of this c. Are these things spoken of the vnbeleeuers also and such as be notoriously wicked Of the vniuersalitie of the vngodly the sacred Scriptures speake in like maner All taken for all the wicked only as
this benefit of God we receiue not but through faith by the preaching of the Gospell For albeit Christ hath redeemed mankinde from sinnes and reconciled with God yet this benefit had nothing profited mankinde if it were not preached vnto them by the Gospell And the Gospell requireth faith and is to be receiued by faith He that beleeueth not shall be condemned and he that beleeueth shall be saued Wherefore remission of sins purchased by Christ and preached in the Gospell is receiued of vs and applied vnto vs no otherwise then by faith Huber thes 19. Hereunto the assertion is contrarie that all haue receiued reconciliation and saluation whether they beleeue or not beleeue CHAP. III. Peculiar answers vnto those sayings of the Scripture which affirme that Christ died for all THe former generall answere is plaine and sound and may suffice alone yet we think good particularly to examine the sayings of the holie Scriptures touching the death of Christ for all The first place then let this be in this order 1. Tim. 2.4 5 6. The first place 1. Tim. 2. God will that all should be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who hath giuen himselfe a raunsome for all Here they first vrge the words that God will that all be saued whereof they will haue gathered that therefore once all men none excepted are in deede saued by the redēption of Christ without any respect of faith or vnbeliefe although many afterward lose againe through vnbeleefe saluation that was obtained But the Apostle entreateth of that saluation which is by faith as Theophilact well expoundeth and the matter it selfe sheweth and not of a certaine vniuersall saluation of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Further the Apostle knitteth saluation and the knowledge of the truth together as things most neerely ioyned between themselues He will saith he that all men be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth After the like maner therfore let them inferre that all men also none excepted come to the knowledge of the truth that is to faith and by consequence to eternall life which consisteth in the knowledge of God and Christ Thus the argument is fully answered Yet as touching the minde of Paul the place needeth interpretation as Ambrose also admonisheth For if God who verily is Almightie and doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen and earth will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth why is not his will fulfilled Neither say as the Pelagians vsed to except as Augustine witnesseth that therefore this will of God is not fulfilled because men will not For no free will doth withstand God being willing to saue as he teacheth de correp grat cap. 14. for so to will or not to will is in the power of the willer or niller that it hindereth not Gods will nor ouercommeth his power For he himselfe doth the things that he willeth concerning those men who doe not his will seeing euen of the very willes of men he doth what he will Therefore many waies surely that Apostolicall and diuine sentence may rightly be vnderstood that the very beginning of our faith shake not wherein wee professe that wee beleeue in God the father almightie Of which waies we will recite one or two First albeit none but the elect come to saluation and that effectually called by the holy Ghost The first exposition of 1. Tim. 2.4 by that vocation which is according to the purpose of God yet God by his word calleth al to beleeue and to conuert that they may be saued and not iudge themselues vnworthie of the kingdome of God For this is that good acceptable and perfect will of God that all heare the Sonne repent and beleeue the Gospel vnto saluation As also Ezechiel testifieth chap. 18. EZec. 18. 37 Why will ye die O house of Israel Turne from all your iniquities because I will not the death of a sinner Turne and ye shall liue And chap. 33. As I liue saith the Lord I will not the death of the wicked but that he turne from his way and liue For God reioyceth not in the destruction of such as perish Wised 1. Act. 17. neither approueth an vnfaithfull and vnrepentant heart but as Paul testifieth warneth all men to repent But why this gift of grace to wit conuersion without which none can be saued is not bestowed vpon all by him who would haue all to bee saued it must be referred to the hidden iudgements of Gods iustice For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who first gaue to him that he should recompence him This exposition Luther alloweth de seruo arbit handling the place of Ezech. chap. 18. Luther In that saying saith he I will not the death of a sinner we see no other thing handled then that the grace of God is preached and offered in the world which they only receiue in whom the law hath already wrought his dutie that is the knowledge of sinne The rest contemne mercie promised in that saying But why some are touched by the law and others are not touched so that they receiue these refuse grace offered it is another question and is not handled here by Ezechiel who speaketh of the preached and offered mercie of God and not of that hidden and reuerend will of God ordaining in his counsell whom and what maner of men he will haue to bee capable and partakers of the mercie preached and offered Which will is not to be sought after but with reuerence to be honoured as the secret of Gods maiestie reserued to himselfe alone and forbidden vs. And anone after God doth many things which he doth not shew vnto vs by his word and he willeth many things also which in his word he sheweth not that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner to wit in his word but he willeth it by that his vnsearchable will But we must respect his word and leaue his vnsearchable will Againe comparing this present place of the Apostle with the place of the Prophet hee addeth If thou speake of God preached vnto vs he will that all men should be saued while he commeth to all in the word of saluation and it is the fault of our will which doth not admit him as it is said Matth 23 How oft would I gather thy children and thou wouldest not But why the diuine maiestie doth not take away this fault of our will or change it in all seeing it is not in the power of man or why he imputeth that vnto him seeing man cannot want it it is not lawfull to enquire and though thou shouldest seeke after it yet thou shalt neuer finde it These things so largely I am not ashamed to produce out of Luther because of our aduersaries The second exposition of 1. Tim 2.4 Augustine Secondly this may be the
a Sauiour to saue them but as to him who hath receiued all power in heauen and earth Secondly he vrgeth the words that he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are said to be all of one that is partakers of one and the same nature whereof he inferreth that Christ suffered vnderstand alwaies effectually for the whole nature of mankinde and as many as are partakers of the same But here there is no consequence at all And he boldly writeth that this is so cleere as nothing can bee more cleere Trifles For the Apostle saith not that Christ sanctifieth all who are partakers with him of the same humane nature neither can this bee gathered of his words vnles a man altogether vnskilfull of Logicke should think that that affirmatiue he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one may simply bee conuerted More rightly the writer of the calling of the Gentiles in the last booke first chapter saith Nature being euill and miserable in all men before reconciliation is not made righteous in all and among such as should perish there is a difference made in some part thereof by him who came to seeke and saue that which was lost Thirdly he thus reasoneth Christ hath abolished him who had the power of death the deuill Ergo by dying he hath pulled all and euery one out of his power I answere that the deuill is destroyed by the death of Christ vnto the faithfull Coloss 1.13 vnto whom all the assault of Satan is in vaine and of none effect vntill the God of peace doe at length vtterly tread him vnder their feete Rom. 16. Ioh. 3. But the wrath of God abideth vpon the vnbeleeuers and consequently the power of Satan who is as a certaine executioner of Gods wrath to punish In the meane while we confesse with Leo that the death of Christ is so rich in value that if the vniuersalitie of captiues should beleeue in Christ no bands of Satan could hold them Obiection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thus the deuill shall not bee abolished while his power remaineth ouer very many I answer that it is a fallacie à dicto secundū quid that is from a saying spoken in part For as we rightly say that Christ doth abolish and take away sinnes that is the workes of the deuill by iustifying and gouerning his owne albeit in the meane while sinne ceaseth not to raigne in very many so the deuill is worthily said to bee abolished by the death of Christ Ephes 2.2 2. Tim. 2.26 although his power continueth towards the children of disobedience Let other places be compared wherein the Greeke word is extant as 1. Corint 1.28 Romanes 6.6 and 2. Tim. 1.10 Fourthly they be the expresse words of the Apostle That Christ tasted death for all that he might set them at libertie as many as were all their life subiect vnto bondage To this we answere if this saying be meant of the efficacie of Christs death the vniuersall particle doth not comprehend all men and euery one but all who are sanctified as here and somewhat after the Apostle himselfe declareth For when he had made mention of death which he tasted for all straightwaies he annexeth a declaration of the sonnes of God as it were painting out a certaine companie or armie of them before whom being to be brought from the kingdome of that hellish Pharao into the true land of promise and the glorie of the heauenly kingdome goeth cheerfully that first begotten sonne of God the prince and author of their saluation who died for them all and rose againe and being crowned with glorie and honour carieth before them his crosse as it were for a standard and prepareth and fortifieth the way for thē And a little after They that are sanctified saith he and hee that sanctifieth are all of one Where by those that are sanctified he noteth such as are appointed to the saluation of their soules and must be brought vnto glory as he had said before In these surely the efficacie of Christs death is extant and not in those who are not sanctified as after also in the 10. chapter he saith that Christ by one offering hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified And these bee they of whom Christ himselfe speaketh Ioh. 17. Father I sanctifie that is offer my self for thē that they may be also sanctified through the truth to wit they who are giuen to the sonne by the father and are his people as the Apostle also saith vers 17. of this chapter to the Hebrewes Christ was in all things made like to his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in the things of GOD to satisfie for the sinnes of the people And as for that which is mentioned of deliuerance from bondage and the horror of death by the death of Christ wee may finde this effect also in the godly who being armed against corporall and spirituall death Ioh. 5.24 with the death of Christ as with a remedie against all euill haue passed from death to life And so Brentius himselfe in Expli Catech. expresseth this saying page 164. Christ saith he hath abolished death by his death not that we should not die bodily but that the bodily death should not bee the destruction of him who beleeueth in Christ for he is preserued in death to eternall life Albeit as touching this later member wee are to know that the text may be indefinitly read as the old translation hath it and after that Luther in the Dutch that he might deliuer them who through feare of death were all their life subiect to bondage For the Grecians as Stephanus in his Thesaurus warneth doe take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as many as for who And thus much of this kinde of testimonies which say that Christ our Lord died for all with the answers also added to the reasons gathered out of the circumstances of those testimonies Such places follow wherein the fruite of Christs death and passion seemeth to be extended to all without exception CHAP. IIII. HEre first the words of the Apostle are obiected comparing the fall of Adam and the redemption by Christ together Rom. 5.18 where among other things hee writeth Huber thes 48. The first place of the aduersarie out of Rom. 5.18 alleadged to proue that the fruite of Christs death belongs to all that as by one offence guiltines came vpon all men to condemnation so by one iustification the benefit of Christ redoundeth vnto all men to the iustification of life Both there is all men and here also all therefore as many as perished in Adam are iustified by Christ Neither is it any matter say they that it followeth straightway that many are made righteous by the obedience of one for by many is not vnderstood some onely but all because in like maner it is sayd that in Adam many are made sinners
place in the later sense and sheweth that therefore it is said both there all and here all because as all who die die not but in Adam so all who shall be quickened shall not be quickened but in Christ Ambrose Ambrose in Comment referreth that word all vnto the vniuersalitie of the elect As death saith he held all who came of Adam so also Christ purchased life for all who bee of his bodie To whom also Hierome subscribeth in the exposition of this place Yea this is apparantly the declaration of Paul himselfe who when hee had said that all shall be quickened in Christ immediatly added these words but euery one in his owne order the first fruits is Christ then such as are Christs at his comming Therefore he speaketh of the quickening of all those that belong to Christ The 3. place of the aduersarie Ephes 1.10 A third place is alleadged out of the first chapter to the Ephesians where it is read that it was the good purpose of the father to renew or to restore all things in Christ both which are in heauen and which are in earth Which very sentence Paul repeateth and more fully vrgeth to the Colos chap. 1.19.20 saying Colos 1.19 20. This was the good pleasure of the father that in Christ all fulnes should dwell and that he might reconcile to himselfe all things in heauen and earth making peace by that blood of his crosse And the Apostle applying that generall doctrine to the Colossians who had now admitted the faith of Christ he further saith Vers 21. to 25. Therefore you being in times past strangers and enemies hauing your mindes set on euill workes hath he now recōciled in that bodie of his flesh through death that he might present you holie and blameles and without fault before himselfe if ye continue grounded and rooted in faith and be not moued from the hope of the Gospell which ye haue heard which hath been preached vnto euery creature vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a minister reioycing now of those things which I suffer for you and fulfilling likewise the remnants of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the Church The aduersarie vrgeth the generall note all things because all things are reconciled and restored that there is nothing at all omitted among men which is not reconciled and restored by the death of Christ But he cutteth his throate with his owne sword For if wee must sticke to vniuersalitie without any restraint why doth he restraine the generall note to mankind alone and expoundeth all things that is all men Before those words of the reconciliation of all went that saying All things which are in heauen and earth were made by Christ and all things consist in him and that he was before all things and hath the rule ouer all things Why doth hee now goe from that vniuersalitie of all things repeated so often in so few words and expoundeth it of the humane nature alone that all things are said to be reconciled by Christ Doth he confesse at the length that the generall particle doth now and then require a limitation according to the circumstance of the place and matter whereof is entreated But as touching the sense of this place of the restoring and reconciliation of all things by Christ many men haue spoken diuers things of this matter yet none of the old interpreters that I know tooke the words of the Apostle in that sense wherein they are produced by the aduersarie But three expositions of any moment are brought foorth to omit other of lesse account The first is that the whole creature simplie needed the remedie of the death of Christ men truly that sinne and death being destroyed they might obtain through faith euerlasting saluation and Angels that by the repayring of men and the coniunction of earthly things with heauenly they may fully reioyce lastly the Elements and the visible creature for the deliuerie of it selfe from destruction and corruption Rom. 8. for the very creature it selfe also as Paul witnesseth shall be freed from the bondage of corruption into the libertie of the glorie of the sonnes of God This exposition is Theodorites in Comment ad Eph. 1. Col. 1. Heb. 2. Other expound it of Angels and men Hereupon August Ench ad Laur. c. 62. In Christ saith he the things in heauen are restored when the full of Angels is recompenced out of mē And the things in earth are repaired when men themselues who were predestinated vnto eternal life are renued from their old corruption And in the same place expounding the words to the Colos 1. How saith he are heauenly things pacified but in vs that is in agreeing with vs For earthly things were separated from heauenly for the contrarietie of life as Hierome hath noted vpon that place Thirdly by those things which are in heauen other vnderstand the soules of the Saints Heb. 12.23 which be now in the kingdome of heauen and by earthly things the elect who as yet are pilgrimes in the banishment of this present life as Anselme expoundeth in so many words Rightly truly For Paul saith not that peace was made betweene heauenlie and earthlie things betweene Angels and men but that God had reconciled to himselfe both the things which are in heauen and which are in earth And that so it ought to bee construed the Greeke text doth proue albeit others construe it with the verbe that is translated making peace Further the application which is added Therefore vs truly hath he now reconciled who were in times past strangers and enemies doth sufficiently declare that the proprietie of reconciliatiō belongeth to the faithfull and that the vnbeleeuers as long as they bee such are void of reconciliation and enemies of God But the aduersarie The 4 place Colos 1.23 that he may leaue no stone as they say vnmoued would faine establish his opinion of the vniuersalitie of reconciliation by this also Thes 101. that Paul exhorteth all the Colossians to continue stable in the hope of the Gospell and so signifieth that they also are reconciled who fall away or may fall away from hope and faith I answere seeing wee are to iudge charitably of others such are counted and reckoned for faithfull and elect and therefore reconciled and heires of righteousnesse and eternall life whosoeuer professe with vs the faith of Christ but then they be truly that which they are called if they continue in that for which they are so called But if they haue not perseuerance they are not truly so called as Augustine writeth de Correp grat cap. 9. But of this more at large afterward in the arguments of the second ranke or order The aduersarie also warneth vs to marke well in the words of the Apostle ad Col. 1. that he not onely said that the Gospell was preached to all the Colossians but the hope of the Gospel And yet it is in the
let vs also consider the words that follow for Peter addeth 2. Pet. 2.20 21 22. If they who haue escaped the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ be afterwards againe intangled therein and bee ouercome their last condition is worse then the former and it were better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after the knowledge of it to goe backe as the dogge to his vomite Out of these words the aduersarie indeuoureth to collect that many indued with true faith and conuersion and therefore by his death and blood washed and iustified doe perish for euer I answer as afore that here properly the question is not whether some indued with true faith and conuersion doe so fall backe that they perish but this the aduersarie was to proue that the reprobates vniuersally no lesse then the elect and all vnbeleeuers no lesse then the faithful are made partakers of redemption in Christ Which thing cannot bee concluded out of the Apostles words seeing he speaketh not but of them who through the knowledge of Christ had escaped the pollutions of the world which Huber himselfe will haue to bee referred to their faith and conuersion Secondly as touching those who falling rise not againe I denie that such were truly washed in the death and blood of Christ and iustified or were indued with a true and liuely faith in Christ For the contrary hath been aboue shewed out of the doctrine of Peter and other seruants of Christ Neither saith Peter here Peters words expounded It had bin better for them neuer to haue had true faith or els to haue obtained righteousnes then afterward to fall backe from true faith and righteousnes but hee onely saith It had been better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after the knowledge of it to goe backe from the holy doctrine taught them Marke this touching back-sliders And we denie not that many who had cast away corrupt opinions of God and of matters belonging to religion and had imbraced the trueth doe afterward fall away from true doctrine to old or els new errors and by this meanes slide backe from faith that is from the doctrine of faith De fide operib ca. 25. See also in Psal 48 We confesse also that many who as Augustine weigheth this place either by fained promises or externall reformation of maners had forsaken the filthines of the world to wit adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes idolatrie witchcraft drunkennes bankettings and the like doe inthrall themselues againe vnto the same liue in all filthines and so runne into a more grieuous iudgement then if they had neuer knowne the way of righteousnes But they who doe after some sort or other auoide the filthines of the world are not straightwaies to bee accounted washed in the blood of Christ and iustified before God For so as many as among the Heathens haue liued honestly or forsaking the filthines of their former life haue begun to be sober shuld be also accounted for men washed and iustified in the blood of Christ Neither be the things which Huber inferreth of any force they had escaped filthines through the knowledge of Christ and are said to haue knowne the way of righteousnes and the holie commandement that is the holy doctrine of the Gospell is said to haue been deliuered vnto them Therefore they had true faith in Christ giuen them As though the faith of Christians were nothing els than the bare knowledge of Christ or of the way of righteousnes and of the holy commandement Obiection Surely the very deuils haue a knowledge of Christ and that greater then men But they are insnared againe therefore they were once set feee and at libertie Answere I graunt in part they were escaped from their former errors and their outward wicked conuersation wherein while they are againe intangled they be polluted a fresh and like dogges eate againe their vomite which they had alreadie cast vp after that sort doubtles as hath been spoken to wit either by fained promise or els truly as Peter saith while laying aside their wonted errors and maners they bee honest for a time 2. Pet. 2.18 not walking any longer in wantonnes lusts drunkennes surfettings bankettings and abominable idolatries or running any longer with prodigall persons vnto the same excesse of riot as Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. But not all in whom there is seene some reformation of maners haue purified mindes through the spirit and faith vnfained with loue voide of dissimulation from a good conscience and a pure heart There be cited also the words of Peter The 6. place 2. Pet. 1. 2. Pet. 1. where he speaketh of him who professeth faith but hath not workes that he is blinde and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes Therefore false christians and hypocrites who perish at the length were sometime clensed and iustified from their sinnes no lesse then they whose faith by good workes is effectuall and abideth The answere hereunto is the same that was before It must bee vnderstood according to the vsage of the Scriptures The â— expositâ—ons of Peters words 〈…〉 is said to haue been clensed from his olde sinnes Acts 2â— â—6 Augustine which call them Saints iustified and clensed from sinnes as many as are baptized into Christ and ingrafted into his Church Because the Church ought to take them for such according to the iudgement of charitie albeit before God oftentimes they bee not such Further the sense may bee this that such haue forgotten their baptisme which is a certaine visible sanctification and purgation from sins according to that saying be baptized and wash away thy sins But as Augustine very well maketh difference betweene visible and inuisible sanctification Visible and invisible sanctifications Man by visible Sacraments through his ministerie doth sanctifie but the Lord by inuisible grace through the holy Ghost wherein lieth the whole fruite of the visible Sacraments and some men haue inuisible sanctification and it doth them good without visible Sacraments but visible sanctification which happeneth by visible Sacraments a man may haue without the inuisible but it can doe him no good For visible baptisme without inuisible sanctification did nothing profit Simon Magus These things Augustine super Leuit. lib. 3. quaest 84. whereunto Luther also consenteth vpon the second Psalme But it is too absurd and foolish that the aduersarie laboureth to wrest to his purpose also that notable description of the grace of God towards the faithfull in the beginning of the chapter in Peter Peter saith hee testifieth that they may be damned who haue alreadie obtained faith and saluation and all things belonging to godlines But what if this be denied him how will he proue it Because saith he he obiecteth vnto them blindnes The true method and sense of Peters words 2. Pet. â— 3 to verse 12. But good sir it is
the effect for so he teacheth that the sinnes of many onely and not of all to wit of the beleeuers and not of vnbeleeuers are taken away by the oblation of Christ His words are these Why is he said to be offered to take away the sinnes of many and not of all Because all beleeue not He died surely as much as lay in him for all that is his death is of such moment as is the perdition of all Theophylact the abridger of Chrysostome expressed the same distinction ad Heb. 2. 9. and mentioneth that Basil also did so distinguish Whereupon also Chrysostome Hom. 39. in 1. ad Cor. vpon that saying of the Apostle that all shall be quickened in Christ plainly denieth that that can bee meant of the the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer were made sinners in Adam haue the free gift of righteousnes in Christ Of these things it is cleere to what opinion Chrysostome Theophylact Basill and other fathers doe leane In alleadging Augustine The 4. testimonie Augustine I know not whether I may blame craftines or grossenes in the aduersarie Augustine intituleth a booke Of articles falsely laid to his charge whereof the first article was that he was falsely charged as wee are also falsely by such as enuie vs at this day as if he should teach that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered not for the redemption of all men Therefore saist thou by Augustines iudgement it is a false and prophane opinion that Christ suffered not for the redemption of all But Huber by a sophisticall or deceitfull cunning passeth by those things which Augustine there largely writeth for the declaration of this article For he also vsing the distinctioÌ„ before alleadged out of Chrysostome saith Quod ad magnitudinem potentiam pretij c. that is As touching the greatnes and power of the price and as much as concerneth the onely cause of mankinde the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world and so all are rightly said to bee redeemed but whereas they are voide of redemption who passe through this world without the faith of Christ and without the Sacrament of regeneration doubtles the proprietie of redemption belongeth to them out of whom the prince of this world is cast forth and are now not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ whose death was not bestowed for mankind that they also who were not to be regenerated should belong vnto his redemption For the cup of immortalitie which is made of our infirmitie and the diuine vertue hath surely in it selfe that it can profit all but if it bee not drunke it doth no good These things he The 5. testimonie Maximus As for the saying of Maximus in Augustine serm 128. de tempore We reade in the Scriptures that the saluation of whole mankinde is redeemed by the blood of the Sauiour and the safetie of the whole world is euerlasting Those words may bee expounded as touching the greatnes and power of the price being so rich that if all would beleeue in Christ the chaines of Satan should hold none but all should enioy eternall safetie But the right meaning is that the author there speaketh of the generality of the beleeuers through the whole world which thing he shal coÌ„fesse whosoeuer shall consider his drift scope See also Ambrose in Lu. 23. de cassa prodit poenit For this he meaneth that the world is like a potters field bought with the price of the Lords blood for strangers that is saith he for Christians who are exiles in the whole world that they that haue not possession in the world may possesse a whole Sauiour Therfore that redemption belongeth nothing to the vnbeleeuers being the sonnes and possessors of the world And this is the constant doctrine of the fathers as at large shall bee shewed in the booke following The 6. testimonie Cypr. de ablut peâ—um Aug. serâ— in monâ—e lib 1. Chrysost hom â— 20. But concerning them who after faith receiued returne vnto their vomite againe it is little auailable how we vnderstand certaine sayings of the fathers wherein they are read to attribute to such persons the grace of pardon and clensing from sinnes adoption and such like For this is not the state of the controuersie whether they that haue once obtained by faith remission of sinnes doe chance to fall from that grace or no but whether all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers haue once receiued the grace of that pardon and clensing from sinnes or no Those very sayings of the fathers approue the negatiue part which we defend because they speake of such as are conuerted and baptized and to these onely they giue it that they are set free from sinnes and made the sonnes of God But how some afterward lose this grace and returne to their vomit wee haue aboue fully declared to wit that so farre as they are numbred with the Church they bee accounted and ought to bee accounted in the iudgement of charitie for reconciled and the sonnes of God although with God oftentimes they bee not such Serm. domin in monte lib. 1. as Augustine very well hath witnessed Whereupon also he ioyneth these together to bee made partaker of the spirit of grace whereby wee are reconciled to God and to hold the societie of the holy brotherhood Aug. in Leuit. whereas in the meane while many hypocrites euery where creepe into that societie hauing with Simon Magus visible sanctification onely and wanting the inuisible Furthermore touching the new writers The 7. testimonie who because of certaine phrases are drawne to the defence of this error wee are not greatly troubled because we follow not the preiudicate opinion of this or that Doctor but the trueth it selfe Answers to the sayings of the new writers cited by the aduersarie Yet for their sakes that are desirous of the trueth we think it good to giue some aduise Bullinger Gualter Musculus and others are cited and the confessions of one or two Churches in Heluetia out of whoÌ„ these and the like kinde of sayings are diligently drawne to wit that Christ as a Bulling ser 2. de Natiuit Chri. much as is in him is a Sauiour to all and came to saue all b The same vpon 1. Iohn 1. that he pleased God by sacrifice for all the sinnes of all times c Cat. ch minore Eccl. Tigur that his passion ought to satisfie for the sin of all men and that the whole world is quickened by the same d Musâ— in locis de remiss p. q. 2. that the grace of remission of sinnes is appointed for all mortall men and such like Vnto these I answere that howsoeuer and in what sense soeuer those writers vttered these and the like kind of speeches it is certaine that they were not of the aduersaries opinion that effectually and in very deed all without exception of any one and without any difference of
for euer retained Let the same man also be weighed loco de Redemp where he saith Wee know that all men are not made partakers of this redemption Againe saith he Men reprobate and desperatly wicked receiue not redemption The contrary hereof Huber with full mouth auoucheth that all by Christ are made partakers of redemption that all receiue it but that the reprobates hauing once receiued it doe lose it againe Neuerthelesse Three reasons of Musculus why redemption is vniuersall according to the reasons assigned of Musculus this redemption is rightly termed vniuersall 1. Because it commeth not to passe by the defect of grace that many doe perish but by the defect of faith seeing grace is prepared for all to wit that do not refuse it Matth. 22. as all things were readie for the marriage 2. Because all are called vnto it 3. Because so it is appointed for all that no man without it is of can be redeemed Where now he doth vnderstand this appointing otherwise than before yet rightly because albeit many are not redeemed nor iustified yet all by Christ are redeemed and iustified because no man is redeemed but by him Of all which things it plainly appeareth that Musculus as well as others is against the aduersarie and nothing at all on his side That which he citeth out of Hemingius his Syntagma The 9. testimonie Hemingius or Treatise hath some colour to wit that Christ came not for to redeeme onely certaine selected out of mankinde but that that grace is vniuersall as touching the fatherly will of God But albeit Hemingius hath thus written because he otherwise vnderstandeth the doctrine of Predestination yet he greatly dissenteth from the deuise of the aduersaries that all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers without doubt properly and in verie deede by receiuing remission of sinnes are receiued into the bosome of grace iustified and saued by the death of Christ Contrariwise Hemingius Thes 28. testifieth which These Huber craftily hid when he alleadged the 27. that as touching the euent the grace of redemption belongeth to a few onely because few beleeue and bring forth the fruites of repentance For hee acknowledgeth and often times repeateth that albeit the Gospell offer the benefits of Christ to all men of what nation and condition soeuer they be De promiss reparat yet they are receiued by faith alone and so iustification and saluation are freely giuen to him that beleeueth De Euangelio And cleerely he saith That the condition of faith is required that the benefit may be applied that is remission of sinnes and the condition of perseuerance that it may be retayned being receiued For which thing these men say that all haue once receiued the benefit that the beleeuers abide in the same being receiued and the vnbeleeuers doe lose it againe The 10. testimonie Catackis palatin I come vnto that which is obiected out of the Catechisme of our Churches quest 37. where the words of the Catechisme haue that Christ sustained in bodie and soule the wrath of God against the sinnes of all mankinde But the exposition is all one with the place of Athanasius before where was the like speech Certainely the effect of the death of Christ is not in all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers indifferently but as our Catechisme out of the word of God teacheth quest 30. They that imbrace by a true faith Iesus to be a perfect sauiour doe possesse all things which are requisite to saluation Againe quest 20. to the demaunde Whether then saluation be giuen by Christ to all men who perished in Adam It is plainely answered Not to all men but to them onely who are ingrafted into him by a true faith and imbrace his benefits If thou canst Huber reconcile this with thy opinion which is full of error to wit that all who perished in Adam are receiued into grace by Christ iustified quickened and restored to saluation See also in the Catechisme quest 53.55.60.66 c. in all which places no other participation of Christ and his benefits is set downe than by a true faith hypocrites and vnbeleeuers being excluded But of these things enough Let the aduersarie now goe and maintaine his error by the testimonies of olde and new writers whereby he is most manifestly confuted CHAP. XIII Vnto the fourth accusation Huber pa. 20 â—7 312. THe fourth absurditie obiected vnto vs followeth That men are driuen to desperation and that no man can haue any certaintie of his saluation This malitious and false crime he tosseth too and fro The summe and effect tendeth to this that all the assurance and comfort of saluation according to our opinion leaneth vpon meere particulars whereof nothing followeth after this sorte Some men are in fauour with God and shall be saued I am a man Therefore I am in fauour with God and shall be saued As though we were so foolish and vnwise that we haue not learned better out of the word of God to comfort our selues and others For as there is of those which shall be damned so there is of such as shall be for euer saued a certaine vniuersalitie in the Scriptures neither can any man that is in his right wits denie that some shall be receiued others refused some shall be saued others shall perish in the last day Math. 24.25 the former reioycing for euer in the fathers kingdome prepared for them before the foundations of the world and these contrariwise suffering eternall torments in vnquencheable fire prepared for the diuell and his angels And albeit God knoweth them that be ordained by him to eternall life or else not ordained and all things that I may vse the words of Luther are set down in Predestination Prefat ad Rom. who shall be saued who damned yet we must not goe vnto election without the word and speculatiuely In Gen. 26. as he speaketh least we fall headlong into desperation or contempt but we must iudge of election a posteritie that is by that which followeth it as they say that is by faith The vniuersalitie of the promise of grace and by other fruites of election arising vnto the very cause it selfe Hence come those most sweete promises made vnto the beleeuers vniuersall surely Come vnto me all ye that labour I will refresh you Matth. 11. Ioh. 3. Ioh. 6. Whosoeuer beleeueth in the sonne shall not perish This is the will of the father that all that beleeue in the sonne should haue eternall life Hereunto beare all the prophets witnesse that all that beleeue in him receiue remission of sinnes through his name Acts 10. 13 19. By him whosoeuer beleeueth is iustified The righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesu Christ in all and vpon all that beleeue Rom. 3. 9. Whosoeuer beleeeueth in him shall not be confounded For there is one Lord of all rich towards all that call vpon him for whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued
the Minor of the argument is false for he that hath knowledge knoweth himselfe to beleeue as before hath been shewed And whosoeuer beleeueth A man may know himselfe to haue faith and so to haue Christ Luk. 22. Matth. 26. is partaker of the merits of the death and humiliation of our Lord Iesus Christ as he saith this is my body which is giuen for you and this is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for you as Luke hath or as Matthew saith which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Why saith he for many Because albeit the blood of Christ be shed for all as touching sufficiencie yet it was shed for the regenerate onely as touching efficiencie as I shewed before out of Innocentius Whereupon Basil saith All of vs as many as do beleeue Exhortat Baptis are redeemed from sinnes by the grace of God which is through his onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who said This is my blood the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes which exposition he twise repeateth in his Sermon following of Baptisme for many that is for all beleeuers the blood of Christ was shed CHAP. XVI An answere to the residue of the Absurdities HVber goeth on and that he may maintaine any way his opinion he obiecteth also other absurdities so horrible that a godly minde cannot but tremble in thinking of them as Hubers blasphemies that God is accused of fraud and lying Of fraud in that he saith one thing and thinketh another Of lying in that by word he offereth and commandeth to receiue things which in the meane while by his irreuocable iudgement he forbiddeth to receiue Also that Christ by his passion hath mocked God and men and that the mightie and holy Lord of hosts is worthily accused of crueltie iniustice reioycing at mens harmes and of other great euils agreeing rather to a most cruell tyrant then to God For such and so many words doth his rude and shameles mouth vtter often or rather roreth out But these be the sleights of the aduersarie issuing out of the same forge that his other lyes and slanders doe too too presumptuous truly But because those obiections and mocks excepting only the last saue one respect not so fitly the doctrine of Redemption as of Predestination which treatises Huber here and there without order confoundeth and are long agoe largely confuted by Doctor Luther in his booke of seruile freewill I will not suffer my selfe in refuting them to be carried beside the matter I haue in hand One or two places onely of Luther I will alleadge for their sakes who depend vpon that mans authoritie that they may vnderstand that the doctrine of Luther is wounded through our sides He therefore in his answere to the place of Ezech. 18. Luther de seruo arbit cap. 107. seq J will not the death of a sinner confirmeth the receiued distinction of a double will in God which truly was wont to bee so distinguished for our capacitie And one will he one while calleth secret fearefull and vnsearchable other while the most reuerend secret of Gods maiestie sometime the hidden God but the other will A double will in God he calleth one while the reuealed will other while the word preached sometime God preached and worshipped How God willeth and willeth not the death of a sinner Eze. ca. 18. and proceedeth after this sort God doth many things which he hath not shewed vs in his word and he willeth many things which in his word he doth not shew that he willeth So he will not the death of a sinner in his word that is in his will reuealed in his word but he willeth it by his vnsearchable will Therefore it is well said If God will not the death of a sinner wee must impute it to our will that we perish well I say if it bee vnderstood of God preached For he willeth that all men be saued while he commeth vnto all by the word of saluation and it is the fault of the will which doth not admit God as Matth. 25. it is said How often would I gather thy chickens and thou wouldest not But why Gods maiestie taketh not away this fault of our wil or changeth it in all or why he doth impute it vnto man seeing he cannot want it we may not inquire and if thou wouldest inquire yet thou shalt neuer finde it as Paul Rom. 9. saith Who art thou then that reasonest with God Againe it is sufficient saith Luther to know that God so willeth and this will it is meete we should reuerence loue and adore restraining the rashnes of our reason Here Luther sufficiently sheweth that it pertaineth to his reuealed will that God willeth the conuersion and saluation of all and to his hidden will that he neither giueth nor purposeth to giue conuersion and saluation to all but to whom he will according to his meere good pleasure Neither are these cōtrarie one to another The hid and reuealed will are not contradictorie therefore no suspition of fraude or lying in God as though God spake one thing and thought another when we say that he willeth that is commandeth that all repent and beleeue the Gospell to saluation and yet that he will not worke in all men faith and repentance Euen children may perceiue that here is no contradiction because of the diuers signification of the word will The same man cap. 160. God is not vniust or one that reioyceth at mans miserie This surely offendeth common sense and naturall reason that God of his meere will forsaketh hardeneth and damneth men as though he who is said to be of so great mercie and goodnes delighted in the great and eternall paines and torments of miserable persons This seemeth wicked cruell and intolerable to imagine of God But here the most mercifull God ought to be honoured and reuerenced and wee must referre freely some thing vnto his diuine wisedome that he may bee beleeued to be iust A notable saying where he seemeth to vs to bee vniust For if such were his iustice as might be iudged by mans capacitie to bee iust it should not be altogether diuine and should differ nothing from humane iustice But seeing God is true and one wholly incomprehensible and inaccessible by mans reason it is meete yea necessarie that his iustice also be incomprehensible c. Therefore what peruersenes is this that wee should destroy the iustice and iudgement of God These and many other such things hath Luther against such as contend with their maker Esay 45. Brentius in 1. Sam. 2. v. 25. Brentius also vpon those words touching Elies sonnes They heard not the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them subscribeth vnto this doctrine and concludeth this whole question in these words Therefore that they may be punished according to the worthines of their deserts the Lord
by his secret power brought it to passe that they should not repent at their fathers admonition and should perish God is not the author but reuenger of sin punishing sins with sins he surely working inwardly what by word he forbiddeth outwardly and his power inwardly hindring that which by his manifest will he outwardly commanded to bee done And this is not to be the author or cause of wickednes but it is to inflict iust punishment for the same But how it commeth to passe that the Lord by his secret power worketh inwardly or hindreth that which he forbiddeth or commandeth outwardly in his manifest word it is a higher point then that mans capacitie can finde out These things Brentius Obiection And whereas it is further obiected that vnles by the death of Christ all faithfull and vnfaithfull be forgiuen and in very deed and properly be restored to grace and saluation Christ is charged to haue deluded God and men by a false passion it is a vaine and vnsauourie deuise Com. thes 37. For there is a flat begging of the question in the antecedent seeing the aduersarie thus reasoneth Christ himselfe confesseth that he died not for a few onely but for the whole world to wit for all mankinde Wherefore if it was the counsell of his father that he should die for the elect onely Christ hath mocked God first and then men holding them in suspense with so great hope as though he died for all Where I beseech doth the Lord confesse that he effectually died or would die for all or that he would that all should haue the effect of his death to wit reconciliation righteousnes saluation none at al excepted of the whole vniuersalitie of maÌ„kind whether they imbrace by faith the Sauiour or by vnbeleefe refuse him Christ witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me It is a wonder if he hath pacified the iudgement and wrath of his father for them for whom he surely did not vouchsafe to pray And in the same chapter For them I sanctifie my selfe that they also may bee sanctified Therefore for whom he praied for them also he offered himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme them effectually from sinne and death and to sanctifie them for euer and so contrariwise CHAP. XVII Of this that only vnbeleefe condemneth and not other sinnes but whosoeuer is condemned for only vnbeleefe he is condemned ALL these things being made plaine Hubers opinion is now spoyled and his threefold ranke scattered here and there whereto he in vaine trusting and furnished more with number then with strength of arguments hath bid this battel vnto the trueth But yet before we make an end of this point wherein we haue taken in hand the confutation of a new and erronious doctrine of Redemption we must not omit what these new Sectaries teach of the cause of damnation to wit how it commeth to passe that whereas they auouch that by the passion of Christ all without exception are discharged from the iudgement and wrath of God Marke this doctrine of the aduersaries How all are not eternally saued that yet were redeemed and saued by Christs death as they say and receiued into the fauour and bosome of God and that the reprobates as well as the elect are saued yet all are not saued for euer This therefore is the cause say they because some abide by faith in saluation receiued others through vnbeleef refuse contemne and cast away saluation gotteÌ„ for them and so by neglecting and despising their saluation make themselues reprobates and therefore onely are damned because they despise grace and through incredulitie doe binde themselues againe in the guiltines of all sinnes These things are in so many words extant in Hubers Thes 19.69.155.245 And also in his Thes 187. he writeth that such as beleeue not tread vnder foote their redemption and propitiation for their sinnes shaking from them through vnbeleefe and so their vnbeâ—eefe is vnto them the onely cause of damnation In like sort Iacob Andree Col. Mompel pag. 548. saith that men are not therefore damned because they haue sinned but because they will not by faith imbrace Iesu Christ who suffered was crucified and died no lesse for the sinnes of the damned than for the sinnes of Peter Paul and all the Saints noting there these words in the margent onely vnbeleefe damneth men What we like in the aduersaries doctrine As touching this doctrine it is confessed if any man truly beleeue in Christ the sinnes of all the world are not able to cast him downe into hell and contrarily if a man haue not faith he shall be damned albeit the righteousnes of all the world were his owne Mar. 16. For he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned saith that faithfull and true witnesse De verb. Dom. sec Ioh. serm 60. enar Ps 109. And Augustine writeth that onely the sinne of vnbeleefe shutteth the doore against all other sinnes that they are not released by the grace of God as by beleeuing all sins are remitted What we mislike iustly The first faulte or error against the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Yet two things in the said opinion doe iustly displease vs. One is that whereas this opinion is forced to acknowledge that the saluation of Gods kingdome happeneth not but by faith yet it dare auouch that there is remission of sinnes freedome from the iudgement and wrath of God and power of the deuill yea and saluation it selfe without faith For it will haue all these things to come to all men indifferently by Christs death whether they beleeue or not otherwise than all Prophets and Apostles doe testifie Acts 10. that he that beleeueth in Christ through his name receiueth the remission of sinnes the wrath of God abiding vpon the vnbeleeuers Ioh. 3. This is a farre other opinion than if a man should say as Huber doth that all together are set free from all sinne and all iudgement and wrath of God is taken away and blotted out in all men yea in vnbeleeuers onely through vnbeleefe they be againe bound with the guiltines of their sinnes and doe fall againe vnder the wrath of God Serm. 60. Augustine saith well in the forecited place The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for the sinnes of men is to beleeue in Christ and by faith we are borne of God and made the sonnes of God as it is written to them that beleeue in his name he hath giuen power to become the sonnes of God The other thing which is worthily reproued in the alleadged opinion is this The second fault or error confuted by foure reasons that it precisely setteth downe the contempt or lothing of the grace of the Gospell through vnbeleefe to bee the cause of damnation For first this opinion presupposeth the offering of the grace of the Gospell in
wit the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesu Christ in all and vpon all that beleeue For there is no difference For all haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes through the remission of sinnes The Apostles iudgement is that all mortall men simplie are vnder sinne and haue neede of the glorie of God but he ascribeth not righteousnes to euery one that sinneth as our aduersaries opinion is Hub. thes 45. For he expressely defineth the righteousnes of God to come through faith in Iesu Christ and more plainly addeth that wee are iustified freely by the redemption wrought by Christ and that he is set forth vnto vs of the father to be a propitiation but through faith Hereupon the author of the Commentarie in Hierome vpon this place saith Ierome Christ is in a readines set before the eyes of men to bee a propitiator that he that will bee redeemed may come Brentius Brentius also whom I cite very often because of the aduersaries weighing this place writeth very truly that it is manifest that Christ our redemption and propitiation is not receiued nor appropriated vnto vs but by faith And therefore that there is no other instrument beside faith to receiue the benefits of God and of his sonne which we must enioy And seeing Christ and his benefit are not receiued but by faith it remaineth that wee are not iustified but by faith that is made acceptable to God acquitted from sinnes and reputed iust before God These things he explicatione Catechis of iustification Therefore by what right or wrong is this propitiation extended to all and bee all said to be freed from all sinne and condemnation and in very deede receiued into the lap of grace that is iustified whether they beleeue or beleeue not This is not Gods righteousnes but fained by men of a reprobate minde to the reproach of the Gospell preached of the Apostles and confirmed by the witnes of the Law and the Prophets Righteousnes in all and vpon al that beleeue Moreouer reiecting that fained vniuersalitie the Apostle establisheth the true vniuersalitie of righteousnes and grace in all and vpon all that beleeue that is as Theophylact interpreteth such a righteousnes whereby God maketh vs righteous commeth vnto all men by faith and all Iewes as well as Gentiles bringing faith are made righteous For there is no difference neither is he the God of the Iewes onely but also of the Gentiles for it is one God that iustifieth circumcision of faith vncircumcision through faith For there is neither Iew nor Gentile Gal. 3. bond nor free male nor female but we are all one in Christ all the sonnes of God and heires according to promise through faith in Christ Iesus The 2. place Rom. 8. In the same Epistle to the Rom. there is another notable famous place chap. 8. What shall we say then If God be for vs who can be against vs who hath not spared his owne sonne but giuen him for vs all how shall he not also with him giue vs all things Vs all taken for the church proued by the Scripture and by Augustine He saith not barely for all but for vs all with limitation as that limitation also is elsewhere taken in the sacred Scripture Rom. 4. Abraham is the father of vs all So Ierusalem that is aboue is called the mother of vs all Gal. 4. 1. Cor. 12. the Apostle saith that by one spirit we all bee baptized into one bodie whether we bee Iewes or Gentiles bond or free and are all made to drinke into one spirit Also in the forecited place to the Galathians ye are all one in Christ Iesu Ad Laur. ca. 61. Doubtles this is the voyce of the Church If God be for vs who can be against vs This Augustine obserueth saying The Church that is among men which he speaketh to make a difference of the Church which is among the holy Angels and powers of God is redeemed from all sinne by the blood of the Mediatour who is without sinne and it is the voyce of the same If God be for vs who can be against vs The voice of the Church who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all This saying elsewhere he confirmeth two maner of waies from the text Tract 45. in Io. by the precedents and the consequents For there goeth before Whom he foreknew them he also predestinated whom he predestinated them he called c. Of whom also it followeth Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God who iustifieth c. What is then He gaue him for vs all To which vs To the foreknowne to the predestinate to the iustified and glorified The Lord knoweth who bee his they bee sheepe Sometime they know not themselues but the shepheard knoweth them saith Augustine in the place alleaged Besides that Christ for whom he died according to purpose and efficacie for them also he is an aduocate ceasing not to make intercession that the grace of the fathers reconciliation may more and more be bestowed vpon them and to vse the words of Ambrose he saueth them being the ware that his blood hath bought For how can he condemne him Ambr. lib. 1. â—â— Iac. cap. 6. whom he hath redeemed from death for whom he offered himself whose life he knoweth to be the reward of his death Marke this Shall he not say what profit is in my blood if I damne him whom I haue saued Wherefore the Apostle Rom. 8. Who is he that shall condemne It is Christ who is dead nay who is also raised againe who also is at the right hand of God who also prayeth for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall oppression shall anguish shall persecution shall famine or nakednes or danger or sword Nay in all these wee are more than conquerors De vocat gent. lib. 1. cap. vlt. through him who hath loued vs c. So the loue of Christ maketh them vnconquerable and vnseparable that is perseuerers vnto the very end for what is else to perseuere then not to be ouercome in tentation Wherefore they that perseuere vnto the end and bee saued be doubtles the beloued and redeemed of God The 3. place Ephes 5. Thirdly we reade to the Ephesians That Christ is the head of the Church and the sauiour of the body that he loued his Church and exposed himselfe for it to sanctifie it clensing it in the lauer of water by the word that he may make it for himselfe glorious that is not hauing wrinckle or spot or any such thing but that it may be holy and blameles Three proofes out of the Text for our opinion Ephes â— Many things
here come together for the proofe of our opinion First Christ is called the head of the Church and that not according to creation and preheminence onely as he is the head of euery creature but after a peculiar maner as the Church is his bodie and the fulnes of him who filleth all in all As therefore such as be members of the bodie and not such as are without the bodie are quickened of the head so wee who are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones draw peculiarly from Christ spirit and life Secondly the same is the Sauiour of his bodie For no man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it as Christ also doth his Church This is rehearsed as a document of his singular loue to his Church which thing should not so well accord if as touching the grace of redemption there were no difference betweene the Church and the world betweene the spouse of Christ and the spouse of the deuill but all alike should bee saued by Christ as these new disputers hold Amb. thes 270. Thirdly it is expressely added that Christ loued the Church and exposed himselfe for it to sanctifie it to make it glorious vnto himselfe without wrinkle or spot holy and blameles The Apostle giueth to the Church the prerogatiue of so great grace I meane redemption sanctification glorification neither doe redemption and sanctification more agree to the common vile company of men without the Church than glorification doeth To the Collossians also there is a very excellent place The 4. place Cap. 1. cha 1. We giue thankes to the Father who hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom wee haue redemption that is the remission of sinnes Foure things proper to the faithfull Foure things here be published as properly belonging to the faithfull 1. The inheritance of the Saints in light 2. Deliuerance from the power of darkenesse 3. Translation into the kingdome of Gods sonne and 4. Redemption If these be proper to the faithfull as they be for this description of grace is wholly applied to the faithfull the vnbeleeuers haue no part in them Ambrose And thus Ambrose expoundeth them whose words are these vpon the Epistle to the Collossians Being deliuered from the state of darkenes that is plucked out of hel wherein we were held by the deuill as well through our owne sinne as through the sinne of another we are translated through faith into the heauenly kingdome of Gods sonne For without the faith of Christ Hub. Thes 4â— and 41. there is no going out of hell Therefore these new Sectaries are deceiued and doe deceiue contending that there is not one excepted who is vnder the power of the deuill whom Christ hath not deliuered from the power of the deuill and hath not receiued into his kingdome Moreouer hitherto tendeth that which is written in the same chapter to the Collossians in these wordes Col. 1. The 5. place Therefore you who were in time past strangers and enemies hauing your minds set in euill workes hath hee now reconciled in that body of his flesh through death that hee might make you holy and blameles before him if ye continue grounded and firme in faith Here is an exposition of a double state of vnbeliefe and faith and the state of vnbeliefe by the doctrine of the Apostle hath estranging of the minde from God and enemitie with him but the state of faith hath reconciliation and sanctification For significantly he saith Nowe surely he hath reconciled to wit since ye beleeued in Christ The 6 place 1. Tim. 4. In the 1. to Timothie chap. 4. the Apostle writeth that God is the Sauiour of all men yet especially of the faithfull Which saying being very short and of great force wipeth away this whole controuersie whereof wee intreate if it bee considered with a calme regard For in saying who is the sauiour of all men he confirmeth the generall goodnes of God vpon all For hee suffereth his sunne to arise vpon the bad and good Matt. 5. Act. 17. and in him we are we liue and are moued This surely is a certaine common saluation to all men yea and to beasts as it is said in the psalme 36. Thou O Lord wilt saue men and beastes August tract 34 in Io. For by whome men is preserued by him also is the beastes Neither must we be ashamed to thinke this of God yea wee must so conceiue and trust so and take heede that we thinke not otherwise He that saueth vs hee saueth our horse our sheep yea to come to the least things our henne But by adding specialitie of the faithfull hee sheweth that there is a part of mankind which through faith inspired from God is aduanced by speciall benefits to high and eternal felicitie Hereupon also in the former Psalme it is read The sons of men doe trust in the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy delights For with thee is the well of life and in thy light we shall see light Bring forth thy mercie for them that knowe thee and thy righteousnes for such as bee vpright in heart Therefore they receiue this speciall saluation who trust in him they doe not receiue it who doe despaire The iust receiue it the vniust and such as know not God receiue it not The 7. place Heb. 5. In the Epistle to the Hebrewes which also of many olde writers is attributed to Paul wee haue these testimonies among other Chapter 5. Albeit he was the sonne yet by those things that he suffered he learned obedience and being consecrate to wit by afflictions as it is sayd ca. 2. he is made the authour of eternall saluation to all that obey him Therefore this saluation was not brought to such as be obstinate Saluation by Christ is Eternall not temporall and short as the aduersarie seemeth to make it and refuse the grace of Christ through vnbeliefe And seeing that saluation purchased by Christ is not temporary and short as that which was wont to be brought to men being in great danger in warre but Eternall how shall it be sayd to belong to such as shall be damned whose portion shall be in the lake of vnquenchable fire So in the 9. The 8. place cap. 9. Chapter there is mention made of eternall redemption By his owne blood saith the Apostle he once entred into the holy place and hath obtained eternall redemption Eternall redemption And redemption is called eternall both because it shal be effectuall foreuer and also for that the cause of eternall good things is theirs who be partakers of the same The contrary of both might bee found in the greater part of
shall raigne vpon the earth The Minor But vnto the Church properly belongeth this dignitie to be a chosen stocke a royall priesthood a holy nation witnes Peter 1. Epist 2. which also the words out of the Reuelation chap. 5 now cited doe confirme where the voice and confession of the Church is Thou hast made vs to our God kings and priests The conclusion Therefore it followeth that the proprietie of redemption is in the possession of the Church The 12. reason From the vse of the Sacraments The 12. argument from the vse of the Sacraments Vnto whom nothing is sealed in he vse of the Sacraments vnto them the promise of grace in the word belongeth not For the nature of the promise is all one both in the audible and visible word But in the Sacraments Baptisme and the Lordes Supper nothing is sealed to such as be aliants from Gods couenant and vnbeleeuers Therefore neither doeth the promise of grace in the word belong vnto them For the proofe of the assumption let the things be considered that we haue of that matter spoken before in the Confutation The 13. reason The 13. and last argument If all men wholy bee receiued into the grace and fauour of God by the death and grace of the Sauiour Hub. Thes 157. 536. so that no man shall euer perish now after his redemption vnles he despise the grace of God Hub. thes 157. 136. Marke this reason agaynst the aduersarie and through vnbeliefe shake off and forsake his redemption It will follow that all the children of al Thalmudists Mahumetists Turks Tartarians and such as feed on mens flesh called Anthropophagi and such like as long as they want the vse of reason and therefore actuall sinne and be not yet subiect to the contempt of grace are in the state of saluation and dying in that age of what nation soeuer they be in the Church or out of it are eternally saued which thing is manifestly and Anabaptisticall dotage of those men I say that follow the pauilions of Mennon Mennon Theod Phil. Hofman and Theodorike Philip vp and downe the Low Countries which they haue drawen vnto them from the sinke as it seemeth of Melchior Hofman For Theodore Phillippi is of this opinion and plainely writeth Lib. de baptismo Because Christ the Lambe of God hath taken away the sinnes of the world by his death and blood that no man can be damned for the sinne of Adam and therefore that the kingdome of heauen belongeth to all children indifferently that al are innocents and reputed without sinne before God seeing no sinne beside Adams can be imputed vnto them and that the same is satisfied and taken away vniuersally by the death of Christ so that infantes for Adams transgression cannot be iudged or condemned And the Pelagians also as Augustine witnesseth laboured to bring some such thing in to wit August lib. 2. de nuptijs concup cap. 33. that litle children are innocent and without all guiltines after that Christ had died for them But the Scripture teacheth vs to put here a difference betweene the infants of Gods people Infants of the faithfull differ from others and the infants of vngodly nations and reiected of God And the infantes truely of Gods people Gen. 17. 1. cor 7. Math. 19. albeit as the rest by their carnall natiuitie they bee borne vnder sinne and wrath haue a promise that they belong to the number of Gods people and of the Saints and so to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen More arguments I will not here alledge A doubt wheÌ„ redemption beginnes in vs. for by those which haue beene brought our purpose I trust is more than sufficiently declared Onely one doubt remaineth If the beleeuers onely are to be accounted for the redeemed of Christ doeth therefore their redemption begin when they begin to beleeue Answere I answere The redemption of the Church by Christ may diuersly be considered Tit. 1. 1. Tim. 1. First in respect of Gods purpose and predestination according to which grace is giuen vs in Christ Iesu before the world Secondly in respect of the merite and satisfaction perfourmed of Christ Foure waies redemption is to be considered Comment in Apoc. 1. when vpon the altar of the crosse hee tooke away enmities and reconciled the whole Church of Iewes and Gentiles to God in one body through the crosse as Paul testifieth Ephesians 2. Then surely as Rupertus writeth he redeemed and washed in his blood from their sinnes not onely these men that now are beleeuers or had beleeued but also those that should beleeue in time to come as farre foorth as hee gaue them power to be washed For he washed them not then actually but in power For they could not in very deed be washed who were not yet borne or els as yet had not beleeued Thirdly redemption is considered as farre foorth as we are made partakers of it by faith whose force and necessitie is so great for reconciliation before and after the worke of redemption performed in the flesh of Christ that as it hindred not the olde fathers which beleeued from their deliuerance in that Christ had not as yet suffered so now it nothing profiteth the vnbeleeuers for their deliuerance that Christ long agoe the iust for the vniust was deliuered to death Lastly redemption is considered as farre forth as we enioy full and perfect redemption for euer all our enemies being vtterly destroyed and euen death it selfe which is of the Apostle called the last enemie of which redemption Christ witnesseth Luke 21.28 and Paul Ro. 8.23 But of this enough THE THIRD RANKE OF PROOFES CONTAINING THE TESTIMOnies of Antiquitie CHAP. VIII TO these things hitherto alleadged out of the Scripture whereunto as to the anchor and prop of our faith wee must flye in all things Atâ—â—â—s in Synopsi that we may be in safetie the testimonies of antiquitie seeme now needfull to bee brought in to this end that the trueth may more and more cleerly appeare by that consent and the mouthes of the aduersaries may bee stopped who reasoning and debating I know not what vngodly nouelties endeuour to reproue vs as though wee spake some new thing Tom. 10. de verb. apost ser 14. as Augustine of old complained of his and the Churches aduersaries For a man may see them grow to such craking if not ignorance that they boldly complaine that our opinion of this controuersie was neuer heard in any time among that people Hub. thes 18. where the name of Christ hath been preached that what they auouch leaneth vpon the consent of all Christianitie forsooth Thes 19. for that the Catholike and true Church hath alwaies beleeued and with one mouth euer confessed that Christ died for all men vnderstand effectually Compend thes 27. whereof the question is betweene vs and our aduersaries As touching this new opinion Thes
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
power of the deuill yet through Christ alone none but they all are set free that be regenerated by spirituall grace In the same booke chapter 18. he saith The Christian kinde That he that ouercame the first Adam and held mankinde captiue was ouercome of the second Adam and lost the Christian kinde which was out of Mankinde set free from the sinne of man through him who had no sinne though he was of our kinde The same in his 53. treatise vpon Saint Iohn saith The deuill therefore possessed mankinde and held them guiltie of punishment through the hand writing of sinnes But by the faith of Christ which was ratified by his death and resurrection through his blood which was shed for the remission of sinnes thousands of beleeuers are deliuered from the deuill An argument and are coupled to the body of Christ In all these places there is this or the like argument What kinde of freedome redemption is Redemption is a freedome from the power of the deuill and such a freedome as whereby it commeth to passe that the deuill cannot draw any of these with him to the destruction of eternall death through the snares of sinnes whom Christ hath redemed with his blood But all men haue not freedome from the power of the deuill Therefore almen are not redeemed but as freedome so redemption is proper to the beleeuers and predestinate according to Augustine and the trueth of this point The world that is precestinate to life Christ came to saue but not the world predestinate to damnation Hitherto belongeth that which in the fore mentioned treatise as also in the 110. and 111. Treatises the same writer constantly expoundeth the world that Christ came to saue and reconcile to God of the good and such as bee predestinate to eternall life being dispersed throughout the whole world that this world of an enemie is made a friend but that the worlde that is predestinate to damnation abideth an enimie neither of this world must it be vnderstood that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe So in the 48. Treatise vpon the saying ye beleeue not for ye are not of my sheepe he saith This he spake because he saw them predestinate to eternall destruction and not prepared by the price of his blood to eternall life And a litle after he is assured of the number of his sheepe because hee knoweth what hee gaue for them And elsewhere Whom God redeemed by the blood of the Mediator he maketh for euer after good De corrept gra cap. 11. But these bee testimonies inough out of Augustine For who can rehearse euery thing hee writeth of this matter Hieromie Furthermore the Commentaries vpon Marke ascribed to Hieromie expresly say that the blood of the newe Testament is sayd to be shed for Many because it doth not cleanse all that there is euen in the Church some whom no sacrifice clenseth As Remigius also as Thomas citeth him Cate. aurea vpon this very place warneth vs to obserue that hee saith not for few or for all but for Many my blood shal be shed because he came not to redeeme our nation onely but Many of all Nations Hilarius in Matthew cap. 7. Hilarie The saluation of the Gentiles saith he is wholly of faith and in the Lordes commandements is the life of all men He saith not the reprobates and vnbeleeuers are as well saued by Christ as any other as these newe sectaries thinke good to speake Chrysostome homil 39. vpon 1. Chrisost Cor. expounding the words of the Apostle touching the quickening of all men by Christ denieth that it is to be vnderstood of the righteousnes of all men as though whosoeuer are made sinners in Adam are made righteous in Christ Hub. thes 49. 53. which yet our aduersaries would haue The same maner homil 17. vpon the Hebrewes confirmeth the distinction that Christ died for all as touching Sufficiencie and not for all as touching Efficiencie His words are these Why is hee said to be offered to take away the sinnes of Many and not of all because all beleeue not He died for all as much as in him lay that his death is of that waight as is the perdition of all and it is of force enough that no man might perish His arbidger Theophylact vseth the same distinction in 2. and 9. ad Heb. and vpon the saying Iohn 6. Theophylact the bread which I giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world where he writeth albeit all haue not receiued sanctification and a spirituall life yet Christ may bee vnderstood to die for the satisfaction of all as touching the vertue of his death Of the same opinion is Basil as Theophylact sheweth in 9. ad Heb. for thus hee writeth All of vs that beleeue Basil Exhort ad baptis how many soeuer we be are redeemed by the grace of God from sins through his onely sonne who said this is my blood euen the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes The exposition is also twise repeated in the next sermon of Baptisme for Many that is the beleeuers was the blood of Christ shed Notwithstāding in respect of the sufficiencie of his merite it is true that elswhere he saith in Psalme 48. For all men wholly was there one onely worthie price found euen the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which he shed for vs al. Cyrill Cyrill in Io. li. 11. ca. 19. reconciling that shew of repugnancie that is between the words of Christ I pray not for the world and the wordes of Iohn He is the propitiation of the whole world consenteth to our opinion after this sort Saint Iohn saith he because he was a Iewe least the Lord should seeme to be with his father an aduocate for the Iewes onely cessarily hath added that hee is the propitiation of the whole world that is saith he for all who are called and through faith attaine to righteousnes and sanctification But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from such as be none of his for them saith he onely doe I pray who keepe my words and receiue my yoke For whose mediator and high Priest he is to them onely not without cause doth he attribute the benefite of meditation 2. Cor. 5. In the same place he doth alleage for that matter the saying of Paul God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe that is saith he Christ as the Mediator receauing all that come to God by faith and offering himselfe to the father reconcileth the world to God But let vs returne to the Latine writers among whom Prosper of Aquitaine answering the Articles of the French men Prosper chap. 9. plainely approueth this phrase or maner of speaking that Christ died onely for them that shall be saued which our aduersaries slander as blasphemous and Saracenicall His wordes are these Therefore although our
Sauiour be rightly said to be crucified for the redemption of the whole worlde because he truely tooke mans nature vpon him Marke Augustine before meant this by the common cause and because of the common perdition in the first man yet he may be said to be crucified for them onely whom his death did profite for the Euangelist Iohn saith cap. 11. that Iesus should die for the nation and not onely that nation but also to gather in one the sonnes of God The same writer or whosoeuer hee was that wrote the Booke Of the Calling of the Gentiles denieth that the saying of the Apostle Ephe. 1. Lib. 1. cap. 3. Of the reconciliation of all in Christ is thus to be vnderstood as though none ought to be thought to bee not reconciled And a litle after he setteth downe a rule which like to the North starre in all their controuersie is to bee regarded to wit that in the elect and foreknowen A rule well to be marked and in those that be separated from the generality of all men there is to be considered a certaine speciall vniuersalitie and fulnesse of the people of God so that out of the whole world the whole world seemeth to be set free and out of all men all men may seeme to bee taken For most often in the Scriptures all the earth is named for a part of the earth the whole world for a part of the world Lib. 2. cap. â— and al men for a part of men Vnto which rule afterward he squareth the words of Iohn Hee is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde and he expoundeth them of the fulnesse of the faithful and not of the generalitie of al men as our aduersaries do Furthermore Primasius Comment ad Heb. 2. vpon the saying he tasted death for all compriseth the whole matter His words are whereas he saith that Christ tasted of death for all Primasius some Doctors take the sense thus absolutely that it said for al for whom he tasted that is for the elect predestinated to eternal life Behold a restraint vnto the vniuersalitie of the elect But he goeth on But some take it so generally that he is said to die for all albeit all are not saued For albeit not all beleeue yet he did that which was his part to doe And he alleageth Prospers similitude which Augustine also vseth before Prosper of the cup of immortalitie which finally hath in it selfe that it can profit all although it profiteth none in very deede but those that drinke thereof So also Christ saith he as much as was in him died for all although his passion profiteth none but those onely who beleeue in him Worthy also to be remembred here is that that is set down lib. 1. cap. vlt. de vocat gent. The same nature in all men being euill in all being miserable before reconciliation is not made righteous in all and it is discerned in some part thereof from them that perish by him that came to seeke and to saue that which was lost Pope Leo Serm. 7. mensis writeth Pope Lee. The shedding of the blood of the iust for the vniust was so mightie a priuiledge so rich a price that if the whole number of captiues should beleeue in the redeemer no tyrannous bands could detaine them Gregorie the great Hom. 2. in Ezechiel For the life of the elect Gregorie the Lord of life gaue himselfe euen to death Beda Beda vpon that in the Gospell The sonne of man came to giue his life a redemption for many He saith not for all but for many that is those that will beleeue So Origene and Hierome Com. in Matth. expound the same things Bernard Moreouer Bernard Serm. 10. of the 9. verse of the Psalme He that dwelleth c. Christ saith he according to the time surely died for the vngodly but according to predestination he died for his brethren and friends Of this number they that shall be damned are not to whom it shall be said I neuer knew you Rupert lib. 12. comment in Io. To these may be added those sayings which vnto the places of Apoc. 1. and 5. wee before haue produced out of Rupertus Tuitiensis who liued in Bernards time whose saying also this is Woe to the reioycing world when Christ the only begotten sonne of God prayeth for his that is dieth and offereth himselfe a sacrifice vpon the altar of the crosse because I pray for them whom thou gauest me and not for the world By the world are the louers of the world here meant so diuerse from them for whom Christ crucified prayeth as the Egyptians were before God from the children of Israel who marked their posts with the sacred blood of the Lamb. Woe therefore to such a world because what Christ the true Lambe of God prayeth for doth them no good at all they onely escaping by his crosse and blood whom the father gaue to the sonne These things he Of all which sayings now it is more cleere then the light that the opinion which wee maintaine is not new and vnheard of but receiued in all ages among the people of God and plentifully proued by the testimonies iudgements and expositions of the best writers Wherefore let the aduersaries learne to deale more modestly and not straightwaies condemne as vnheard of among the people of God and Saracenicall what they see disagree perchance from their opinion or els if they goe on as they haue begun all shall know with what vnderstanding and conscience these kind of disputers too too confident and censorious are occupied in reading of the fathers I am not ignorant that sometime it is read in the fathers that Christ came for the redemption of all that he descended for all to forgiue all their sinnes and to giue libertie to all and such like Such speeches as these they vnderstand Marke this well as we may see by their owne interpretations alreadie alleadged not as touching the effect of the Lords incarnation and passion in al men But first as touching the sufficiencie greatnes and dignitie of the price and merite of Christ Secondly as touching the common cause of mankinde Thirdly respecting also the efficacie of the merits of Christ they are wont to vse those kinde of speeches as the Scripture vseth to doe because of the vniuersalitie of the faithfull and the fulnes of Gods people as we more at large shewed in the second booke the 12. chapter Also because by all men they will haue to bee vsually meant all sorts of men Hereupon Ambrose Serm. 55. saith The Lord did hang vpon the crosse that he might deliuer all kinde of men from the shipwracke of the world And Serm. 53. When he had said that Christ by rising againe obtained resurrection for all by and by he expoundeth himselfe of all Christians and such as be the members of Christ So de fuga seculi cap. 3. Christ saith he doth infuse
discerneth from that hidden will whereat man must trembl whervpon alone he saith all things doe depend namely who shall receiue the word and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who shall be blinded who shall be damned and who shal be iustified Neither doeth Brentius teach otherwise of the vniuersality of Christian redemption Brentius exp Catech. Arâ—â— de rem pecc quaest quà m laté paceat namely that all sinnes are pardoned all men for Christes sake whosoeuer they be Iewes or Gentiles kings or priuate men free men or bond so that they come to the Church of Christ and beleeue in him For whosoeuer saith hee beleeueth in Christ and is baptized in his name receiueth remission of sinnes and the right into the heauenly inheritance And by name hee often saith that this benefite is not receiued but by faith c. Briefly by this mans iudgement forgiuenes of sinnes receiuing into fauour into the number of the saints adoption also the right of the heauenly inheritance in al which points we vnderstand that redemptioÌ„ consisteth are the proper gifts of the Church of the saints and of true beleeuers stretcheth far wide as the Church of Christ doth and they are neuertheles rightly said to belong to all as far forth as no man of what degree or condition soeuer is hindred froÌ„ them so that he doe beleeue Whereunto belongeth also that exposition whereof wee before made mention in Matth. 1. To whom is Iesus a Iesus that is a Sauiour from their sinnes the Euanglist saith he shall saue his people He doth not saue strangers but his owne people They be strangers as many as beleeue not in him and they are his owne as many as acknowledge and imbrace him by faith be they Iewes or Gentiles c. Let the disputers of Tubinge if they can make these things agree with the deuise of their braine that all wholly whether they come to Christ by faith or no are freed from all sinne and condemnation receiued into grace iustified quickened Huber thes 1059. and accounted in the number of Saints and that all no one excepted are that people of Christ whereof it is said he shall saue his people from their sinnes But let them heare another of their friendes also openly pronouncing that Christ died for all men Ilirie in Io. 12. ver 52. in ver 31. because by him not onely the Iewes but also the elect of God whersoeuer ought to be saued who from the East and West are gathered to Abraham their father Againe the merite of Christ saith he is found to surmount exceedingly in the iudgement of God the sinnes of the whole world and so Christ and all his members not the members and vessels of Satan are pronounced righteous And he addeth that therefore chiefly Christs victorie against Satan was referred to the time of his death because then by the merite of his death was that treasure of victories obtained which otherwise is distributed to the beleeuers in all times And by and by here is the difference betweene the power and the act or the purchase and the application or the right and the possession In the Merite and purchase of the right or in power Satan was at that time of his passion cast out of all men and so out of the whole world but in application or acte onely of the beleeuers is he cast out at all times Let that distinction of power and act or of sufficiency and efficiencie bee well obserued as this authour doeth fully explaine himselfe when vpon the wordes of Iohn 1. Epistle 2. hee writeth the chiefe point of the cause of the aduersaries in these wordes when hee saith for our sinnes hee meaneth the beleeuers whom the passion of Christ doth in very deed profite In that he addeth of the whole world he vnderstandeth it of the power because the benefites and merite of Christ lye open for all and all may be saued fully by his satisfaction so excellent sufficient and precious is his merite if they vouchsafe to lay hold vpon it by faith It would be very long to reckon vp euery thing yet it may not be let passe The Synode held at Argertine against 〈◊〉 Hofman an Anabaptist and Pelagian Heritike that I meane to say now concerning the Synode held at Argentine Anno D. 1533. There a disputation being appointed with one Melchior Hofman an Anabaptisticall and Palagian deceauer among other his errors this also was condemned that he maintained that all be elected and all redeemed by Christ altogether as Huber will haue not onely redemption and the merite of Christ but also election in him to bee indifferently common to all men after the fall But contrariwise that Synode out of the word of God pronounced that God after he had foreknowen from euerlasting that mankinde by the fall of our first parents would he subiect to eternall death of meere mercie before the world was made chose foreknew and predestinated vnto himselfe to eternall life some out of mankind letting passe the rest that the death of Christ was for the sins of these men a propitiation Therfore that neither election nor redemption of Christ is common to al men as Hofman dreamed to entangle wretched consciences and to corrupt sound doctrine But that therefore the merit of Christ is said and preached to be common to the whole world because after Christs glorification not onely the Iewes but all other nations must bee made partakers thereof to wit as many of them as be elected And in this sense the sayd Synod doth expound the testimonies of Scripture obiected by Hofman Gen. 12. 1. cor 15. Io. 12. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Io. 2. Io. 1. In thy seede all nations shall be blessed As in Adam all dye so in Christ all are quickened When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all vnto me God wil haue al men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth Also Iesus Christ is the attonement for the sinnes of the whole world The Lambe taking away the sinnes of the world and such like For wee must not thinke that where these words be all men all the world the whole world that there straightwaies all men no one excepted must bee vnderstood for such phrases haue not euery where one and the same signification He that desireth to know these things more throughly let him reade Hieronymus Zanchius of godly memorie my reuerend teacher whom for honour and reuerence sake which I owe him I name lib. 3. miscell pag 79. and specially the Acts of the disputation of Hofman by Martin Bucer which hee published in his owne and his associates name printed at Argentine by Matthias Appiarius Anno 1533. And this whole doctrine which M. Bucer defendeth in disputation against Hofman the whole Senate of Argentine approued as sound and would haue it faithfully taught and preached in that citie suffering no man to speake any thing against that
there are not onely vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth and some to honour some to dishonour Apoc. 13. and 17. it is said of the beast that all the inhabitants of the earth whose names are not written in the books of life from the foundations of the world should worship and haue it in high estimation The reprobates and such as perish are expressed in many words against whome the elect are opposed whose names are written in the booke of life before the creation of the world and whom Gods mercie doth so defend that they cannot be seduced at the least finally Iude also in his epistle testifieth that seducers were of old ordained or forewritten to this condemnation which the Glosse and Aquinas least any man should blame our men to bee the makers of such Glosses do expound that they were from euerlasting in the fore knowledge of God foreseen for this iudgement of present reprobation that they should waxe vile themselues and cast others into vncleanenes In the bookes of the old Testament we read the same doctrine to be taught for the Lord saith to Moses Testimonies of the olde Testament Exod. 33. I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie and I will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion And of Pharao the Scripture saith Exod. 9. for this cause haue I raised thee vp to shew in thee my power and that my name might be declared in all the earth Other such testimonies are mencioned in the disputation of Pauls epistle to the Romans Whereunto adde that which is Prouerbs 16. God made all things for his owne sake euen the vngodly against the euill day And 1. Sam. 2. it is said of Elies sonnes that they would not heare the voice of their father because the Lord would slaie them Again 2. Chron. 25 vers 16. the prophet saith to king Amasia I knowe that God hath purposed to destroie thee because thou hast not obeyed my worde By these and the like sentences of the sacred scriptures all men perceiue that loue the truth more than contention that election comprehendeth not whole mankind but that some among them are elected to saluation others are reiected from the same according to the eternal counsell and good pleasure of God The same men also vnderstand that the definition of predestination which is brought of some men is insufficient as though predestination of the Saints or election were nothing else than the decree of God touching the maner of obtayning saluation through Christ and reprobation were no other thing than his decree of the daÌ„ning of vnbeeleuers and such as abide without Christ There is no doubte but God hath so decreed and keepeth these things but the proofes and testimonies alledged do further strongly prooue that God hath also decreed to whom he will giue or not giue faith whereby wee are ingrafted into Christ for saluation in him and through him CHAP. IIII. A confutation of certaine obiections BVt what say the aduersaries to these things God say they would haue all men to bee saued 1. Tim. 2. 〈◊〉 obiection and to come to the knowledge of the truth Therefore on Gods part eternall life is prepared for all men neither doth anie perish because God will not bestow any grace vpon him but because he hath refused grace receiued In this opinion were those remnants of Pelagians in Prosper of whom hee writeth in his epistle to Augustine Answere I answere the Apostle saith not that he would saue al but he willeth all to be saued namely by inuiting all men to saluation How God would haue all men to be saued and the knowledge of the truth and also by approuing of the conuersion of all But he wil not effectually worke in all and euery one that they may beleeue and be saued For if he willed this his will should be altogether fulfilled and no man should be damned But now he hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will hee hardeneth and in his counsell hath appoynted whom and what maner of men he will haue to be partakers of mercie preached and offered vnto them as in these verie same words Cap. 107. Luther in ser arbit beateth into our heads where this and the like places I will not the death of a sinner Ierusalem how often would I gather Enchir. aâ—â—dur cap. 103. c. expoundeth after the same maner Augustine also teacheth that the saying of the Apostle is rightly so to be vnderstood he willeth that all men bee saued that is all kind of men howsoeuer differing kings princes rich poore base c. Cap. 117. The same man elsewhere expoundeth he willeth all men to be saued that all the predestinate be meant because all kind of men bee in them But of this place wee haue more largelie dealt aboue in the second booke and third chapter Obiection A place not vnlike to this there is 2. Pet. 3. The Lord is not slacke of his promises as some count slacknes but he is patient toward vs not willing that any should perish but that al should come to repentance If hee willeth none to perish it is false that in his eternall counsell hee hath decreed and therefore willeth that some yea very many should perish Againe if he willeth all to repent it shall be false that God wil not that all by repentance should be brought to Christ and liue In these Huber wonderfully delighteth himselfe Hub. thes 94. sequent but all in vaine so long as that of the Psalmist standeth Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer he will and that of the Apostle on whom he will he hath mercie and whom he will he hardeneth But least we should seeme to set one Scripture against an other to reconcile them wee must know The meaning of Peters words that the saying of Peter is not without cause expounded by learned men of the vniuersalitie of the elect not onely because the like restraint is very often in the like phrases of the sacred Scriptures but also because the matter it selfe seemeth here to require it For what is the end of the world deferred for the reprobates sake and not rather for Gods elect sake In 1. Tim. 2. When they shall beleeue saith Ambrose that are predestinate vnto eternal life the resurrection shall come Which thing how truly it is spoken the answere testifieth in the Apocalyps chap. 6. vers 11. Yet if we stand in the generalitie of all men the sense will be that Thom. Com. in hunc locum aed Rom. 2. which Thomas and others doe assigne that hee willeth not that any should perish by his signified will as they speak as farre forth as hee inuiteth all men to repentance by precepts threatnings rewards and also by his patience and long sufferance as it is written Doest thou despise the riches of his mercie and long sufferance Doest thou not know that the bountifulnes of God
punish Absalom Likewise nothing of the word of the Lord against Ahabs house fell to the ground 2. King 10. but the Lord accomplished as hee had spoken by his seruant Elias Gen. 37.39.41.50 On the other side how wonderfully was Ioseph when his brethren went about to kill him sent into Egypt and aduanced to the gouernment of the kingdome that the counsel of the Lord might be fulfilled What was of lesse hope in the eyes of men than Dauids raigne Yet he rose to the dignitie of the kingdome out of all his persecutions and gouerned the people by the knowledge of his hands that the Lords counsell might stand when all the deuises and counsels of the people were scattered These things are plaine and cleere Acts 2. 4. But that is more notable that wee reade of Christ himselfe Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together against him to doe whatsoeuer the hand and counsell of the Lord had before determined to bee done Chap. 13. And when by the determinate counsell and prouidence of God they had taken him being yeelded vnto them with wicked hands they crucified and slue him and fulfilled all things that the Prophets had written of him albeit all the while they went about another thing What shall we say of the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles 1. Tim. 1. who first was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor how mightily and miraculously was he called to the Gospell Gal. 1. when it pleased God who had separated him from his mothers wombe Râ—â— 9 10. Esa â—â— And to vse not so much examples of persons as of nations the Gentiles who sought not after righteousnesse attained vnto it and the Lord was found of them who sought him not and made manifest to them that did not enquire after him But Israel did gainsay Rom. 11 and seeking his owne righteousnes was not subiect to the righteousnesse of God For the elect obtained it the rest were hardened as it is written He gaue them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Fourthly The 4. reason the same doctrine of the vnchangeablenes of Gods predestination is in sundrie places mentioned of Augustine as cap. 7. de correp grat If any of the elect perisheth God is deceiued and is ouercome by mans sinne but none of them perisheth because God is not deceiued nor ouercome by any thing But he speaketh of such as be elected to raigne with Christ and not in that sense as Iudas was elected to the worke whereto he serued And in his answere to the Articles falsely laid to his charge The predestination of God albeit it be vncertaine with vs yet with him who made the things that shall come to passe it abideth vnchangeable neither doth he darken the things that he inlighteneth nor destroyeth what he doth build nor plucketh vp what he hath planted For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and the foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his And most notably in Soliloq cap. 28. All of vs are as a menstruous cloth comming out of a corrupt and filthie lumpe but thou that only art cleane doest purifie them in whom it pleaseth thee to dwell whom without their merits thou hast predestinated before the world and chosen for thy selfe to be a holy temple whose names and number thou knowest and who cannot perish to whom all things worke for the best The Lord knoweth from euerlasting the names and number of elect and reprobates yea euen their very sinnes For when they fall they shall not fall downe because thou puttest vnder thine hand keeping all their bones that none of them bee broken But yet the death of sinners is most miserable those I meane whom before thou madest heauen and earth according to the great depth of thy iudgements being secret yet alwaies iust thou didst foreknow for eternall death whose names and merites are numbred with thee who hast numbred the sand of the sea and fadomed the bottome of the depth All things worke for the worst to reprobates yea euen their prayers whom thou hast left in their vncleannes to whom all things worke for euill yea their very praier is turned into sin that if they should ascend into heauen and make their neast among the starres they might as dunge perish and not in the end Likewise the Author of the calling of the Gentils lib. 2. cap. 10. saith All the sonnes of adoption not onely are elect at the time of their calling here in this life but also before the world was made in which election what man soeuer was not in Christ foreknowne shall by no meanes be made partaker of him And by and by The foreknowledge of God looseth nothing of the fulnes of the members of Christs bodie and the whole summe forknowne and in Christ before the world forechosen cannot bee by any hurt diminished No man can doubt that this is Luthers verie doctrine Cap. 148. that readeth his booke of seruile will where he often mentioneth that the elect are builded vp by the word Cap. 40. and made better and that the reprobates are offended and become worse that they amend their life by the holie Ghost and that the other perish without amendment Cap. 59. and if the elect bee in an error yet that before their death they do come into the right way Cap. 152. that this is necessary and that they cannot finally bee offended And praefat ad Rom. he writeth that the decree is stable and the necessitie vnmoueable of Gods predestination and he saith that this necessitie is verie necessarie for our saluation and consolation because we be so weake in our selues that if saluation stoode in vs verie few or none should be saued for the deuill would conquer all But now seeing this sure and most certaine decree of God cannot bee chaunged nor abolished by any creature wee haue hope that at length we shall ouercome sin To say that the elect may be increased or diminished is Pelagiâ—nisme Epist his ad â—â—â—st albeit now it rage in our flesh These things in that place saith Luther But as it is a point of sound doctrine to hold that the predestinate number of the chosen can neither be increased nor diminished so not to rest therein is Pelagianisme as Prosper testifieth Which Hilarie also confirmeth reporting that the remnants of the Pelagians tooke it hardly that such as were of sound faith preached that men were so predestinated both to the one and the other state that none could go from one to the other By these things then it is manifest The elect cannot perish that such as be predestinate to eternall life doe not perish yea cannot possibly and that because of the counsell of Gods will that cannot be infringed or hindred by any creature
are cut off 125 They receiue the signe but not the thing in the Sacrament 292 Holines generall and speciall 112 How we may resist Satan telling vs that we haue no faith 149 How a receiuer of the Sacrament must proue himselfe 169 How we may be certaine of election 372 How God willeth the death of a sinner and not 170 How Christs death is effectuall to vs. 79 How mens mouthes must be stopped 313 How Christ washeth away a mans sinnes not yet borne 200. 220 How the Lord knoweth not the wicked 210 How God would haue all to bee saued 260 Hofmans dotages 238 Hubers reproches 31 His maner of disputing 178 His blasphemies 170 His false doctrine of election 255 I. Iacob and Esau 286. 293 Indulgences 12 Infants beleeue not 165 How saued 167 Infants of the faithfull part of Gods people 219 Dying before Baptisme 168 Of Heathens why we baptise not 167 Iustification and faith effects of election not the cause 327 Wherein it consisteth 327 It is proper to the elect 328 It is diuersly taken 327 to be Iustified what it is 327 the Iustice of Gods predestination 311 Iustice of God vnlike to mans 171. 314 Iudas giuen to Christ how 257 Iudge soberly of Gods workes 314 Iudgement of the flesh and spirit 315 K. Kingdome of God threefold 103 L. Life eternall they haue that be effectually redeemed 214. 215 Libertie threefold 356 Christian 124 Limbus Patrum 19. 20 Pucrorum 21 to Loue what it is 306 Luthers doctrine of predestination 303 Luther of the cause of reprobation 303 M. Many distinguisheth beleeuers from vnbeleeuers 182. 198. 229 Mahomets doctrine 132 Man makes God a lyar how 128 Masse of Perdition 253 Meanes of the certainty of election 380 the Ministerie of the Gospell hath his effect from God not hurt by predestination 359 Maner of right preaching 152 Merits of Papists against Christ 12 Members of Christ cannot finally fall 116 what Members may fall away 116 N. Necessitie twofold 357 New creâ—tâ—â—e 57 New writers of the vniuersalitie of grace 142. 236 They allow the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie 35. 236 Nothing done against Gods will 317 O. Our opinion of Christs death for all 38. 177 Our opinion hindereth not preaching aright 153 Origene his fable 154. 271 Opinion of the Schoolemen of the redemption of all 219 P. Pelagianisme 272. 397 Pelagian error of redemption 321 And of the cause of election 273 People of God who be 180 People foreknowne 297 Perseuerance of the Saints what 329 It is Gods gift 330 Preachers must inuite all and all must obey 155 Preaching aright 153 Predestination a hard doctrine 243 The chiefe questions of it 243 The diuerse significations 245 Vpon it all things depend 129. 134. 136 It differs from election 236 Predestination put for election 248 Predestination and foreknowledge differ 342 Predestination of Saints what 248 Predestination of grace shewed in Christ 281 How farre absolute 308 Vnchangeable 345. 147 No cause of desperation 364 Prescience of God eternall put for predestination 251 Price of Christs death how great 139. 125. 232 Prophesie of Iacob and Esau 293 Propitiation and intercession inseparable 211 Promise of grace vniuersall 263. 147 It belongs to the faithfull 154. 264 It requireth faith 148 It must be preached to all 153. 155 How a man may apply it to himselfe 148 Prouidence and fate differ 355 Prayer not vaine though Gods purpose be vnchangeable 360 R. Reasons of the aduersarie that reprobates are deliuered from the deuill 101 And redeemed 114 Reason must bee subiect to Gods word 394 Reasons why the word must be preached to all 156 Reconciliation what 57 Redemption described 114. 197. 208 When it bringeth in a man 219 It is a freedome 228 It is spirituall 3 Eternall 197 The dignitie of it 3 The maner of it 5 The time of it 14 The ends of it 27 It is double 6 Thereto Christs death and our faith are necessary 179. 180 How it belongs to all 273 It is diuersly considered 220 It is vniuersal why 43. 180. 145 Redemption of euery one is not of the holy Ghost 131 It is proper to the beleeuers 180 Redemption of euery one bringeth weak comfort 149 the Redeemed are kings and priests 200 They perish not 214 Redeemed and elect some are to vs and not to God 111. 116. 141 Remission of sinnes presupposeth confession 200 Repentance and remission inseparable 199 Reprobation what 252 The effects of it 309. 333 The cause 300 Reprobation created for the good of nature 268 Reprobates excluded from the promise 101 For a time in the Church 111 How falling away they be said to be redeemed 117 How they deny the Lord that bought them 117 a Rule of charitie and faith 112 a Rule in Logike 41 S. Sacr. seale nothing to the vnbeleeuers 218 Saints not to be worshipped 222 Sanctification visible and inuisible 128 Sanctification and redemption inseparable 212 Saints sufferings not meritorious 12. 13 Sanctification belongs not to all 213 Satan destroyed for the faithfull 101 Scape goate 107. 207 the Schoolemens of the soules of the old fathers 21 Scripture abused for Popish pardons 12 Satan raignes ouer the reprobates yet they be subiect to Christ 102 Seede of Abraham 201 Semipelagianisme 273. 274. 397. 322 Semipelagians their shift 282 Sheepe of Christ considered two waies 185 Sinnes are foreknowne only 342 Sins once forgiueÌ„ are euer forgiuen 127 a Similitude of the light 225. 236 Of a cup. 226 Of the debter 265 Of fire and a wheele 279 Of the potter 289. 303 Of the Phisition 378 a Similitude faileth 126 Stapulensis 235 State of the controuersie 32. 179 And of the question of predestination 303 Sufficiencie and efficiencie 33. 235 the Summe of our confession of redemption 207 Synecdoâ—he common in scripture 46 Synode of Argentine 238 T. Testimonies of the old Fathers on our side 222 Three generall obseruations 108 Things necessary and contingent 357 Turkes and heathens hold many things agreeable to Christian religion 133 a Turkish proposition true 133 Trueth must be preached 155 Tale of Traiane 361 V Vessels of wrath 290. 334 Vnbeliefe is blotted out if other sinnes be forgiuen 226 Vnbeliefe doth not condemne such as neuer heard of Christ. 176 Vnbeliefe only damneth some that were once saued saith Huber 173 Vnbeleeuers baptised haue not the grace of Baptisme 162 Vncleane spirit cast out how he is said to returne 103 Vniuersall conclusion doth not follow of particulars 108 Vniuersalitie threefold 40 Vniuersalitie speciall 231 Vocation what it is 320 Vs all signifieth the faithfull only 104 And the Church 192. 202 Vse of Christs death 11 Of predestination 394 Of Gods loue 24 Of the ends of redemption 29 W. Weake brother may perish how 117 Weakenes of faith ought not to cast a man downe 149 Whether reprobates contemning the word bee in worse case then the deuils 158 Whether it be better neuer to heare it if it turne to their greater iudgement 159 What to whom and how a man must preach 152 Why Christ must redeeme vs with a price and not by force 7 Why his death is a sufficient price 7. 8 Why God chose this man before that 270. 299 Why he must die to redeeme 9. 10 Why hee elected some and reiected others 270 Why hee came in the olde age of the world 15. 16 Why God punisheth me and not him 3â—2 What wee like or mislike in the aduersaries doctrine 174 Whole set downe for a part in these phrases All men All nations c. 137. 138 Whole world for the good only 228 And for the wicked only 93 It cannot be taken for euery one good and bad 93 Whole world christian and the whole world wicked 93 Whole world of the saued 222 VVorkes foreseene no cause of election 279 VVorld in three senses onely by the aduersarie 72 VVorld for the elect onely and for the reprobates onely 73. 188. 232 World of beleeuers is the Church 91 World of perdition and redemption of the damned and saued 92. 188 VVord of God preached alike to all but some only profit 97 the Word of God inuiteth all 153 VVe must be guided by it 387 VVill of God double 170. 262 It ruleth all things euen the wils of men 134 Hardeneth men 135 The cause therof we must not search 135 the Will of man is redeemed in all that be redeemed 214 VVill and permission 315 VVill of man cannot resist Gods 325. 326 Y Yeare of freedome 207 FINIS Faults escaped in the print are thus to be corrected Pag. 34. lin 30. for distiction reade distinction p 40. l. 17. for doubt reade double p. 63. l. 31. for Colledge reade College p 67. l 4. blot out he p. 131. l. 1. reade deluder p. 136 l. last saue one for misteries reade masters p. 147. l. 26. reade posteriore p. 163. l. 30. reade receiued p. 159. l. 30. r. vnworthy p. 174. l. 5. r. shaking it p. 176. l. 17. for would r. could p. 182 l. 16. for here r. there p 187 l. 23. r. by this p. 196. l. 11. for is twise r. are p. 198 l. 24 r. please p. 199 l. 7. in the margent r. inseparable p. 211. l. 22 r. seeing he p. 218. l 22. r. the p. 285. in the margent r. looke p. 229. l. 16. r. man l. 24. r. abridger p. 230. l. 11. reade necessarily p. 231. l. 26. r. surely p. 258. l. 1. r. Esau after l. 6. p. 273. l. 20. reade belongeth p. 290. l. 32. r. good 291. r. serue p. 294. l. 20 r. he and l. â—8 r. by the free p 304. l. 11. r. he also p. 310. l. 11. blot out the parenthesis p. 313. l. 19. r. vniust p. 338. l. 8. r. vnwilling p. 391. l. 26. r. deluded p. 401. l 6. r. our In the table letter F. r. iustifying in letter H. r predestinati
on the other side the cause of predestination For as Aquinas teacheth well In summo expos ad Rom. if the effects of predestination bee compared among themselues there is no let but one may bee the cause of another that is the precedent of the consequent So vocation by the word Rom. 10. is the cause of faith because faith is by hearing faith is the cause of iustification iustification of good workes and of glorie in a heauenly life Yet notwithstanding the same effects of predestination considered neither seuerally nor ioyntly can bee the beginning of predestination seeing the same thing cannot be the cause and the effect The 4. reason 4. In the whole worke of saluation this especially is regarded that all humane boasting bee excluded that as it is written Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. For who separateth thee from other What hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Which saying S. Cyprian vsed to follow saying We must glorie in nothing because nothing is ours But not all humane boasting should bee excluded vnlesse election which is the beginning and foundation of saluation should depend vpon the free goodwill and purpose of God without respect of any one qualitie As for example if God should be said to offer like grace vnto all Marke this well and to call al and it should be beleeued to consist in the will of man to obey his calling then surely the obedient person seuereth himselfe from the disobedient and the faithfull man from the vngodly neither can it bee said vnto him Why doest thou boast who hath separated thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued For a proud person may say against another my faith my righteousnesse the good vsing of my free-will or any other thing The 5. reason 5. Election should bee weake and very vncertaine and therefore our saluation if it should depend on the purpose of our will For the vnstable will of man bendeth hither and thither like a reede shaken with the winde On the contrary election standeth firme and vnmoueable in the good pleasure purpose and gratious will of God towards vs in Christ Iesu as the Apostle at large sheweth Rom. 8. saying Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for good that is to them that are called of his purpose For whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne And whom he predestinated them he also called iustified and glorified And anone Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or the sword Yea in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu Therefore seeing we are men let vs not leane vpon our infirmitie but let vs commit our faith hope life and saluation to the stronger rather than to the weaker to God rather than our selues professing as the trueth is that all things depend vpon his purpose 6. Hitherto is to be referred euen the example of our Mediatour himselfe and our head Iesu The 6. reason which Augustine cannot sufficiently commend De predest sanct cap. 15. de bon perseu cap. 24. 1. He was conceaued of the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary by a singular conception and generation and without all sinne 2. His humane that is our nature in Christ was vnited with the Diuine in the vnitie of person the word as Augustine speaketh singularly assuming it and extolling it into the only sonne of God so that he that assumed and the thing he assumed is one person in Trinitie Which aduancing of mans nature is so great and so high that he could not aduance it higher as the deitie it selfe could not abase it selfe lower for our sakes than in that it receiued the nature of man with his infirmitie vnto the very death of the crosse But all these things mans nature in Christ singularly receiued that is our nature through none of our merits but of the onely grace of God Therefore we also are predestinated vnto eternall life not through our workes but through the purpose and grace of God predestinating vs. For there is one and the same reason of the head and the members but this is the difference that he alone is predestinate to bee our head we being many are predestinate to bee his members And therefore in the head is the fountaine of grace and from thence according to the measure of euery one he spreadeth abroad himselfe throughout all his members The 7. reason from infants dying 7. All this way whereby wee defend free predestination from the purpose of God is greatly cōfirmed by the example of children by which alone all the force of gainsayers and of those that maintaine mans merits of necessitie is ouerthrowne The argument is this Our little children dying euen in their infancie haue the promise of the kingdome of heauen Therefore they are predestinate vnto the kingdome and that either of workes or of grace not of workes because in so yong yeares workes haue no place nor any foreknowledge surely of workes For the things that neither bee nor shall be cannot be said to be foreknowne vnlesse it bee that they shall not bee Therefore of grace and by consequence the predestination of others also is the like as of the purpose of God and not of workes The shift of the Semipelagians The Pelagians held within these straites knew not how or on what side to escape Yet afterward the Semipelagians deuising a hole to get out by a new kinde of absurditie contended that infants were predestinate to life or to death for the merits they would doe if they had liued This deuise not so craftie as rash and foolish Augustine diligently and very well confuteth both elsewhere and also lib. de bono perseuer cap. 12. 13. Among other things he opposeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 14. We shall all stand before the tribunal seate of Christ that euery one may render an account according to the things he hath done in his body whether good or euill that is according to the things he hath done in the time that he was in the bodie For otherwise the soule alone doth many things and not by the body or any member of the body pertaining neuerthelesse to punishment or reward And he said hath done he added not or els shall doe Wherevpon also Sap. 4. we reade of the iust man that is by vntimely death withdrawne from the vncertaintie of temptations He was taken away least malice should change his vnderstanding Thus the argument standeth sure from the example of infants that what we cannot denie in them touching the predestination of grace wee
ought to confesse and maintaine it in men of ripe yeares also for there is one and the same maner of the predestination of all men CHAP. VIII The same point is proued by testimonies of the sacred Scriptures BVt let vs come to more manifest proofes Deut. 7.6 7 8. The onely grace of God is the cause of Election Moses saith to the children of Israel Thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath elected thee to be vnto him a peculiar people of all people that are vpon the face of the earth We heare the election of Israel of the cause whereof he straightway addeth Not because you were more then all people did the Lord loue you and chuse you for you were fewer then any people but because the Lord loued you and would keepe the oth that he made to your fathers he hath brought you out with a mightie hand Behold the free purpose of God is the cause of this election The same man Deut. 8.17 chap. 8. Beware least thou say in thy heart my strength and the power of my hand hath got me these riches but remember the Lord thy God because he giueth thee power that hee may confirme the couenant he sware to thy fathers Chap. 9. And chap. 9.4.5 Say not in thine heart when the Lord hath cast out these nations before thee for my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this land and for the impietie of these nations the Lord hath thrust them out before thee Not for thy righteousnesse and the vprightnes of thy heart doest thou go in to possesse their land albeit for the vnrighteousnesse of these nations the Lord thy God will expell them before thee but that the Lord may confirme his word promised to thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob Neither is it sufficient with Moses to say that the inheritance of that land was graunted to the people of Israel not for their merits vnles he should adde Know thou that the Lord not for thy righteousnesse giueth thee that good land to possesse for an inheritance because thou art a people of a hard necke Whereby he declared them vnworthie of euery good thing Behold therefore the most ancient doctrine of grace and election according to grace confirmed by the voice of the holy Ghost in the verie beginnings of the people of Israel For clearely in one and the same place of Scripture doth the Prophet shew the goodnes and seuerity of God saying Not for the righteousnes of this people but through the grace onely of God taking pitie on them is the inheritance of the Land giuen vnto them but the nations are driuen out of the same Land for their vnrighteousnes Yet because vnrighteousnes belongeth as well to the Israelites as to the Cananites and Amorites it appeareth so much the more plainely that God saw no goodnes in them why he should aduance that nation aboue all other nations Eze. 16. And Ezechiel excellently describeth that the Lorde of meere mercie had a respect to that people from the beginning as vnto a yong maide naked defiled and polluted in euery part And how often I praie did they tempt the Lord in the desert Psalm 95. 1. Cor. 10. Acts 7. how often did he saue them from his mercy and his couenant sake when did they not resist the holy Ghost Therefore it is manifest that God chose whom he would of meere grace Obiection But there Moses speaketh of the temporall election of the Israelites that they should be the people of God and of temporall benefites following that election as were their deliuerance out of Egipt their bringing into the Land of Canaan c. Answere I answere first that that temporall election included also the eternall Temporall election includeth eternall albeit not as touching the whole body of that people yet as touching some in that body For in the assembly of them that be called alwaies there bee some elect that shall haue giuen them eternall life And specially of that people doth the Apostle confirme it From the type to the trueth the consequence is good Rom. 11. Secondly from the deliuerance out of Egipt and the bringing into the Land of Canaan the consequence is good as from the types vnto the thing signified that God doth giue freely and of meere loue redemption also from sin and eternall life to whom hee will and would from euerlasting Thirdly here a generall reason is very strong If we cannot merite temporall things much lesse eternall If these externall things depended vpon no merites of the Israelites but on the onelie purpose of God shewing mercie much more on the same doth the electiō vnto the inheritance of the kingdome of heauē depend That place also in Ecclesiasticus 33. is not to be contemned although that book is not of like authority with the canonicall Scriptures Of this booke Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. q. As one day excelles another by the iudgement of the Lorde so by his manifolde knowledge men are distinguished and aduanced or cast downe Because as claie is in the hand of the potter which he handleth at his pleasure so men are in the hand of God their creator to euery one of whom he rendreth as pleaseth him As good is contrary to euil and life to death so is the godly man opposite to the sinner and be sinner to the godly So in al the workes of the most highest thou maiest see two things whereof one is contrary to the other 1. We are here admonished that all men are equall and alike by nature and beginning as by nature the dayes are alike also the vessels are like one another being made of the same claie as touching their matter and originall We also all of vs are of the same claie or of one and the same lumpe for we all do draw our beginning from the earth Thereof came Adam the first that was created and of Adam we all Neither haue all mortall men the same originall onely but also the same condition of byrth because all of vs are in sin borne of Adam seeing he fell a waie from his first creation 2. We are taught in the foresaid words that whatsoeuer and what maner soeuer differences there be among mē they come from God who aduaunceth some and abaseth others blessing some and cursing others 3. There is no other cause of this difference alledged but the disposition will wisedome and iudgement of the most lightest who seeing he is the creator of all things he obtayneth the chiefest and vncontroulable soueraignetie ouer all his owne workes much more than the potter that maketh of the same claie whatsoeuer pleaseth him I proceede vnto Paul who as a learned scribe in the kingdome of heauen bringeth out of his treasure new things and old to the confirmation of this doctrine He in the 9. chapter to the Rom. willing to take away the offence arising of the vnbeliefe of