place in the later sense and sheweth that therefore it is said both there all and here all because as all who die die not but in Adam so all who shall be quickened shall not be quickened but in Christ Ambrose Ambrose in Comment referreth that word all vnto the vniuersalitie of the elect As death saith he held all who came of Adam so also Christ purchased life for all who bee of his bodie To whom also Hierome subscribeth in the exposition of this place Yea this is apparantly the declaration of Paul himselfe who when hee had said that all shall be quickened in Christ immediatly added these words but euery one in his owne order the first fruits is Christ then such as are Christs at his comming Therefore he speaketh of the quickening of all those that belong to Christ The 3. place of the aduersarie Ephes 1.10 A third place is alleadged out of the first chapter to the Ephesians where it is read that it was the good purpose of the father to renew or to restore all things in Christ both which are in heauen and which are in earth Which very sentence Paul repeateth and more fully vrgeth to the Colos chap. 1.19.20 saying Colos 1.19 20. This was the good pleasure of the father that in Christ all fulnes should dwell and that he might reconcile to himselfe all things in heauen and earth making peace by that blood of his crosse And the Apostle applying that generall doctrine to the Colossians who had now admitted the faith of Christ he further saith Vers 21. to 25. Therefore you being in times past strangers and enemies hauing your mindes set on euill workes hath he now recōciled in that bodie of his flesh through death that he might present you holie and blameles and without fault before himselfe if ye continue grounded and rooted in faith and be not moued from the hope of the Gospell which ye haue heard which hath been preached vnto euery creature vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a minister reioycing now of those things which I suffer for you and fulfilling likewise the remnants of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the Church The aduersarie vrgeth the generall note all things because all things are reconciled and restored that there is nothing at all omitted among men which is not reconciled and restored by the death of Christ But he cutteth his throate with his owne sword For if wee must sticke to vniuersalitie without any restraint why doth he restraine the generall note to mankind alone and expoundeth all things that is all men Before those words of the reconciliation of all went that saying All things which are in heauen and earth were made by Christ and all things consist in him and that he was before all things and hath the rule ouer all things Why doth hee now goe from that vniuersalitie of all things repeated so often in so few words and expoundeth it of the humane nature alone that all things are said to be reconciled by Christ Doth he confesse at the length that the generall particle doth now and then require a limitation according to the circumstance of the place and matter whereof is entreated But as touching the sense of this place of the restoring and reconciliation of all things by Christ many men haue spoken diuers things of this matter yet none of the old interpreters that I know tooke the words of the Apostle in that sense wherein they are produced by the aduersarie But three expositions of any moment are brought foorth to omit other of lesse account The first is that the whole creature simplie needed the remedie of the death of Christ men truly that sinne and death being destroyed they might obtain through faith euerlasting saluation and Angels that by the repayring of men and the coniunction of earthly things with heauenly they may fully reioyce lastly the Elements and the visible creature for the deliuerie of it selfe from destruction and corruption Rom. 8. for the very creature it selfe also as Paul witnesseth shall be freed from the bondage of corruption into the libertie of the glorie of the sonnes of God This exposition is Theodorites in Comment ad Eph. 1. Col. 1. Heb. 2. Other expound it of Angels and men Hereupon August Ench ad Laur. c. 62. In Christ saith he the things in heauen are restored when the full of Angels is recompenced out of mē And the things in earth are repaired when men themselues who were predestinated vnto eternal life are renued from their old corruption And in the same place expounding the words to the Colos 1. How saith he are heauenly things pacified but in vs that is in agreeing with vs For earthly things were separated from heauenly for the contrarietie of life as Hierome hath noted vpon that place Thirdly by those things which are in heauen other vnderstand the soules of the Saints Heb. 12.23 which be now in the kingdome of heauen and by earthly things the elect who as yet are pilgrimes in the banishment of this present life as Anselme expoundeth in so many words Rightly truly For Paul saith not that peace was made betweene heauenlie and earthlie things betweene Angels and men but that God had reconciled to himselfe both the things which are in heauen and which are in earth And that so it ought to bee construed the Greeke text doth proue albeit others construe it with the verbe that is translated making peace Further the application which is added Therefore vs truly hath he now reconciled who were in times past strangers and enemies doth sufficiently declare that the proprietie of reconciliatiō belongeth to the faithfull and that the vnbeleeuers as long as they bee such are void of reconciliation and enemies of God But the aduersarie The 4 place Colos 1.23 that he may leaue no stone as they say vnmoued would faine establish his opinion of the vniuersalitie of reconciliation by this also Thes 101. that Paul exhorteth all the Colossians to continue stable in the hope of the Gospell and so signifieth that they also are reconciled who fall away or may fall away from hope and faith I answere seeing wee are to iudge charitably of others such are counted and reckoned for faithfull and elect and therefore reconciled and heires of righteousnesse and eternall life whosoeuer professe with vs the faith of Christ but then they be truly that which they are called if they continue in that for which they are so called But if they haue not perseuerance they are not truly so called as Augustine writeth de Correp grat cap. 9. But of this more at large afterward in the arguments of the second ranke or order The aduersarie also warneth vs to marke well in the words of the Apostle ad Col. 1. that he not onely said that the Gospell was preached to all the Colossians but the hope of the Gospel And yet it is in the
reprobates the contrarietie of the elect doth shew whom the father gaue to Christ neither could D. Iacobus Andree denie this Pag. 545. Col. Mompel But for whom Christ would not so much as pray how shall we say that he died for them according to his owne purpose or how should the death of Christ profit them for redemption and sanctificatiō Surely the sacrifice of the Mediatour doth profit none Thes 9.28 but whom his intercession doth also profit Huber excepteth that Christ refuseth not to pray for the world generally but specially which thing Luthers glosse declareth and confirmeth I pray not for the world that is I pray not that thou wouldest approue the attempts and workes of the world and vnbeleeuers I answere readily from the contrarietie in the very text As farre forth as the Lord prayeth for his so farre forth and in the same respect he prayeth not for that world of reprobates but for his hee prayeth that they may be saued Tract 107. in Ioh. Therefore so farre forth he prayeth not for the reprobates Let vs heare what Augustine saith I pray not for the world but for them that thou gauest me By the world he would haue meant such as liue according to the lusts of the world and are not in that state of grace A double world that they bee chosen by it out of the world The same man tract 110. There is a world of such as are to bee damned whereof it is written Least we should be damned with the world For this world he doth not pray for he knoweth well whereto it is predestinate And there is a world of such as shall be saued as it is written That the world may be saued by him whereof the Apostle also speaketh God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe For this world he prayeth that it may beleeue and by faith be reconciled vnto God Thus farre Augustine Wherefore there is no cause that Huber should write Thes 927. that our side faineth a false interpretation of this place He faineth that obiecteth such things euen as this also is a meere deuise that all men indifferently are giuen of the father to the sonne that he may giue them life Thes 1077. 163. All power surely not onely of humane flesh but also of all creatures in heauen and earth is giuen to the sonne but it is another thing that wee are giuen him that hee may saue vs. For if all had been giuen to Christ he had prayed for all for he prayed for all that his father had giuen him But now for certaine men whom hee calleth the world he prayed not Further he giueth eternal life to all that were giuen him For so he saith that to as many as thou gauest him he might giue eternall life Tract 111. Therefore with Augustine we inferre by contraposition that they were not giuen him to whom he will not giue eternall life albeit hee who hath power giuen him ouer all flesh hath power giuen him ouer thē also In the same place Who are they saith he whom he saith are giuen him of his father Be they not they of whom he saith in another place No man commeth vnto me except the father who sent me draw him They bee they whom he receiued of the father whom he chose out of the world that now they may not be of the world as he is not of the world and yet they be euen the beleeuing world and that which knoweth that Christ was sent of God the father Againe Tract 107. The world for which he prayeth not he would haue to be taken for those that are not in that state of grace that they may bee chosen out of the world but for these whom his father gaue him he saith he prayeth for hereby that the father had giuen them alreadie vnto him it commeth to passe that they pertaine not vnto that world for which he doth not pray Hereupon Cyrill also saith Lib. 11. cap. 19. in Ioh. Saint Iohn because he was a Iew least the Lord should seeme to be an aduocate with the father for the Iewes onely and not for other nations also who being called did obey said of necessitie that he was a propitiation for the whole world But the Lord Iesus separating his owne from them that are not his saith I pray for them onely that keepe my words and haue receiued my yoke For whose Mediatour and high Priest he is to them onely he worthily attributeth the benefit of mediation So this testimonie standeth firme against what cauils soeuer Com. vpon this place whereof Rupertus speaketh notably Woe to the reioycing world while Christ the onely begotten sonne of God praieth for his owne that is dyeth and vpon the altar of the crosse offereth himselfe a sacrifice because J pray for them sayth he whom thou gauest me and not for the world For the world is here taken for the louers of the world so contrary to them for whom Christ crucified praieth as the Aegyptians were before God from the children of Israel who marked their posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe Woe therefore to such a world because what Christ the true Lambe of God praied profiteth them nothing that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may quickly sinke into hell while they only whom the father gaue to the sonne doe by his crosse and blood escape The 12. testimonie Verse 19. of the 17. chap. of Iohn Twelfthly wee adde what the Lord in his prayer to his father there expresseth for them I sanctifie my selfe that they may be sanctified in the trueth They onely for whom Christ sanctified that is offered himselfe a sacrifice are by his offering sanctified in the truth but he sanctified himselfe onely for the elect of whom significantly he speaketh to discerne them from the world For them I sanctifie my self doubtles meaning his that were giuen him of his father and for whom he prayed the father Therefore the elect onely are in the trueth sanctified by Christs oblation Whereupon Paul calles all beleeuers Saints euery where whom charitie commands to account for elect because they be sanctified in the blood of Christ CHAP. III. Testimonies out of Pauls Epistles FVrthermore Paul the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles and a worthy preacher of the grace of Christ for the publishing among the Gentiles of the vnsearchable riches of Christ and reuealing vnto all men what is the communion of the mysterie that was hid from all ages doth also euery where teach that the grace of redemption pertaineth not to the vnbeleeuers but to the faithfull who now are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Iesu Christ That of many testimonies wee may onely alleadge a few The 1. place Rom. 3. he thus writeth to the Romanes chap. 3. But now the righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law hauing witnes of the law and the Prophets to
loueth and that we might be this thing for this cause he loued vs before wee were For he began not to loue vs since we were reconciled to him by the blood of his son but before the world was made he loued vs that with his onely begotten we might also be his sonnes before we were any thing at all Therefore that we are reconciled to God by the death of his son let it not so be receiued nor so be vnderstood as though therefore the sonne hath reconciled vs that now he might begin to loue whom hee had hated as one enemie is reconciled to another but wee are reconciled to him that already loueth vs with whom for sinnes wee were at enemitie and yet it is most truly said vnto him Thou hast hated all that worke iniquitie Marke this Hitherto Augustine The summe of all is that seeing GOD hath loued vs as his worke but especiallie as the members of his Sonne before the foundations of the world were laid he of his meere and free loue being moued gaue vs his Sonne that being redeemed by his grace from sinne whereby wee were put away from the presence and fruition of God we might bee made heires of eternall life Bernard Serm. 20. of the 9. verse of the Psalme He that dwelleth c. very well saith Christ according to the time died for the wicked but in respect of predestination he died for his brethren and friends CHAP. X. Of the finall cause of redemption THere followeth that question whereunto are we redeemed wherein the question now is concerning the end of our redemption And the end is two-fold to wit Two ends of redemption the glorie of God and our saluation The former end the Apostle extolleth Ephes 1. where hee saith The first end is Gods glorie that God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid hath foreordained to adopt vs for his sonnes through the same Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will to the praise of his glorious grace whereby he hath made vs acceptable in that his beloued in whom wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of sins In which words he not only teacheth that the end of the eternall and free election of God is the praise of his glorious and rich grace but also sheweth that the redemption of vs by Christ is subordinate vnto the same end Prou. 16. For God hath made all things for himselfe euen the wicked against the euill day that both the benefit of their healing who are deliuered and also the iudgement of damnation in the deserued punishment of such as perish should further his glorie Wherefore wee are here warned Coloss 1. that with Paul wee giue thankes without ceasing vnto the father who hath made vs meete to be partakers of the portion of the Saints in light and hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom wee haue redemption through his blood c. 1. Pet. 2. As Peter also admonisheth vs of our dutie in this point that wee should preach the vertues of him who hath called vs out of darknes into his marueilous light It is well knowne what Moses and the children of Israel did when the sea yeelded a readie passage for all his people to goe through how being protected by Gods hand and beholding that wonderfull redemption Exod. 15. Sap. 19. they leaped like lambes and sung his praise Thou O Lord art our deliuerer thou art our strength But what speake I of the old people and of the old song we haue a new song the song of the Lambe let vs standing vpon the glassie sea of this world and hauing the harps of God sing it vncessantly with the vniuersall Church Apoc. 5. 15. to him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe because hee was slaine and hath redeemed vs vnto God by his blood out of euery tribe and language people and nation and hath made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne vpon the earth The song of the vniuersall Church in the honour of Christ To thee O Sonne of God the louer of mortal men O good Lord O pacifier O rich Sauiour and a king in deed the creator and maker of all things the word and wisedome of the father the light and brightnes of the father the power arme and right hand of the father to thee be blessing and honour and glorie and strength for euer and euer Thou hast redeemed vs being captiues and seruing sinne thou hast deliuered vs by thine owne death Thou hast giuen vs the adoption of sonnes Thou becamest poore that by thy pouertie thou mightest enrich vs. Thou hast freely giuen vs the kingdome of heauen Thou hast fashioned vs a new in darknes hast inlightened vs and being dead men thou hast quickened vs thou vnloosedst the sorrowes of death and brakest the gates of brasse and doores of iron and hast broken in peeces the yoke of sinners Eccle. 15. And because praise is vncomely in the mouth of fooles and this wonderfull and altogether diuine redemption is to be published of vs not so much in words as in deedes themselues goe to let vs so be affected let vs so frame our life maners actions counsels and all our affaires that wee bee not found foullie vnthankfull to our common Redeemer to whose glorie wee ought wholly to bee consecrated and nothing better yea euery way worse then those obstinate Iewes through whom the name of God was euil spoken of among the Gentiles as it is written But let that sharpe reproofe of Moses neuer goe out of our mindes in the song in Deuteronomie Chap. 32.6 Will ye giue this recompence vnto the Lord O yee foolish and vnwise people Is not he thy father who oweth and possesseth thee hath not hee made and prepared thee The second end of redemption is our saluation The 2. end is our saluation which containeth many benefits which comprehendeth many and sundrie benefits albeit knit together in one and the same band as these especially Iustification which consisteth in the free remission of sinnes Sanctification and newnes of life Consolation yea reioycing in aduersitie vnder the hope of the glorie of God and lastly Entrance into the eternall kingdome of our God and Sauiour Iesu Christ and euerlasting ioyes in life eternall These so many and so great benefits of God are purchased for vs by the abundant grace of the death of Christ as the sayings of the Scriptures doe shew Rom. 3. We are iustified freely by the redemption made in Christ Iesu whom God set forth to be a reconciliation thorow faith in his blood by the remission of sinnes And chap. 5. When wee were as yet sinners Christ died for vs. Therefore being iustified by his blood wee shall be saued now much more from wrath by him
which is commonly called the kingdome of power Psal 145. wherein the vngodly euery one with the deuils are comprehended But the faithfull be that kingdome of grace which is here vnto the end of the world albeit not from hence because we are strangers in the world and it hath the tares mingled with it vnto the haruest saith Augustine tract 115. in Ioh. As touching the parable of the strong armed man Luk. 11. albeit I denie not that he may be said to be cast euē out of the world as farre forth as after the passion of Christ people through the whole world beleeued as before Augustine declared yet he is not described as altogether cast out of the house that is the world but as bound rather therein Neither be al his armour all men but it is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete harnesse in Greeke out of the which Satan is so stripped by that strong man that came vpon him that without his becke he cannot so much as moue himselfe And whereas the vncleane spirit is said to returne into him from whom he went out that commeth to passe because many renounce the deuill more in tongue then in heart and in a true faith and vnder the cloke of religion they are secretly euill whom it is no maruell that we see to fall againe and that their last end is worse then their beginning See Augustine in Psal 48. There is another place Esay 53. Esay 53. We all as sheepe haue gone astray and euery one hath turned aside into his owne way and the Lord hath laid the iniquities of vs all vpon him Therefore the sinnes of all men whether they beleeue or not beleeue are satisfied purged in very deed by the sacrifice of Christ Vnto the antecedent is answered that the words of the text may bee taken as the voice of the faithfull the Prophet in his owne and in the person of such as are like him speaking of vs all as in Paul also Abraham is called the father of vs all Rom. 4. Gal. 4. and Ierusalem the mother of vs all Certainly Augustine de peccasorum merit remiss lib. 1. The true meaning of vs all in the words of Esay 53. cap. 27. writeth thus It is the voice of all the members of Christ wee all as sheepe haue gone astray and he was giuen for our sinnes Likewise S. Peter applieth this place of the Prophet vnto the faithfull saying 1. Epist 2. Ye were as sheepe going astray but ye are returned vnto the pastor and bishop of your soules And certainly that confession We all haue gone astray like sheepe is not the propertie of men that perseuere and abide in sinnes to say nothing that it is spoken in the time past we haue gone astray as of men conuerted alreadie vnto the shepheard of their soules And it is a very childish cauill that the aduersarie would haue the words not to be spoken of the vniuersalitie onely of the faithfull because the hearers of Esay were not all faithfull For this was no let but the Prophet in those words might expresse the benefit of grace which belongeth vnto the vniuersalitie of the faithfull What shall wee say of Paul had he onely the faithfull about him or is he heard or read at this day of the elect onely And yet nothing fearing such captious wresting he writeth as of the faithfull and elect the father of vs all the mother of vs all Secondly though we graunt that the iniquities of all men were laid vpon Christ we denie the consequence that therfore by the sacrifice of Christ the sinnes of all be in very deed clensed and that all are iustified and receiued into grace For to the entent that the sacrifice and merit of Christ may profit vs to righteousnes and grace before God we neede application by faith Rom ◠Heb. 11. For being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God and without faith it is impossible to please God Herevpon it is added in Esay My righteous seruant by the knowledge of him shall iustifie many and he shall beare their iniquities Albeit therefore he hath borne the sinnes of all by sufficiencie yet properly they bee accounted his redeemed ones in whom the true knowledge or faith of Christ shineth But of this place more in the next booke following There is obiected besides that which the Lorde saith Zach. 3. I will take away the iniquities of this earth or land in one day But it may bee vnderstoode of Iudea that being at one with his people he will at length deliuer them from the vexations and molestations of their enemies which hitherto they haue indured while God was angrie with their sinnes Which exposition that restraint which is added confirmeth of this earth Further if we like better to expound it of the whole earth there will be the same sense which was before in the sayings of the redemption and attonement of the world Apoc. 13. Certainely Apoc. 13. It is read that the whole earth followed the beast Yet it cannot bee thence inferred that all and euery man in the whole world haue fallen from God and that Christ hath not had his Church remayning among mankind Further Huber th 179. Gen. 12. 23. there is brought forth the promise made to Abraham Gen 12. and 23. In thy seede all the Nations of the earth shall bee blessed Where the aduersarie will haue that blessed seede to be meant of all men without exception This that he may wrest out he expoundeth all Nations euery one of all Nations But whether should we beleeue Huber or Paul the Apostle of Iesu Christ Therefore of faith is the inheritance saith Paul Rom. 4. that it may be sure to the whole seede not to that only which is of the Law All Nations taken for the faithfull in all Countries but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of vs all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations And Rom. 9. Not they that are the sonnes of the flesh are the sonnes of God but the children of promise are counted for the seede And the same sense he at large repeateth Gal. 3. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Nations through faith preached the Gospell before to Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Therefore they which are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham What either ignorance then or malice is it to gainesay so plainely the exposition of the Apostle and shamefullie to reuile them as enemies of that blessed seede who by seede doe vnderstand with Paul the faithfull euery where of all Nations and countries Paul then is an enemie of that seede Fie vpon that Augustine is an enemie tract 1. in primam Ioh. Ambrose in Luc. lib. 3. and the whole companie of the fathers But by all nations euery one of all nations doe follow vniuersally This glosse doth not alwaies
but most often deceiue Beside the examples aboue alleadged let these also here be considered Psal 22. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turne to the Lord and all the families of the nations shall bow themselues before thee And Psal 72. All kings shall bow to thee all nations shall serue thee And Psal 86. All nations shall come and worship thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name August Basil com in Psal These prophesies as Augustine and Basill interprete them are fulfilled in the conuersion of the Gentiles while of all Gentiles some doe receiue the brightnes of diuine knowledge Esay 2. So in Esay it is foretold that in the last daies all nations shall come to the mountaine of the Lord and that the people shall walke in his law Where againe Basill reiecting this their filthie glosse admonisheth which thing the very matter also proclaimeth that it is not to bee taken of the whole number in the land of the liuing or of all men whom euery nation euery where comprehendeth Hence now there appeareth plainly an answer also to the saying Thes 181. Psal 2. Aske of me and I will giue thee the nations for thy inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Therefore saith Huber the adoption of all nations to bee Christs inheritance is promised I graunt but not of al men whom euery nation containeth For the doctrine of the Apostle Lib. 1. de sermone Domini in monte saith Augustine termeth that to be adoption whereby we are called into an eternall inheritance that wee may bee coheires with Christ and with God being as sonnes may enioy eternall life being reformed through the acknowledging of him vnto the image of God What adoption is Aug. in Psal 2. But this belongeth not to all Whereupon as the same father expoundeth the meaning is Aske of me to wit that the nations may be coupled to the name of Christians and so redeemed from death and may be possessed of God and I will giue thee the nations to bee thine inheritance whom thou maist possesse vnto their saluation that they may bring forth spiritual fruites vnto thee Neither doth the holy Ghost himselfe otherwise expound it by the mouth of Dauid Psal 22. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turne to the Lord and al the families of the nations shall bow themselues before thee For by faith and repentance all nations vnto the ends of the earth are made the inheritance and peculiar people of God Psalm 7◠Esay 19. which was the peculiar dignitie of Israel in old time In respect of which grace it was also promised to Abraham that he should be the heire of the world Notwithstanding it is true as touching dominion that all are subiect vnto Christ not onely all men but also all things els in heauen and earth That which is lastly alleadged of the scape goate Leu. 16. Leuit. 16. that as all the sinnes of the children of Israel were put vpon that goate to bee caried into the wildernesse so also Christ bore all the sinnes of the people and tooke them away confirmeth our opinion and not the aduersaries For not the sins of all men but of Israel onely were laid vpon the goate so Christ hath taken away the sinnes of Christian people who as the Apostle witnesseth is the Israel of God Gal. 6. prefigured by that carnall Israel And these things of the first ranke of arguments Where now the indifferent reader may iudge whether the reproches sticke vpon vs or vpon the aduersarie wherewith he would defame vs as though forsooth wee must needes correct Thes 188. amend polish cut away and abuse the speech of the holie Ghost throughout the Gospell Trifles VNTO THE ARGVMENTS OF THE SECOND RANKE CHAP. VIII Wherein generall solutions or answers are contained HItherto answere hath been made vnto generall speeches The second classe or ranke followeth wherein the aduersarie purposeth to proue peculiarly that the reprobates or as he speaketh in his Compend thes the vnbeleeuers are equally redeemed of Christ Thes 23. as they are who through faith are made partakers of saluation in Christ Three generall obseruations But before we seuerally weigh the places of Scripture which in this rank are produced generally it is to be noted that all those places are particular of some reprobates onely and such as for a time haue been mingled with the good in the Church and counted in the number of beleeuers so long as the contrarie appeared not in them Of particulars an vniuersall conclusion doth not followe And of Particulars when either both or one of the propositions is such it is euident that an vniuersall conclusion doth not follow as this is of the aduersarie that all reprobates and vnbeleeuers no lesse then the elect and truly faithfull haue redemption and remission of sins in Christ To proue this he had need of other arguments through this whole classe Further seeing all those places intreate of them who are numbred with the beleeuers and sanctified in Christ and afterward vnmindfull of their calling slide into grieuous falles or els also fall away altogether from the truth hee taketh a preposterous course who thence seeketh to maintaine that redemption doth vniuersally belong as well to infidels as to true beleeuers For the proofes which are brought describe the benefit of Christ in respect of faith and applie it to them who were numbred with the Church of God Rom. 1. Ephe. 1. Col. 1. And in the beginning of other Epistles of the Apostle the faithful and Saints in Christ beloued and elect of God because of their externall profession of faith and repentance and the washing of sacred Baptisme which they had receiued For of such the Church iudgeth charitably leauing in the meane while secret things vnto God the searcher of the harts who knoweth his owne and can discerne betweene them that are froward and vpright in heart Thirdly it is to be marked that they that so fall are either elect or reprobate Of the fals and perseuerance of the elect For the very elect and true beleeuers doe often fall into sins against their cōscience and greatly swarue from the right way as Dauid and Peter yet they erre not finally but are recouered and brought backe into the way before they die and hauing their iniquitie pardoned them which was committed perseuerance vnto the end is imputed vnto them as Augustine largely teacheth Aug de cor grat cap. 7. 2. Tim 2. de correptione gratia cap. 7. For the foundation of God is sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his And as the Lord himselfe saith in the Gospell Matth. 23. It cannot be that the elect should be deceiued to wit finally For if any of these perish God is deceiued and ouercome of mans sinne But he is neuer deceiued or ouercome of any thing Therefore of his elect none perisheth