were with we be burdened to wit that God is the author of sinne ether that he deliteth or willeth iniquitie ether that sathan or men doing wickedly do obey God ether in so far as they do euil that they do the thing that God will and therefor are blameles Let such blasphemies be far not onely from our mowâ—hes but also from our cogitations aÌ„d thoghtes That none of these blaspemies necessarely may be concluded of ouredoctryn may thus be proued God putâ—eth in execution the counselles of his will by second causes and mid instrumentes not as bouÌ„d vnto them as the Stoâ—kes did affirme but frely and poteÌ„tly making mouing and directing them as it pleaseth his wisdom Of those instrumeÌ„tes there are two principall kindes The one hath lief and mouing the other be without lief which raâ—her be moued by the force of others then moue theÌ„ selues There be two sortes of those that haue lief the one be iâ—dued with reason and iudgement the other be without reason and are onely caried by the blynd force of nature Those that be without lief and those also that haue lief but lack reason can nether be said to do well nor euil but those that vse them as instrumentes may be said ether to do well or euil Those that haue lief endued with reason are ether Angelles or meÌ„ The angelles be of two sortes som good som bad but as for men all by nature are euil But by grace they are so seperated that som are vtterly euil som partly good to witt in so far as the Spirit of God hath sanctified them Such as in any action are moued by their own inward motion iustly may be said to work and therefor in that kynd of instrumentes falleth the differeÌ„ce of good and of euill workes nether yet properly in that respect may they be called instrumentes but the causes efficieÌ„t An euill action I call that which hath not the reueled will of God for the assurance and eÌ„d and by the coÌ„trarie the work is good when the worker looketh to obey gods expresse commandement These same althogh they be causes in so far as they work by their own proper motioÌ„ yet are they in an other respect called instrumentes in so far as they are moued by an other As when the hangman by the commandement of the magistrate killeth a man or when by instigation of the deuil meÌ„ hurt others or wheÌ„ at the commandement of any we do ether good or euill to any maÌ„ In this kynd of actions it is euident that one work is attributed to two to the one as to him that worketh by an instrument and to the other as to the worker by motion or commandement such workers are instrumentes not simply as the haÌ„mer or axe is in the hand of the smithe or hewer but they are such instrumentes as also moue by their own inward motion And for this double respect a double worke appereth som tymes to be done In somuch that the one may be lawdable and the other wicked As if the magistrate shall committ an offender worthie of death to the executor of iustice This worke is praise worthie of all good men But if the lictor inflaÌ„bed rather with enuie auarice or any other wicked affection then looking to the commandemeÌ„t of the iudge shall kill the same offender most certen it is that before God he can not auoid the cryme of murther Now let us applie these thiÌ„ges to God whose efficacie before we haue proued to worke in all thinges without exceptioÌ„ aÌ„d so that by those thiÌ„ges which he hath made as by instrumenâ—es he executeth in tyme what so euer he hath decreed frome eternitie What so euer God worketh is good seing from him who is infinitlie good no euil thing can procede but he worketh aâ—l thinges therefor all thinges be good inso far as they ar done by God And that difference of good and euil hath onely place in the instrumentes aÌ„d in those of whom we haue spoken in the 14. proposition For if those instrumentes be good and if their actions look to the reueled will of God they do well and God also doth well by theÌ„ wherefor that work is alwaies good as when the good angelles execute that which God coÌ„mandeth and holie men do follow God calling them Euil instrumentes euill I say not by creation but by corruption in so far as they work alwais they do euill and therefor iustly do they incurre the wrath of God But in so far as God worketh by theÌ„ they ether by ignorance orels against their purposes serue to the good work of God But God him self by what so euer instrumentes he worketh worketh at all tymes well And so he worketh by those instrumeÌ„tes that not onely he permitteth and suffereth them to work nether doth he onely moderate the eueÌ„t or chance but also he raiseth them vp he moueth he directeth and that which is most of all he also createth to the end that by them he shall work that which he hath appointed Which thinges God doth righteously and without any iniustice For wheÌ„ the wicked man sinneth ether against him self ether against any wicked person God without any sinne doth aÌ„d bringeth to passe that the wicked man shall take vengeance vpon him self or that euill men shall take veÌ„geance vpon other wicked men who haue deserued punishement And this one and other work of God is most iust and by such exemples of his iudgementes God erecteth and comforteth his afflicted How oft that euill men hurt good men the wicked meÌ„ sinne aÌ„d in the end they suffer iust punishement and yet by them neuertheles doth God chasten instruct and confirme his own and by the manifest ennemies of his Church doth God make glorious his Church Yet can it not be said that those euill instrumentes do obey God For albeit that God worketh his work by them yet they so far as in them lieth and as coÌ„cerning their own counsell and will do not the work of God but their own work for the which meritably they are punished Albeit what so euer God worketh by the wicked is good yet what so euer the wicked men work is euel Nether is the consequent good God worketh all thinges Ergo he worketh sinne for the name of sinne is not but in the vicious aÌ„d faultie qualitie which is altogither in the instrument that worketh By reason of this corrupted qualitie the work which in the self is one som maner of way is double and may be diuided Insomuth that the one that is the iust work of God derectly fighteth and repugneth against the vniust work of man God neuertheles far other waies worketh by his good instrumeÌ„tes theÌ„ he doth by his euil instrumeÌ„tes for besides that by his good instrumeÌ„tes he worketh his work the good instrumentes also do their work by that strength and efficacie which the Lord ministereth vnto them And God also worketh his work by them and in them he worketh to will and
shal be illuminated and you shall se first that becaus the creator is infinitly good that therefor it behoueth the creatures in their original creation to be good And so I doute not was the deuil created good but in the veritie he stood not And secoÌ„darely that because the iust iudgemeÌ„ts of God were no les to shyne in the damnation of the reprobat then his infinite mercie was to be praised in the vessels of honor it behoued the one and the other to be innocent and good in their creation For if the original had bene euill God iustly could not haue after daÌ„ned that which he had made no better but so we must confesse that it was good that yet willingly corrupting the self maÌ„ made away to the most iust executioÌ„ of gods eternal couÌ„sell And last that the eternall purpose of God might in tyme be notified vnto maÌ„ w c was that God wold bestow greater liberalitie shew greater loue aÌ„d mercie in the redeÌ„ption of maÌ„ iustly damned then that he did in his creation Of nothing he did creat him for his corporall substaÌ„ce was made of the dust which somtymes was not to his own image and similitude to him he gaue the dominion of all creatures these were documents of a true loue But if they be compared with that loue which in Christ Iesus we receiue and that of fre grace they are no thing For what is the dominion of earthlie creatures in respect that we shall reigne with Christ Iesus for euer what were the pleasures and fruites of Paradise in comparison of those heaueÌ„lie ioyes which sainct Paul affirmeth can not enter in to the heart of man If man had stand perpetually in Adam neither had the loue of God so wonderously bene notified vnto vs neither yet had place ben graÌ„ted to his fre grace aÌ„d mercie w c we receiue in Christ Iesus For mercy properly hath respect to miserie But y e cheif comfort of gods children is that as they fell in Adam so are they new transferred in an other that is in Christ Iesus to whom they are giuen and who as before we haue proued hath so receaued them from the hand of his Father that he shall giue lief euerlasting to so many as the Father hath giuen him If ye I say can not admitt these reasons why it behoued maÌ„ to be created good and yet after to fall in to sin and merserie accuse your selues storm not against God for he will not be subiect to your reason iudgements your horrible blasphemies against God and your dispitefull raling against vs at this tyme I will omitt and how impudently ye leap from the purpose of gods reprobation to the execution of his iudgement shal be spoken in weying this your reason which thus foloweth THE ADVERSARIE The scripture witnesseth that we did fall in Adam for damnation came of one sinne vnto condemnation then did we all stand afore in Adam for none falleth but he that standeth If we did all stand then were we all predestinate to lief for as our fall here is to damnation and death so is our standing vnto saluation and lief And to confirme this we haue many testimonies in the word which proue vs to be elected chosen and predestinat to lief afore the fall but none that proue any man to be abiected cast away damned and reprobate afore sinne by which death entred into the world Paul to the Ephesians saieth God did choose vs in Christe before the foundations of the world were laid and ordeined vs before through him to be heires vnto him self and were tâ—erunto predestinat I pray you shew me any testimonie of the scripture which so manifestly proueth that God hath reprobate any before the foundations of the world God hath no respect of persons For he calleth the world from the rising vp of the son vnto the going downe of the same he made bothe small and great and careth for bothe a like for they be all the work of his handes And Esdras saieth it was not gods will that man should com to nought but he prepared lief for them The holie Gost saieth that God hath not made death neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the liuing for he created all things that they might haue their being yea all the people of the earth hath he made that they should haue helthe and their should be no destruction in them and that the kingdom of hell should not be vpon earth what can be more plainely and more directly spoken against this error In an other place saieth the holie Gost God created man to be vndestroyed and agane God ordeined man that he should order the world according to equitie and righteousnes and execute iudgement with a true hearte doeth God ordein man to rule the world according to righteousnes whom he reprobated Do men gather grapes as Christ saieth of thornes and figges of thistles euen so euerie good tree bringeth furthe good fruites But a corrupt tree bringeth furth euill fruite a good tree can not bring furth badd fruit neither can a badd tre bring furth good fruite Matth. 7. Either make the tre good and the fruite good orels the tre euill and his fruite euill Either grant man at his creation to be righteous and good and then I think ye will abhorre to say that God afore the foundations of the world did reprobate his good and righteous creature orels grant him at his creation to be an euill and vnrighteous creature Could then righteous iudgement com of such an vnrighteous tree further if man at his creation was an euill things then was he not the creature of God For God sawe al that he had made and they were verie good if man at his creation or afore was reprobate and ordeined vnto death then was man giltie afore the transgressioÌ„ for God damned none but such as be gyltie If he was giltie afore his transgression then was he a sinner being yet innocent and iust afore he euer consenteth or committed sinne And so consequently of this error I may inferre many no such absurdities as should offend any faithfull mannes eares ANSWER As no man of hole iudgement did euer denie that in Adam we did fall so I think you aÌ„d your sect set a part there hath ben none that euer did affirme that in Adam we were predestinat to lief euerlasting True it is y t we stood in Adam created in his loynes but I suppose that ye will not hold that the children had greater priuiledge then had the father Adam did not so stand but that he was subiect to the law the transgression where of made him dettour to death To speake the mater more plainely Adam did so stand that he might and did fall as the euent declared aÌ„d were his children so elect in him that they could not fall so ye appere to conclude For thus ye reason if we did all stand then were we
all predestinate to lief for as our fall here is to damnation and death so is our staÌ„ding vnto saluatioÌ„ and lief Assuredly these reasons appear meruelous straÌ„ge to me and principally that which ye bring furth of falling and standing for it hath in the self plain contradiction for if we fell in Adam to death how can we stand in him now vnto lief If you had said as that our fall was to damnation and death so should our standing haue ben to saluatioÌ„ and lief ye might haue had som probabilitie For your error had onely stand in this that ye do not conâ—ider that Adam was not created to stand for euer in him self â–ª and much les his posteritie in him But when ye say as our fall is to death so is o r standing vnto lief you plainely speak what so euer ye think that yet either in AdaÌ„ either in our selues we both fall and stand But this do we vtterly abhorre for we fear not plainely to confesse that we haue no assurance either of standing either yet of lief but in Christ Iesus alone in whoÌ„ we be ingrafted and with out whoÌ„ we caÌ„ do nothing In few wordes to repete the answer of your former obiectioÌ„ In AdaÌ„ did no maÌ„ stand otherwise theÌ„ he did But he did staÌ„d w t coÌ„dition to fall and y t eueÌ„ to death Therefor in AdaÌ„ did none staÌ„d to lief The commoÌ„ sense of maÌ„ will approue y e first part of this my argumeÌ„t for who caÌ„ think that any disceÌ„ding of Adam by his meanes could haue greater libertie theÌ„ he hiÌ„ self had And the eueÌ„t aÌ„d that which folowed declareth the veritie of the second part For not onelie vpon Adam saieth the Apostle cam death But eueÌ„ from him descended death vnto all How then could any stand in him to lief Let reasonable men consider To proue that all were predestinat and chosen in AdaÌ„ before the fouÌ„datioÌ„s of the world were laid ye briÌ„g furth the testimony of Paul written in the first chap. to the Ephesians which we before haue entreated and therefor here I onely will open your falshed Wonder it is that shame should be so far past you that where the holie Gost plainely affirmeth that we were elected and chosen in Christe Iesus before the foundations of the world were laid that this election ye should affirm to be made in Adam If you obiect that you specifie not AdaÌ„ I answer that is all a like for of your former argumentes it easely may be espied whom ye vnderstand For when thus ye reason we did all stand in Adam ergâ— we were all predestinat to lief what is he that clearly may not perceaue that your meaning is that we were all predestinat to lief in Adam For els you had said nothing to proue your own purpose For we affirm that we were elected before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid But the controuersie standeth in whom We affirme and most coÌ„stantly beleue that in Christe Iesus the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father were we elected before all tymes This ye can not abyde and therefor ye seke all meanes to obscure the glorie of him to whoÌ„ the Father hath geuen all power in heauen and in earth somtymes ye say as now I haue declared that this election was made in Adame But whill that this will not serue you ye run to an other shift alledging that the Apostle speaketh here of a generall election of the hole world and a not of any certen election which should abyd for euer and so in shifting from one danger ye fall into another as after in examining of that your vain reason more euidently shall appere Ye instantly require that we will shew any testimonie of the scripture that hath reprobate any before the fouÌ„dations of the world If it be the pleasure of God to giue vnto you the spirite of wisdom and of reuelation by the knowledge of hiÌ„ self that the eies of your mynd may be illuminated that ye may know what is the hope to the which he hath called you and how rich is the glorie of that inheritance which he hath prepared for his saintes ye shall require no place more plaine nor more euident then the same which most ignorantly orels most maliciously ye do abuse for if there be any differeÌ„ce betwext the saintes the faithfull that be blessed with all spirituall benedictioÌ„ betwext those I say y t were elected in Christe Iesus before all tymes that in tyme be called and by the power of the holie spirite do giue obedieÌ„ce to the caller and so are made citizens with the saintes and houshold of God as they that are builded vpon the foundation of the Prophetes aÌ„d Apostles if any differeÌ„ce I say be betwext these former and these in whom the prince of this world doeth worke all filthynes and rebellioÌ„ whom he holdeth captiue at his pleasure who can not repent their detestable liues and therefor are reputed strangears from the common welth of Israel And further if ye will beleue Christ Iesus affirming and reioising that it pleased his Father to hyde the secretes of his kingdome from the prudent and wife and to reuele the same to litle ones aÌ„d that becaus it was his pleasure I trust ye shall confesse that those scriptures be plaine ynough to proue that as some were elected before the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of the world was laid so likewies were there others reprobated as the finall end of bothe doeth witnes But how ye wrestle against this argumeÌ„t we shall after heare aÌ„d how plainely I haue proued soÌ„ to be elected and others to be reprobated reade before aÌ„d iudge with indiffereÌ„cie If ye will coÌ„clude that God hath no certen election neither yet that he hath reprobated any becaus that he hath no respect of persones and becaus he calleth the world from the rising vp of the son to the going doune of the same becaus he made both small and great and careth as ye falsly alledge for bothe a like your affirmatioÌ„ may well be bolde but I think that your probation shal be sclender But first I must except against you as against fals witnes for you alledge more vpon Elihu theÌ„ in the book of Iob he affirmeth For he saieth not that God careth for all a like But saieth that his eies are vpon the waies of man and that he doeth se all his goinges And that neither you neither any other shall haue occasion to complain of me that vniustly I accuse you of falsifying the plain text I will recite bothe the purpose and the wordes Iob in vehemeÌ„cie of disputation against his thre frendes who constantly did affirm that God prouoked by his sinnes had powred furth those sodane and strange plagues vpon him Iob I say in refelling this their accusation and in confuting their reasons did enter into the secretes of gods inscrutable iudgementes further theÌ„ it became any creature to do and did seme to
proue it to be sothen oght you to be ashamed to burden God with such vnrighteous iudgement Doeth not God rather forgiue the offence alredie committed Let him be your God which condemneth the innocent afore he offend But he shall be my God which perdoneth and forgiueth the offence alreadie committed which in his verie wraithe doeth think vpon mercie And so with Iob will I conclude The great God casteth away no man ANSWER How ignorantly and how impudently ye confounde the eternall purpose of gods reprobation with the iust execution of his iudgementes I haue before declared and therefor here onely resteth to admonishe the reader that most vniustly ye accuse vs in that ye say that we hold and teache that God damned man before he offended This you be neuer able to shew in any of our workes for constantly in worde and writing we affirme that man willingly fell from God and made him self slaue to sathan before that death was inflicted vpon him and so neither make we death the reward of gods ordinance neither do we burden him with vnrighteous iudgement But say with the Apostle that death is the reward of sinne and that our God is righteous in all his workes and therefor be ashamed and repēt your manifest lie That God forgiueth the sin committed and doeth remēber mercie euen when he appereth in his hote displeasure to punishe his Churche with thankes giuing and ioy we acknowledge But that thereof ye cōclud ▪ as ye say w t Iob that the great God casteth away no man we can not cease to admonishe bothe you and the readers that either ignorantly orels maliciously ye corrupt and depraue the minde of the speaker in that place Elihu saieth not as ye alledge The great God casteth away no mā but saieth Behold the mightie God casteth away none that is mightie and valiant of courage He main teneth not the wicked but he giueth iudgemēt to the afflicted And in this behalf your master Castalio who notwithstanding that he vseth to take large libertie in translation where any thing may seme to serue his purpose is more circumspect and more faithfull then you be for thus he translateth that place Althogh that God be excellent yea excellent and strong of courage yet is he not so dissolute y t either he will kepe y e wicked or denie iudgemēt to the poore Althogh I say y t here is a greater libertie thē I wold wish a faithfull translater to vse yet hath he not so corrupted y e sense as ye haue done Elihu reasonīg against Iob affirmeth that albeit y e power of God be infinit yet cā not his workes be vniust but that they are wroght in all perfectiō of iustice how beit that often as we be dull and blinde we do not vnderstand nor se at the first the causes of the same yet God giueth daily declaration of his iustice in that the preserueth and somtyme exalteth the verteouse that before were afflicted and deiecteth from honors the wicked and the cruell oppressors Be iudge your self what this serueth for your purpose THE ADVERSARIE Some other be that grant that sinne was à cause why man is reprobate and there with they hold that gods absolute ordinance is also the caus this saing conteineth cōtradiction in it self for if it be gods absolut ordinance then is it not in respect of any other thing but as they say because it hath so pleased him if they ment that gods ordinance is the cause why sinners suffer death or that God ordeined that sinners for their sinne should suffer death I could agre with them but that were contrary to that which they haue said that God absolutly ordeined any man afore he was yea afore the world to death because so it pleased him for if death be the reward of sinne and for offence and sinne we do die then cometh not death by gods absolute ordinance And if I do grant that both gods absolute ordinance and also sinne are the causes of damnation after your meanyng marke well what inconuenience foloweth thereof first ye must grant me that gods ordinance is the principall and chefest cause for it can not be inferior to any other cause secōdly ye will grant that the first or principale cause called Causa Causae is the cause of the secōd ād inferior cause called cause causate so to cōclude gods ordināce which is Causa causae shal be the cause of sinne which is Causa causata As for a familiar exemple the heate of the son and the dew cause the grounde to be frutefull and God also is the cause thereof for he maketh the barren ground frutefull but forasmuch as God is the principall and first cause he must be also the cause of the same which is but the second cause Thus it is clerely proued that if gods ordināce were the cause of reprobation then gods ordinance should also be the cause of sinne and God should be autor of euill contrarie to the hole scripture contrarie to the opinion of all godlie men and contrarie to our faith But forasmuch as God willing I intend to answer at length to this wicked opinion in the confutation of the third error I will speak no more hereof in this place ANSWER No further answer nedeth to be giuen to these your most vniust accusatiōs then those which we before haue giuen for neither do we so vnreuerētly speake nor write neither yet do we vnderstād nor affirme that gods absolute ordinance is the principall cause of reprobation of sinne and of damnation but simplie we do teache that God in his etternall counsell for the manifestation of his own glorie hath of one maste chosen vessels of honor whom before all tymes he hath geuē vnto Christe Iesus that they in him should receiue lief And of the same masse he hath left others in that corruption in the which they were to fall and so were they prepared to destruction The cause why the one were elected we confesse and knowledge not to be in mā but to be the fre grace and the fre mercie shewed and frely giuen to vs in Christe Iesus who onely is appoīted head to giue life to the bodie Why the others were reiected we affirme the cause to be most iust but yet secrete ād hid frome vs reserued in his eternall wisdome to be reueled at the glorious comming of the Lord Iesus This one thing do we compelled by your blasphemous accusations repete oftener then we wold to the end that indifferent men may se what doctrine it is which you so maliciously impugne How so euer ye ioyn gods absolute ordinance and sinne togither we make so far diuision betwext the purpose and eternall counsell of God for absolute ordinance we vse not in that mater and the sinne of mā that we plainely affirme that mā when he sinned did neither looke to gods will gods counsell nor eternall purpose but did altogither consent to the will of
should innocently suffer the death of the crosse But how litle doeth this releue the wilfull sinne of Pilate shall after be declared EueÌ„ such libertie and power as ye had to write these former and subsequeÌ„t blasphemies had Ananias of his land and money receiued for the same For as you being infected with heresie malice and enuie did willingly write and vtter your veÌ„nom so he being auaricious and a dissembling hypocrite did of a fre consenting heart reserue a portion to him self offering a parte to the Churche of God with protestatioÌ„ that it was the hole some thinking therebie to haue obteined the commendation and praise which hypocrites deserue not But what was gods purpose counsell and will in that behalf is euident to witt that we shall abhorre and auoid hypocrisie that we shall not abuse the simplicitie of our brethren neither yet make protestation of that thing before men affirming that to be trew which our own conscience knoweth to be fals But now to the rest THE ADVERSARIE Here I think it is good to answere to their obiectioÌ„s which they collect of Peters denying of his master If these thinges which God foreseeth to com to passe say they may be left vndone then notwithstanding that Christ did foresee that Peter should denie him Peter might yet haue not denied him I answer that notwithstanding Christ did foresee that Peter should denie him yet was not Peter compelled thereto but might haue not denied Christ well say they then should Christ haue ben a lier for he said that Peter should denie him I answer that notwithstanding that Christ so said â–ª yet might Peter haue not denied himâ— aÌ„d Christ notwithstanding should haue ben no lier the like example haue we in the first book of Samuel Dauid asked counsel at the Lord if Saul wold come to Keyla and the Lord said he will com downe then said Dauid will the men of keyla delyuer me and the men that are with me into the hands of Saul And the Lord said they will betray you Then Dauid with his men departed from key la which when Saul heard he left of from his interprise and com not to Keyla Here we se that neither gods foreknowledge which is also conforme to his saing neither yet his prophecyeing did take libertie frome Saul from the men of keyla neither from Dauid and his mâ— nother did Saul come to keyla neither the men of keyla betraied Dauid as the Lord had spoken And Dauid had libertie with his men to auoid the danger notwithstanding God had spoken it should come to passe so all they had libertie yea euen after God had pronounced what shoulde be done In so much that their doings were plaine contrarie to the prophecie of God And yet was God true for he did foresee that if Dauid did not departe frome keyla vsing such libertie as God had giuen him he with his men should be betrayed into the hands of Saule and I pray you might not Peter like wise vsing his libertie auoyd the bushopps howse and so neuer bene tempted to denie Christe Yes I am sure as well as Dauid auoided Keyla ANSWER If you be able to proue that Dauid stoode in also hote a contention against God as Peter did against his master Christ Iesus that Dauid affirmed the expressed contrarie to that which God had pronounced and that God had appointed the certen time aswell when Saule should come as when the men of keyla should betrey him then might ye haue had som coulor to haue compared and matched the deniall of Peter with the flieÌ„g of Dauid But if Peters deniall was with a dooble affirmation pronounced by the mowth of Christe Iesus and if the sentence of God bothe touching the comming of Saule and touching the vnthankfulnes of the men of keyla was conditionall ye be more theâ— bold that take vpoâ— you to ioyn togither things so diuerse Christes wordes to Peter were neither spoken nor ment vnder any condition but were pronounced as foloweth Verelie verelie I say vnto the that the cock shal not crowe till thow shall denie me thrise Which wordes leaue neither libertie fredome nor power to Peter to prouide for him self that this senteÌ„ce should not be true but the wordes and answers spoken to Dauid were according to his questions which were first if that brute of Saules coÌ„ming was true aÌ„d if the men of keyla to whom he had shewen such thankfulnes of late before should becom so ingrate that they should betrey him into the haÌ„des of Sauleâ— And God did answere that Saule should come downe and that the citezens of keyla should betray him But I trust ye will not be so impudent as to denie but that both these affirmations were spoken conditionally to assure Dauid of his doubâ—es and to giue him aduertisment that neither he shoulde abyde the hasard of Saules comming neither yet coâ—mit him self and his meÌ„ of warre to the fidelitie of those that were in keyla Be iudges now your selues how far different be the wordes spokeÌ„ to Peter and the wordes spoken to Dauid Ye procede THE ADVERSARIE But now to returne to our purpose if I shall grante that all thinges of mere necessitie must come to passe according to the prescience and fore knowledge of God then had Adam afore the traâ—sgâ—â—ssion no fre will but of mere necessitie did he offend forasmuch as God did foresee his fall Then had Christ no fre will for God did foresee all that Christ was to do then is God bound him self aÌ„d hath no libertie to do nor leaue vndone that which he doeth forasmuch as he foreseeth all his own workes This belike you will make a goodlie wise God God saue vs frome such dangerous aÌ„d horrible errors and giue vs stedfast and perfect faith to beleue not onely that he is but also that he is an omnipotent God Which frely after his own good pleasure doeth and may do or leaue vndone what so euer pleaseth him ANSWER Before I answer to the absurdities which of our doctrine ye collect I must in few wordes put you in minde that verie foolishely ye ioyn the fre will of Adame with the free will of Christe Iesus and with the libertie of God for Adams will was neuer so free but that it might as that it did coÌ„ to thraldom which weaknes you be neuer able to proue at any tyme to haue bene in Christes will further the will of Adam was alwaies vnder the impire and threatning of a law to which subiectioÌ„ I thiâ—k ye wil not bring God But now to your absurdities If say you I shall grante that all thinges of mere necessitie must com to passe according to the prescience and foreknowledge of God then had Adam afore his transgression no fre will your illation or consequence is fals for the fore knowledge and prescience of God did neither take away fre will from Adam neither yet did
compell it by any violence but did vse it as an ordinarie mean by the which his eternall counsell and purpose should take effect but for the better vnderstanding hereof we must aduerte and note that which before we haue towched and promised after more largely to entreat the same to witt that gods prescience and foreknowledge is not to be seperated from his will and decre For none otherwies doeth God foresee things to com to passe but according as he him self hath in his eternall counsell decreed theâ— sameâ— for as it apperteineth to his wisdome to foreknow and foresee all things that are to come so doeth it appertein to his power to moderate and reule all things according to his own will neither yet herefor doeth it folow that his fore knowledge prescieâ—ce will or power doeth take away the fre will of his creatures but in all wisdom and iustice how euer the contrarie appere to our corrupted iudgements he vseth them as best it pleaseth his wisdom to bring to passe in time that which before all tyme he had decreed To the which purpose and end they I mean the creatures and their willes what so euer they purpose to the contrarie or how ignorantly that euer they worke it neuertheles do volontarely and as it were of a naturall motion incline and bow to that end to the which they are created To make the mater more plaine let vs take the creation and fall of Adam with the creatures that serued in the same for example For what cheif end did God create all thinges of Salomon and Paule we haue before declared to witt for his own glorie to be shewed the glorie I say of the riches of his mercie towardes the vessels of mercie and the glorie of his iustice and most iust iudgements towardes the vessels of wraith And that this eternall counsell of God should take effect as he had purposed maÌ„ was created righteous wise iust and good hauing fre will nother subiect to the thraldom of sinne nor of sathan at the first creatioÌ„ but sodanly cometh sathan ennemie to God and to maÌ„ his good creature and first powred in vennom into the heart of the woman which afterward she powreth into the heart of Adame to the which bothe the one and the other without all violeÌ„ce vsed of gods part doeth willingly consent and so conspiring with the serpent do accuse God of a lie do fully consent to vendicat or challenge to them selues the power of the God head of minde aâ—nd purpose so far as in them lay to thrust downe and depose him from his eternall throne Here we se how the creatures and their willes without compulsion do serue gods purpose and counsell for sathan was neither sent nor commanded of God to tempt man but of malice and hatred did most willingly and gredely runne to the same the will of man being fre before was not by God violently compelled to obey sathan but man of fre will did consent to sathan and conspire against God And yet was the fall of man not onely foresene and fore knowen of God but also before decreed for the manifestation of his glorie Let vs yet take an other exemple that the mater may be more euident The death of Christe Iesus for mans redemption was decreed in the eternall counsell of God before the foundations of the world were laid as we were elected in him and as he was the lambe killed from the beginning which death also was decreed in the same counsell of God to be in a certein time appointed And that so certenly that neither could the malice of any creature preuent the houre appointed of God thereto neither yet could any policie or chance impede or transferre the same to any other tyme. For how oft Christ was afore assaulted the Euangelistes do witnes But alwaies his answere was my houre is not yet come And what impedimentes did occure immediatly before his death is also euideÌ„t The feast of Easter was instant the fame of Christ was great the fauor of the people with publick voices was declared and the counsels of the hie priestes and seniors had decreed that to auoid sedition his death should be delayed till after that feast But all these were shortly ouerthrowen and Christ did suffer in the verey tyme appointed as he before had forespoken But now to the instrumentes which serue in this mater and whether they were compelled by God or not Iudas we know was not one of the least and what moued him the holie Gost doeth witnes to witt his auariciousnes The scribes Phariseis Priestes and Seniors and people led som of malice and enuie some to gratifie their ruelers and altogether of set purpose to crucifie Christ do consent with Iudas Pilate albeit he long refused and by diuers meanes studied to delyuer Christ yet in the end for fear of displeasure as â—well of the priestes and people as of the Emperor he willingly without all compulsion of gods part pronounced an vniust sentence of deathe against Christ Iesus which his soldiours also most williÌ„gly did execute This I say we se that the creatures and their willes without all compulsion do serue gods counsell and purpose Here I know that ye thiÌ„k that either I write against my self orels that I conclude a great absurditie for if I say that God did nothing but foresee these thinges and so permitted them as after you speak to folow their own train that he worketh no more but as a simple beholder of a tragedie then do I aggre with you and if I do say as in verey dede I do vnderstand and affirme that the eternall counsell and purpose of God did so reule in all these thinges that rather they did serue to gods purpose and most iust will then fulfill their most wicked willes then will you cry blasphemie and say that I deliuer the deuill Adam and all the wicked frome sinne of the which I make God to be author To the first I haue answered before that as I seperate not gods foreknowledge from his counsell so do I affirme that he worketh all in all thinges according to the purpose of the same his good will and yet that he vseth no violence neither in compelling his creatures neither constreining their willes by any externall force neither yet taking their willes from them but in all wisdom and iustice vsing them as he knoweth most expedient for the manifestation of his glorie without any violence I say done to their willes For violence is done to the will of a creature when it willeth one thing and yet by force by tyranny or by a greater power it is compelled to do the thinges which it wold not as if a pudique aÌ„d honest matron or chaste virgine should be deprehended alone by a wicked and filthie man who with violence and force thoghe the will of the woman did plainely repine did deflowre and corrupte her This is violence done to will and she
yet are spokeÌ„ of God vnto Rebecca none of vs denieth but that which ye thereof inferre to witt that therefor they are not to be referred to that sentence which Paul alledgeth before the childreÌ„ were borne and yer they did either good or badd procedeth either of your blind ignoraÌ„ce orels of your malicious despite which agaiâ—st the fre grace of God ye haue conceaued for establishing of your own iustice Trew it is these wordes were spoken by Malachie the Prophete after the reduction of the people frome the captiuitie of Babylon But when we haue a litle considered the scope and purpose of the Prophete then shall we first consider whether he did vnsterstand the loue of God and his hatered to appertein to the two peoples onely and not also to the two original heades And after we shall see whether the mynd and plaine wordes of Paul will suffer and bear your interpretation or not Shortly after that the people of Israel I mean the tribes of Iuda Beniamin and I â—eui were by the miraculous work of God after the bondage of 70. yeres set at libertie and broght againe to Ierusalem in which they did reedifie the temple repaire the walles aÌ„d beginne to multiplie and so to grow to som streÌ„gth within the citie and land they fall to their old nature I mean to be vngrate and vnthankfull vnto God the people were slothfull and the priestes who should haue prouoked the people to the remembrance of those great benefites were become euen like to the rest The Lord therefor did raise vp his Prophete Malachie who was the last before Christ sharply to rebuke and plainely to coÌ„uict this horrible ingratitude of that vnthankfull nation who so shamefully had forgotten those so great benefits recently bestowed vpon them And thus beginneth he his prophecie I haue loued you saieth the Lord in which wordes he speaketh not of a common loue which in preseruing and feding all creatures is commoâ— to the reprobate but of that loue by the which he had sanctified and seperated them from the rest of nations to haue his glorie manifested But becaus they as all vngrate persons do did not consider wherin this his loue towardes them more then towardes others did stand he bringeth them to the fountein demanding this question was not Esau brother to Iacob saieth the Lord and neuertheles Iacob haue I loued and Esau I haue hated and this he proueth not onely by the diuersitie of the two couÌ„treis which were giueâ— to their posterities but also by that that God coÌ„tinually shewed hiÌ„ self louiâ—g to Iacob and to his posteritie reducing them againe after long captiuitie declaring him self as it were ennemy to Edom whose desolation he wold neuer restore but wold distroy that which they shoulde go about to build Let now the godlie reader iudge whether that the mynd of the Prophete was to seclude Iacob in his person from the loue of God and Esau from his hatered or that it was not rather to rebuke the vnthankfulnes of the people who did not consider that vndeserued loue which God did shew to their first father whiles he was yet in his mothers bosome for where he saieth was not Esau brother to Iacob he wold put them in mynd that Iacob had no prerogatiue aboue Esau yea that the was inferior to him as coâ—cerning the law of nature and therefor that he oght to haue bene subiect vnto him but God of fre grace did preferre the yonger to the elder which loue and preferment he constantly did kepe to his sede after him This I am assured can no godlie man denie to be the verey meaning of the Prophete Trew it is that he doeth include both the peoples the one loued and the other hated But what reason is it that the heades shall be secluded seing that the begiÌ„ning of the diuersitie did first appere in them and the Prophete plainely saieth Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Now to the mind of the Apostle you say that these wordes afore the children were born are not to be referred to the sentence which followeth Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated and the cause ye add as we before haue declared I answer that the most iust iudgementes of God are fearefull and your blindnes oght to admonishe all men to examin them selues with what conscieÌ„ce they go to intreate gods secrete mysteries If that sentence before the children were born oght not to be referred to these wordes Iacob haue I loâ—ued and Esau haue I hated I pray you to what wordes oght they to be referred Did the Apostle speak theÌ„ at all aduenture without respect to any thing folowing I trust ye will grant asmuch as God spak to witt that before the children wer born God said The elder shal serue the yonger and then I pray you answer whether ye think that the preferment of Iacob to Esau proceded frome loue or frome hatred or if the subiectioÌ„ of Esau to his brother was not a declaration of gods hatred If you denie yet will the Prophete condemne you as before we haue proued ye can not escaip with the solution which a writer defending fre will giueth which is this That there mention is made onely of temporall and carnal benedictioÌ„ ment vnder the name of loue and of pouertie with barrennes of grounde vnderstand by the name of hatred which solution is so colde that it perisheth in the self for I think no man to be so blynd but that he seeth the mynd of the Apostle to be beÌ„t vpon the spirituall benediction as in his hole disputation is euident But let it be that the corporall benediction which we vtterly exclude not be there vnderstaÌ„d and meÌ„t yet that neither helpeth him nor you for where so euer gods establyshed loue is there is lief where so euer his established hatred is there is death but vpon Iacob and vpon his sede spiritual I mean was established the loue of God as the Prophete affirmeth and our Apostle most pro foundely alledgeth and vpon Esau and vpon his posteritie was established and confirmed the hatred Ergoâ— vpon him and them remained death CoÌ„sider now how that the Apostle after these wordes The elder shall serue the yonger ioyneth this senteÌ„ce as it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau I haue hated In which wordes the holie Gost agreeth together the wordes of the Prophete and the wordes of God spoken to Rebecca and maketh the one to interprete the other for where God saieth the elder shall serue that expoÌ„deth the Prophete God hated Esau and where he pronounceth dominion to the yonger that the Prophete explaneth saiÌ„g Iacob haue I loued And when did God thus loue the one and hate the other pronouncing the one to be Lord and the other to be seruant While they were yet saieth he in their mothers wombe and before they had either done good or bad Denie now if ye can that the former wordes oght not to be
theÌ„ that God worketh by creatures this impedeth not but that the wicked work also vpoÌ„ theire part which thing the scripture most euidently declareth for as it pronounceth that God will whissill aÌ„d blow as it were the truÌ„pet to call aÌ„d bring furth to battell the vnfaithfull so ceaseth it not to make meÌ„tioÌ„ of theire own couÌ„sell aÌ„d ascribeth to theÌ„ both a will aÌ„d a work which they did execute vnder the decre of God The other exception of the which these vnhappie libertines take no head is that there is a greate differeÌ„ce betwext thework of God aÌ„d thework of the wicked wheÌ„ that God vseth him in stede of aÌ„ instrumeÌ„t The wicked maÌ„ is prouoked to iniquitie ether by auarice aÌ„bitioÌ„ enuie or crueltie nether yet looketh he to any other end or purpose and therefor the worke taketh the qualitie from the roote from the which it springeth that is frome the wicked affectioÌ„ of the mynd and the mischeuous end which he looketh vnto and therefor iustly is it iudged euill but God altogither hath a contrarie respect to witt that he may exercise his iustice to the conseruation of the good to vse his fauor and gentilnes towardes the faithfull and that he may punish such as haue deserued Consider how we must make difference betwext God and man that vpon the one parte we shall behold his iustice his goodnes and his iudgements and vpon the other part we shall consider in the self same work the malice and enuie of the deuill and of the wicked Let vs take a bright and clear glasse in the which we may behold these thiÌ„ges When the message of the losse of all his goodes came to Iob the sodan death of his sonnes and so manie calamities which all at once fell vpoÌ„ him He doeth acknowledge that he was visited by God saing The Lord gaue all these thinges and it is he that hath taken them away and no doubt so it was But in the mean time do we not know that the deuil procured all these thinges and did not he vnderstaÌ„d by narration of his seruants that escaped that the chaldeis had driuen away his bestiall and flockes Did he commeÌ„d those brigandes and spoilers or oght we to excuse the deuill becaus that all these calamities proceded from God Not so for bothe we and he do and did vnderstand that there was a great difference betwext their purposes And therefor he yet damning the euill said the Name of the Lord be blessed The same may we say of Dauid but at this tyme it sufficeth that God so worketh by his creatures and so doeth vse them to his prouideÌ„ce that the instrument by the which he worketh ceaseth not to be euill And albeit that he conuert the malice of the deuill and of wicked men to good yet they therefor are neither excusable neither yet clean from sinne and their workes are wicked and to be damned for all workes take their qualitie of the purpose and the will of the author Who so euer maketh no distinction betwext these thinges maketh an horrible confusion And such be the libertines who as before is said do not onely ioyn the deuill in societie with God but also do transforme him in to God iudgeing his workes worthie of praise vnder this coulor that he doeth nothing but that which is appointed by God But contrarie wies we oght to obserue that the creatures do woâ—k their own workes in this earthe which workes according as they were directed to this or that end so are they to be iudged either good or euill and yet God gouerneth and doeth moderat all things and guideth them also to a right end He turneth the euill into good or at least God working by the goodnes of his nature draweth as it were by violence som good furth of that which in the self is euill So doeth he vse the deuil that he doeth not mixe him self with him neither to be in felowshipe with him neither yet with his wicked fact neither that his iustice shal put away the nature of the deuil for as the son sending furth his beames and heat to the carion and so ingendreth in it som corruption draweth to it self neither corruptioÌ„ neither yet any filthines neither yet doeth the son by his puretie aÌ„d birghtnes so purge the carioÌ„ but that it remaineth stincking and corrupt so doeth God so work by the wicked that the iustice which is in hiÌ„ doeth not iustifie theÌ„ neither yet is he defyled by their wickednes and corruptioÌ„ The third kinde of gods operation coÌ„sisteth in the gouernaÌ„ce of the faithful in whom he liueth aÌ„d reigneth by his spirit In so far as we are corrupt by original sinne we be lyke to the drie and barren grounde which produceth no good frute for our iudgement is corrupt our will rebellious euer redie to euill and finally our hole nature is nothing elles but a lompe of sinne And therefor not onely can we not applie our selues to any good action but we are not able nor sufficienâ— to conceaue one good thoght as Paul doeth witnes but if we be able to anâ— thing of necessitie that must procede froÌ„ God It is he therefor that worketh in vs both to wil and to performe he doeth illuminate vs and lead vs to the knowledge of him self he draweth vs to him self and by softening our heartes he formeth new heartes in vs. further it is he who moueth in vs a desire of prayiÌ„g he giueth power and strength to resist all the tentations of sathan and maketh that we do walk in his commandements But yet we must consider that of nature we haue both will and election but because they are both depraued by sinne the Lord reformeth theÌ„ aÌ„d of euill maketh them good That we therefor be apt to discerne that we haue a will that we do this or that this is a naturall gift but that we can chouse desyre or do nothing but that which is euil that cometh of the corruption of sinne that we thirst to do good that we haue som power to execute the same this procedeth from the supernaturall grace by the which we are regenerat and newly born to a better and more godlie life Behold then what God worketh in his children first putting away their peruerse nature he coÌ„ducteth aÌ„d guy deth theÌ„ by his holie spirit in obedience of his wil. But these dronken or rather furious libertines crying that al things are wroght by God do make him author of euil And further euen as the nature of the euill were changed when it is cloked vnder the couerture of gods name they affirme it to be good in the which they do greater iniurie and coÌ„tume lie vnto God then that they should transfer his power and iustice to an other For seiÌ„g there is nothing more proper vnto God theÌ„ is his goodnes it behoueth first y â— he should vtterly denie him self before that he can work euill which thing these
spirit that Balaam was led withall when he counselled to giue occasion of sinne to the people I know ye wil answer that I mean not so Mean what ye list and do what ye can yet this is the issue and frute of your doctrine and who so euer is thus corrupt by you without he repent he shall die the death but God shall require his bloode of your haÌ„ds Marke well your disciples how many of them endeuore theÌ„ selues to bring furth the frutes of repentance how many of theÌ„ seke for power to crucifie the flesh with the lusts and coÌ„cupiscence thereof How many of theÌ„ caÌ„ we perceaue by their conuersatioÌ„ that they haue cast of the old maÌ„ aÌ„d put on the new maÌ„ walking sincerely in their vocation aÌ„d the true feare of God but if they accustom to frequent your congregations as the papistes do the masse theÌ„ be they faithfull brethren I hold my peace of that ye vse to haue respect of persons preferring the welthie which if they be liberal thoghe they be drowned in many vices you vse to help vp such sores with this saying There is none during this life that caÌ„ be knoweÌ„ to be in the election be he neuer so vertuous nor any owt of the electioÌ„ be he neuer so vnrighteous after this maner ye do heall theÌ„ vp so that they nede not to indeuor them selues to bring furth the frutes of liuelie faith for the surest tokeÌ„ of their electioÌ„ they think to be that they be of your congregation but Christ saieth in that shall al meÌ„ know that ye are my disciples if you do what so euer I coÌ„maÌ„d you aÌ„d againe ye shal know theÌ„ by their frutes for a good maÌ„ owt of y e treasure of his heart bringeth furth good things yet ye say no maÌ„ caÌ„ be knoweÌ„ to be either in the election or owt of the election during this life and for proofe hereof ye alledge the saying of Paul â–ª the deuil doeth transforme him self into an Angel of light to which I breifly answer that God doeth neuer traÌ„sforme hiÌ„ self into an Angell of darknes wherefor so long as ye walk in darknes ye be not of God But thus ye take the most shameful meÌ„ by the had flatteriÌ„g theÌ„ so that they caÌ„ not return froÌ„ their wickednes whereby it appereth that ye be not sent froÌ„ God for ye by your doctrine giue occasioÌ„ to the people to sinne And the Lord saieth if they had bene in my couÌ„sell they had turned my people frome their euill waies aÌ„d wicked imaginations but such lippes such letuce such disciples such masters of your chief Apollos be persecutors on whoÌ„ the bloode of Seruetus crieth a veÌ„geaÌ„ce so doeth the blood of others mo whom I coulde name but forasmuch as God hath partly alredie reuenged their bloode and serued som of their persecuters with the same measure where with they measured to others I will make no mention of them at this tyme. And to declare their wickednes not to haue proceded of ignorance and humane infirmitie but of indured malice they haue for a perpetuall memorie of their crueltie sett furth bookes affirming it to be lawfull to persecute and put to death such as dissent from them in controuersies of religioÌ„ whome they cal blasphemers of God notwithstanding they afore they came to autoritie they were of an other iudgement and did bothe say and write that no man oght to be persecuted for his conscience saik but now they are not onely becom persecuters but also they haue giuen as far as lieth in them the sword into the handes of bloodie tyrantes Be these I pray you the shepe whom Christ sent furth in the middest of wolues can the shepe persecute the wolf doth Abel kil Caynâ—doeth Dauid thogh he might kill Saul shortly doeth he which is born of the spirit kill him which is born after the fleshe Mark how ye be fallen in to most abhominable tyranny and yet ye se it not Thus I am constreined euen of conscience to write That if it shal please God to awaik you owt of your dreaÌ„ that ye may perceaue how me error haeth drowned you in mo errors and hath broght you to a sleping securitie that when ye walk eueÌ„ after the lustes of your heartes thirsting after bloode and persecuting poore men for their conscience saik ye be blynded and se not your selues but say tushe we be predestinat what so euer we do we are certeÌ„ we caÌ„ not fall owt of gods fauor A wake therefor and looke what daÌ„ger ye be in and how by your poisoned doctrine ye infect the people of God and draw them to a secure ydle and careles life ANSWER The crimes laid to our charge in this mater be haynous For first we are accused that we prouoke men to a careles aÌ„d libertine life So that by vs the people do nothiÌ„g â—uteate and drink and ryse vp to play That we haue no conscience but being led with the spirit of Balaam giue occasion of sinne to the people That none other frute doeth ensue our doctrine â—ut libertie to sinne for our disciples are cruel murtheâ—ers subiect to all iniquitie respecting persones and flattering sinners And last y t by our poisoned docttrine we infect the people and bring theÌ„ to a secure ydle and careles life Because I wil omit no notable part of your booke to ouerslippe without some reasonable answer I wil folowe youre ordre althogh it be confused If you be able by plaine scriptures to proue a thirde sort of meÌ„ which nether be elect nether yet reprobat then shal we learne of you other wise to deuide But if God by his first voice pronounced in this mater made mencioÌ„ but of two sedes and if Christ Iesus wheÌ„ he shal come shall set one army on the right hand and an other vpon the left hand without mencion made of anie third sort of men we can not repent nor yet call back the trueth of our doctrine albeit that ye in despite and furie cry what can the deuil wishe his membres to teach more for the aduancement of his kingdome then this what can be inuented more to prouoke men to liue a careles and libertine life more then if they be persuaded that nether wel doing auaileth or pleaseth God nor euil doing hindreth vnto saluacion and so forthe ye procede in youre first accusacion Before I haue required and yet againe do require of Gods faithful lieutenants in earth I meane of lawful Magistrates who rule in gods feare whome ye vtterly studie to abolish and depriue of them I saie I haue required iustice to be ministred betwext vs and you without respect of persones Let the heauen and earth if men wil not yea let God and his holie Angelles in whose presence we walke beare recorde and witnes how vniustely and maciously ye accuse vs that we prouoke the people to a careles libertine life If euer it can be proued by our doctrine or
a liuelie faith do good workes spring in w c the elect continuing and going forward not onely make they their own election sure as S. Peter doeth teache but also giue a testimonie of it to others before whom their good workes do shyne And so by y e cōtrarie signes and effectes we affirme that the reprobate do manifest and vtter them selues And so I saie that wonder it is that ye burthen vs as that we shoulde affirme that no man can be knowen ether to be in the election or out of the election during this life But more wōder it is that ye affirme vs to adduce these wordes of S. Paul The deuil doeth transforme him selfe in to an angel of light for probatiō of our purpose for I for my owne part do protest before y e Lord Iesus that I neuer did so vnderstand that place of y e Apostle nether yet thinke I that any of you be able to shewe in any of our writings those wordes adduced for probation of that purpose Trewe it is that I haue long vnderstand and to this houre do vnderstand that by those wordes wolde the Apostle admonish the Corinthiās and all others that sodēly they should not receaue and beleue euerie person doctrine that offereth it selfe vnder y e cloke of iustice and of trueth but that diligently we shoulde trie the spirites from whence they are whether they come frō God or not for if the deuil the great angel of darkenes enemie to mankind and father to all fals prophetes can yet so transforme him self that for a time his purpose and intent are not sene but that vnder the cloke of amitie and loue he seketh o r destruction as in tempting the woman doeth plainly appere how much more can his seruāts and soldiors being deceitful workers transforme them in to y e Apostles of Christ pretending at the first entre nothing but loue and iustice nothing but gods glorie nothing but mortification of the flesh and such like most beautiful pretences although that yet these thīgs be most farre frome their heartes Thus I say do I and with me I am assured who so euer depely do wey the purpose of the Apostle in that place vnderstand that sentēce and do not as ye falsly write alledge it to proue that no man can be knowen to be ether in the election or out of the election during this life It may be that we haue saied and writen as the trueth is that no man coulde haue knowē by the good workes of that happie thief hanged with Christ that he had bene gods elect before that in that anguissie so instātly he began to defend Christes innocencie so sharpely to rebuke y e other being a blasphemer and humbly to submit himself and praie that Christ wolde remembre him when that he came in to his kingdome And contrarie wise that none coulde haue defined by the euil workes of Iudas before his tresonable defection from Christ Iesus which was but fewe daies before his death that he had bene y e reprobate And what serueth this for your purpose howe can ye hereby proue that we are the sonnes of darkenes that we take the most shameful men by the hand flattering them so that they can not returne from their wickednes and so by our doctrine giue occasion of sinne to y e people declaring our selues thereby not to besent of God c. Are ye able to proue that we teache the people not to conuert from their sinnes and wicked imaginations to to y e last houre of their departure do we promise to all theues and murtherers the same grace and fauor y t Dauid Peter and this thief founde I trust thy own cōscience knoweth the contrarie Permit or suffer we be they neuer so hie manifest offenders to liue amōgest vs after their owne appetites And yet ashamest thou not impudently thus to writ But such lippes such letouse such disciples such masters for your chief Appollos be persecuters on whom the blood of Seruetus crieth a vengeance So doeth the blood of others mo whome I could name But for asmuch as God hath partely alredie reuenged their blood and serued some of their persecuters with the same measure where with they measured to others I wil make no mēcion of them at this time Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who so reueleth the things that lie in secret that hypocrites at length how soeuer they dissemble for a time are compelled to notifie bewray them selues Before to some it might haue appeared that the zeale of gods glorie the loue of vertue the hatered of vice and the saluation of the people whom by vs ye iudged to be blinded and deceiued had caried you hedlonges into such vehemēcie as ye be mē zelous feruent y t no kynd of accusation was thoght by you sufficēit to make vs odious vnto y e people lies against vs imagined were not onely tolerable but also laudable holie scriptures ▪ by you willingly and wittingly corrupted did serue to defend gods iustice and his glorie w t we by our doctrine oppugne improue But these your last wordes do bewrey the mater that in what soeuer faces you lift trāsforme your selues your grief wil appere to procede from another fountaine then from any of these which ye pretende and I before haue rehearsed O the death of Seruetus your deare brother for whose deliuerāce your chāpion Castalio solēnely did praie with whom if once ye coulde haue spoken that kingdome which ye hope for had begonne to be enlarged his blood I saie with the blood of others I thinke ye meane of your prophetesse Ione of kent do crie a vengeance in your eares heartes that none other cause do you se of y e shedding of y e blood of those most cōstāt martyres of Christ Iesus Thomas Crammer Nicholas Redley Hugh latimer Iohn Hooper Iohn Rogers Iohn Bradfurth and of others mo But that God hathe partly reuenged their blood y t is of your great prophet and prophetesse vpon their persecuters and hath serued thē with the same measure with the which they serued others I appeale to the iudgement of all those that fear God what is thy iudgement and the iudgement of thy faction of that glorious Gospel of Christ Iesus which of late hath bene suppressed in Englod what is thy iudgement of those most valiāt soldiars and most happie martyres of Christ Iesus vpon whom ô blasphemous mouth thou saiest God hathe taken vengeance which is an horrible blasphemie in the eares of all the godlie I wil not now somuch labor to confute by thy pen as that my ful purpose is to lay the same to thy charge if I shal apprehend the in any comon welth where iustice against blesphemers may be ministred as gods word requireth And hereof I giue the warning lest that after thou shalt complein that vnder the cloke of friendship I haue deceiued the. Thy manifest defection
from God and this thy open blasphemie spoken against his eternall trueth and against such as most constantly did suffer for testimonie of the same haue so broken and desolued all familiaritie which hathe bene betwext vs that althogh thou were my natural brother I durst not conceale thy iniquitie in this case But now to the mater I haue before proued you malicious and vennemous liers therefor vnworthie to bear testimonie against vs. Now resteth to be proued that ye are blasphemers of God and persones defamed â–ª Salomon affirmeth that he that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the innocent are alike abomible before God Which sentence is not to be vnderstaÌ„d of iudges onelie but is to be referred to euerie man for of euerie one doth God require that he hate and in his heart and mouth condemne that which God him self hath coÌ„demned and also that he allow and iustifie that which God pronouÌ„ceth iust lawfull and holie And if the contrarie be founde euen in a multitude God doth not onelie punishe the chief offenders but also vpon their fauorers mainteiners and iustifiers doth he comonly powre the same plagues and vengeance And hereof is that rare and fearefull punishment taken vpon Dathan and Abiram sufficient proofe for they ioyned with Corah were the authors of the conspiracie raised against Moises and Aaron But did they alone sustein the veÌ„geance No but their housholds children wyues tentes and substance in the same conteined did the earth in a moment deuore and swallow vp And why because they did iustifie the cause of those wicked and in so far in as in them lay did maintein the same No man I trust will deny but that he who killeth an innoceÌ„t maÌ„ is a murtherer althogh it be vnder the cloke of iustice But that he who hauing lawfull auctoritie to kill and yet suffereth the murtherer to liue is a murtherer in this perchance som men may doubt But if the law of God be diligently searched this doubt shall easely be resolued For it will witnes that no les oght the murtherer the blasphemer and such other to suffer the death then that the meke and the fearer of God should be defended And also that such as maintein and defend the one are no les criminal before God then those that oppresse the others One example I will adduce for all God gaue in to the handes of Achab Benhadad king of Syria who was great enemie to Israel whom he vpon certen coÌ„ditions of amitie sent home to his countrie But what sentence was prononunced aginst Achab Thus saieth y â— eternall becaus thow hast let go oute of thy handes a man whom I appointed to die thy soule that is thy lief shal be in the place of his life and thy people in y â— place of his people Now to you iustifiers of Seruetus Seruetus was an abominable blasphemer against God and you are iustifiers of Seruetus Therefor ye are blasphemers before God like abominable as he was The maior I intend shortly to proue so far as shal be sufficieÌ„t at this tyme. The minor ye do not denie for some by appologies som by bookes and all by your toÌ„gues do iustifie his cause and the conclusion is infallibly gathered of the former wordes of the holie Gost. Ye will not easely admitt that Seruetus be conuicted of blasphemie for if so be ye must be coÌ„pelled to confesse except that ye will refuse God that the sentence of death executed against him was not crueltie nether yet that the iudges who iustly pronounced that sentence were murtherers nor persecuters but that this death was thâ— execution of gods iudgement and they the true and faithfull seruantes of God who when no other remedie was fouÌ„de did take away iniquitie from amongest them That God hath appointed death by his law without mercie to be executed vpon the blasphemers is euident by that which is written Leuiticus 24. But what blasphemie is may some perchance dout If righteously we shal consider wey the scriptures we shal fynd y t to speak basphemie or to blaspheme God is not onely to denie that there is a God but that also it is lightly to esteme the power of the eternal God to haue or to sparse abrode of his maiestie such opinions as may make his God head to be douted of To depart froÌ„ y e true honoring religion of God to the imagination of mans inuentions Obstinatly to maintein and defend doctrine diabolicall opinions plainely repugning to Gods trueth To iudge those thinges which God iudgeth necessarie for our saluation not to be necessarie And finaly to persecute the trueth of God and the membres of Christes bodie Of the first and second sort both was Sennacherib and proud Rabsases who comparing God with the Idoles of the Gentiles did not onely lightly esteme his godly power but also so far as in theÌ„ was studied to take out of the heartes of the Israelites all right and perfect opinion of God At whom the Prophet in the person of God demandeth this questioÌ„ whom hast y u blasphemed Of the third sort were bothe Israél and Iuda declining to idolatrie against Gods expresse commandmeÌ„t whom the Prophetes so often do affirme to blaspheme the holy one of Israel Because saieth Isaiah they haue repudiated the Lawe of the Lord of hostes and the worde of the holie one of Israel contumeliously haue they blasphemed And Ezechiel after that he hath most sharply rebuked the Israelites for their idolatrie he addeth yet in this your fathers haue blasphemed me thogh they had before grieuously transgressed against me for when I had broght them into the land for the which â— lifted vp my haÌ„d to giue it theÌ„ they sawe euery hie hill and all the thicke trees and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented their offering c. Of the fourth sort were Hymeneus and Alexander whom Paul gaue to the deuil that they shoulde learne not to blaspheme Of the â—ift sort were the multitude of the Iewes who iudged and to this day do iudge the death of Christ Iesus his blessed ordinance the publike preaching of his Euangil and the administration of his Sacrements to be nothing necessarie to our saluation And of the last doeth not Paul denie him self to haue bene a blasphemer and a persecuter before his coÌ„uersion Now if I shal plainely proue the most parte yea all these except ye will say he shed no mans blood to haue bene in your great prophete Seruet â— yea yet to be in you all of the Anabaptisticall sort haue I not sufficiently proued both him and you blasphemers Albeit I be more nere of his and your counsel theÌ„ any of you doeth knowe or suspect yet wil I not vtter at this present all that I can but wil abide till such oportunitie as God shal offer vnto me to notifie his and your poison to the Church of God that of the
same the godlie may be ware For this present I say first that Seruetus whom you iustifie did maintein and by worde and writing dispersed abrode wicked and most deuilishe opinions of God which might not onely make his Godhead to be dispised but also called in doubt and question He iudged those things nothing necessarie to saluation w c Christ hathe commanded and ordeined And last that impugning the true religioÌ„ he did most obstinatly maintein his diabolical erros did resist the plaine trueth to y e death His erroneous opinioÌ„s of God of his eternal Godhead were these Whosoeuer beleueth any trinitiâ— in the essence of God hath not y e perfect God but goddes imagined and elusion of deuils That Christ is the Sonne of God onely in so far as he is be gotten of God in the wombe of the virgin and that not onely by the power of the holy Spirit but because that God begat him of his owne substance That y e worde of God descending from the heauen is now the flesh of Christ so y t the flesh of Christ is from the heauen â–ª further that y â— bodie of Christ is the bodie of the Godhead the flesh of God godlie and heauenlie as it that is begotten of the substance of God That the soule of Christ is God and that the flesh of Christ is God and that aswel the flesh as the soule were in the verie substance of the Godhead from all eternitie That God is the father of the holie Gost. That Christ hauing the participation of the Godhead or of God and participacion of man may not be called a creature but one that doth participat with creatures As the worde descended into the flesh of Christ so did the holie Gost descend in to the soules of the Apostles That Christ so long as he was conuersant in the flesh receaued not the new spirit which he was to receaue after his resurrection That in all men from the beginning is ingrafted the spirit of the Godhead euen by the breath of God yet may the spirit by the which we be illuminated That the substanciall Godhead is in all creatures That the soule of man althogh it be not God it is made God by the spirit which is God him self That the soule is made mortall by sinne euen as the flesh is mortal not that the soule returneth to nothiÌ„g as nether doth the flesh but that it dyeth wheÌ„ that it is depriued of liuelie actions And that it is holden in hel languishing as that it should neuer after liue but these that be regenerated haue another soule then that they had before because of the substance which is renewed for the godhead which is ioyned That a like it is to baptise an infant as to baptise aâ— asse or a stone That there is no mortale sinne committed before the age of twentie yeares These I haue thoght sufficient to produce at this present to let the reader vnderstand that it is not without cause that I say that Seruetus whom ye iustifie is a blasphemer I haue omitted things more horrible grieuous to auoid the offence of godlie readers which sodaÌ„ly I am not minded to manifest except y t I shal vnderstaÌ„d that your vennemous tongues be not stayed by these I appeale to the coÌ„scieÌ„ce of Castalio him self if in euerie one of these former propositions which concerne y e Godhead there be not conteined horrible blasphemie For what is more blasphemous then to affirme that such as beleue in the Godhead three distinct persons haue no true God but the illusion of the deuilles That Christ Iesus is not the eternal son of the eternal father that there is no distinction betwext the father and the Sonne but in imagination onely That Christ hath no participation of mans nature but that his flesh is from heauen yea that it is the flesh of the Godhead That in Stockes stones and all creatures is the substantiall Godhead If these I saâ—e be not blasphemies worthie of ten thousand deathes especially being obstinatly mainteined against all holsom admonition let all those that feare God iudge yea euen you your selues how furious that euer ye be iudge in the mater eueÌ„ as ye wil answer before the throne of y e Lord Iesus That coÌ„tempteously he spake of baptising of the childreÌ„ of y e publyke preaching of the Euangill and of the administration of the Lordes supper that haue you common w t him for this is your glorie and persuasion to all your scolers that these things be nothing necessarie to saluation yea most streitly ye inhibit all of your sect to frequent any coÌ„gregatioÌ„ but your own And whether this be blasphemie of your parte or not to affirme those thiÌ„gs nothiÌ„g necessarie which Christ Iesus hath established and commanded to be vsed in remembrance of him to his againe comming I am content that iudgement be referred euen to those that be most indifferent betwext vs and you To supersede the rest of your blasphemies I return to your booke because that after I purpose to speake of your holie conuersation and of the great perfection y t is founde in you Ye accuse vs that we haue written bookes in a perpetuall memorie of our crueltie affirming it to be lawful to put to death such as dissent from vs in religion Notwith standing that some of vs were of an other mynd before they came to auctoritie â–ª and further that we haue giuen the sworde in to the haÌ„des of bloodie tyrannes Trew it is that bookes are written bothe by you by vs. for your master Bellius affirmeth that lawfull it is not to the ciuil magistrat to vse the sworde against heretikes To whome that godlie learned maÌ„ Theodorus Beza hath answered In which if you or your master thinke not your selues fully answered ye may put pen to the paper when you list looking to receaue answer with conuenient expidicion Iohn Caluin hath besides committed to writing the examination of Seruetus and the cause of his miserable death which bookes albeit to you they be a perpetual memorie of crueltie yet I haue good hope that to our posteritie they shal be profitable as now to vs be the godlie labors of those that before vs haue foghten the same battel against the obstinate heretikes And further seing bothe you and we must abyde the sentence of one iudge we can not greatlye feare the preiudice of your faction Where ye aske if these be y e shepe which Christ sent furth in the middes of wolues And if the shepe can per secute the wolues and I demand for answer whether Moses was a shepe or a wolf wether that fearefull slaughter executed vpon idolaters without respect of persons was not as great a persecution as the burning of Seruetus and Ioan of kent To me it appereth greater for to them was granted no place of repentance no admonition was giuen vnto them but with out further delay or
it proceded that God did send the Prophete NathaÌ„ to Dauid the offender that by the fiction of an other person he letteth him se the horror of his sinne that he did first terrifie and beate downe his conscience and after most tenderly did erect and lift it vp from the pitt of desperation All these graces say we proceded frome gods immutable loue which did remaine coÌ„stant both towardes the one and towardes the other euen in the tyme of their greatest vnthank fulnes And that because they nether were beloued nor elected in them selues but in Christ Iesus their head who nether did transgresse nor offend in any iote against the wil of his heauenlie father But Adam and Dauid transgressing and horribly falling from God were so hated in them selues and for their sinnes that first behoued the innocent Sonne of God by his death to make a satisfaction â–ª for their sinnes â–ª as also for the sinnes of all gods children And secondarely we say preache write and maintein that the sinne was so odious before God that his iustice could do none other but inflict vpon Adam and his posteritieâ— The penaltie of death corporall the punishemeÌ„tes and plagues which daily we do se apprehend gods children that vpon Dauid he did execute his iust iudgement which in these wordes he pronounced Now therefor y e sworde shall neuer departe from thyne house because thow hast despysed me and taken the wife of vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Thus saieth the lord behold I wil raise vp euill against the oute of thyne own house and I shall take thy wiues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of sunne for y u didest it secretely but I shall do this thing before all Israel and before y â— sunne This sentence I say most iustly pronounced was after most sharply and yet most iustly for sinne commited put in â–ª execution And so do we affirm that none of gods children be they neuer so deare shall escaip punishement if contempteously they transgresse I suppose y t this our confession nothing doth offend you except in this one thing y t we affirme that God still loued AdaÌ„ and Dauid after their sinne before y t his holie Sprit wroght in their heartes any true repentance And yet I wonder why this should offend you seing y t we assigne the cause not to be them selues nether any vertue with in them selues but Christ Iesus in whom they were elected and chosen The signes of gods loue we haue euideÌ„tly proued and y â— end and issue did witnes y t gods loue was not mutable If you require scriptures for the probatioÌ„ of y e same Behold they are redie if wheÌ„ we were enemies we were recoÌ„ciled vnto God by the death of his sone much more we being recoÌ„ciled shal be saued by his life And a little before in the same chapter WheÌ„ we were sinners Christ died for vs c. And y e Apostle Iohn herein appereth the loue of God towardes vs y â— his onelie begotten sonne hath he sent in to the world that we may liue by hym herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. And hath sent his Sonne in the mercieseat â–ª for our sinnes These are verey plaine and we think that no reasonable man wil denie to Adam and to Dauid that which the holie Gost maketh common to all gods elect children to witt to be beloued of God â–ª euen when they were ennemies dead in sinne drowned in idolatrie and polluted with all filthines as witnesseth the Apostle in these wordes And you when ye were dead by sinne in the which ye somtymes walked according to this worlde accordiÌ„g to y â— prince to whom power is the ayre which is the spirit now working in the rebellious children amongest whom we all had somtymes conuersation in the lustâ—s of our flesh doing those thinges which pleased the fleshe and the mynd and were of nature the sonnes of wrathe like as others But God who is riche in mercie for his own great loue by the which he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes marke and if ye be offended complein vpon the holie Gost hath qwickened vs togither with Christ by grace ye are saued and hath raised vs vp togither with him and to gither with him hath caused vs to sit amongest y â— heauenlie by Christ Iesus to shew in y e ages to com his most rich grace in his liberalitie by Christ Iesus God open your eyes that you may se the light and mollifie your heartes that ye may magnifie with gods children his superaboundant loue and mercie bestowed euen vpon the most vnworthie If ye think y t this loue hath onelie place before that man offend you se the holie Gost plainely repugneth to your senteÌ„ce for he speaketh to them that had bene polluted defiled with all sinnes If yet ye replie but that was during the tyme of their ignoraÌ„ce and not after they were illuminated by grace ye haue said nothiÌ„g against our confession for we affirme that God loueth sinners being wrapped in death and damnatioÌ„ by sinne and y t we haue plainely proued But yet for your satisfactioÌ„ and instructioÌ„ for I take to record the Lord Iesus y â— I wold bestow my own life to ioyne you fully to Christ Iesue I will procede a litle further with you â–ª Do ye think that the sinne of Dauid touching the nature and qualitie of y e sinne it self was more horrible and odious be fore God then were all the sinnes committed in Ephesus by those to whom the Apostle writeth yea then the â—innes which were done amongest y e hole GeÌ„tiles I trust ye will not think it and we clerely see that God loued y â— elect in Ephesus and amongest the Gentiles when they were drouned in all kynd of iniquitie If still ye replie Dauid was vnthankfull who after so many benefites receaued so traterously declined frome God followiÌ„g his own appetites and of purposed couÌ„sell murthering his innocent seruant and y â— with great ignominie of God This nether do nether yet euer did we denie but yet as y â— question is other so is not our coÌ„feâ—â—ion proued fals Albeit Dauid was vnthankfull yea and after AdaÌ„ most vnthankfull of any of gods children to his daies for herein standeth the doubt whether y â— the vnthankfulnes of gods childreÌ„ after they haue once receaued mercie grace and large benefites from gods hands doth so alienat the mynd of God from them that he beareth to them no maner of loue till they turn to him by repentance The contrarie hereof we hold and affirme not fearing to auowe that repentance as it is ioyned with faith which is the fre gift of God so is it the effect of gods coÌ„stant loue toward them and no cause of the same And for the more ample declaration
error And albeit your great and perfect angell Castalio preteÌ„d great knowledge in that tongue yet in that as in many other places a childe may espie his negligence Trewe it is that in the hebrew this word Adam is in that place But if we shall vnderstand that word wheresoeuer it is founde in the scripture for the person of Adam our first father we shall make a mad translatioÌ„ and a sense more mad Suche as haue but mean vnderstanding in that tongue do know that that worde is ofteÌ„ common for any man as in the prophetes is most euident The veritie of the text is this they haue transgressed the couenante as the couenante of a man they haue rebelled against me c. God compleineth vpon Ephraim and Iuda that they had no further respect reuerence nor regard to that most excellent couenante and league whiche God had made with them to wit that he wold be their God and they should be his people for God had preferred them to all nations of the earth and had set them a part from others to serue and honor him in holynes of lief and to offer vnto him rather spiritual theÌ„ carnall sacrifice But they serued him at their pleasure yea and in that land which they had receaued of gods most liberal benediction they did decline to Idolatrie for that he meaneth where that he saieth there haue they rebelled that is where that they most oght to be obedient This I doubt not shall euerie man who diligently marketh the scope of the prophete perceaue to be his verie meaning Otherwies and more sharply I might haue answered your ignorance who can se no difference betwext Adam once sinning and yet shortly after by grace called to a new and more sure league with God whiche with all gladnes and thankfulnes he did receaue and the manifest contemners of God which do nothing els but delyte in sinne forme the whiche albeit that ten thousand tymes they be called yet contemning all societie with God their pleasure is to remaine in vanitie and so finally in death This difference I say ye oght to haue obserued and then I doute not but that ye wold haue exempted Adam from the rancke of suche as contempteously crie it is but labor lost to serue God If diligently ye shall consider what is writen in Iob and in Malachie the third cha ye shall easely vnderstaÌ„d that the prophete there deuideth y e hole multitude in these two sortes of men to wit in those that be proud obstinate conteÌ„ners and in them y t feared the Lord whoÌ„ he calleth his peculiare people whom he promised to spare as a man spareth his son that serueth him And one of this last sorte vnderstand we Adam to haue bene all his daies after his fall and recoÌ„ciliation by grace The lord purge your heartes if his good pleasure be from y t venom which so oft moueth you to spew furth your own shame sometymes crying that we be led with the spirit of Balaam and now affirming â–ª that we be careles libertynes To w c blasphemies because I can nether answere without y e sorow grief of heart nether without som offence of godlie eares I will remit iudgement to him to whoÌ„ as he hath frome the beginning opened thinges that for a tyme lay hid in darknes so I dout not but that he will yea and that shortly reuele vnto the world with what spirites both you and we be led when more occasioÌ„ shall be offered I purpose if so it please the mercie of my God to assist me to notifie with what spirites you and your sect haue bene led here to fore What soeuer ye gather of the wordes of the Apostle it is altogither out of y e purpose for in none of all those places doth he define determin what Adam and Dauid were whan they had sinned but plainely he declareth what tryall oght euerie maÌ„ to take of him self â–ª wheÌ„ Christ Iesus is preached vnto him affirming that if any haue not the spirit of Christ Iesus that he is not of his but y e spirit of Christ remaineth not in vnclean and prophane persons say you but yet I affirme that Adam and Dauid oght not to be noÌ„bred in that band for althogh they sinned and that most horribly yet did they not abyde in that estate And albeit they were not led with the spirit of Christ wheÌ„ they sinned yet they were both led drawen and gouerned by his omnipotent spirit when they repented And so can ye neuer be able to proue them to be reprobates no not euen when they sinned except that ye be able to proue that they finally perished in sinne for this principall do I still hold that true faith and true repentance which the reprobate â—â—uer haue be the frutes of Election The place of the Apostle written in the 13. chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians is neither well marked nor rightly applied by you neither yet will it suffer any suche conclusion as ye gather of it The mynd of the Apostle is this After the departing of Paule from Corinthus where after many stormes susteined he had established the forme of a Churche did enter in fals Prophetes whose chief studie was to eleuate the auctorite of Paule and so to deface his hole labor affirming that he was not worthie to be called an Apostle for he was neuer in the companie of Christ others were of greater estimatioÌ„ and faour then he was And as a multitude is euer more redie to receaue poyson theÌ„ holsom medicine agreate noÌ„ber began to giue eare vnto them and so began litle to esteme what so euer Paul had labored amongest them Against which vnthankfulnes â–ª the Apostle very sharpley writeth as in bothe his epistles doth appere And amongest other his argumentes which he vseth to proue that he was an Apostle nothing inferior to the greatest he adduceth theÌ„ selues for a testimonie saing Trie your selues if ye be in the faith proue your selues know ye not your selues that Iesus Christ is in you except y t ye be reprobates By these wordes most sharp and most vehement he laboreth to conuict their conscience that he was an Apostle and that the prooffe of his Apostleship as in an other place he doth affirme was declared in them as he should say your fals Apostles affâ—rme that I am not worthie of the name of an Apostle but if the office of an Apostle be to preach Christ Iesus and if the true signe that decerneth the true Apostle from the fals be that Christ so potently worketh by his ministerie that Christ Iesus taketh possession in the heartes of the hearers by the true preaching of his word then be iudges your selues whether I be an Apostle or not Call your coÌ„science to examination in what estate I did find you were ye not drowned in all sortes of iniquite did ye not walk in darkenes without any true light of God
and through beleuing the trueth here we do learn that they which be chosen to saluatioÌ„ they be sanctified by the spirit and beleue the trueth and that such may fall it appereth by thaâ— which is writen in the Epistle to the Hebrues how much more suppose you shall he be punished which treadeth vnder fete the Sonne of God and counteth the blood of the testament wherewith he was sanctified as an vnholie thâ—ng and doth dishonor the spiritâ—of grace also he exhorteth them â–ª not tâ— cast away their confidence and not to withdraw them selues vnto damnation hâ— which withdraweth him self vnto damnation was a fore in the state of saluation as he that withdraweth him self vnto saluation was afore in the state of damnation of this change speaketh Paule to the Ephesians remember that ye being in tymes past without Christ being aliens and strangers from the testament of promes hauing no hoâ—e and being without God in this world but now by the meanes of Christ Iesu yâ— which som tyme were far of are made nie by the bloode of Christ. And againe now therefor ye are no strangers and foroners but Citezens with the Sainctes of the houshold of God Here doth Paule write to the elect whom he affirmeth in tymes past to haue bene without Christ and we are sure that without Christ there is no election he saieth also that they were without the testament of promes and all they which be elect pertein to the promes but now saieth he ye be citezens with the saintes and of the houshold of God This is a change frome death vnto lief frome the bondage of the deuil to libertie in Christ Iesu frome the wrath of God to the fauor and exceding loue of God frome the infernall preson to the the hauenlie IerusaleÌ„ of the coÌ„trarie exchange and mâ—tation it is writen to the Hebr. where it is declared how they which were once lightened and had tasted of the heaueÌ„lie giâ—te and were becâ—Ì„ partakers of the holie Gost and had tasted of the good will of God and of the power of the world to com that they may fall away and crucifie the sonne of God a frâ—she and make a mock of him I can not tell what caÌ„ be more plainely spoken coÌ„trarie to you which affirme that they which be once elect can neuer fall out of the same election vntâ— condemnation for if these wordes were not wrâ—tten in the scriptures if I or any other should speak theÌ„ ye wold say they were fals and we liers And yet I am sure rather theÌ„ ye will submit your self to the trueth ye had rather seke an narrow bore to crepe out at what will ye say if ye deniâ— such one as receaued all these cheif benefites that any man can receaue iâ— this world yea no maÌ„ can be participaÌ„t of no greater giftes during this lief if ye denie such one I say to be elect surely ye are of a peruerse reproâ—ate mynd for asmuch as ye plainely resist the holie Gost think you that God giueth these his chief taleÌ„tes which he such as no creature can receaue any greater in this world think you I say that God did bestow theÌ„ meaâ—ing to receaue no frute of them but to bestow theÌ„ in vaine if God did bestow them vpon hym whom he reprobated afore the fundation of the world whom he knew that of necessâ—tie he should perishe then did he intend bestowe them in vain which is fals for asmuche as the holie Gost willeth and exhorteth vs not to receaue the grace of God in vaine we may abusing his grace receaue it in vain otherwise in vain did Paule exhort us not to receaue the grace of God in vaine of suche doth also Peter speak â–ª that after they were cleane escaped frome the filthyâ—eâ— of the worlde throughe the knoledge of our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therin and ouercome whose latter endâ— is wors then the beginning And suche one is compared to a dogge which returneth to his own vomite againe And to a sow which waâ— washed and now returneth and walloweth in the mire I praye you whether were these elected or reproâ—ate of whom Peter speaketh If you say reprobate y t were they clean escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the trueth and had vomited their poyson were washed clean If you say they were elect then marke how they be taÌ„gled againe returned to their vomite to the filthie myre but you will say they caÌ„ not yet finally perishe â–ª Peter knew what he wolde say and therfore maketh you answere afore hand saing their latter end is worse theÌ„ the beginning Brethren saith S. Iames if any of you do erre frome the trueth a nother coÌ„uerte him let the same know that he which conuerteth the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue asoule froÌ„ death what be they whoÌ„ Iames saieth they do erre froÌ„ the trueth If ye say reprobate consider how they be conuerted to the trueth and saued from death If you say they be elect you se how that they being in error were ordâ—inied to death Otherwise how can they be saued from death which nether be dead nor yet caÌ„die Paul willeth Timothie to informe with all meaknes them which resist the trueth if God at any tyme will giue them repentace for to know the trueth and that they may com to them selues againe out of the snare which are holden captiue of him at his will If thou say that these be elect to whom Paule writeth se you not how they by sâ—ared of the deuil yea â—nd are holden captiue of the deuil at his will If you say they be reprobates theÌ„ marke well how they by repeÌ„tance may escaip the snare of the deâ—il but what should I speak of repentaÌ„ce â–ª if your opinion be true theÌ„ the preaching of repentance is vaine for asmuche as the elect can not finally perish nether fall owt of the electioÌ„ fauor of God what nede haue they then of repentaâ—ce And the reprobate caÌ„ by no meanes attein vnto saluation for what purpose should they repent Then this is no sounde doctrine which ye tâ—ach The lord planted his vâ—â—yard hedged it and walled it and planted it with goodlie grapes If they were goodlie grapes and of a good roote as we read in Ieremie then were they no reprâ—baâ—es for there the lord witnesseth that there could no more be done for his vineyarde then he had done then had he not preordinaâ—e them to destruction But as he saieth I made the oâ— Israel that thow might serue me yeâ— became they reprobates and perished by this we se that the elect and châ—sen become reprobates through their noughtines and wikednes The lord will be merâ—ifull vnto Iacob â–ª and will yet châ—se Israel againe and set them in their own land Seing the lord doth chose them againe then were they fallâ—n out of their
will not refuse them nether yet will I dispyse them so that I will vtterly destroy them or make my couenante with them to be of none effect for I am the lord their God for then I shall remembre myne old couenant which I made with theÌ„ when I led them furth of the land of Egypt in the presence of the Gentiles that I might be their God I the eternall And in the same prophete in many places mo the same is most euident for thus he writeth foreseing their captiuitie Yet now heare ô Iacob my seruaÌ„t and Israel whoÌ„ I haue chosen thus saieth the Lord that made the and formed the from the wombe he will help thee feare not ô Iacob my seruant aduerte that yet he doth acknowledge Iacob to be his seruant euen in his greatest miserie and thow righteous whom I haue chosen for I shall powre owt waters vpon the thirstie floodes vpon the drie grounde I shall powre furth my spirit vpon thy sede and my blessing vpon thy buddes And in the same Chapter after that he hath reproued the vanitie of idolaters he saieth Remembre these ô Iacob and Israel for thou art my seruant I haue formed thee to this purpose that thou shouldest be my seruant ô Israel forget me not c. For my names saike will I differ my wrath and for my praise will I refrein it frome the that I cut the not of c. Lift vp your eyes to the heauens and beholde the earth beneth for the heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shall wax olde like a garment and they that dwell therein shall perish in like maner but my saluation shal be for euer he meaneth the deliuerance which he had promised to that people and my righteousnes shal not be abolished c. For a litle whyle haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion shal I gather thee c. And the sonnes of strangers shall buyld vp thy walles and their kinges shall serue thee for in my wrath I smote thee but in my mercie I had compassion on thee c. For Zions sake I wil not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I wil not rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake furth as the light and the saluacion thereof as a burning lamp c. And their sede shal be knowen amongest the Gentiles and their buddes among the people All that se them shall know them that they are the sede which the Lord hath blessed These and many places mo do manifestly witnesse that God did neuer before the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh vtterly reiect and refuse that people as that they did not appertein vnto him but that he did auowe them to be his chosen his peculiar people and his inheritance euen wheÌ„ they were in greatest miserie Yea further God had continually of the sede of Abraham during the tyme of the Law and the prophetes som nombre openly to glorifie his name in the eyes of the world And therefore consider with your self how iustly ye gather vpon these wordes of the prophet God shal yet againe choose Israel that therefore God had vtterly reiected all Israel yea euen from the life euerlasting for except that so ye conclude ye haue proued nothing of your purpose for the controuersie standeth not betwext vs and you whether that God doth somtymes choose and promote a man or a people to honor and dignitie in this life thereafter iustly depriue him or them from the same for this did we neuer denie But the hole controuersie consisteth in this point whether that such as God in his eternall counsel hath elected in Christ Iesus to life euerlasting can after be reprobated and so finally perish and that shal ye neuer be able to proue That the simple reader may the better vnderstand the meaning of y â— prophete this I adde The people in the captiuitie of Babylon were so oppressed and so destitute of all hope euer to be restored to any dignitie or libertie againe That to them it appered a like possible to raise the dead carkases of such as were buried in their graues as to deliuer them from the handes of the proud and puâ—sant Babylonians And therefore doth not onlie Isaiah who long afore saw their bondage the redemption from the same but also Ieremiah Ezechiel who did se it with their eyes with great boldnes coÌ„staÌ„cie affirme that they shoulde be deliuered from that boÌ„dage y t they shoulde be maried w t God so shoulde be chosen againe as o r Prophet here speaketh w c is not to be referred to y â— part of God but to the apprehension of the people who thoght them selues vtterly forsaken and reiected of God Against this temtatioÌ„ y e prophet saith God shall choose Israel againe that is shal restore them to y e former dignitie yea to a greater And y t shoulde he do in such sort y t they should know y t he was God merciful coÌ„stant and immutable of his promes And so the renouatioÌ„ of the league in such sort that the worlde might se that God fauored Israel is called the new election new mariage not that God had euer in him self decreed and purposed that the Messias and blessed sede shoulde descend of any other nation but of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ and house of Dauid but that the people in the tyme of their affliction had receaued such a wounde by reason of their grieuous plagues and former offences that they thoght y t God had vtterly reiected them let y e prophetes be redde with indifferent iudgement And this I dowbte not shall appere most true Now to the rest of your scriptures ADVERSARIE Christ commandeth Iohn to preache vnâ—o the seuen Congregations Among whome were bothe elect reprobaâ—e to whom he vsâ—th no such maner of doctrine as ye teach â—haâ— the elect coulde not fall from their election but warneth them to take hede that they lose nâ—t that which they had gâ—ten but labore to increase threatning them with destruction if â—hey forsake â—he grace whereof they were made parâ—akers nether discouraged be the most wicked of them as ye do saying that by the preordinance of God they of necessitie must perish but willeth them to repent and amend and they shoulde liue yes knew he bothe who were elect and who were reprobate â–ª To the congregation of Ephesus he saith that she was fallen from her first loue and without she remembred fromâ— whence she was fallen repented and did her first workes the Lord wold shortly come and remoue her candilstick out of her place The congregation of Smirna he commandeth so be faithfull vnto the death and so shoulde she receaue the crowne of life If Christ had bene of your opinion he had not vsed such maner of doctrine In vaine shoulde he exhorte the reprobate to be faithfull whom he had cast away and superfluous were it to exhort the elect
eternall connsell of God That first he wold create the heauen the earth the masse being rude hauing darknes vpon the great depthe thereafter that he wold make light putting diuision betwene the light the darknes and so forth as Moises hath declared the ordre obserued in the creatiō And as those things were somtime secret but now are manifest reueled and knowen so likewies was the falle of mā and the redemption which commeth by Christ Iesus somtime secrete in the eternall counsell of God but nowe is most manifestly preached and declared by Christ Iesus and by his holie Apostles for nowe we know that God so loued the world that his onelie beloued Sonne hath he giuen that so many as do beleue in him shall haue the life euerlasting Which life was euen before all times in Christ Iesus euen as we were elected in him before the foundations of the world were laid And therefor I doubt not to affirme but that the fall of mā and the remedie for y e same was not onelie forsene but also before determined and the frute which of the same should ensue cōcluded and appointed in gods eternall counsell before that euer Adam was created the reason and probation hereof we haue before declared to be the issue of all things as we are taugh by gods manifest word yea by most euident experience for who nedeth nowe to doubt that it was gods eternall counsell that man should fall from that perfecte image in which he was created and so become subiect to the death to the end that the faithfull might receaue perfection iustice and life in Christ Iesus alone seing that scripture so manifestly affirmeth that we were elected in Christ Iesus before the foundations of the worlde were laid that God hath wrapped all nations in disobediēce that he might haue mercie vpon all vpon all I say which refuse not the remedie frō all begining prepared which is Christe Iesus as y e Apostle witnesseth saying in him by him areal things created he is before al things al things consist or abide by him and he is the head of the bodie of the Churche who is the beginning the first begotten of the dead that in all things he may hold the preeminēce for it hath pleased the father that all fulnes should dwell in him ▪ and to reconcile by him al things to him self This counsell I say was not temporal as taken and deuised after the fall of man but it was eternall as the same Apostle witnesseth in these words God hath called vs by an holie vocation not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace which was giuen to vs by Iesus Christ before eternall times but is nowe made manifest by the appering of our sauiour Iesus Christ. But mark well that the Apostle saieth that grace was giuen to the faithfull by Christ Iesus from the eternitie of times which thus to Titus he doth confirme saying Paule the seruant of God and an Apostl◠of Iesus Christ according to the faith of gods electe and the knowledge of the veritie which is according to godlines in the hope of eternall life which he hath promised which is God that cā not lie before the world began and hath opened his worde at y e tyme appointed through preaching c. And the same saieth Peter speaking of our redemption by Christes pretious blood who certeinly was preordinate sayeth he before that y e world was made but was manifested in the last times Hauing these I say most euidēt scriptures to assure our conscience that redemption remission of our sinnes grace and recōciliation were appointed for vs yea and were giuen vnto vs before all times what nede we to doubt what was the counsell of God in mans creation or what was his secret will in giuing to him the commādement of not eating the frute and therefor you do not onely folishly but also iniuriously in thus raling vpon vs what strange and monsterous doctrine is this to say things be secrete and vnsecret knowen and vnknowene reueled and vnreueled as man should say hearing is not hearing and light is not light No such absurditie cā iustly be gathered vpō our doctrine for simply we say y t thīgs somtimes kepte secrete in y e counsell of God and vnknowen to the sonnes of mē were after disclosed and made manifest to the world in so much that light expelled darcknes from the heartes of the sonnes of light and knowledge remoued ignorance from those that were appointed to life If these things do not satisfie you yet my good hope is that y e godlie reader shall perceaue that most vniustly you accuse vs as if in our doctrine were plaine contradiction And yet as touching the secrete will of God we moreouer affirme that our eternal election in Christ Iesus our temporall falling in Adam our restitution to life by the promes made are not secret but manifestly reueled But why that so it pleased his infinite wisdome and goodnes to dispose and before ordeine the mysterie of our saluation that first we should beare the image of the earthlie and carnall Adam before that we should beare the image of the heauenlie and spirituall that first we shuld be all wrapped in sinne and by reason thereof in miserie death before that we should be perfecte iust and come to felicitie and life euerlasting ād finally why y t it pleased his Maiestie to choose some ād of this same masse to reiecte others we say is not reueled neither yet shal be reueled before y t Christ Iesus appere in his glorie whē the bookes shal be opened and all secretes shal be disclosed To speake the mater so simply as I can that ye haue no occasion to complein of obscuritie I say that gods will in these subsequētes and in many others his wōderous workes is secret first why did not God more sodēly creat y e world why gaue he to Adam no greater strenght why did he permitt him to falle why he did not prouide mannes redemption by some other meanes thē by the cruell and ignominious death of his owne sonne why did he choose the sede of Abraham to be his people refusing and reiecting as it were the rest of the world And finally why that God wold that his dear sonne should die in Ierusalem called his owne Citie by reason of the temple and sacrifices appointed why I say that God by the figures of the law and by his Prophetes had before spoken that the Messias should suffer in that citie ād that the builders who then onely in earthe were reputed knowen to be the Church of God should reiect and refuse the chief corner stone Christ Iesus In these and others the wonderous workes of God which so far excede the reach of our vnderstanding that more able they are to quenche and swallow vp all light which remaineth in vs then is y e great depth of the sea to deuoure
stabilitie of faith Rom. 5. 1. Iohn 14. 6 1. Cor. 1. 30 Ro 1. 26 The vnmouable ground of faith Rom. 8. 29 Ephes. 1. 14 2. Thes. 2. 13 2. Pet. 1. 2. 20 Rom. 11. 29 Rome 8 Ham. Ishmael Esau Abshalom Achitophel Iudas The Niniuites Manasses Paul Magdelene The thiefe What humilitie is Ephes. 2. 8 1. Cor. 1. 30 1. Iohn 4. 10 Ephes. 1. 22 The first section Cap. 14. SectioÌ„ 40 Libr. ad bonifa 2. Cap. 6. 40. Retract lib. 1. cap. 2. Stoiâ—â—â— necessitie Cap. 1. 2 â–ª 3. 4. 5. 〈…〉 Why the Anabap. mystlyketh the doctryn of predestination PrescieÌ„ce Prouidence Ioan. 10. Prouerb 20. Prouâ—r 16. Matth. 10 â–ª 29. PredestinatioÌ„ The second sectioÌ„ Liers are the deuilles sonnes Institut Cap. 14. Sect. 5. De aeterna Dei praedestinatioÌ„ Inâ—titu Cap. 14. Sect. 14. Caluin vpon Isaiah The schoeles of Papistes full of blasphemies Inst. cap. 14. sect 17. The third section Two chiefe propositioÌ„s Ephes. 1. Isâ—i 44. Isaiah 55. Isaiah 54 The constancie of Gods promâ—s Isaia 46. Psal. 2â— Isal. 138. Iob. 10. Isaia 46. Iohn 6. Ioan. 17. Rom. 6. 1. Ioan. 4. The fourth section Zach. 3. Act. 17. Isaiah 45 The sayeng of a blaspphemous mouthe Iob. 39. What the aduersary will saye Isaia 66. The workes of God can not be subiect to our reason The reasoÌ„ of Anabaptistes Answer The aduersarie falsly and vnreuereÌ„tly alledgeth this word birth Answer Malac. 2. What we haue in Adam Error of Anabaptistes The affirmations of the trew ChristiaÌ„s Gen. 3. Question Answer The churche of Christe and the serpenteâ—i sede De bono perseueraÌ„t Reply of the aduersary Question Gods purpose was from the beginning to make a difference in mankinde The seâ—â—â—â—de diffâ—â—eÌ„ce This is the cause why all the prophetes almost do de clare gods wrath against Esan and Edome Psea 137 Esaie 34. Ier. 49. Obad. 1. Rom. 9. How S. Paul applieth the wordes of Moises Gene. 25. Promes inade to Isaak Vessels of mercie prepared vnto glorie Gods election dependeth not vpon man Iohn 8. Why the Iewes beleued not in Christe Christe maketh a diffâ—reÌ„rence of one sort from an other Iohn 17. What Christ did for his Christe praied not for the world An answere to the papistical and pestilent obiection of Pighius aÌ„d others his like Deut. 7. Deut. 9. Iosue 24. Ezec. 16 God did not for our workes predestinate vs. 2. Ti. 1. Question 1. Cor. 4. Apoca. 4. 5. A brief rehearsal what is before sufficiently proued The fyft section Isaia 45. Isaia 30. Matt. 7. Psal. 144 Esaia 54 Psal. 29. Isaiah 49 Isaiah 30 Isâ—ia 49 Matt. 7. Luc. 11. The blasphemy of Anabaptistes 〈◊〉 3. Psal. 145 Note the plain difference Exod. 20. Howgods mercy is greater then his wrath The six te sectioÌ„ To the 1. To the 2. 3. 4. 5. Deut. 19. To the 6. The seuenth section To the 1. â— 3. Blindnes and hardnes of hart are effectes reprobation Why God treated maÌ„ good whoÌ„ he ordeyned neuertheles to fall The eight section Ephes. 1. Psal. 49. Iob. 34. 4. Esdr. 8 Sapient 2 Sapien. 9 Matth. 12 The ground of the Anabaptistes error An argument 〈◊〉 prouâ—th that in Adam we could not stand Answer to the scriptures shamefully abused by the aduersaries Matt. 11. The aduersarie wrasteth the scripture in Iob. Iob. 34. Act. 10. An argument directly against the aduersaries argument Influence of the sterres EducatioÌ„ The cause is not in nature of our faethfull obedieÌ„ce What is the cause that some beleue and some remayn vnfaithfull How God respecteth not persoÌ„s 1. Sa. 16. That God hath not respect of persons most euidently coÌ„futeth the error of the aduersaries of gods predestination The cause and effect are diuerse Dâ—ut 7. Rm. 9. Neither was nor is in vs any thing whereby we should deserue to be elected The bookes called Apocryphes Reuâ—reÌ„ce vnto gods holie worde Reade the prologue of Ecclesiasticus and the end of the last chap. of the second booke of Machab. Sap. 2. Deut. 2. Lyke as there be degrees betwext election and glorification euen so there be degrees betwext reprobatioÌ„ and coÌ„demnation The nynte section Galat. 2. Ephes. 1. Ephes. 1. To the. 2. All be not Saintes nor blessed with spiritual benediction Oure regeneration to good workes is by the grace of God The teÌ„th section To 〈…〉 Iob. 36. Castalio is translation The eleueÌ„th section To the 1. To the 2. The iust causes of reprobatioÌ„ are hid in gods eternall counsel but the causes of death and damnatioÌ„ are euideÌ„t in the scriptures The iudgementes of God are a deuoring depth The twelth section The thirteÌ„th section Esaia 50 Esaia 48 To the 1. Ephe. 1. To the 2. Iohn 1. To the 3. Rom. 1. To the 4. Isaiah 55. Iohn 6. To the 5. An argument against the aduersaries forged diuision of gods election To the 6. Matth. 16 Rom. 8. To the 7. Iohn 6. The fre wil meÌ„ iudge rashly To the 8. The perfecdtioÌ„ that the aduersaries pretend in this lyfe Philip. 3. How stroÌ„g the aduersaries wolde seme to be To the 9. The fourteÌ„th section Isaia 48 Esdr. 9. Iâ—rem 2. Esaia 42. 43. The scriptures affirme that there be many fals Christes fals Prophetes But Iesus Christe is our onely Sauior without whome there is no saluation To the 1. Institu 2. Cap. â—ec 78. De eterna Dei proedestinatione To the. 2. Rom. 〈◊〉 To the 3. To the 4. Luk. 16 To the 5. The fiftenth section The 2. argument Rom. 8. Reade the scriptures better be ashamed of your argument Rom. 9. The difference of gode fore knowledge Matth. 7. The six tenthe section Ezech. 18 Reade the first sectioÌ„ The 17. Section O prowde lucifer that darest compare thy knowledledge to the prescieÌ„ce of God To the 1. Galat. 1. 1 Tim. 1 God worketh both in his elect and in the reprobate but in diuâ—rse maner To the â— Read the praier of the Apostles Act. 4. What power Ananias had of his land Act. 5. The eightene section 1. Re. 23. Whence haue ye your assurance To the 1. 2. 3. Matt. 26. Iohn 13. The nynteÌ„th section To the 1. Difference betwext the libertie of Chriâ—tes will and the fredoÌ„ of Adams will Gods prescience is not to be seperated from his will Rom. 9. Prouer. 16. When violence is doÌ„ to the will of a creature The grud geing of the reprobat Rom. 9. Why creatures offeÌ„d wheâ— they most serue gods couÌ„sâ—l Luk. 22. Gods will is fre althogh it chaÌ„ge not as occasion is offered by mens doings The 20 Section Rom. 9. Malach. â— To the 1. Themynd of the Apostle in the 9. câ—apit to the Romains concerning Iacob and Esaw To the â— Esaw som maner of way serued Iacob in the fleshe Gen. 27. 2. Reg. 8. Gen. 28. The place of the Prophete Malachie Why the Apostle maketh neither meâ—tion of Abraham nor of Isaak but of Iacob and of Iacob being in his mothers wombe The grace of