from grace Answere Phil. 1.7 1. Cor. 2. I answer That is no matter because this iudgement of others is not so much of certaintie as of charitie For no man is so knowne to another as a man is knowne to himselfe For who knowes the things of man but the spirit of man that is in him 1. Sam. 16. Man onely beholdeth what things are before his eyes but God looketh into the heart Aug. de Tim. li. 13 cap. 2. Hereupon Augustine saith Euery one seeth his owne faith in himselfe but in another he beleeueth it to be he seeth it not and the more surely he beleeueth it as he more knoweth the fruites thereof which faith vseth to worke by loue Therefore because charitie beleeueth all things hopeth all things from hēce surely it commeth to passe that albeit many bee called and few chosen yet through charitie they are plainly called beleeuers conuerted iustified redeemed sanctified disciples and members of Christ Aug. de Cor. gra cap. 7. 9. temples and children of God yea the elect of God who professe with vs the same faith and Christian conuersation howsoeuer before God Luth. de seru Arhit cap. 61. who discerneth the thoughts and intents of the heart they oftentimes be not that they be called But as for those that be without seeing Saul suddenly became a Paul no mans conuersion must bee thought desperate and therefore neither their saluation and election How many daily are conuerted How many are predestinate although not yet gathered together Serm. 50. de verbis Domini in Ioh. But he knoweth them who hath predestinated them he knoweth who came to redeeme them by his blood saith Augustine Wherefore wee as the same man writeth de Correp grat cap. 15. not knowing who belongeth to the number of the predestinate who not must so charitably be affected that we should wish that all were saued praying for Infidels and teaching and exhorting euery one as occasion is offered And these things of the certaintie of Gods election as much as concerneth vs. THE LAST PART NAMELY THE VSE of the doctrine of predestination against those men that think we must abstaine from the preaching of it as not only not profitable but also dangerous and contrary to edification CHAP. XXVI The foresaid error is rehearsed and confuted VVHat and of what sort the doctrine of predestination is hath bin declared But because some men are afraid to make mention of it specially among the common people as being an enemie to the profit of edification this opinion also must be abated By which labour the vse also of this doctrine is disclosed and how it ought to bee preached to the intent it may bring profit to the hearers Prospers Epistle concerning the reliques of the Pelagian heresie testifieth surely that many seruants of Christ in the citie of Massilia and those famous in the studie of all vertues but that they suffered themselues to bee deliuered with the spirit of Pelagian impietie after that certaine bookes of Augustine were published against the Pelagians wherein he inserted many things of predestination to defend thereby that the grace of God is giuen not according to our merits but according to the purpose of Gods will were so offended that they concluded that the faith of Augustine and others that rightly iudged of this matter was contrary to edification and therefore sayd that albeit it were true yet it was not to bee taught but to be buried in silence rather The same thing Hilarie not Bishop of Pictauia but of Atls reporteth in his Epistle to Augustine not onely of the Massilians but also of other brethren in France And they were moued chiefly with these reasons 1. That this doctrine of Gods grace and predestination Reasons obiected against God grace and predestination by the Semipelagians in his secret iudgement but manifest worke making one vessell to honour and another to dishonour seemeth to put away all industrie in men For when they thinke that all things depend on predestination who shall beleeue who not who shall be saued who damned and the same doubtles vnchangeable that neither he that is reiected can by any endeuour enter in nor he that is elected can possibly by any negligence fall away men are become sluggish dull so that being prone to slide from labour to lust they follow their owne concupiscences Further they sayd there was danger least reproofes and exhortations should waxe colde For they that bee disobedient will say why are we reproued accused and blamed He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Wee haue not receiued the gift of obedience Why is he yet angry who can resist his will Hitherto belong the former obiections which haue been answered of the author of sinne of fatall necessitie and whatsoeuer beside ouerthwart reason that knoweth not God hath deuised of enuie against the trueth For these things therefore and such like in old time those brethren throughout France euen such as durst not finde fault with the opinion of the soundest writers touching grace and predestination thought it would be to the profite of the Church if this doctrine so hard to the flesh for the weaker sort that could not conceiue it should be omitted and they added the example of other fathers before Augustine whom they sayd defended the Catholike faith no lesse profitably many yeares without this declaration both against others especially against the Pelagians Therefore that there was no neede that the hearts of so many that wanted vnderstanding The doctrine of the Semipelagians should be troubled with the vncertaintie of such kinde of reasoning that this declaration and profession is sufficient that euery man hath sinned in Adams sinne and that no man is saued by his workes but by regeneration through the grace of God that yet propitiation through Christs blood is set forth vnto all men without exception and that no man at all is excepted from his redemption Vide epist. Prosper Hilar. so that they that will are made the sonnes of God and they are inexcusable who will not bee faithfull because Gods iustice consisteth herein that he should perish that will not beleeue and his goodnes is herein seene if indifferently he will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth eternall life in respect of him being prepared for all men albeit in respect of freewill some receiue it by faith other refuse through vnbeliefe further that God foreknew before the world who would beleeue and continue in faith and predestinated them for his owne kingdome others on the contrary being vtterly reiected But this opinion which hath his fauourers euen at this day of whom some onely will not haue all mention of predenation buried and others grant that in schooles and among learned men it may be handled but denie Predestination taught by Christ and his Apostles to all that it ought to be
OF THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND THREE BOOKES Wherein the controuersie of the vniuersalitie of Redemption and grace by Christ and of his death for all men is largely handled HEREVNTO IS ANNEXED A TREAtise of Gods Predestination in one booke Written in Latin by IACOB KIMEDONCIVS D. and professor of Diuinitie at Heidelberge and translated into English by HVGH INCE Preacher of the word of God BY WISDOME PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KINGSTON for HVMFREY LOVVNES 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the Great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell HAuing finished the translation of this volume Right Honorable I was in doubt whether I might safely send it forth as a matter that would as it ought to be imbraced fauored of eueryone into whose hands it should come or to offer it to the view of some honorable person and to commend it to his fauourable protection and in his name to publish it If I had resolued vpon the first way as I doubt not but it should haue found many friends euen all the louers of the trueth that would gladly haue accepted it so I know it should haue had many aduersaries among vs in this land as it hath had in other countries alreadie and commeth now abroad in our owne tongue from thence greatly reproched and withstood with a spitefull enemie albeit to his shamefull foyle and disgrace in the end And therefore I thought it best to follow mine author as he offereth the knowledge and custodie of the trueth which he here maintaineth vnto a high and mightie Prince so I am bold to offer my translation of so worthie a worke vnto your honorable protection and defence against euill tongues and erronious spirits The cause that is handled here is Gods the ground that it hath is the trueth of his holy word the witnesse and testimonie thereof is the vniforme consent of the Church of Christ beleeuing and confessing the same the matter hereof is the redemption of our soules the comfort of our consciences the stay of our faith and the anchor of our hope If the certaintie of these things right Honourable be called in question and taken from vs that are mortall men what ioy can we haue in any thing that here for a time wee enioy What hope can wee haue of a better life when this fraile one shall be taken from vs and wee all shall be called to giue our account But as Satan the enemie of our saluation hath alwaies heretofore sowed tares among the wheate and corrupted the sinceritie of the trueth with errors and lyes and that vnder a faire pretence so at this day when he could not effect his purpose so farre as he desired by the late and lamentable strife that he hath raised among vs though thereby he hath quenched the zeale of many and made them fall from their first loue hath euen now in our Church as he hath done in others raised a doubt and broâ—hed a controuersie in the maine grounds of our Religion and faith to wit in the doctrine of mans Redemption by the death of Christ and of Gods eternall predestination Wherein as he doth not greatly preuaile because the gouernours of our Church and the consent of all that bee godly and learned for the most part therein are against him so that hee may proceede no further in time to come and that the mindes of men may bee setled in the trueth of their saluation I haue thought it my dutie to the Church of God to testifie my loue of the trueth and my vnfained care of the knowledge of the fame among vs and continuance thereof in our posteritie by taking paines to translate into our vulgar tongue these bookes Herein you shall plainly see that albeit the death of Christ the sonne of God as touching the greatnes of the price be sufficient for the redemption of whole mankinde in the world yea if there were many worlds of them as Anselme saith yet the proprietie of redemption belongeth to those that are not the vessels of the deuill but the members of Christ by faith and the grace of regeneration the rest who liue without faith and regeneration not belonging to this redemption from sinne and death Or which is all one you shall see it proued by infallible testimonies of Scripture by generall consent of antiquitie and of new writers and by substantiall arguments that redemption from sinnes righteousnes and saluation are benefits proper to the Church and not common to all and euery one elect and reprobate beleeuer and vnbeleeuer to the saued and damned You shall plainly see I say that the Sauiour promised to the world and preached of alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy prophets and Apostles is appoynted by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue onely and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it be proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein we beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to be vniuersall Against this trueth the aduersarie fighteth eagerly and impudently with bitter reproches and lyes grieuous blasphemies flat contrarieties grosse absurdities peruerting the naturall sense of the sacred Scripture and abusing the ancient writers But all these his weapons wins him not the victory for either they be blunt and cannot hurt our cause or else the edge of them is turned against himselfe and his owne masters in whom he glorieth Luther Brentius and the rest whose disciple and follower he would faine be leaue him in his bad cause nay are brought in plainely reprouing and condemning his opinion as erronious and speaking for the trueth on our side Nay further it is here flatly auouched that the olde Pelagian heresie and impietie which Augustine long agoe confuted and the Church of God then condemned is the father of the birth and beginning of our aduersaries opinion As for the treatise of Predestination annexed hereto it serueth specially for the fuller euidence and greater certaintie of those things that are handled in the former bookes concerning the vniuersalitie of grace and redemption For the remnants of the Pelagians of old and at this day affirming none at all to bee excepted from the redemption of Christs blood and in respect of God maintaining eternall life to bee prepared for all are therefore fallen to the extolling of such grace because they would in no case confesse that God according to the purpose couÌ„sel of his own will in his secret iudgement but manifest worke maketh one vessell to honor and another to dishonour nor will assent hereto that the number of the predestinate can neither be increased nor diminished Both which points are fully handled and plainly proued against them in this booke Praefat. ad Rom. Luther saith notably
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
remaineth no sacrifice for sins And a little after Of how greater punishment thinke ye shall he be thought worthie who shall tread vnder his feet the sonne of God and shall count the blood of the couenant wherewith he was sanctified a prophane thing and shall despite the spirit of grace This place Huber simplie vnderstandeth of reprobates but they are not straightwaies to be counted for reprobates and to bee barred of all hope of pardon with the Nouatians who after the knowledge of the trueth wittingly and willingly peraduenture fall And in that it is said that there remaineth vnto them no sacrifice for sins but an expectation of iudgement of this there is diuersitie of opinions I take it as most simple An exposition of the words there is no more sacrifice for sin c. that there be no more sacrifices for sinne as of old vnder the shadowes of the Law that Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and will not come againe to die for sins the second time but to iudgement for their saluation doubtles that looke for him but for their punishment that sinne specially that sinne willingly after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth Vnderstand notwithstanding conditionally to wit vnles they repent as Theophylact well expoundeth and the vse of the Scriptures requireth 1. Corin. 6.9 Apoc. 22.15 Iere. 18.7 Certainly I easily graunt We must take euery one in the Church for a brother and redeemed for his profession sake till the contrarie appeare that these of whom the Apostle intreateth are to bee placed in the number of the redeemed vpon the foundation before set downe to wit as farre forth as they professing the same faith and conuersation with vs we are bound to account them for our brethren for the household and heires of God and for such as are sanctified by the blood of Christ vntill happily they bee made knowne not to bee of vs. All these things certainly the text plainly sheweth to bee spoken of the Apostle in respect of faith which a man seemeth to haue and not of vnbeleefe much lesse of reprobation The third place is 1. Cor. 3. Ye are the temple of God The 3. place 1. Cor. 3. and the spirit of God dwelleth in you Jf any destroy the temple of God him will God destroy That he shuld speake here of reprobates as Huber thinketh it is vnlikely for he speaketh of the Church which he had called Gods building and now calleth it Gods temple as elsewhere this spirituall building and habitation of the liuing God is at large described Ephes 2.21 1. Pet. 2.5 As for the threatning it belongeth to the authors of schismes who through meere ambition by factions distracted and prophaned the Church of Corinth which God had cōsecrated to be a temple for himselfe The like place commeth againe chapter 6. Know yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost who is in you There speaking to each beleeuer he calleth them the temples of the holy Ghost as also the members of Christ saying Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ that thereby they might with greater care auoide all pollutions of the flesh True members of Christ can neuer finally fall away yet they may sinne grieuouslie Psalm 37.24 Iohn 10. Rom. 11.29 2 Cor. 4.9 But hereupon it doth not follow that some being truly the members of Christ and the temples of the holy Ghost shal perish foreuer It cōmeth to passe surely that such fearefully somtime defile thēselues but not finally An exāple hereof is the repentance of Dauid and the promises beare witnes If the righteous falleth he is not cast away because the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand No man shall take my sheep out of my hand And in Paul The gifts and calling of God are without repentance We are cast downe but we perish not What members may perish saith Paul But that they perish in their sins who were accounted the members of Christ and the temples of God it is no new thing but if they had been of the true members of the Church they had doubtles continued with vs 1. Iohn 3. as Iohn saith For there bee sonnes of God saith Augustine who are not as yet such vnto vs De Correp grat ca. 9. A notable saying and there be some againe who for the grace which they haue receiued for a time are called of vs the sonnes of God but yet are not such with God And as the sons so also the temples of God and members of Christ are to be accounted The 4. place Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. The same answere serueth vnto the sayings Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ died neither destroy the worke of God for meate sake Also Shall thy weake brother perish through thy knowledge for whom Christ died As touching the elect we graunt that the true beleeuers How a weake brother may be said to perish and be destroyed Rom. 14.5 How Reprobates falling from the truth and perishing are said to be redeemed but weake in faith are very often grieuously shaken with offences yea destroyed and lost as touching the authors of offences through whom there is no let but they should perish Yet the Lord is able to establish them and also will establish them though they bee inconstant and wauer But a◠touching the reprobates falling away from the trueth for offences and other causes and vtterly perishing they are called redeemed iustified by the death of Christ as farre forth as in the iudgement of the Church they obtaine for a time a place among the iustified and redeemed of Christ as I haue often said alreadie In like sort is that to bee vnderstood which 2. Pet. 2. The 5. place 2. Pet. 2. How the Lord hath bought Reprobates 1. Pet. 1. Acts 20. wee reade of false prophets that perish that they denie the Lord who bought them Doubtles the Lord is said to buy them as farre forth as they are numbred for a time among the faithfull whom he hath redeemed not with siluer and golde but with his precious blood For out of the Church it selfe shall arise rauening wolues not sparing the flocke and speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after thē But what saith Iohn They went out from vs but they were not of vs for verely they had continued with vs if they had been of vs. Further How they are said to denie him that bought them this is rightly referred to the boasting of the false prophets that him in very deede they denie whom they call their Lord and redeemer and bragge of libertie when in trueth they bee the seruants of corruption and sinne as Peter himselfe declareth and the Epistle of Iude confirmeth For these seducers secretly crept in are thus there described that they turne the grace of our God into wantonnes and denie God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ But
partakers of redemption by faith doe not erre that way finally But such as abide in that error of the righteousnes of workes whether they haue knowne at any time the trueth of the Gospell or no it cannot be proued that they were euer truly redeemed from the curse For this redemption belongeth to them onely who by true faith in Christ are the seede of Abraham and are heires according to the promise as is largely taught Gal. 3. The 9. place Gal. 5. As touching the place Gal. 5. Stand ye in the libertie wherwith Christ hath freed vs the aduersarie collecteth that men once deliuered by the blood and death of Christ may againe lose that libertie while they abide not in it but are intangled againe with the yoke of bondage and so make Christ vnprofitable vnto them and fall from grace I answer the text hath not stand ye in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you as Huber depraueth it but wherewith he hath freed vs. And the opposition of the sonnes of the bondwoman and of the free of the beleeuers and workers namely who standing to set vp their own righteousnes are not made partakers of the righteousnes of Christ doth manifestly shew that this deliuerance by Christ belongeth not to all without exception beleeuers and vnbeleeuers but he that beleeueth in Christ hath that libertie and doth not lose it finally because it is eternall For Christian libertie as Luther also vpon this place warneth is such a gift Luther of Christian libertie whereby in stead of sinne and death we haue righteousnes and eternall life and haue God for euer mercifull and fauourable through Christ Many fal from Christian libertie but diuersly We confesse neuertheles that many stand not in the libertie wherwith Christ hath freed vs. First because euen the elect and true beleeuers are often tempted and intangled in errors repugnant to the foundation but as it hath been often said not finally Secondly because many professing faith and Christian libertie and so farre forth hauing place for a while among Christs freemen are againe to the losse of their saluation intangled with the bondage of the Law and mans traditions yea of the world and the deuill And both of these make Christ of none effect vnto themselues and fall from grace and consolation these absolutely and perpetually the other so long onely as vntill they repent The same answere serueth to other two places namely concerning the Iewes being as certaine branches broken off from the Oliue tree The 10. and 11 places Rom. 11. Iohn 15. and concerning the Gentiles who should be cut off vnles they continue in the bountifulnes of God And my father taketh away euery branch that beareth not fruite in me and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruite Except a man shall abide in me he is cast forth and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire Iere. 11. Esay 25. Matth. 21. The simple meaning of these words is that not all who by outward vocation are among the people of God that greene and fat oliue tree and elect vine and so are accounted among the branches of Christ shall be saued many such haue been long ago cut off and shall be cut off hereafter for vnthankfulnes Hipocrites for a time flourish as greene branches but at length are cut off For there are many hypocrites partakers euen after a sort of grace albeit not vnto iustification who because in shew for a time they florish and are greene but in rendring fruite deceiue the hope of the husbandman and haue faith in their lips more then in heart at length are cast away But that it happeneth to some of the elect and truly godlie to bee so cut off The Elect are neuer cut off nor cast away proued by three reasons it is not onely not proued by these testimonies but also the contrarie is therein plainly set downe First who were the Iewes whom God reiected vnbeleeuers not obeying the Gospell being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse and to whom was giuen of God the spirit of slumber in his iust iudgement and eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Rom. 10. 11.8 as the Apostle describeth those reprobates But discerning the elect and godly from them he saith God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Againe Verse 2 7. Israel attained not that which he sought for but the elect haue attained it the rest haue been hardened But they were reiected for vnbeleefe who denieth it But by the iust iudgement of God they came not vnto faith because they were not of his elect For who will say euen the veriest foole of all saith Augustine that the malitious Iewes who haue perished in their hatred and who being of that nation enemies to Christ as yet doe perish that they are elect and beloued Secondly Paul doth not so much speake vnto euery one of the elect of the Gentiles as in common vnto the whole body of such as were coÌ„uerted among whom many were in name onely faithfull and members of Christ when he threatneth them with the example of the vnbeleeuing Iewes Albeit though it were graunted that the Apostle directeth his aduise to euery elect and faithfull one yet nothing is thereupon effected because he speaketh by supposition that they shall bee cut off â— Iohn 2. â—9 vnlesse they shall continue in the goodnes of God But the elect doe continue and that they may continue and may more and more answer vnto their calling and not receiue the grace of God in vaine to that very end serue those spurres of exhortations and threatnings profitable vnto them to put away the securitie of the flesh wherewith we daily wrestle Thirdly Christ Ioh. 15 plainly setteth down the difference of the two kinde of branches fruitfull and vnfruitfull of the truly godly and of hypocrites hauing a shew onely of godlines who neuertheles are for their externall profession iudged to be in the vine And of these the Lord saith that euery branch not bearing fruit in him shall be taken away and burned Who are those but such as haue faith without workes that is A Syllogisme a dead faith But of the branches that beare fruite hee saith that the father will purge euery branch that beareth fruite that it may bring more fruite Vnder this proposition now let vs set downe the assumption But all true beleeuers in whom faith is effectuall by loue and florisheth by purging the hearts and purifying the soules are fruitfull branches Ergo the father will daily more and more purge them so farre off is it that they shall be cut off The 12. place Matth 13. The parable of the debter expounded The parable also of the debter Matth. 18. seemeth to confirme that redemption that is remission of sinnes is made voide in some persons
whether all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers together be from all sinne and condemnation by the death of Christ set free iustified and receiued into grace of the father as sonnes and heires It is most false that the Catholike Church hath beleeued that with one consent yea rather it hath alwaies beleeued this and alwaies confessed it with one mouth that faith is required without which it is impossible to please God to the intent we may obtaine remission of sinnes by the merite of Christ But what antiquitie hath thought of this present controuersie it is apparant by those things which before we haue here and there alleaged out of the writings of the ancient fathers Testimonies of the aduersarie answered and it shall be shewed most plentifullie when we shall come to the confirmation of our opinion Now this shall suffice if we shall answere briefely vnto the testimonies produced by the aduersarie In the beginning is produced the saying of Cyrill That the vnbeleeuer is already iudged Hubâ—th 539 Cyril in Io. lib. 2. cap. â—3 because he by contemning the giuer of freedome from damnation doth giue sentence of damnation against himselfe What is this to the matter Or else who denieth that vnbeleeuers refuse the author of saluation while they beleeue not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God and therefore that condemnation and the wrath of God doe abide vpon them The words of Athanasius are somewhat more fit to the matter Athanasius in Euang. de pass cru Chri. The misteries saith he of the Hebrewes say that the place of Caluerie is the sepulcher of Adam If the matter be so I wonder at the nature and propertie of that place For it was meet that the Lord should suffer in that place wheÌ„ he minded to restore the first Adam that his sinne being put away he might abolish it from his whole kinde And a little before those words he saith The Lord was sacrificed that by the blood of his offering hee might set all at libertie Which saying I maruell the aduersarie omitted if he himselfe read Athanasius But he vnderstood this either of sufficiencie as we shall by and by heare that other fathers would haue such sayings of theirs to be taken Synecdoche is when part is vnderstoode by the whole or the whole by part Prosper or els he spake by the figure Synecdoche of the vniuersalitie of the faithfull who are out of al mankind conuerted For according to the declaration of Prosper lib. 2. cap. 1. de vocat gent. neither part I meane of good men and euill of such as shall bee saued and damned is without the name of all men The part of such as rebell hauing the losse of saluatioÌ„ but the dignitie of the faithfull obtaining the account of fulnes And to that end citeth he the saying 1. Ioh. 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world And lib. 1. cap. 3. The whole is set downe for a part in the Scripture in the phrases All men the whole world c. the same writer from sundrie sayings of the Scripture concludeth on this wise Therefore the people of God haue their fulnes and albeit a great part of men doe either refuse or neglect the grace of the Sauiour yet in the elect and foreknowne and in such as are seuered from the generalitie of all there is a certain special vniuersalitie so that out of the whole world the whole world is deliuered and out of all men all men seeme to be taken as also when the speech is of the vngodly the diuine stile doth so order his maner of speaking that the things which are spoken of some part may seeme to appertaine to all men Rom. 10.18 1. Iohn 5.19 Mar. 1.5 Iohn 3.32 and 8.2 And this very thing he sheweth plainly in that place by sundrie testimonies that euen all the earth is named for a part of the earth and the whole world for a part of the world and all men for a part of meÌ„ And so Ambrose vpon 3. to the Romanes expoundeth that saying All haue gone astray For quoth he because he saith all he meaneth not the whole people altogether but that part of the people wherein all euill men are contained And he bringeth that which is in Ieremie Iere. 26. All rose vp against the Prophet of the Lord to kill him And it followeth that all the people would not permit them Of which example saith Ambrose thus Therefore by those all hee meaneth such as were euill and by these all the good For alwaies there be two people in one multitude But that we may not doubt of the minde of Athanasius in the very same oration he describeth the grace of redemption thus That Christ was made man and died that wee mortall men might bee quickened and may no longer endure the kingdome of death that therefore he was crucified that he might take vpon him the curse and that we might possesse the blessing If this be vnderstood of al men without exception there shal be none any more ouerwhom death and hell shall haue dominion Furthermore Athanasius in the same place often repeateth the said Synecdoche as that he saith that the deuill being cast out of hell all his captiues are deliuered by the power of Christ which thing he straightwaies expoundeth of the vniuersalitie of the Saints who are with Adam set free Likewise he saith that the deuill hath lost al his spoyles and is made poorer then Irus but hee speaketh of such as are conuerted who in euery place are translated from the power of Satan into the kingdome of Christ After the same maner certainly he saith that the knowledge of God came to all men and into all places that all men tread the deuill vnder their feete that all doe vnder the conduct of Christ laugh him to scorne that all his subtile shifts are marred and all the wisedome of the Grecians is become foolish because the death of the Sauiour hath brought the world into libertie and hath giuen cause that the Gentiles should glorifie God while the Iewes continue blinded in the knowledge of Christ These things manifestly shew how Athanasius iudged that Christ died to put away sinne from all mankind according to that Ioh. 12. which he also citeth When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all things vnto me The 3. â—estimonie of the aduersarie Chrysost in 1. ad Tim. hom 7. Besides there is cited Chrysostome where he saith that Christ also hung vpon the crosse for the Gentiles and vnbeleeuers I answere He saith not this onely but more also that Christ died for all for beleeuers and vnbeleeuers Hom. 17. in Epist ad Heb. vpon that of the Apostle he was offered that he might take away the sinnes of many But he declareth himselfe that such sayings are to bee taken as touching the sufficiencie or greatnes of the price and not as touching
respect of all and euery one who euer haue been are or shall be which how vaine it is is taught by many testimonies of the Scriptures Act. 14.16.17.30 Eph. 2.12 Psal 147.19.20 Besides looke what wee haue spoken in the sixt chapter of this booke Secondly the Apostle saying They that haue sinned without the law shall perish also without the law and they that haue sinned in the law shall be damned by the law doth not onelie grant that the Gentiles for the most part wanted the knowledge of the law written much more the knowledge of the promises of the grace of the Gospell published by Moses and the Prophets but also alleadgeth the reason of the iust damnation of the Gentiles from the breach of the law of nature making no mention of the contemned grace of the Gospell Thirdly what shall we say of so many millions of infants without the Church who haue bin preuented by death from the beginning of the world and are daily preuented before they can heare the least tittle of the grace of the Gospel what contempt is there of grace what lothing of saluation Fourthly the Lord in the Gospell saith Ioh. 15. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now they haue nothing to cloake their sinnes withall Augustine tract 89. Augustines iudgement of this question aduiseth vs to vnderstand this place not of euery sinne but of the great sinne of vnbeleefe and mouing the question whether they vnto whom Christ commeth not nor speaketh vnto them haue excuse for their sinne answereth not truly for euery one of their sinnes but for this sinne that they haue not beleeued in Christ they haue a plaine excuse and they cannot therefore auoide damnation according to the saying Whosoeuer haue sinned without the law shall also perish without the law and whosoeuer haue sinned in the law shall be iudged by the law And such he saith are they who when they heare contemne or else gainsaying resist or with hatred pursuing them by whom they heare Also Epist 99. ad Euod speaking of such as are in hell according to his owne and the common opinion of others maketh difference between such as here would not beleeue the Gospell preached those that haue not here contemned saith he that which they would not heare and are cast into hel without any guiltines of the contempt of the Gospell The like he writeth in his booke of nature and grace lib. 4. If with these sayings of ancient fathers we compare the phrases of new Sectaries we shall see a flat contrarietie And let these be spoken for confutation of those things so much as the state of our purpose seemed to require THE THIRD BOOKE OF CHRISTIAN REDEMPTION CONSISTING IN CONFIRMATION Or a demonstration of the true opinion who be partakers of Redemption CHAP. I. The proposition and partition NOw we are come to the confirmation of true doctrine And that is The summe of our opinion touching mans redemption by the death of Christ that albeit the death of the sonne of God our Lorde Iesu Christ as touching the greatnes of the price be the redemption of whole mankinde none excepted yet the proprietie of redemption belongeth to those who are not now the vessels of the deuils but the members of Christ by faith and the grace of regeneration the rest who liue without faith and regeneration not belonging to this redemption from sinne and death T it 1. And because faith and regeneration pertaine not to all but to the elect it is truly also auouched that redemption belongs to them and not to the reprobates This opinion we purposing to proue will vse also a threefold ranke or order of proofes The first shall be of certaine testimonies of Scripture out of the old and new Testament wherein spiritual redemption purchased by Christ is restrained to the Church which certainly is not the vniuersalitie of whole mankinde but a certaine companie of mankinde chosen to eternall life out of euery tribe language nation and people In the second ranke wee will produce diuerse arguments drawne from the analogie of faith or the apostolicall and catholike rule of faith whereunto euery Ecclesiasticall exposition and decision of whatsoeuer controuersies of saith ought to be agreeable Lastly the third ranke shall haue testimonies of godly antiquitie whereby it shall more cleerly than the light appeare that nothing is here taught or produced of vs that all the best and worthiest writers of old haue not with great consent taught according to the Scriptures CHAP. II. Certaine places of the new Testament with an admonition concerning Hubers maner of disputation VVE begin the more willingly our purposed confirmation from the expresse testimonies of Scripture because the aduersarie doubted not to blab it out Thes 627. The admonition touching Hubers maner of disputing as though we had no word of our opinion in the Scriptures and went about to draw and expresse it from consequences only And that thou maist the more marueile Christian reader at the negligence and follie of the man in so great a matter it appeareth that while he was writing and daily meditating of this controuersie yet he was long in this opinion to wit till being admonished by the positions of Doctor Tossan hee saw he had neede of an appendix as if all the proofe of our opinion would come to this Enthymeme There is an eternall predestination of God wherin he hath decreed in Christ to haue mercie vpon some vnto saluation and not vpon others Ergo Christ died not for all With which error afterward being carried away his chariot regarding no bridle he raiseth vp a great dust to darken the trueth of the doctrine of predestination and that not onely in place altogether vnfit and by very straunge expositions but also by an error so full of words that for one page of places of Scripture cited by M. Pareus touching Predestination he groweth into a 100. pages and 350. Theses or positions In which whole disputation it is his continuall sleight vnfaithfully and with a craftie head to propound the arguments of our side concerning Predestination for herein he onely sticketh as I said whereas he ought to handle redemption and in stead of answers hee singeth euery where his cuckowes song de repetitione principij which the schooles of Logicke vse not to call repetition but petition that is the begging of a thing as granted which is the chiefe point in controuersie It is a part of the same nay of grosser ignorance that in his appendix to D. Tossans reasons he wonderfully pleaseth himselfe in his other cuckowes song I deny the consequent We alwaies deny the consequent O miserable disputer as bad a Logitian as he is a Diuine He doth not yet vnderstand that we must neuer answer an Enthymeme by denying the consequent but either by distinguishing or deniall of the antecedent or els by denying the consequence For it is as foolish
their prince and the children of Israel marking their doore posts with the sacred blood of the Lambe and so escaping so much differeth the world of the vnbeleeuers from the world or people of the faithfull that with their king the prince of darknes the deuill they may sooner be drowned in the bottome of hell than that the redemption by Christ that true Lambe of God should do them any good at all Esay 43.3 Also as the redeemer of Israel tooke his seruant Iacob and the seede of Abraham and brought them out of Babel into the land of the forefathers giuing the Egyptians the Ethiopians and other wicked people as it were the price for the redemption of the people of God Ier. 30. v. 11.23 so the Lord is with his Church to saue it while the storme abideth still vpon the head of the vngodly The brasen serpent Num 21. Againe in the desert the brasen Serpent lifted vp by Moses at the commandement of God was the onely remedie against the fierie serpents that whosoeuer should looke vpon it should not die but liue and that not for the thing seene but for God the sauiour of all whose word did heale as the Wiseman saith Sap. 16.7 As therefore they that were stung of Serpents then did not liue vnles they looked vpon the signe of health so the crosse of Christ is redemption and life to such as beleeue in him but not to vnbeleeuers And this is it that Christ auoucheth of himselfe Ioh. 3. As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Moreouer Exod â—1 The 〈…〉 in the yeare of Iubilie among the Iewes there was a general freedome of all seruants in the yeare of Iubilee as farre forth as the law of libertie gaue leaue to all Hebrewes But as then they that willingly continued in bondage felt not the force of offred libertie so they feele not the efficacie of Christs redemptioÌ„ who abide addicted vnto the world Lib. 1. Ep. 1. Ambrose rehearsing this figure saith excellently He that is a true freeman a true Hebrew is wholly Gods all that he hath is libertie hee hath nothing of his who refuseth libertie saying I loue my master his wife and children I will not be free Hitherto tendeth the scape goate The scape goate Leuit. 16. vpon whose head the high Priest euery yeare vsed to lay the curse of all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their sinnes and trespasses and so sent him out into the wildernes and he bore all the sinnes of the people of Israel If this was a figure of Christ to come and of the attonement that he should make as truly it was we must needes confesse that Christ properly maketh satisfaction for the sins of his people as the goate was properly appointed for the people of God the children of Israel to make an attonement for all their iniquities For this cause also Heb. 2. Heb. 2. he is called mercifull and a faithfull high priest to appease Gods wrath for the sins of the people And in the 13. chapter Cap. 13. the Apostle respecting the whole legall sacrifice saith And Iesus suffered without the gate to sanctifie the people by his blood so that we that are his people may boldly say he hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and with his stripes wee are healed 1. Pet. 2. Concluding therefore the first ranke of our arguments The summe of all that hath been said and it is worthie to be obserued we affirme beleeue and confesse that the Sauiour promised to the world the Christ of God preached alwaies in the Church by the mouth of all the holy Prophets and Apostles is appointed by the father to be a propitiation through faith in his blood in all and vpon all that beleeue and that this benefite of the restoring and redemption of mankinde albeit it bee proper and peculiar to the Church as touching the efficacie of it yet it is vniuersall altogether in that sense wherein wee beleeue and confesse the holy Church of Christ to bee vniuersall CHAP. VII Of the second order of proofes The first reason drawne from the definition of redemption IN this ranke we will vse reasons drawne from the analogie of faith and first I reason from the definition Iustification belongeth to the beleeuers and not to vnbeleeues But Redemption is the same that Iustification is Therefore Redemption belongeth to beleeuers and not to vnbeleeuers The Assumption is proued out of Paul Ephesians 1. Col. 1. where he defineth redemption to be remission of sinnes In another place to wit Rom. 4. he will haue the iustification of a man before God to consist in the forgiuenes of sinnes alleaging that of the Psalme Psal 32. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered The Maior or first proposition is the doctrine of the Apostle largely handled and proued Rom. 3 4 and 5. chapters and Gal. 2. and 3. chapters to wit that man is iustified by faith in Christ Iesus To which doctrine nothing is more contrary than to imagine iustification to be so generall and largely spreading as condemnation is generall in all and vpon all men simply Thouching the words Ro. 5. we haue answered before least any should thinke that they may be obiected to maintaine so generall a iustification Ambroses exposition of all men Rom. 5. which also Ambrose vpon that place openly reiecteth and expoundeth that grace aboundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life as touching the beleeuers of whom there is a certaine proper vniuersalitie subiect to Christ and partaker of his grace no lesse than the vniuersality of mankind draweth from Adam sinne and death The second argument The 2. reason There is no remission of sinnes out of the Church Therefore neither redemption which Paul as I said defineth to be remission of sinnes The Antecedent Augustine proueth saying In 1. Epist Io. tract vlt. Where there is remission of sinnes there is the Church And from thence in the same place hee gathereth against the Donatists who shut vp the Church in a part of Africa that the Church of Christ is scattered through the whole world because remission of sinnes in the new Testament is despersed through all nations beginning at Hierusalem What is the Catholike Church For this is the Catholike Church that is the people of God throughout all nations accounting and reckening all the saints withal that were before the birth of Christ who yet were knit to the same body whereof he is the head while they beleeued in him who was preached of before Cap. 3. de cate Ruâ—iâ—bus as the same Augustine writeth in another place Here the same illation is of force If redemption be so vniuersall that as our aduersaries suppose all are truely and vndoubtedly
deliuered from all sinne and condemnation all then of necessitie are or haue beene sometime the Church Than which thing what is more absurd Hub. thes 65. Iohn 15. Iohn 4. Ephes 2. Matt. 16. Iohn 10. For such as bee selected out of the world are the Church being borne of God and built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and vpon the rocke and being the sheepe of Christ heare his voyce Therefore the world and the Church in the world doe differ as Brentius doth well aduise vs in his Catechisme expounding the Article I beleeue the holy Church There are some saith hee that thinke that the whole world or all men in the world bee the people of God The whole world is not the Church yet among all men in the world God hath his people and the Lordes Church but this Article of our faith doeth teach vs that the whole world is not the Church nor all meÌ„ the elect people of God but that among al men in the world God hath his people scattered abroad in respect of their outward coÌ„uersation but gathered together by the same Gospel in one faith And as the whole world is not the Church of God so neither is any whole citie or towne but in cities and townes God hath his Church Thes 1001.1059 c. 4â— c. These things saith he with whom how well Huber agreeth otherwise a follower of Brentius his opinion let him looke vnto it For he is litle or nothing at all from auouching all men to be Gods elect his people and kingdom and therefore his Church For in this life the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of heauen is the Church Aug. li. 20. cap. 9. de ciuit Dei as Augustine largely teacheth The 3. reason The third argument The redeemed are knowen and doe please God at the least in respect of the time and state of redemption But to those that shal be damned the Lord openly professeth saying Mat. 7. I neuer knew you depart from me all ye that worke iniquitie Chrysost in Matt. He saith plainely Neuer But we must vnderstand as Christome aduiseth vs that the Lord knoweth not such not that he is altogether ignorant of them who knoweth all meÌ„ but that he knoweth them not to be his nor loueth them as the Lord is said to know that is to loue and approue the way of the righteous Psalme 2. Therefore such as shal be damned are not of the number of them that Christ hath redeemed The 4. reason The fourth argument is agreeable to the former They that haue not the spirite of Christ are none of his Ro. 8. But most haue not the spirit of Christ For if all men should haue the spirit of God dwelling in them the bodies of all mortall men should also be quickened by the same spirite that raised vp Christ from the dead Besides this as Christ saith in the Gospel the world cannot receiue that spirite of trueth because it knoweth him not nor seeth him Hereupon it followeth that most men are not Christ and by consequence neither Christ nor his benefites are theirs The 5. reason The fifth argument from the adiunct of redemption or the thing that is neerely knit vnto it whose aduocate Christ is their only propitiation is he But he is not the aduocate of the vnbeleeuers and reprobates but of the faithfull and elect therefore also he is not to them a propitiation but to the faithfull and elect The reason of the Maior is because it is the office of one and the same high Priest both to pray and to sacrifice for the people The office of the high Priest and both are required to obtaine for vs the fauour and grace of God Whereupon also Iohn 1. Epistle 2. ioyning these together maketh him our propitiator whom he calleth our aduocate As also a man may see them ioyned together Ro. 8 34 And that Christ is onely for them an aduocate who beleeue or shall beleeue and in a word for his elect hee himselfe hath not dissembled it Iohn 17. I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me Which place wee haue before largely expounded And if hee did not then pray for the world hee doeth not pray for it now but onely for the elect The same thing is very cleare Rom. 8. Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God who iustâ—fieth Who shall condemne It is Christ who died and rose againe and sitteth at the right hand of the father and maketh intercession for vs that is for the elect of whom onely he speaketh in that text Neither doth Iohn speake of any other 1. Epistle 2. Litle children if any man sin we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation of our sinnes And the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes chapter 7. Because he hath an euerlasting Priesthood he is able altogether to saue those that come vnto God by him he seeing euer liueth to make intercession for them to wit for those that come vnto God by him In like sort the authour of the 62. sermon in Ambrose vpon the saying of Saint Iohn obserueth that Christ is an aduocate vnto Christians and a iudge altogether to Iewes and other infidels Origene also vpon Leuiticus For them onely doeth the high Priest Christ our aduocate and propitiator pray that be the Lords inheritance that waite for him without that depart not from the temple but giue themselues to fasting and prayer The sixt argument from the things that follow redemption as are the adoption and inheritance The 6. reason Where redemption is there is adoption and inheritance Adoption and inheritance follow redemption But all are not sonnes and heires to wit the heires of God and coheires with Christ Therefore neither are all redeemed The Minor is proued out of Paul who accounteth them the sonnes of God that are led by the spirit of God and doe mortifie the actions of the body by the spirit to say nothing now of so many places of Scripture that attribute adoption as proper to the beleeuers Iohn 1 As many as receiued him to them bee gaue this power or dignitie to be the sonnes of God Ambro. in 5. Rom. euen to them that beleeue in his name See also 1. Iohn 3.1 Hereupon Ambrose also writeth vpon the 5. to the Romans Such of vs as beleeue Christ to bee the sonne of God are adopted of God for sonnes For he could not bestow any more vpon the beleeuers than that they might be called the sonnes of God while the vnbeleeuers are forsaken For we are called the sonnes of God but they not worthy to be called seruants And Epistle 74. Hee closeth vp his whole argument very briefly saying Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie where is no libertie there no grace where no grace there no adoption where no adoption there is
503. 1097 lib. germ fol. 8. vnheard of before in the eares of Christians if it be lawfull to beleeue it it brake forth about sixe yeares a goe namely in a Conference held at Mompelgard in the yeare of our Lord 1586. O miserable ignorance of antiquitie ioyned with marueilous licentiousnes and malice and very true is that which is commonly said Ignorance is rash and bold First with what face doth he accuse of noueltie a doctrine so grounded in the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures that is in the canon of the trueth that whosoeuer rusheth against this oke against this inuincible wall he is broken all to peeces himselfe We say nothing but such things which the Prophets and Moses Act. 10.23 26.18 Euangelists and Apostles haue testified with one accord to wit that euery one that beleeueth in the name of Christ and not the vnbeleeuers receiueth remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified If this doctrine be slandered of noueltie by them that be themselues the authors and fauourers of new opinions wee must beare it with Paul Act. 17. whose doctrine also we reade in the Acts seemed new to the Athenians that were ignorāt of the truth and drowned in Idolatrie The consent of all antiquitie on our side Further that the vanitie of this fable may more appeare goe too indifferent readers bring hither your eyes and eares and weigh with me the agreeing consent of antiquitie Testimonies These be the words of the Church of Smyrna in the epistle of the martyrdome of Polycarpus their Bishop The church of Smyrna which is recited of Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 15. Christ suffered for the saluation of the whole world of them that shall bee saued therefore he must bee worshipped and adored as the sonne of God but the martyrs must as disciples and followers of the Lord be worthily loued for their inseparable good will toward their king and master and not bee worshipped To what purpose is it that the world of them that shall be saued is speciallie expressed if as touching effect Christ suffered alike for all the damned and those that shall bee damned as for Peter Paul and all them that are saued or shall be saued Iustine the holy martyr of Christ of the same time and age with Polycarpus Iustine martyr and in the same heate of persecution crowned with martyrdome by M. Aurel. Antoninus and Lucius Commodus Ver. Emper. in the booke of the trueth of Christian religion saith Christ is made an oblation for all sinners that are willing to turne and repent And in the same booke beyond the middest Our Christ suffered and was crucified he lay not vnder the curse of the law but shewed cleerely that he onely would deliuer them that would not fall away from his land that is all the faithfull And as the blood of the Passeouer deliuered them that were saued in Egypt so the blood of Christ shall deliuer them that beleeue from death And in this sense in the same place anone he addeth that saluation happened to mankinde by the blood of Christ to wit as farre forth as all beleeuers throughout the world are freed from death by him but not as though all men without difference of faithfull and vnfaithfull were translated from sinne to righteousnes from death to life and saluation by him as our aduersaries dreame The same man about the end of the same booke denieth that sinnes are forgiuen to impenitent vncleane foolish and desperate persons alleadging the example of Dauid whose sinne was then forgiuen when he repented Againe in the beginning of the booke almost he witnesseth that such as repent are clensed through the blood of Christ by faith who died for the same cause Ireneus saith The word of God incarnate was hanged on the tree that he might briefly comprise all things in himselfe I Ireneus lib. 5. saith he when I shall be lifted vp from the earth will draw all things or all men vnto mee This he sayd signifying what death he should dye Christ in his passion hanging on the crosse alone saueth all men that doe not depart from the land of promise that is the faithfull continuing in grace to the end The same writer lib. 4. cap. 37. saith We are saued as Rahab the harlot by the faith of the scarlet signe that is by the passion and blood of Christ through faith They that make no account of this signe of scarlet like Pharisees haue no part in the kingdome of heauen And lib. 2. cap. 39. he saith Christ came to saue all men by himselfe all I say that by him are borne again in God infants children boyes yong men and old men Origene vpon Leuit. The high Priest and aduocate Christ praieth for them onely that be the Lords portion Origene who waite for him without who depart not from the temple where they giue themselues to fasting and praier Againe Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 24. Christ hath brought libertie to them that lawfully readily and heartily serue him and brought eternall perdition to such as contemne and rebell against God cutting them off from life Ambrose de fide ad Gratianum Augustum lib. 4. cap. 1. Ambrose If thou beleeuest not Christ came not downe for thee he suffered not for thee The same man vpon 1. Cor. 15. As Adam sinning found death and all that come of him die so Christ not sinning and hereby ouercomming death hath purchased life for all that are of his body The same restraint he vseth vpon the saying Rom. 5. that the righteousnes of one redoundeth vpon all men to the iustification of life The righteousnes saith he of Christ onely iustifieth all beleeuers and by his obedience many and not all are made righteous Neither saith he this onely but also he expressely reiecteth the deuise of the aduersaries of so generall a iustification as condemnation is generall Hub. thes 49. The same writer vpon the 8. of Luke saith Albeit Christ died for all yet for vs specially he suffered because he suffered for his Church How specially for the Church and yet for al but because the fruites of his passion reconciliation libertie adoption inheritance pertaine properly to the Church Hereupon Epist 20. the same father saith Christ is good meate for all faith is good meate mercie is sweete meate grace is pleasant meate the spirit of God is good meate forgiuenes of sinnes is good meate But the people of the Church eate these meates And more cleerely in 73. Epist After that the fulnes of time came and Christ is come wee are not now seruants but freemen if we beleeue in Christ Where faith is there is libertie For the seruant is vnder feare but a freeman is of faith where libertie is there is grace there is the inheritance But where is no libertie there is no grace where no grace no adoption where no adoption there is no succession Also in his first
discerneth from that hidden will whereat man must trembl whervpon alone he saith all things doe depend namely who shall receiue the word and who not who shall be deliuered from sinne and who shall be blinded who shall be damned and who shal be iustified Neither doeth Brentius teach otherwise of the vniuersality of Christian redemption Brentius exp Catech. Arâ—â— de rem pecc quaest quà m laté paceat namely that all sinnes are pardoned all men for Christes sake whosoeuer they be Iewes or Gentiles kings or priuate men free men or bond so that they come to the Church of Christ and beleeue in him For whosoeuer saith hee beleeueth in Christ and is baptized in his name receiueth remission of sinnes and the right into the heauenly inheritance And by name hee often saith that this benefite is not receiued but by faith c. Briefly by this mans iudgement forgiuenes of sinnes receiuing into fauour into the number of the saints adoption also the right of the heauenly inheritance in al which points we vnderstand that redemptioÌ„ consisteth are the proper gifts of the Church of the saints and of true beleeuers stretcheth far wide as the Church of Christ doth and they are neuertheles rightly said to belong to all as far forth as no man of what degree or condition soeuer is hindred froÌ„ them so that he doe beleeue Whereunto belongeth also that exposition whereof wee before made mention in Matth. 1. To whom is Iesus a Iesus that is a Sauiour from their sinnes the Euanglist saith he shall saue his people He doth not saue strangers but his owne people They be strangers as many as beleeue not in him and they are his owne as many as acknowledge and imbrace him by faith be they Iewes or Gentiles c. Let the disputers of Tubinge if they can make these things agree with the deuise of their braine that all wholly whether they come to Christ by faith or no are freed from all sinne and condemnation receiued into grace iustified quickened Huber thes 1059. and accounted in the number of Saints and that all no one excepted are that people of Christ whereof it is said he shall saue his people from their sinnes But let them heare another of their friendes also openly pronouncing that Christ died for all men Ilirie in Io. 12. ver 52. in ver 31. because by him not onely the Iewes but also the elect of God whersoeuer ought to be saued who from the East and West are gathered to Abraham their father Againe the merite of Christ saith he is found to surmount exceedingly in the iudgement of God the sinnes of the whole world and so Christ and all his members not the members and vessels of Satan are pronounced righteous And he addeth that therefore chiefly Christs victorie against Satan was referred to the time of his death because then by the merite of his death was that treasure of victories obtained which otherwise is distributed to the beleeuers in all times And by and by here is the difference betweene the power and the act or the purchase and the application or the right and the possession In the Merite and purchase of the right or in power Satan was at that time of his passion cast out of all men and so out of the whole world but in application or acte onely of the beleeuers is he cast out at all times Let that distinction of power and act or of sufficiency and efficiencie bee well obserued as this authour doeth fully explaine himselfe when vpon the wordes of Iohn 1. Epistle 2. hee writeth the chiefe point of the cause of the aduersaries in these wordes when hee saith for our sinnes hee meaneth the beleeuers whom the passion of Christ doth in very deed profite In that he addeth of the whole world he vnderstandeth it of the power because the benefites and merite of Christ lye open for all and all may be saued fully by his satisfaction so excellent sufficient and precious is his merite if they vouchsafe to lay hold vpon it by faith It would be very long to reckon vp euery thing yet it may not be let passe The Synode held at Argertine against 〈◊〉 Hofman an Anabaptist and Pelagian Heritike that I meane to say now concerning the Synode held at Argentine Anno D. 1533. There a disputation being appointed with one Melchior Hofman an Anabaptisticall and Palagian deceauer among other his errors this also was condemned that he maintained that all be elected and all redeemed by Christ altogether as Huber will haue not onely redemption and the merite of Christ but also election in him to bee indifferently common to all men after the fall But contrariwise that Synode out of the word of God pronounced that God after he had foreknowen from euerlasting that mankinde by the fall of our first parents would he subiect to eternall death of meere mercie before the world was made chose foreknew and predestinated vnto himselfe to eternall life some out of mankind letting passe the rest that the death of Christ was for the sins of these men a propitiation Therfore that neither election nor redemption of Christ is common to al men as Hofman dreamed to entangle wretched consciences and to corrupt sound doctrine But that therefore the merit of Christ is said and preached to be common to the whole world because after Christs glorification not onely the Iewes but all other nations must bee made partakers thereof to wit as many of them as be elected And in this sense the sayd Synod doth expound the testimonies of Scripture obiected by Hofman Gen. 12. 1. cor 15. Io. 12. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Io. 2. Io. 1. In thy seede all nations shall be blessed As in Adam all dye so in Christ all are quickened When I shall be lifted vp I will draw all vnto me God wil haue al men to be saued to come to the knowledge of the trueth Also Iesus Christ is the attonement for the sinnes of the whole world The Lambe taking away the sinnes of the world and such like For wee must not thinke that where these words be all men all the world the whole world that there straightwaies all men no one excepted must bee vnderstood for such phrases haue not euery where one and the same signification He that desireth to know these things more throughly let him reade Hieronymus Zanchius of godly memorie my reuerend teacher whom for honour and reuerence sake which I owe him I name lib. 3. miscell pag 79. and specially the Acts of the disputation of Hofman by Martin Bucer which hee published in his owne and his associates name printed at Argentine by Matthias Appiarius Anno 1533. And this whole doctrine which M. Bucer defendeth in disputation against Hofman the whole Senate of Argentine approued as sound and would haue it faithfully taught and preached in that citie suffering no man to speake any thing against that
for sinne That this definition may be more easilie vnderstoode Aug. al Simplice lib. 1. â— 2 De conâ—eâ—â— gr ca 7 â—pist item 105. Conâ—â—d as epist Pelag. lib 2 cap. 7. passim alibi we must consider that all of vs are wrapped in one and the same masse of damnation and offence and all belong to one mixture of sinners and vngodly if the grace of God be set a side From that masse of perdition whom God separateth by his grace and predestination they be elect and such as shall be saued according to the purpose of God But whom he leaueth by his iust iudgement in that damnable masse they be they whom we call reprobates and to be damned And vnto the damned is rendred their deserued punishment but vpon such as are set at liberty is bestowed an vndeserued grace that neither these should complaine that they are vnworthie nor these should boast themselues to be worthie but that he that is set free should learne of him that is not freed that he should also be punished but that grace hath relieued him CHAP. III. A confirmation of the former things to wit that some are elected some reprobated of God from euerlasting against the error of certaine men that say that all men are elected in Christ. IT cannot be denied The 1. argument that God doth all things with a determined and certaine counsell and that from euerlasting because there is nothing temporall in God otherwise hee should be mutable as the author of the calling of the Gentiles lib. 2. cap 10. hath truely written In God there is no accident motion or new will or temporall counsell neither is his minde altered with the inequalitie of mutable things but he comprehendeth all times and temporall things together with an euerlasting and stedfast regarde Therefore because God and that willingly saueth some men and damneth others for nothing can be done if hee bee simplie vnwilling and against it we must of necessitie confesse that both are done according to Gods eternall purpose And this is nothing els than that God hath chosen some and reiected others from euerlasting The 2. argument Augustines argument drawne from grace to predestination is not vnlike To whom God giueth his giftes freely I meane faith good workes perseuerance in faith and loue and such like he foreknew also that he would giue them freely and in his foreknowledge he hath disposed them from all eternitie But those gifts freely giuen are bestowed by him vpon some and are not bestowed vpon others Therefore hee foreknew from eternitie and in his prescience disposed also to bestowe them vpon some and not to bestowe them vpon others And this is the very poynt that we defend namely that God hath predestinated some vnto grace before others De bono perseuer cap. 19. These be Augustines words They saith he that so knowe that God giueth faith confession obedience perseuerance Cap. 17. c. that they are not ignorant that he foreknew that he would giue and could not be ignorant to whom he would giue doubtles they knowe predestination for to dispose his future workes in his foreknowledge which cannot be deceiued and changed is no other thing at all but predestination And anon speaking of the grace of faith and perseuerance vnto the end against certaine Semipelagians of those times saith Doe they say that happely neither those things are predestinated Therefore they are not giuen of God or else he knew not that he would giue them But if they be giuen and he foreknew that he would giue them doubtles hee did predestinate them In the same place chap. 2. The Church praieth that the vnbeleeuers may beleeue and beleeuing may perseuer God then conuerteth to faith and he giueth perseuerance vnto the end This God foreknew should come to passe This is the predestination of Saints whom he elected in Christ before the creation of the world that they should bee holie and without spot c. The 3. argument Thirdly there is a strong argument from the word Election either that there is no election or else if there be any election to eternall life it belongeth to some onely and not to all For if eternall life were prepared or destinated for all in respect of God it should surely be termed his purpose predestination and loue but not election according to the difference of these words before set downe Furthermore consider I pray thee christian reader The 4. argument Thes 1127. to what end the contrarie opinion tendeth Huber saith that all are elected and alike beloued of the father in Christ and appoynted to eternall life Yet seeing it is certaine that not all are saued Thes 735. he annexeth another speciall election to this generall which is speciall not in respect of God as though hee tooke peculiar counsell for some men but in respect of men themselues who should applie vniuersal grace to themselues Thes 7â—6 for that God did elect with the condition of faith that they that beleeue in Christ should be saued and such as beleeued not should bee damned Marke here to what ende this opinion tendeth What other thing must wee hence collect than that God determined nothing at all with himselfe to giue faith to some and not to giue it to others neither that he giueth it to some peculiarly but that he hath left it in mens power to beleeue the Gospell or not to beleeue For if he giue faith to some surely he tooke peculiar counsell concerning them and let the rest passe But if he giue not faith peculiarly to some the grace of God whereby we are saued is ouerthrowne and let the Pelagians carrie away the victory Further they that imagine so of election as hath been saide confessing in word Gods election doe in very deede take away all election for if it were so God should not choose vs but wee him by receiuing his offered grace and we should be as it were the potters and formers of Gods election Also we shuld be so elected because we beleeue Marke this well Epist 105. Testimonies of the new Testament prouing election and reprobation wheras on the contrarie we are elected that we might beleeue For electioÌ„ surely doth not finde but make men faithfull as Augustine testifieth But least we should seeme to leane onely vpon reasons we haue many and those very notable testimonies in the sacred Scriptures to proue both the election and reprobation of some men as God from euerlasting would either haue mercy or not haue mercie vpon them Christ Matthew 11. I thanke thee O father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to babes Euen so father because it so pleased thee Matth. 13. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen but the prophesie of Esay is fulfilled in them ye shall heare with your eares and not
to Aug. Tom. 7. their error being ouerthrowen by the sound Byshops specially by Augustine a notable defender of the faith as hee is worthily praysed of Hilarie certaine other sprung vp worthy and famous men in all studie of vertues sauing that the spirite of Pelagian impiety deceiued them and therefore called Semipelagians These mens declaration and profession was that all men sinned in Adams sinne and that none are saued by their workes but by the grace of God through regeneration yet notwithstanding that euery man hath so much of naturall grace left that he may attaine vnto that sauing grace by the helpe of the first grace if he wil. Therefore in respect of God that eternall life is prepared for all but in respect of free will that it is apprehended of them that shall beleeue in God willingly as of themselues and shall receiue the helpe of grace by the merite of faith Or els to speake more plainely They did defend against the Pelagians that a man is not able of himselfe to rise againe and to worke wel yet they supposed that euery one had in him a wil to rise againe which seeketh only after the phisition but can do nothing of it selfe and they said that no mans nature was so extinguished or depraued that it ought not or was not able to be willing to be healed and therefore that they obtained both increase of faith and also the whole effect of their holinesse by that merite whereby they haue beene willing and haue beleeued that they may be healed of their disease when the occasion of obtaining saluatioÌ„ is preached to them that are cast down and can neuer rise vp againe in their own strength Neuerthelesse they consented herein that no man had sufficient power of himselfe euen to begin a work much lesse to bring it to perfection For they distinguished between works and faith whereof they would haue if not the increase yet the beginning albeit slender to consist in the power of man that the beginning of saluation may bee beleeued to arise from him that is saued and not from him that saueth and that the will of a man should bee thought to procure for it selfe the helpe of Gods grace and not that grace should bee thought to subiect the will vnto it And this position being layd Marke these errors of the Semipelagians that all men haue a wil in them whereby they may either contemne or imbrace saluation offered they thought that the reason of such as are elected or reiected is soone giuen to wit that God before the creation of the world foreknew who would beleeue or who would abide or not abide in that faith that after should be holpen by his grace and according to this prescience that hee either chose such as would beleeue or els reprobated such as would not beleeue or at the least whom hee foreknewe that they would not perseuere Predestination defined by the Semipelagian at first Whereupon predestination was no other thing with these men than Gods purpose of electing such as would beleeue in time to come This was the opinion of the Semipelagians of these weightie articles namely of free will of grace and predestination And Augustine himselfe was of the same opinion in the beginning before he was a Bishop as it appeareth in his booke of expositions vpon the epistle to the Romans and in Hilaries epistle to Augustine His words are Augustine was a Semipelagian at first which also those remnants of the Pelagian prauitie obiected to be their opinion that God in his foreknowledge did elect them that would beleeue and condemne vnbeleeuers neither choosing the one for their works nor damning the other for their works but granting to their faith to doe well and hardening the impietie of others to doe euill And againe God surely in his prescience chooseth not any mans works which he freely giueth but yet he chooseth faith in his prescience that whom he foreknew would beleeue him he hath chosen c. These things said Augustine at that time In like maner many other learned meÌ„ erred being not acquainted with the Pelagian heresie that was not as yet sprung vp and being careles without an enemie De doctr Christ lib. 3. cap. 33. as else where Augustine speaketh of Ticonius Hereupon also the Commentaries vpon the Romans that are read in the Tomes of Hierome haue it written that Iacob and Esau before they were borne were separated before God by the merite of faith Also I will haue mercie vpon him So was Ierome Chrysostome and Erasmus Dial. 3. infint whom I foreknew was able to deserue mercie And Hierome himselfe to Hedibia quaest 10. seemeth to incline thereto saying that not men themselues but their wills were elected Albeit Hierome was of a better iudgement in his writings against the Pelagians wherein he speaketh very honorably of Augustine and testifieth that he resteth himselfe in his disputations against the Pelagians But Chrysostome in his exposition vpon the ninth to the Romans plainely writeth that God as he foresaw euery one to be worthie or vnworthie of his grace so either elected or reiected them In Dâ—â—tribe Hyperaspiste Among the new writers Erasmus maintaineth the same opinion Neither do they seeme to be far from the same who write in these manie words that faith is the cause of election and yet they will not be Pelagians Coll. â—omp fol. 5â—8 Let them bee then Semipelagians Such also is that that another of the same stampe writeth Huber thes 786. sequen That God foreknowing from euerlasting who would receiue grace and continue and who not put this supposition or condition vnder his election that whosoeuer beleeue in Christ should be saued What I pray differeth this opinion from the definition of the Semipelagians saying that Predestination or election is the purpose of electing those that would beleeue Or els Note if they think that herein they are farre from them because they acknowledge that faith is the worke not of nature but of the holy Ghost doe they not perceiue that they tye the knot faster and not loose it For this is the question why a liuely and constant faith to saluation is from God inspired into some and not into others But to the point Whether the foreknowledge of workes or of faith bee set downe to be the cause of election it is an error vnsufferable For euidently we are taught in the sacred Scriptures that not onely good workes Grace alone is the cause of faith and good works but also faith it selfe from whence all righteousnes beginneth and euen the beginning of faith and the will or desire to beleeue are of meere grace and not as of vs. As it is written What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued Againe Without maye can doe nothing saith the trueth 1. Cor. 4. Ioh. 15. Phil. 1. And plainly
meere false accusations and haue been fully before confuted in their places Obiection But say they albeit these conclusions of mans reason are ill drawen from the determined sentence of Gods will Whither this doctrine must be concealed because it offendeth some touching those that shall be saued and damned which we terme Predestination yet for their sakes who are offended this doctrine albeit true ought to be concealed rather than taught and propounded The reason is this The truth ought often to be concealed for their sakes that cannot comprehend it by the example of Christ I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them away now and of the Apostle I could not speake vnto you as spirituall but as vnto carnall euen as to babes in Christ I haue giuen you milke and not strong meate for ye were not yet able for it neither as yet ye be A Syllogisme But it is confessed that many cannot comprehend the doctrine of predestination Therefore for their sakes it ought to be concealed namely least we should make them worse who do not vnderstand it while we would make them better learned that do vnderstand it Answere De bono perseu cap. 16. Vnto this argument long agoe often vsed of the Semipelagians doth our Augustine answere And hee answereth to the Maior which is onely particular and then is of force when a man runneth into daunger by speaking onely the truth and not also by concealing it I will set it downe in Augustines words When the trueth may be concealed It were tedious to seeke out or alleage all the causes of concealing the truth yet this is one least we make them worse that vnderstand it not while wee desire to make them better learned that doe vnderstand it who though wee should conceale such a thing are neither the better learned nor worse But when a truth standeth thus that he that cannot vnderstand it is made worse by our speaking of it and he that can is made worse by our concealing of it When the trueth must be taught and not concealed ought not the truth rather to be spoken that he that is able to vnderstand it may vnderstand it than to be concealed that not onely both may not comprehend it but also that he that is of a better vnderstanding may become worse who if he should vnderstand it more men by him might learne Let the truth therefore be spoken specially where some doubt forceth vs to speake it and let them vnderstand it that are able least peraduenture when it is concealed for their sakes that cannot vnderstand it such as are able are not onely defrauded of the truth but also intangled in falsehood Luthers answere albeit in other wordes is all one with this de seruo arbit cap. 40. And this differēce is most easily confirmed Are not many at this day offēded The Apostles taught the trueth though many were offended at it Rom. 3. 6. long ago were offended at the doctrine of grace iustificatiō by only faith in Christ Iesu that they spoke euil of the very Apostles falsly reported thē to say Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof let vs sin that grace may abound And yet for that cause ought not the true doctrine of grace the iustification of a man be suppressed with one silence neither must we be an occasion of any mans perishing that is deluded with a false perswasion of his workes and merites So 1. Cor. 1. as Paul testifieth Christ crucified was a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Grecians Did Paul therefore slacke any whit of his wonted diligence in preaching the worde of the crosse yea because by foolish preaching it pleased God to saue such as beleeue he determined to know nothing but Christ Iesu crucified Farwell then that preprosterous warynes of those men that suppose that the doctrine of predestination ought to be buried in silence because it agreeth not with the iudgement of the flesh We on the contrary stand to the iudgement of the spirit and say that reason must be commaunded both euery where else in causes of faith and also especially in this So it shall come to passe that the mysteries of heauenly doctrine may be layd open and made sweete vnto vs. Obiection And whereas it was alleaged besides that the more ancient fathers before Augustine had defended the Catholike faith for so many yeeres euen without this defining of predestination hereunto it is answered Answere to the obiection concerning the fathers before Augustine that the ancient fathers were not altogether silent in this matter For euen they preached the true grace of God as it ought to be preached that is before which do goe no merites of man De bono perseu cap. 19. Which thing Augustine sheweth plainely by the testimonies of Cyprian Ambrose and others That is an excellent saying of Cyprian We must glorie in nothing seeing nothing is ours But Ambrose sayd Our heart and thoughts are not in our owne power Also Amb. in Luc. in expos proamij the will of men is prepared of God and whatsoeuer is honourable in the saints the same is of his grace The same writer vpon Luke intreating of the Samaritans that would not receiue Christ withall learne saith he that he would not receiue hollow hearted conuerts for if he would he would haue made them deuout that had no deuotion in them For whom he vouchsafeth he calleth Greg. Naz. whom he will he maketh religious Gregorie Nazianzene also is cited of Augustine who witnesseth that both giftes come from God both to beleeue in God and also to confesse what wee beleeue Besides it is the consent of the whole Church which neuer wanted this thing in her prayers For when did not the Church pray for vnbeleeuers for her enemies that they might beleeue and for the faithfull that they might grow from faith to faith and continue therein to the ende Neither doe the faithfull aske any other thing in the Lordes prayer specially when they say leade vs not into temptation but that they may through the gift of God continue in a holy obedience As therefore the Church was borne hath growen and nowe increaseth in these prayers so also in this faith to beleeue that the grace of God is giuen not according to the merites of them that receiue it seeing the Church would not pray that faith might be giuen to vnbeleeuers and perseuerance in faith to the faithfull vnlesse she had alwayes beleeued of a certainety that they be the giftes of God And who wil say that those fathers and the vniuersal Church did so confesse the grace of God that they durst deny his foreknowledge which not only the learned but also the vnlearned confesse Futher if they so knew that God gaue these things as that they were not ignorant of his foreknowledge that he would giue to whom he would giue out
not receiued it as yet But if ye be elected albeit not yet called ye shall receiue the same grace What neede is there of this speech Some of you For if wee speake to the Church of God if wee speake to the beleeuers why say wee that some of them haue receiued grace and so are supposed to doe wrong to the rest It may thus more fitly bee saide thus the predestination of Gods will standeth that ye receiuing grace are come from vnbeliefe to faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God least any man should boast But if any of you walke as yet in your sinnes repent yee awake and rise vp from the dead Also if any as yet bee not called let vs pray for them that they may be called for peraduenture they be so elected that they shall be graunted to our requests and receiue with vs the same grace Is not thus the same thing both more truely and more fitly spoken Of this matter our Augustine whom I haue often cited without controuersie a great diuine learned De bono perseuerant cap. 14. sincere and sound and a notable patron of the Catholike faith as Hilarie praiseth him hath written more at large To him therefore let them resorte that desire to know these things more exactly And these things thus farre of the eternall predestination of God who onely is wise mercifull and iust To him be honor and blessing for euer and euer Amen FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS MENTIONED IN THESE BOOKES A. ABrahams bosome 21 Absurdities of our doctrine as the aduersarie thinketh 130 Acception of persons what 266 Adam fell through his owne fault 316 Adams fall why permitted 316 Adoption what it is 106 Adoption and inheritance follow redemption 211 Ambrose his sayings 193. 215. 224 Anabaptists dotage of the saluation of Infants 219 Angels elect and reprobate 2â—6 Aduersaries opinion of Christs death for all 36 His threefold rank of reasons 47 Aduersaries contrary to themselues 216 Their opinion Anabaptisticall 219 All things for all men by the aduersarie 67 Augustine recanteth an error 216 Augustine his excellent sayings 227 Augustine his phrase of the onely cause of all men pa 225. is expounded 230 All men for al that be Christs 39 For the elect only 40. 187. 231 For all sorts of men 45 For the wicked only 41 For the multitude of both sides 64 208 Cannot be takeÌ„ for euery one 46. 2â—9 All be not Christs people 180 All and euery one had neuer the Gospell 97 All nations for the faithfull 105. 206 Not for euery one in all nations 95. 106 B. Baptisme the principall vse 161 Bap. of some without regeneration 164 by Baptisme wee are not first taken into Gods protection 163 Baptisme of Infants 165. 166 Baptisme a seale of grace to the faithfull 164 Baptizing of Simon Magus 164 Backesliders 333 Beginning of the error of the redemption of euery one 221 Begin in the spirit how many doe 123 Beleeuer knoweth himselfe to beleeue 148. 169 Benefits of two sorts 317 Benefits of the Gospel how they belong to reprobates 129 to Beleeue what 323 Blinding 335 Blotting out what 168 Booke of life what 368 Brasen serpent 206 Breaking of the serpents head for whom 100 to Beleeue to doubt are contrary 374 C. Calling threefold 320. 98 Caluerie Adams Sepulcher 136 Called who they be 197 Catholike Church what 209 Catholike Church meant by the 24. Elders 2â—0 Catholike faith of Redemption 1. 136 Certaintie of grace and election 384 Causes of redemption 23. 216 Of predestinati 269 Of Christs comming 319. 23. Christ their sacrifice whose aduocate he is 211. 188 Foreordained for the beleeuers 199 He mâ—cked not God nor men by redeâ—â—ing the elect 172 He iustifieth all how 43 He is the life of the world 78. 79 Aâ— an inlightener so a Sauiour 184 Died for all how 56. 125 Not effectually for all 179 The onely Redeemer 4. 13 Came for all in what sense by the old writers 233 Christians in name onely 112 Christians must not vse the word destinie 355 Christian kinde 227 Christian libertie many fall from 124 Church onely redeemed 201 Church iudgeth them faithfull c. that professe saith 108. 120 to be Chosen in Christ what 308 Conference and not contention becomes Gods seruants 31 Commandement of faith and repentance hindeth all 153 Contempt of the Gospell not the onely cause of damnation 175 Cornelius his saith 325 Church must take heede of falling and why 332 D. the Damned created for the good of nature 268 Damned some by Gods will 134 the Damneds destruction profiteth the elect 268 Death threefold 334 Decree of God vnchangeable 347 Deliuerance from Egypt typicall 206 Deuill ouercome for the faithfull 10â— Difference betweene power and act 238 Differences among men by God 310 a Dilemma 134 to Diuide the word aright what 152 Degrees of loue 251 Diuine his dutie 31 to be Drawne of God what it is 321 Diuerse opinions of the causes of election and reprobation 272 the Deuill hath power against vs how 339 Doubting of Gods grace 373 E. Election what 317 Election taken diuersly 249. 331 It is of some onely 256. c. How we must iudge of it â—47 It is free 297. 278 The effects of it 318 The cause of it 283 Election of Israel double 295 Elect and reprobates seuered by Gods pleasure 98 Elect called effectually 315. 351 The number certaine 349 Their fall and perseuerance neuer cut off finally 109. 329 Election and loue in God 306 Error of Marcion 17 Error of Papists 324 Euery one is to bee taken for a brother for his profession sake 115 F. Faith and repentance of God 322 Faith how necessary to saluation 217 Faith foreseene no cause of election 373. 2â—8 Historicall and infusing 110 For the doctrine of faith 109 It cureth the soule 175 a Fall grieuous proues not a man to be a reprobate 113 Fate taken diuersly 354 Faithfull their perseuerance and falles 109. 332 Fathers of the olde Testament redeemed 18 Foure thinges proper to the faithfull 195 Foreknowne with the Schoolemen 252 Future things foreknowne 355 Freewill 277. 356 Freedome of seruants 207 G. Gifts common to good and bad 114 Glorification the effect of election 328 Good workes effects of grace 273 Gods permission 316 How he loueth and hateth vs. 25 Hee must teach vs els wee cannot learne 98 He inwardly worketh what he outwardly commaundeth and that without sinne 172. 338 Gospell is properly theirs that obey it 95 God punisheth sinne with sinne 339 God is the reuenger of sinne 340 Grace and predestination agree and differ 248 Grace neuer bestowed vpon all 99 It aboundeth aboue sinne 65 Vniuersall how 201. 150. 154 It is promised to an vnbeleeuer but conditionally 151. 154 God decreed to condemne none but for sinne 304 H. Hardening 340. 335. 337 Hardnes of heart taken three waies 341 Hels foure 21 Heresie of predestination 353 Heresies denying Christs manhood 11 Hypocrites at length
are cut off 125 They receiue the signe but not the thing in the Sacrament 292 Holines generall and speciall 112 How we may resist Satan telling vs that we haue no faith 149 How a receiuer of the Sacrament must proue himselfe 169 How we may be certaine of election 372 How God willeth the death of a sinner and not 170 How Christs death is effectuall to vs. 79 How mens mouthes must be stopped 313 How Christ washeth away a mans sinnes not yet borne 200. 220 How the Lord knoweth not the wicked 210 How God would haue all to bee saued 260 Hofmans dotages 238 Hubers reproches 31 His maner of disputing 178 His blasphemies 170 His false doctrine of election 255 I. Iacob and Esau 286. 293 Indulgences 12 Infants beleeue not 165 How saued 167 Infants of the faithfull part of Gods people 219 Dying before Baptisme 168 Of Heathens why we baptise not 167 Iustification and faith effects of election not the cause 327 Wherein it consisteth 327 It is proper to the elect 328 It is diuersly taken 327 to be Iustified what it is 327 the Iustice of Gods predestination 311 Iustice of God vnlike to mans 171. 314 Iudas giuen to Christ how 257 Iudge soberly of Gods workes 314 Iudgement of the flesh and spirit 315 K. Kingdome of God threefold 103 L. Life eternall they haue that be effectually redeemed 214. 215 Libertie threefold 356 Christian 124 Limbus Patrum 19. 20 Pucrorum 21 to Loue what it is 306 Luthers doctrine of predestination 303 Luther of the cause of reprobation 303 M. Many distinguisheth beleeuers from vnbeleeuers 182. 198. 229 Mahomets doctrine 132 Man makes God a lyar how 128 Masse of Perdition 253 Meanes of the certainty of election 380 the Ministerie of the Gospell hath his effect from God not hurt by predestination 359 Maner of right preaching 152 Merits of Papists against Christ 12 Members of Christ cannot finally fall 116 what Members may fall away 116 N. Necessitie twofold 357 New creâ—tâ—â—e 57 New writers of the vniuersalitie of grace 142. 236 They allow the distinction of sufficiencie and efficiencie 35. 236 Nothing done against Gods will 317 O. Our opinion of Christs death for all 38. 177 Our opinion hindereth not preaching aright 153 Origene his fable 154. 271 Opinion of the Schoolemen of the redemption of all 219 P. Pelagianisme 272. 397 Pelagian error of redemption 321 And of the cause of election 273 People of God who be 180 People foreknowne 297 Perseuerance of the Saints what 329 It is Gods gift 330 Preachers must inuite all and all must obey 155 Preaching aright 153 Predestination a hard doctrine 243 The chiefe questions of it 243 The diuerse significations 245 Vpon it all things depend 129. 134. 136 It differs from election 236 Predestination put for election 248 Predestination and foreknowledge differ 342 Predestination of Saints what 248 Predestination of grace shewed in Christ 281 How farre absolute 308 Vnchangeable 345. 147 No cause of desperation 364 Prescience of God eternall put for predestination 251 Price of Christs death how great 139. 125. 232 Prophesie of Iacob and Esau 293 Propitiation and intercession inseparable 211 Promise of grace vniuersall 263. 147 It belongs to the faithfull 154. 264 It requireth faith 148 It must be preached to all 153. 155 How a man may apply it to himselfe 148 Prouidence and fate differ 355 Prayer not vaine though Gods purpose be vnchangeable 360 R. Reasons of the aduersarie that reprobates are deliuered from the deuill 101 And redeemed 114 Reason must bee subiect to Gods word 394 Reasons why the word must be preached to all 156 Reconciliation what 57 Redemption described 114. 197. 208 When it bringeth in a man 219 It is a freedome 228 It is spirituall 3 Eternall 197 The dignitie of it 3 The maner of it 5 The time of it 14 The ends of it 27 It is double 6 Thereto Christs death and our faith are necessary 179. 180 How it belongs to all 273 It is diuersly considered 220 It is vniuersal why 43. 180. 145 Redemption of euery one is not of the holy Ghost 131 It is proper to the beleeuers 180 Redemption of euery one bringeth weak comfort 149 the Redeemed are kings and priests 200 They perish not 214 Redeemed and elect some are to vs and not to God 111. 116. 141 Remission of sinnes presupposeth confession 200 Repentance and remission inseparable 199 Reprobation what 252 The effects of it 309. 333 The cause 300 Reprobation created for the good of nature 268 Reprobates excluded from the promise 101 For a time in the Church 111 How falling away they be said to be redeemed 117 How they deny the Lord that bought them 117 a Rule of charitie and faith 112 a Rule in Logike 41 S. Sacr. seale nothing to the vnbeleeuers 218 Saints not to be worshipped 222 Sanctification visible and inuisible 128 Sanctification and redemption inseparable 212 Saints sufferings not meritorious 12. 13 Sanctification belongs not to all 213 Satan destroyed for the faithfull 101 Scape goate 107. 207 the Schoolemens of the soules of the old fathers 21 Scripture abused for Popish pardons 12 Satan raignes ouer the reprobates yet they be subiect to Christ 102 Seede of Abraham 201 Semipelagianisme 273. 274. 397. 322 Semipelagians their shift 282 Sheepe of Christ considered two waies 185 Sinnes are foreknowne only 342 Sins once forgiueÌ„ are euer forgiuen 127 a Similitude of the light 225. 236 Of a cup. 226 Of the debter 265 Of fire and a wheele 279 Of the potter 289. 303 Of the Phisition 378 a Similitude faileth 126 Stapulensis 235 State of the controuersie 32. 179 And of the question of predestination 303 Sufficiencie and efficiencie 33. 235 the Summe of our confession of redemption 207 Synecdoâ—he common in scripture 46 Synode of Argentine 238 T. Testimonies of the old Fathers on our side 222 Three generall obseruations 108 Things necessary and contingent 357 Turkes and heathens hold many things agreeable to Christian religion 133 a Turkish proposition true 133 Trueth must be preached 155 Tale of Traiane 361 V Vessels of wrath 290. 334 Vnbeliefe is blotted out if other sinnes be forgiuen 226 Vnbeliefe doth not condemne such as neuer heard of Christ. 176 Vnbeliefe only damneth some that were once saued saith Huber 173 Vnbeleeuers baptised haue not the grace of Baptisme 162 Vncleane spirit cast out how he is said to returne 103 Vniuersall conclusion doth not follow of particulars 108 Vniuersalitie threefold 40 Vniuersalitie speciall 231 Vocation what it is 320 Vs all signifieth the faithfull only 104 And the Church 192. 202 Vse of Christs death 11 Of predestination 394 Of Gods loue 24 Of the ends of redemption 29 W. Weake brother may perish how 117 Weakenes of faith ought not to cast a man downe 149 Whether reprobates contemning the word bee in worse case then the deuils 158 Whether it be better neuer to heare it if it turne to their greater iudgement 159 What to whom and how a man must preach 152 Why Christ must redeeme vs with a price and not by force 7 Why his death is a sufficient price 7. 8 Why God chose this man before that 270. 299 Why he must die to redeeme 9. 10 Why hee elected some and reiected others 270 Why hee came in the olde age of the world 15. 16 Why God punisheth me and not him 3â—2 What wee like or mislike in the aduersaries doctrine 174 Whole set downe for a part in these phrases All men All nations c. 137. 138 Whole world for the good only 228 And for the wicked only 93 It cannot be taken for euery one good and bad 93 Whole world christian and the whole world wicked 93 Whole world of the saued 222 VVorkes foreseene no cause of election 279 VVorld in three senses onely by the aduersarie 72 VVorld for the elect onely and for the reprobates onely 73. 188. 232 World of beleeuers is the Church 91 World of perdition and redemption of the damned and saued 92. 188 VVord of God preached alike to all but some only profit 97 the Word of God inuiteth all 153 VVe must be guided by it 387 VVill of God double 170. 262 It ruleth all things euen the wils of men 134 Hardeneth men 135 The cause therof we must not search 135 the Will of man is redeemed in all that be redeemed 214 VVill and permission 315 VVill of man cannot resist Gods 325. 326 Y Yeare of freedome 207 FINIS Faults escaped in the print are thus to be corrected Pag. 34. lin 30. for distiction reade distinction p 40. l. 17. for doubt reade double p. 63. l. 31. for Colledge reade College p 67. l 4. blot out he p. 131. l. 1. reade deluder p. 136 l. last saue one for misteries reade masters p. 147. l. 26. reade posteriore p. 163. l. 30. reade receiued p. 159. l. 30. r. vnworthy p. 174. l. 5. r. shaking it p. 176. l. 17. for would r. could p. 182 l. 16. for here r. there p 187 l. 23. r. by this p. 196. l. 11. for is twise r. are p. 198 l. 24 r. please p. 199 l. 7. in the margent r. inseparable p. 211. l. 22 r. seeing he p. 218. l 22. r. the p. 285. in the margent r. looke p. 229. l. 16. r. man l. 24. r. abridger p. 230. l. 11. reade necessarily p. 231. l. 26. r. surely p. 258. l. 1. r. Esau after l. 6. p. 273. l. 20. reade belongeth p. 290. l. 32. r. good 291. r. serue p. 294. l. 20 r. he and l. â—8 r. by the free p 304. l. 11. r. he also p. 310. l. 11. blot out the parenthesis p. 313. l. 19. r. vniust p. 338. l. 8. r. vnwilling p. 391. l. 26. r. deluded p. 401. l 6. r. our In the table letter F. r. iustifying in letter H. r predestinati