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
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
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
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
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